This project, unique to the Yeshiva world, builds significant personal strengths in participating students. After a year, they will receive a formal certificate testifying to the personal strengths they have built, which they can use for prospective employers – and for their  shiduch resume.  More importantly, it equips the student with the life skills to be a  good husband, father and employee. This pilot project has 5 participants.  We envisage expanding this program significantly in future and offering the model to the Yeshiva world.

How did they build these strengths?  Through meeting for an hour daily with their mentor who helps the student identify his areas of frustration. Then the mentor helps him work through each area until the student has demonstrated that he has mastered that area. Typical areas include:

• Self-awareness
• Empathy
• Critical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Decision making
• Problem Solving
• Effective communication
• Interpersonal relationships
• Coping with stress
• Coping with emotion etc.

Practically speaking, he will have action plans to address day-to-day issues such as keeping his dorm tidy, getting up in the morning, arriving on time to Yeshiva sessions, taking on volunteering to help – eg keeping the communal area tidy.

Who testifies to the new-built strengths?   A combination of internal and external observers.

Internal observers are the Mentor, the Mashgichim and the Rebbes

External observers are 2 experienced consultants who have significant experience with similar programs in the business world, one from IBM, the other from Marks and Spencer.

(One of these observers was recently featured in an article in the Hamodia Inyan publication).

What your contribution will be used for?

• To pay for the mentor’s time
• To pay for motivational gifts/events for the participation students
• To pay for project setup and project management.

Through your sponsorship, you will be underpinning the student’s Torah studies with the strong personal strengths necessary to be a solid contributor to Klal Yisroel.