Students Grow Outside Their Comfort Zone

At JETS, we believe that growth happens outside one’s comfort zone, so part of our mission is to push the limits of what our students think is possible for themselves. This year, our team of shluchim (guidance counselors) designed a brilliant campaign in honor of the 70th anniversary of Yud Shevat, the day the Rebbe assumed the mantle of leadership.

For close to a month, we challenged our students to grow beyond what they thought was possible by:

Preparing a one-minute presentation for JETS Talks (more on that below)
Taking on a personal resolution for spiritual growth, in consultation with one of the shluchim
Learning Basi L’Gani (the first discourse that the Rebbe said on Yud Shevat) and passing a test
Attending a Chassidic Philosophy (Tanya) class every day
Writing to the Rebbe

JETS Talks

JETS Talks, modeled after TED Talks, gave the students a forum to present engaging, thought-provoking ideas to their fellow students. Each student had to research and prepare a presentation, and some teachers became involved as well. The topics included The Importance of Schedules, Why You Need to Be Happy, Divine Providence (Hashgacha Pratis), Hope—Don’t Lose It, Personal Motivation, and Ayeka—Where Are You? The activity prompted our boys to go beyond their comfort zones, practice public speaking, and inspire others.

Trip of a Lifetime

We’re pleased to report that over 90% of our boys met the requirements to pass this challenge. As a reward, they were taken on a fabulous trip to Silicon Valley, where they visited the Google headquarters and received a VIP tour of the Facebook campus. In San Francisco, they visited the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz (and put tefillin on a Jew on the ferry!), the Painted Ladies (a row of colorful Victorian houses), and Lombard Street. On the way back to Los Angeles, they headed to Pismo Beach, where they went ATVing and had a grand finale barbecue.

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork!

Of course, the true reward for this campaign was the growth that the boys experienced. They went beyond their own expectations, thanks to the excitement and motivation of the JETS shluchim: Shimon Chanin, Eli Shemtov, Dovber Friedman, Meir Katz, Yosef Moritz, and Avrumi Lapidus. We would also like to thank Joshua Weitz, Rabbi Moshe Langer, the shliach to San Francisco, and Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the shliach to Washington D.C, who opened the right doors, and of course, we need to thank our entire JETS community and generous donors who made this campaign & trip possible. It was a truly unforgettable experience.