(Courtesy of PTI) The Young Professionals Program of Passaic Torah Institute (Yeshiva Ner Boruch-PTI) took a dramatic expansion in the new year. Two hundred young professional men and career mentors in many fields were matched in a giant learning event for an inspiring start to a new year and a new future. The event attracted dozens of cosponsors across the New Jersey-New York area, and even Israel.
“The whole community and many organizations and businesses came together to give the next generation a jump start on their careers and spiritual growth,” said Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim, associate rosh yeshiva of PTI, “just in time for the new year.”
Young professionals feasted upon a gala dinner and kick-started career conversations with leading mentors in their fields. The highlight of the program was a giant learning session of matched pairs and small groups with their respective career mentors. The learning was facilitated with give and take by the dynamic speaker Harry Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Law Firm. He also related his own experiences at Ohr Somayach, before graduating from Harvard Law School.
The Jewish Link, The Jewish Standard, the New Jersey Jewish News, The Network, The Jewish Local Pages, Monsey Mevaser, and The Jewish Voice & Opinion were media sponsors of the event, and were joined by cosponsors Touro University, RnR Properties, Rothenberg Law Firm, Guaranteed Rate, Barry Stein Accounting, Brownstone Abstract Title Insurance, Perlow Law, Cork & Barrel, Torah Links, Torah Links Fellowship, Aish Hatorah, Olami-Mentorships, Project Inspire, Rutgers Meor JX, Shapell’s Yeshiva/Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya, NCSY, Chazaq, Mesorah Young Professional Singles, and Manhattan Jewish Experience.
The evening was uplifted with dancing to the ecstatic music of R’ Moshe Auslander and Chacham Isaac Jamal.
PTI announced plans to raise funds this year to double the number of young professionals in the program. It will expand the schedule to a full week from its current three-day schedule on Sunday mornings and Monday and Thursday evenings. Finally, it will allow PTI to hire another full-time rabbi, in addition to its current 20 faculty and kollel fellows who teach and learn one-on-one.
“It was so inspiring, just awesome,” according to Ben Rand, coordinator of the Young Professionals Program. “Our first year has grown so fast in the wake of October 7; so many people came here looking for a deeper understanding of their Judaism.”
PTI has five levels of classes for men and women, from the complete beginner with no background to the most advanced kollel scholar, seven days and evenings a week.
PTI is located at 441 Passaic Avenue, Passaic, New Jersey. For info, contact [email protected],
ptishulcloud.com