Spring is upon us and Pesach is in just a few days. Trees and seeds that worked through winter are blossoming on branches, sprouting through soil, fruiting into foliage, and sparking into communities of lush color. Perhaps one of the most important seeds that can be planted is that of Torah education and Jewish values: from teacher, to student to family, to a community orchard sustaining these values.

Keren Yeshua, started by Rabbi Chaim Kaminker of Brooklyn, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every Jewish student has access to a Torah education regardless of their background or circumstances. Keren Yeshua provides grants to alleviate tuition costs and offers guidance and referrals while working to ensure proper placement in a Jewish school invested in each student’s lasting success.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l, was a devoted advocate of Jewish education. Kaminker was particularly inspired by the Rebbe’s call to make Torah education a top priority and was drawn to launch Keren Yeshua in September 2023. Through these past few months, he has been “moved by the incredible educators who give their heart and soul to ensure our children have a warm, welcoming space to grow and thrive to reach their full potential.”

As this is being read, a Jewish student struggles to find their place in class or lacks adequate academic and emotional support. There is a family facing financial constraints and extenuating circumstances preventing attendance at a Jewish school. Parents may be trying everything in their power to provide the best Jewish education for their children, yet face barriers whether financially or otherwise. Keren Yeshua has already made incredible strides in embracing these students and these families.

Mia* found large classrooms overstimulating and suffered emotionally. A dad was working two jobs while studying to finish his social work master’s degree,and found it impossible to carry the burden of tuition for his eight children (some of whom were expelled from school). Rachel in Helsinki did not have access to Torah education.

Thanks to Keren Yeshua, Mia is now thriving in the perfect small class environment, Dad is able to afford tuition, and Rachel is connected with the Jewish Online School. Rachel’s parents added that “she has been studying for two years, and the school is her only access to Jewish education with religious peers. It is the only way she can conduct enriching religious studies and still feel part of a group of other children like her.”

Kaminker is not the only one inspired by the Rebbe’s work toward Jewish education. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter dedicated the Rebbe’s birthday, the 11th of Nisan, as National Education and Sharing Day. His commitment to Jewish education and values is recognized annually and has been esteemed by each U.S. president since its initiation. The Rebbe’s work, as President Joe Biden noted in 2022, “reminds us … to share a responsibility to plant the seeds of love, kindness and empathy in the hearts and minds of every child in America.” This year, that day will be honored on Friday, April 19.

For Kaminker, the mission of Keren Yeshua is deeply personal. Inspired by his son Shua, z”l whose love for learning was boundless, Kaminker has found purpose in ensuring that every Jewish child has the opportunity to flourish. The timing is particularly auspicious in that Shua’s Hebrew birthday falls out on the 3rd of Nisan.

What better time to consider delving into Jewish education than on Pesach? “‘V’higatedah l’vincha’ (and you should tell/teach your child) is threaded throughout the Pesach Haggadah,” noted Kaminker. “We transmit our Jewish story, and educate generations about resilience and commitment to Jewish values. The Seder is an opportunity to gather together with family and community, and embody Jewish redemption through words of Torah, history, values, symbolic food, ritual, prayer and song.”

Within the Haggadah, the Mah Nishtanah invites children to inquire, fostering curiosity and engagement. It’s a late-into-the-night communal chavruta delving into where the Jewish people come from and how they got here. And adults revisit with a new lens of learning each year.

Kaminker emphasized the inclusivity of the Jewish people’s narrative, as exemplified by the Four Sons. In the Jewish world’s diverse tapestry, every child — whether wise, rebellious, simple or silent — is valued and embraced. This ethos drives Keren Yeshua’s mission of inclusion and accessibility.

As noted by the principal of a Jewish school, “When I contacted Rabbi Kaminker, I was struck by his commitment to each family. He took the time to engage with them individually, understanding their unique situations and needs. Each family was given the amount that enabled their children to thrive in a Jewish environment. The joy in the Torah learning of these children is a testament to the value of your work … allowing the next generation to receive a Jewish education.”

Strengthening bonds with Jewish schools, families and students, Kaminker is touched by the “fantastic parents working tirelessly to ensure their children receive the very best. This is all the motivation I need to continue advocating for every Jewish child and growing Keren Yeshua to become one of the most impactful Jewish organizations,” he said. And it indeed takes a community to preserve and help these seeds blossom.

To find out more about Keren Yeshua, visit kerenyeshua.org or contact Kaminker at [email protected].

*names have been changed

Chaya Glaser is a staff writer at The Jewish Link.