Over the past 12 months, 65 Jewish children, students who were enrolled in public schools with little to no prior Jewish education, have transitioned into full-time yeshiva education through the efforts of the Released Time Program.

There is no secret that the public school environment is unhealthy for a Jewish child. For many Jewish public school children, Released Time is their very first exposure to Jewish values and learning: Alef-Beis, mitzvos, stories of the Torah, and the warmth of a caring Jewish role model who believes in them.

It may be a one-hour program tucked into an already busy, distracted week. But what is happening is a quiet revolution—seeds are being planted, and miracles are beginning to grow and blossom.

In the past 12 months alone, Released Time helped transfer 65 children from public school to jewish day schools and yeshivas across New York. The program’s warmth and consistency ignites a lasting change within every child.

In 1945, the Rebbe entrusted the legendary chossid Rabbi J.J. Hecht, obm, with the shlichus of directing the operations of Released Time. His son, Rabbi Shimon Hecht, reflects on its enduring impact: “Released Time plants seeds. What we are seeing today is those seeds blossoming in extraordinary ways.” He continues, “In a world where Jewish youth face endless confusion and distractions, Released Time helps them remain strong in their Jewish identity, guiding them toward more meaningful futures.”

Alex, a parent whose child attended PS 236, recalls initially signing up for Released Time “out of curiosity.” “We weren’t religious. We just thought, it can’t hurt for our son, Josh, to learn something about being Jewish,” Alex says. Within months he noticed a shift. “Josh started asking questions. He came home singing songs we didn’t know. At some point, my wife and I realized this isn’t a phase. This is who he is.”

This past year, Josh enrolled in Be’er Hagolah Yeshiva.

At PS 216 in Queens, Marissa’s daughter was one of many students attending Released Time during the school week. What began as a one hour weekly class quickly became the highlight of her daughter’s schedule. “She counted down the days,” Marissa recalls. “It was the one place where she felt proud to be Jewish.”

When the suggestion of transitioning to JIQ (Jewish Institute of Queens) first came up, Marissa was hesitant. “It felt like a big leap. But the confidence and joy I saw in my daughter convinced me.” Today, Marissa says the move changed everything. “She’s thriving. She knows who she is. And she’s happy.”

The number 65 is not just a statistic. Rabbi Sadya Engel, who oversees Released Time’s yeshiva transfers, emphasizes that “each number represents a neshama, a family, a future Jewish home.”

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Released Time operates within the public school system, reaching children who might otherwise never walk into a yeshiva, synagogue, or Jewish program.

Rabbi Yehoshua Shneur, Released Time’s assistant director, points to how students discover their identity over the course of the year: “Our enrollment increases even mid–school year, because when other children in the school see their friends leave class, it sparks conversation and leads other kids to discover they are Jewish and enroll.”

For 85 years Released Time has quietly shaped Jewish identity in America. Released Time was the first outreach initiative the Frierdiker Rebbe established in America, and the Rebbe spoke repeatedly about its power. Seeing 65 children transition to yeshiva in a single year is proof that this vision is alive and strong.

The story of these 65 children is not the ending, it is the beginning. A beginning of Jewish learning, new Kosher homes, more Shabbos tables being set, and generations of Jewish life yet to unfold.