‘Torah Trade Center’ Offers New Method to Recruit for Yeshivah

What’s the best way to bring a Yid closer to Yiddishkeit? Sending them to Yeshiva is certainly one of them. An innovative program in Toronto called the ‘Torah Trade Center’ will use internships to incentivize students to join Yeshivah during the summer.

What’s the best way to bring a Yid closer to Yiddishkeit?

Although there is no single answer to this question, bringing a Yid into Yeshivah—any Yeshivah, and all the more so a Lubavitch Yeshivah—is highly effective in helping them become a full-fledged shomer Torah and mitzvos and a Chossid.

Were you ever asked on Mivtzoyim, “Are you in Yeshivah to become a Rabbi?” The answer is simple: “No, I learn because I’m Jewish.”

Yeshivah is for everyone. Even if a Yid who attended Yeshivah was not completely transformed (or their inner spark fully revealed), it does not diminish the tremendous impact that time spent in Yeshivah has. And even for someone who already keeps Shabbos and Kashrus, without time in Yeshivah, how can their Limud HaTorah be truly proper?

A video recently circulated of a boy passing by the Rebbe for dollars, where he asks, “Should I go to Yeshivah? I don’t know.” The Rebbe answers, “Certainly, every Jew must go to Yeshivah, for at least one or two years.”

B”H, Lubavitch has a number of such institutions geared specifically for newcomers. Just for English speakers alone, there are several options, each with a different style and geographic location.

The testimonials I’ve heard from alumni of these institutions have been fantastic—full of praise for the incredible experience they had. The feedback from the Shluchim who sent students has been equally positive.

But why aren’t there many hundreds or even thousands of “secular” young Jews attending Yeshivah, especially with 2,000 Shluchim in America, including some 250 on campus? And what about the many other English-speaking populations worldwide?

I began researching, but as the saying goes—two Jews, three opinions. The more people I asked, the more perspectives I heard—five Jews, ten opinions! The bottom line is to take action.

An idea surfaced that was well received by every Shliach I shared it with. It’s something that various kiruv movements have been doing for years—using internships to incentivize students to join Yeshivah. This approach also alleviates concerns about future career prospects, a common worry that prevents many from attending Yeshivah.

Introducing the Torah Trade Center. The program will provide participants with paid internships to supplement yeshiva learning, encouraging young men to join for a summer semester while earning money and learning new skills.

The summer Yeshivah program will place at two Toronto locations: Beth Joseph Lubavitch (Edinburgh) and Yeshivas Lubavitch Toronto.

The staff includes: Rabbi Mordechai Silverberg, shliach at the University of Western Ontario, Rabbi Shmuly Zaltzman, director of the program, and Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman of the Jewish Russian Community Center.

The concept has been met with great enthusiasm from Campus Shluchim across Canada, who have committed to sending eligible students.

In the merit of the goodwill to do the Rebbe’s work by helping more Yidden experience the transformative power of Yeshivah, may we merit to see Moshiach speedily, when ‘ומלאה הארץ דעה את ה’ כמים לים מכסים’.

For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.torahtradecenter.org/