(YWN has received a tremendous amount of feedback regarding this video – and decided to place it on the front-page for one more day.) Anyone with children should watch this video. It is all about “kids at risk”, and about one organization which is doing something that none other has done before. Click HERE to view – this is a “must see”.
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WE SHOULD ALSO BE CAREFUL ABOUT
THOSE CHILDREN THAT ARE STILL IN ELEMENTRY
AND HIGH SCHOOL
THAT ARE STAYING AND WORKING HARD TO
PASS AND GET GOOD MARKS ON THEIR TEST
MOST OF THESE @ RISK KIDS WILL TELL YOU
THAT THEY DID NOT GET ENOUGH “PRAISE” FROM
PARENTS OR TEACHERS..
TEENAGERS NEED LOVE & PRAISE DAILY
WE PUT A LOT ON THEIR SHOULDERS
PRAISE THEM WHEN THEY ARE STILL GOOD !!!!
AND PRAY TO HASHEM FOR KLAL YISROEL..
What about the young women at risk? Is there a similar organization?
Wow Rabbi Shimon Russel was amazing!!He was so incredibly brilliant and warm I feel like calling him Uncle Shimon!
who is avi and miriam that sound like they run the organization. amazing. too graphic on the drugs for women but otherwise very special.
Gut voch! Yasher koach to all those that spoke on the video and once again, showed us how the young men of klal yisroel are suffering so badly from LACK OF LOVE. I am a social worker by profession. There were many, many times that we see these individuals walk through the doors of our offices. It is a sad, very sad reality. However, there is a way to stop it- as was mentioned on the video and is very well known in the professional arena.
A PLEA TO PARENTS AND EDUCATORS:
Please, please, LISTEN when your children/students talk to you. Don’t just nod your head and say, “ok, that’s nice”. You may have HEARD them, but were you LISTENING? Active listening is the key here.
Show your children/students the love that they so desire, EVEN IF THEY DID SOMETHING WRONG. You may have disapproved of their action(s), but, NONETHELESS, you still love THEM and care for THEM.
As one of my collegues on the video said, “if you show your children that you love them, they will know that YOU love them and Hashem loves them, too”. This is the most important idea that children in today’s day and age need to know, especially if we want our children to cherish the ideals that we hold so dear.
After all that is said and done, as Tomim (#2) said, what about the girls? Girls are not immune to this situation at all. It might not be as apparent, but it is there, and according to some studies is even worse than the boys, because it is not talked about or thought about, for that matter. However, it shows in terms of pritzus and other such forms of behavior (including drugs, drinking and smoking). Anorexia, bulimia and depression may come along with it as well.
There is a school in Israel, called Tikva, where they try to help these young women in crisis also. However, New York which is the center of this subculture, needs more attention paid to the young girls and women who are caught up in this decadent life style. Ohel has it’s services, and thank G-d are serving a very important need, but still, more needs to be done.
Yes, indeed, is there somewhere for the girls? Is there a helpline for parents for advice BEFORE their kids become dropouts – when you can see the unhappiness in their life?
Home Sweet Home sounds fantastic!!!
very very good i think everyone should make the time to watch this video
yasher koach to everyone involved tizku l’mitzvos
Beautiful video, and presentation. Everyone should watch it. Thank you YW!
This video was excellent and should be part of any parenting education classes. Also this should be shown to the educators of our children. We must remember and emphasize that this is a problem that (as the video presented) we all face as parents and educators.
May HSH continue to be only a source of nachas to our kids at risk and that we should all know of only simchas in all of Klal Yisroel AMEN
Have recommended to many to watch this video, watched it together as a family to get feedback from the teens. Well done.
Dr. Salomon said “it’s a nes nigla for children to grow up normal in our generation” – quite a statement!
Great video thanks Yeshivah World for such a great video.
I personally think that Yeshivas and girls scools need to let the kids have some exercise during school not just sitting by a desk all day.
Deleted by Moderator.
It’s about time the frum world should know what’s going on in there world. What about the chassidic world?
thank you for posting this video, however i think you should warn that a child under 17 should not watch it without supervision. there are really harsh and strong pictures in the video. thank you.
#6: Oh yeah?? What exactly is it that OHEL does??
The volunteer paraprofessionals of our communities put most of these for-profit entities to SHAME. How many of them can proudly show you their success stories? NONE!!!
HSH is just one of FEW life-saving NOT-FOR-PROFIT entities. Chaval that the world doesn’t see the need to establish more of them.
I know the people who run it. A and M, KUDOS to you. May Hashem give you (and me) the koach to continue your (our) holy work of saving today’s youth from the pitfalls of this unbalanced and destructive society.
Hashem have rachmonus on the yidden!
this video is excellent. it tells the jews that they cant just say that nothing like this exists in our community, because indeed it does. we can’t just bury our heads in the sand and pretend like nothing is wrong. i am responding to a post that stated that parents have to give their children love with boundaries. if you are saying this, then you are controdicting the whole job of a parent. a parent is supposed to give their child unconditional love, no matter who they are or what they do. by giving them love with conditions, boundaries, and expectattions you are makeing them want to leave the path following hashem even more. maybe they don’t feel that they they can live up to those expectaions or conditions and they feel as if they are failures. you have to give them unconditional love and tell them that you love them no matter what. i am not sure who pasted that message or if he was a parent, but i am not a parent, i am actually sixteen years old and am living a loving and caring home. my parents make sure to tell me that they love me no matter what road i choose to take.
HEARTBREAKING & HEARTWARMING!!!
Thank you Rabbi Yaakov Salamon & the dedicated HSH staff. Yehi Ratzon that you should be able to go out of business.
WOW!!! I must say the video brought me close to tears more than once!
As I sat watching different pictures of ppl I know swam through my head… if only they too could be success stories of HSH!!
And true it is… the girls need such a home too!. Yet mostly we need prevention so that neither the boys nor the girls of the coming doros will need such places. Our kids need our communication, they need our love, they need our acceptance and advice and clarity, They need our approval and our warmth, even when they arent exactly what we had in mind. We need to be there for them always!!! May Hashem help us to provide for our kids like home sweet home provides for our kids!!!
Is this facility only for local (NY) boys?
Is there a phone number or contact person for more information?
The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe said that just as it is incumbent on every yid from bar mitzvah on to put on tefillin, a father is obligated to think for half an hour each day about his children’s chinuch.
This is a problem that doesn’t discriminate between Chassidish, Litvish, Lubavitch, Sefardic or any other chilukim. We are one klal yisroel, regardless of hashkafa, and every yid lost is the responsibility (or c”v loss) of every other yid.
B”H for an organization like this – it should keep increasing and growing in all aspects until it’s not needed anymore.
Please supply contact phone number for Home Sweet Home. Also please provide similar contact info for females at risk. Thanking you in advance.
Contact: [email protected]
A and M along with therest of the volunteers have made a tremendous difference in the lives of these boys. Bear in mind that this type of intense, individualized attention does not come free. All those volunteers and donors who give so freely of their limited resources need your help. If you have time, contact Avi, if your have funds, contact Avi, if you are aware of entry level positions, which can be the spring board for a boy to feel good about earning his keep, contact Avi.
Boys are not neccessarily from Brooklyn, however the house is in Brooklyn.
There is a girls facility, not the same, but they would know what resources are available, the place is run by Rabbi Z Wallerstein ,and is known as Ohr Naava, look it up, I’m sure they’re listed
I was extremely moved and ispiredf by this video and the great work that HSH is doing. However,forgive me for saying this, but I couldn’t help thinking about this as I watched this video. Why shouldn’t a borderline kid who’s not exactly being matzliach in Yeshiva not want to go “off the derech” and become an “at risk kid”, afterall now he’ll be treated to all of the fun and excitement that he’d always dreamed of while in yeshiva- the ballgames, the amusement parks, the skiing trips etc., in short everything that he’d been told in yeshiva were for the bummy kids and had he experimented with them while in yeshiva he would’ve beeen bounced out on his head by the same rabbonim who are now coddling him and telling him that he’s so worthwhile and special!
If I’m off base , please set me straight.
Thank you for the very well done video. From what I know there definatly needs to be more attention given to girls on the streets their suffering is terrible and unimagineable. We need to do more for them here in america. In Israel there is a similar program to HSH for girls called Aishel it is an excellent program that has saved and helped countless girls their website is http://www.aishel.org Tizku lemitzvos to all the wonderful people running these projects hashem sould continue giving you stregnth and the financial ability to continue your invaluable work!!
please supply telephone # for Home Sweet Home
Besides looking at the indiv cases, does anyone have an idea of total percentage of bochrim in mesiva and beis medrash in NY who are being depicted in the video ? Of course it is a rachmonus on them and on their families, but why does Dr Solomon call it a nais niglah for soemone to turn out OK today. It is pushing it a little hard to say all the bochrim in the top-of-the-line Yeshivos and even in the second tier yeshivas(and please, don’t get all hyper about classifying yeshivas.look at reality. there are haevards and there are brooklyn colleges and there are community colleges. some people need a watered down softie approach but Bh there are many who can take the pressure and find the geshmak in learning) Theyo are learning, are davening, are respectful (as much as can be xpected from teenagers) are all these a nais niglah ? Are all the bochrim who want to go learn in Brisk or even Mir doing so as a cover ? Of course, there is an element of gaavah and $$$ from a prospective shver involved, but they are not at risk !! Let me emphasize; I do not know percentages but just ‘being around’ tells me that # of at risk is too small to say that it is a naisd niglah, or even something exceptional, to turn out a bochur who is learning and yes, who fits into the mold of black hat, black suit and learning well and satisfied
If anyone has hard numbers,would appreciate seeing them.
glattekup, right on.
It seems to me that love and attention are reserved for those who have gone off and who we are now trying to coax back. What about before? What about those who haven’t gone off, who haven’t done wrong yet. Where is the love and attention for them? As a teenager this bothered me very much.
There is a place for girls – it is called Rachel’s Place, under the umbrella of Women’s League. In fact, HSH and Rachel’s Place shares some board members. Rachel’s Place can be reached at 718-253-5364. There still needs to be an approach like Israel – homes for children who cannot live at home (and NOT foster care!) such as Diskin, Migdal Ohrn and Bait L’Platot. Those programs really work and is the best approach for kids who cannot live at home.
I think people need to know that the “A” and “M” are Avi and Miriam Fishoff who single handedly founded and bankrolled Home Sweet Home and continue to run it to this day. They have made it their lifes mission. They are people that dont ask for fanfare or thanks but I think they deserve the hakaros hatov of the entire Frum community. Keep up the good work. You guys are incredible. May you have the stregnth to continue the unbelievable work you are doing at HSH at Meah V”esrim
My heart goes out to these poor Neshomos!
Klal Yisroel needs a tremendous yeshua. Mi K’Amcha Yisroel that cares for those unfortunate Neshomos tangled in this web. May Hashem Yisborach bless all those who put effort into helping these boys and girls with a shining Olam Habah and never experience such stories in their own private lives. I cried when I saw this video.
First of all, kvodo she olom to all those who bought this place into being, and all the bochurim brave enough and motivated enough to appear on the video.
I follow this site, not as a current Yeshivaman, but as a yeshiva guy of a while ago. While this new openness is refreshing, there is much room for Nachpesoh Drocheinu V’Nachkorah.
The frum velt seems very preoccupied with examining and critiquing other people’s problems, and not their own. There seems to be much hyporcrisy, , competetiveness, and lack of support among Yeshiva guys, and this gets transmitted to our kids. Our view of anyone who is not exactly like us (Chasidish, modern othro, non-frum , non-Jew, non-male) leaves a lot to be desired. If we were exemplary, our kids would be more motivated, not interested in out-shtayging and outshining other kids at all costs. Not to mention the shidduch narishkeit.
Plus, the hyporcrisy. Alot of the people appearing on the video are questionable, as are a lot of other “community leaders”, and kids sense this all the time.
The fault doesn’t lie with others, we’ll be busy enough fixing our own problems.
glattekup and minols,
Don’t compare someone who has undergone major surgery with someone who sprained an ankle. True both need to eat healthy, but one needs a recuperation period which requires special care as well. If you can’t understand that, go back to yeshivah.
ooops, i meant glatte kup and blue pinky
amother,
send avi an email, if he wants to give you his number he will, who knows if he wants it posted?
“Plus, the hyporcrisy. Alot of the people appearing on the video are questionable,”
Hayntige,
Please define what you mean by this statement
I would love to help kids at risk more so girls at risk I live in lakewood if anyone knows any body I can reach to be of help please leave a #
baal habais.
you don’t have to act ignorant.
you know quite well what he means.
“baal habais.
you don’t have to act ignorant.
you know quite well what he means.
Comment by scy4851”
I really don’t know what he means. I would suspect that he means that there are (alot?!?!?!)people on the video whom he doesn’t approve of, but I can’t believe that someone who just wrote in the previous paragraph:
“The frum velt seems very preoccupied with examining and critiquing other people’s problems, and not their own.”
would follow it up with such a judgemental statement. So instead, i just assumed I misunderstood the second statement, and asked for clarification. If he actually meant that (alot of!?!?!!!) people on the video are “questionable” then he just lost any credibility he may have had, and I’ve really no interest in what he has to say, as he is the one who is being the hypocrite.
Don’t compare someone who has undergone major surgery with someone who sprained an ankle. True both need to eat healthy, but one needs a recuperation period which requires special care as well.
What’s first, the chicken or the egg? I have no problem with showing care and love to everyone. What bothers me is when people reserve that only for those who have gone astray. I’m not in any way judging anyone, but let’s be honest here for a second. We all had to choose a path in life. Some chose to go down the wrong one, whatever the reason, circumstances and justification is. I’m not blaming them for it. What I do wonder is why the love and compassion of the community is reserved just for them. What about those who chose the right path? What about those who haven’t done wrong? Those who show their love only for those people may in fact be driving our young to go there in the first place.
What did come first?, good question. It’s quite possible (seems to be a comon theme throughout the video) that the kids who fell off did so out of a sense of insufficient love at home. Unfortunately we have no mechanism for defining the child that may digress, and catching him when he starts to feel unloved. Once they have digressed however this is what’s needed to bring them back. Would it be better to provide more prevension? sure that’s what organizations such as Danny Mechanic’s discovery are all about. That doesn’t take away from the need here.
This is a fantastic video. It really is a MUST see. Thanks YW for posting it.
an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. let’s invest in kids before they go off, with love. i know of a cheder where the mashgiach stands by the door every morning and says good morning to each and every child by his first name.
video not playing by me. any suggestions?
anyone know where the video is on google, or what the video is called? for some reason when i click on video it says it is not available anymore. thanks
The video is hosted on video.google. If you cannot see it, it is quite possible that it is being blocked by a firewall.
what is the video called on google???
You may experience difficulty becausing so many people are watching it simultaneously. If tit says this video is unavailable now, try refreshing your screen (F5).
It is unlisted on google, meaning you can not find it by searching.
i can identify with everything on the video. as a former k.a.r. and current dean of an elementary school, I must say that avi and miriam and the rest of the guys deserve alle brochos!! May the rbsh”o repay you for your beautiful work. I personally know both mothers and quite a number of the kids. I have the highest respect for all of you (parents and kids). May you all only grow more and more so klal yisroel can see much nachas from you.
WE LOVE EVERY ONE OF YOU!! Kinderlach klal yisroel LOVES YOU!!
This video was well made and kol hakavod to the boys who were willing to share their stories in order to help others. I’m wondering though, why the video (as well as many books and shiurim on the topic)does not seem to mention the ‘boys talking to girls’ aspect of when teens go off. In my experience working with teens, Ive found that this is definitely a factor. Im wondering why its so often overlooked?
I tried finding the video on google but had no hatzlocha. I tried all sorts of search words and even ended up with results that I wont go into as this is a family blog.
If anyone knows the link, can you please post?
THANKS!
abcd123,
From what i have seen the boys talking to girls is more an aspect of needing attention. As much as I end up giving credence to the shrinks, there is something to it (not to mention good ol’ fashioned yetzer hora). Generally its not the girl (or the guy if the situation is reversed) that is making the other person go off. I have seen far too many cases where the member of the opposite sex is the reason the kid doesnt go totally off the D.
Usually when a kid goes off its not one particular point, rather its a case of zeh v’zeh v’zeh gorem. Usually more than just 3 zehs too!
If anyone knows if Home Sweet Home has a website and they could post it here, that would be appreciated as well.
ML
the website is still under development http://www.homesweeeethome.org/