A remarkable initiative known as the “Mego Programme” is making waves in Israel. This 14-month-long vocational training program is dedicated to preparing charedi men, who have had limited exposure to the modern world, for lucrative careers in the hi-tech sector. Jointly funded by the Kemach Foundation and the Israeli government, the Mego bootcamp has rapidly gained popularity.
The program’s journey began last September when it enrolled its inaugural cohort of 100 students. A few months later, in the spring, 150 more participants joined the ranks. Now, as fall approaches, another 150 students are eagerly anticipated to commence their educational journey this October. The Mego Programme’s resounding success is evident, with an overwhelming response from aspiring learners—1,000 applications during the first round and a staggering 1,700 in the second.
Prospective students undergo a rigorous selection process, including tests and psychological evaluations, designed to ensure their preparedness for the intensive mathematics and English courses.
Mego has set ambitious goals for itself, with plans to train a total of 7,000 students over a three-year pilot period. The hope is that its sustainable model can serve as a blueprint for integrating best practices into existing Haredi educational institutions. Educators say have observed that the primary challenges faced by students are not related to the academic workload but rather the development of soft skills associated with higher learning and office dynamics.
Despite the hurdles, the energy and determination at Mego are palpable, resembling the vibrant atmosphere of a startup. The first class of Mego students is set to graduate in October, and with the guidance of the program’s leaders, many within the cohort are already securing internships and entry-level job interviews at various companies across Tel Aviv.
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20 Responses
I hope they get high paying jobs and support their families in kavodik way!
Regular shmad!
Sadly habachur hachashuv gives the knee-herk response against the gemara in Kiddushin 30. Perhaps he will raise a group of nisht dah gedach who have to be chozer al ha-pesachim to feed their families. Ha-Shem Yerachem
GEVALT!!!
Chareidi men preparing to fulfill their sworn kesuba obligations…Shrekalach!!!
Whats next, washing the dishes???
If the Zionists are funding it, then there’s obviously shmad on the agenda, even if they throw in career prep, too.
The people who are involved creating this, are doing the highest level of the mitzvah of tzedakah. Ashrei luhem vashrei chelkem. As stated in rambam hilcohs tzedakah that helping a jew to have their own parnassah is considered the biggest form of tzedakah. Not like people think that sliding a $100 bill under one’s door is the highest form of tzedakah.
There are such organizations in America too, and they should deserve the same credit.
If it is not endorsed by גדולי ישראל and perhaps even if it is, those who join will immediately be ostracized by the community.
So I am a high tech person, with high tech education, working in high tech right now.
I can tell you that it is not the kosher, kavodik parnassa that you may think it is. The pitfalls are not obvious, but they are there, and I can tell you from personal experience that it damages ruchneus. It may even lead to shmad.
You are better off working harder, less lucrative jobs like construction. That’s what I intend to do.
Chazal (the goiyeshe type) bring down the inyan of “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”….perhaps l’havdel, we can learn something from them.
HaKatan, your name and your intellectual prowess are linked
“[hi-tech] damages ruchneus. It may even lead to shmad.
Doom 777: You are obviously a low-achieving “hi-tech” mayvin. There is NOTHING about technology jobs, per se, that “damages ruchneus”, “leads to shmad” etc. Someone sitting in cubicle coding software, linking servers, working on chip design or any other technology-related job is at the same or lesser risk of going OTD than a construction worker engaging in crude conversations with his goiyeshe colleagues, leering at women walking past a job-site or any other “spritual risk” thanwhat is encountered in hundreds of other occupations. If someone wants to watch pritzus on their phone, they can do it ANYWHERE, ANYTIME on ANY JOB.
I thought if they dont ‘serve’ they cant get a permit to work? Wasnt that half the issue all along?
I hope it works out.
I hired a Charedi to create & run the website for my coffee house/cafe.
When I checked out the final site I found all my Cholov Stam food & drinks had a big red “TREIF” overlaying the products.
He also created a pop-up that read, “Warning! Men & Women sitting together in public is Assur & one should not patronize this store until there is only separate seating with a proper Mechitza.”
At the same time he did deliver on time & at a very reasonable price.
Better they not go to Tel Aviv. Secular don’t give without hate at moment. Study learn 216 years till 6000 enough money for all. LEARN WITH FIRE
GDH: Unless you worked in construction, you are just talking conjecture, while I have both built houses with my hands, and worked in high tech. I am talking from experience.
Either learn, or if you cannot, work blue collar jobs. Did you know that a plumber in Israel can make 20k monthly? A very good welder can make 30k? In Israel, that’s a killing. If you are completely not physical, be a cashier. A hard working diligent floor sweeper is more of a kiddush hashem than a haughty software developer
Just for the sake of clarity the following was in The Guardian UK Yesterday
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/04/a-big-shock-the-israeli-startup-helping-ultra-orthodox-jews-enter-world-of-hi-tech-work
All potential students undergo tests and a psychological screening process to ensure they are able to cope with the intense maths and English classes, as well as getting used to working in a secular environment alongside women and LG***+ individuals.
Sounds interesting – “getting used to working with LG***+ individuals”!
Wondering who is the Godol behind this?
r”l.
this is part of the academia gezeirah (academy).
kemach, mechon mandel, and all the others are all funded and run behind the scenes by reform jews, with big donations by many different kofrim and apikorsim, from leftist l***** to evangelical xtians.
H’ should rub these amalekim out of this world and the next!!
No wonder the leftist anti-chareidi-chinuch-pro-every-kefirah Guardian (UK) made an article about it.
In the words of the guardian verbatim: “All potential students undergo tests and a psychological screening process to ensure they are able to cope with the intense maths and English classes, AS WELL AS GETTING USED TO WORKING IN A SECULAR ENVIROMENT ALONGSIDE WOMEN AND L***** individuals.”
Another good occupation is cleaning the streets and taking out trash. It is a big mitzva to clean Eretz yisrael. More people need to take advantage of this. Unfortunately in many haredi cities the people take this mitzva and hand it over to the Arabs.
And will the ultra-secular Tech companies hire people who dress funny, come from a different culture with different customs. Unlike the United States, Israel is not big on respecting diverse cultures. Will this program just mean more opportunities from frum companies to expand (better frum websites, opportunities to be what foreign companies outsource to since “on the internet, no one knows your frum”).