JETS Completes 10th Successful School Year
JETS (The Jewish Educational Trade School) in Granada Hills, California, has completed its 10th successful school year.
The year went by very quickly, but, the JETS staff, students and families are left with good memories, life lessons, Chassidishe values and of course all that was learned and lived throughout the year.
JETS offers its student body a complete Jewish education based on Chassidishe values in addition to the many different trades taught there.
The boys are surrounded by dedicated staff and teachers completely invested in their spiritual and physical well-being. Rabbi Mayer Schmukler, founder and director of JETS, created this program with the goal of enabling young boys to learn a trade while being immersed in an environment conducive to growth B’ruchnius and B’gasmius.
Rabbi Mendy Seewald, Judaic Principal at JETS, says “it is truly special to see all the growth of the students. To see how much students changed throughout the year is simply wonderful.”
Rabbi Naftali Smith, Principal at JETS, says that “our combined programs of Judaic studies, academics, extracurricular and trades give a bochur the opportunity to further his future career path in an environment conducive to lead a life as a true chossid who can support a family, and ultimately that’s our goal.”
Rabbi Elchanan Tauber, Av Beis Bin and Rov of the Los Angeles community, as well as Rabbi Yitzchok Kornwasser, ran the JETS Smicha program. JETS’ Smicha program is unique and very hands on with additional focus on learning practical everyday material, including intensive study on laws of Shabbos, Ishus, Amira Linochre ,bishul akum, cholov akum, Haagolas keilim, tevielas keilim, Yayin nesech, basar vicholov, taaruvos, and melicha.
Mazel Tov to all of JETS’ Smicha graduates. The newly ordained rabbis are:
Sholom Ber Baumgarten, Shneur Zalman Berkowitz, Meir Bernath, Menachem M. Cowen, Yaacov Fakiro, Avi Gordon, Shloime Gutnick, Levi Kahaty, Zalmy Jacobson, Matan Laytin, Mendy Lebovic, Mendy Reichman, Sholom Ber Scheinfeld, Yehuda Stell, Yakov Zikvashvili, Mendy Rapoport, Mendy Meer and Moshe Konikov.
A kosher supervision class, taught by Rabbi Boruch Krinsky, enabled the students to receive a certificate acknowledging their abilities and knowledge in the Hashgacha field.
Rabbi Levi Blizinsky, Rabbi Zalmy Raksin, Rabbi Tzvi Schwartz, Rabbi Aizik Chanin and Rabbi Mordechai Seewald are all part of JETS’ Judaic staff.
In the secular department there were many awards given out, including the culinary class, taught by Tzemach Rosenfeld. There were 12 students who graduated the course.
JETS is proud to announce that this year they had the most graduates ever in their high school equivalency, with 24 graduating students.
Students have concluded courses and in many instances received awards or certificates in the following courses: Emergency Medical Response (EMR), Residential Construction & Repair, Electrical Fundamentals, Accounting & Personal Finance, Culinary of Arts, Computer Operations, Computer Programming, Real Estate License, Auto-CAD, Sales & Marketing.
JETS’ very own computer programing course, taught by Moshe Levi, is proud to announce a Siddur app that will be coming out shortly. The idea of this app is to enhance the davening by offering insights to the various portions of davening.
JETS is also proud of their real estate graduates, for completing and passing the California state license. This class was taught by Zalmy Yarmush.
JETS would also like to acknowledge the hard work put in by their Touro and college students for completing their semesters successfully.
Over 150 people attended the banquet including families, friends, alumni and donors. The banquet was organized and officiated by the JETS students. The banquet was MC’d by Shliach Dovber Koncepolski from Sydney, Australia. The banquet began with a welcome by Rabbi Mayer Schmukler.
Head Shliach of Chabad of the Valley, Rabbi Josh Gordon, read the Rebbe’s letter and also thanked Rabbi schmukler and the JETS staff for the amazing work. Yossi Soiefer, a current student, spoke about his personal growth at JETS. A video presentation was created by Aryeh David the Jets creative wing, recapping the year’s highlights. Aryeh Habibian, Dovid Vingart, Rabbi Krinsky, Joyce, and Mendy Teichman spoke at the banquet, thanking the staff, shluchim, and expressing their gratitude to JETS for the experiences they have had this year.
The students worked tirelessly, organizing and raising funds for the grand trip. The boys headed out to Pismo Beach for a three day/two night camping trip. The boys enjoyed going ATVing, motor boating, water skiing, jet skiing, Kayaking and stand up paddle boarding.
The feeling of achdus around the fire was palpable, with staff member Aizik Chanin playing guitar all through the night. To quote the students: “We did not sleep for two nights, but they were the best two nights of our lives!”
