From BTJ Student to General Manager: Amir Kesar’s Journey
In 1979, 13-year-old Amir Kesar left his home in southern Israel to live and study at Boys Town Jerusalem. On Day #1, after attending classes from 8 AM to 10 PM, the exhausted boy burst into tears.
“I nearly quit,” he recalls.
Leading Boys Town Jerusalem Toward Student Success
Forty-seven years later, Amir, a child of Yemenite immigrants to Israel, is Boys Town Jerusalem’s veteran General Manager, guiding the institution to become a lifeline for thousands of boys to a productive future.
He proudly points to the school’s recent Israel Ministry of Education citation lauding BTJ students’ exceptional achievement: an average bagrut matriculation exam score exceeding 90%!
How Boys Town Jerusalem Gives Students the Tools to Thrive
“Heading a school is like heading a business,” Amir explains. “Teamwork between the administration and teachers empowers us to give our students tools for life. Thanks to generous donors, our boys learn in state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and activity centers that surpass most Israeli schools. Our Social Services counselors provide crucial emotional support. Each boy is ‘home’ at Boys Town Jerusalem, where he has so much to give – and so much to gain.”
Supporting BTJ Students Through Unprecedented Challenges
The past six years, marred by the Covid epidemic and the war in Israel, have brought unprecedented challenges.
“To meet the intensive, individualized study needs of record numbers of boys, donors have enabled us to invest heavily in tutoring in English, technological studies, and Jewish studies to restore students to proficiency,” Amir Kesar gratefully notes.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Education
Yet rising poverty and family turmoil among BTJ students pose ever greater obstacles. “Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty. We give boys the education and confidence to excel, build families, and contribute to Israel and the world. We thank our wonderful, caring friends across the globe whose generosity enables us to carry out our vital, lifesaving work.”