Creating an island of trust for students

“The greatest challenge we therapists face today is creating an island of trust for our students within this sea of uncertainty” says Boys Town Jerusalem social worker Hadas Knopf.

Supporting students thorugh an uncertain summer

Even throughout summer vacation, BTJ’s Social Services team has voluntarily stayed closely connected to students struggling with trauma. “From boys whose parents are ill to those fearful for fathers and siblings in combat, our therapists and counselors have been reaching out to soothe the pain. The students have no idea that these BTJ professionals are themselves wives and mothers of sons serving in IDF combat units. They come to work after sleepless nights of worry, determined to do everything possible to ease our students’ fears and rebuild their confidence,” Hadas explains.

Helping boys cope with the emotional impact of war

Helping students cope with the emotional strain of a prolonged war has become increasingly complex. “Teenagers often respond to trauma by becoming more guarded, withdrawn, or aggressive,” Knopf notes. “As horrific images of the war and Hamas’ October 7 attack became public, many teenagers struggled to process what they were seeing. At BTJ, this emotional distress sometimes surfaced as increased aggression, both at home and on campus.”

As Boys Town Jerusalem’s rabbis and teachers stepped in to listen and guide troubled students, the Social Services team intensified their efforts to help the boys cope. Slowly, from a place of pain, healing began.

From pain to purpose

“BTJ’s longtime handyman, Chaim, gathered a group of distressed students and channeled their energy into creating something beautiful,” Hadas recounts. “Using scrap wood they collected, the boys cut, sanded, painted, and built stunning benches and tables for the campus. Through the work of their hands, they discovered pride, purpose, and a measure of inner peace.”

Finding healing thorugh connection and creativity

After years of uncertainty, Boys Town Jerusalem remains committed to giving its students that sense of stability. With caring teachers, counselors, rabbis, and social workers standing beside them, the boys are learning that even in the midst of uncertainty, there can still be room for healing, hope, and a future they can believe in.

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A summer filled with adventure and joy

“After three years of war, the 2026 summer camp experience was a very special gift for our students,” says instructor and BTJ graduate Rabbi Yossi Ben Zruel, who heads the camp. “To give the boys a muchneeded academic boost, we included remedial lessons in math, English, and electronics. And of course, each day was packed with amazing activities – water parks, bowling, carting, hiking, sports, and so much more. You’ve never seen happier boys!”

Nourishment for body and mind

A vital part of the Boys Town Jerusalem summer camp is the daily lunch and wholesome snacks provided for every boy. “We work to blend a vacation atmosphere with real substance and nourishment,” Rabbi Ben Zruel explains. “The boys get to burn off boundless energy within a carefully structured, supportive framework.”

A safe and supportive summer

The ongoing war has made this summer camp even more essential for students whose brothers, fathers, and friends are serving in combat. “We keep our finger on the pulse of boys in special need, and their emotional wellbeing is always our top priority.”

Giving boys a summer they will never forget

Boys Town Jerusalem Chief Executive Officer Yoni Strimber expressed great thanks to donors across the globe who made this extraordinary summer possible. “Beyond the great adventures, our students gained priceless confidence and hope.”

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Over two intense days of competition, the seven-member team and their custom-built robot competed in ten challenging matches against some of the best robotics teams from around the globe. Their outstanding performance also earned them 3rd Place in the Innovate Award, recognizing exceptional creativity, engineering, and problem-solving.

Thousands of Hours of Dedication

“Our team put in thousands of hours over the past seven months, including during wartime, to design, build, and program our robot,” said 15-year-old team captain Amichai Romain. “Our key to success is keeping things as simple as possible.”

Their success reflects months of perseverance, teamwork, and determination under extraordinary circumstances.

A Young Team with Remarkable Talent

Remarkably, six of the nine members of the Boys Town Jerusalem Robotics Team are ninth graders who joined the program only this year.

“Every member understands that his efforts are critical to the team’s success,” said mentor Shay Neuhaus.

Shay, along with former BTJ Robotics teammate Yehonatan Reuvenes, now a student at the Technion, dedicated countless hours to mentoring the students and accompanied the team to Canada for the competition.

Innovation Begins in the Robotics Lab

Amichai credits the Follender family, whose generous support makes the Boys Town Jerusalem Robotics program possible.

Their sponsorship provides students with access to a state-of-the-art robotics lab and advanced engineering components. The team’s two 3D printers also enable students to manufacture nearly 40% of the precision-engineered parts used to build their competition robot.

This hands-on experience gives students valuable technical skills while preparing them for future careers in engineering, technology, and innovation.

Competing with Pride for Israel

Before the competition, the team enjoyed the warm hospitality of members of Canadian Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem in Toronto before traveling to the Niagara region.

Throughout the competition, the students proudly wore Israeli flags across their backs, representing both their country and their school on the international stage.

One of the tournament’s most memorable moments came during a match against teams from France and Sudan. According to the team, the opposing teams declined to shake hands with the Israeli students before the match, contrary to the competition’s expectations for sportsmanship. During the decisive round, the opposing alliance’s robot unexpectedly malfunctioned, giving the Boys Town Jerusalem Robotics Team a dramatic 100-point advantage and securing an unforgettable victory.

Building Israel’s Next Generation of Innovators

The Boys Town Jerusalem Robotics Team’s success is about more than trophies. It reflects the determination, resilience, and ingenuity of young people who continue to dream big, innovate, and excel even during challenging times.

Every competition, every robot, and every achievement helps prepare these students to become the engineers, innovators, and leaders of tomorrow.

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It didn’t take long after his arrival at Boys Town Jerusalem for social worker Ronit Asbag to notice the quiet new student and the shoes on his feet that were four sizes too big.

A Child Carrying More Than Oversized Shoes

“Tell me about yourself,” Ronit invited gently.

“I don’t want to talk about my father,” he blurted out.

Then Phillip trembled, took a deep breath, and began to pour out his heart.

Phillip’s agonizing story began with a desperate escape. He, his siblings, and his mother had fled for their lives from his violent, abusive father. Now they were living in a shelter for battered women under police protection.

“We came with nothing,” he explained. “I found some clothes in the shelter that fit, but these were the only shoes they had.”

Finding Safety at Boys Town Jerusalem

The very next morning, BTJ Junior High Principal Rabbi Yehudah Rosencrantz arranged to take Phillip shopping for properly fitting shoes and clothing.

Small acts of kindness like these help children healing from trauma begin to feel safe, valued, and cared for again.

“Despite his unspeakable trauma, Phillip is adjusting well to BTJ,” Ronit explains. “Beyond his schoolwork, we’re giving him extracurricular and enrichment opportunities thanks to generous donors’ contributions.”

Phillip has joined a new workshop designed for quiet, sensitive students who often don’t receive the attention they need. Little by little, he is beginning to build confidence.

When Fear Doesn’t End at the School Gate

But healing is rarely a straight path.

One afternoon, as the school day ended, a terrified Phillip rushed into the principal’s office.

“I heard my father is coming here,” he cried. “I can’t leave the building!”

Rabbi Rosencrantz immediately alerted the school’s security guard and personally escorted Phillip to the bus that would take him safely back to the shelter.

Helping Children Healing from Trauma Find Hope Again

“Phillip’s world revolves around fear,” Rabbi Rosencrantz said sadly. “Ronit is working nonstop to ensure he receives the highest level of professional psychological care. We will do everything possible to give Phillip the urgent support and love he so desperately needs.”

For children healing from trauma, recovery takes more than time. It takes caring adults, emotional support, a safe environment, and the opportunity to simply be children again.

At Boys Town Jerusalem, every child deserves the chance to replace fear with hope and build a brighter future.

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Caleb, who lives in Australia, wanted to mark his upcoming Bar Mitzvah by helping a disadvantaged Israeli boy to celebrate his own. Through the Boys Town Jerusalem website, he discovered the Bar Mitzvah Twinning Program which connected him with an Israeli student named Binyamin.

In the end, both boys gained invaluable gifts.

Turning 13 Into a Mission of Kindness

To reach his fundraising goal, Caleb pledged to complete 13 “long walks” to be sponsored by friends and family. On his personal project page, he posted updates on his walks, from treks through Australia to a family trip to Italy.

By the end of his campaign, Caleb raised A$4000 in honor of his Bar Mitzvah, nearly double his goal!

A New Life, New Challenges

Binyamin, who recently immigrated to Israel from South America, lives in heartbreaking poverty. His father works as a street cleaner, and his mother holds a menial job. With no extended family in Israel, the transition has been especially difficult.

When he entered Boys Town Jerusalem this year, Binyamin was anxious about learning Hebrew and making new friends. To his delight, his teacher Rabbi Yosef Chaim is fluent in Spanish, giving Binyamin the support, trust and warmth to thrive.

A Celebration Filled With Joy

At his festive Bar Mitzvah celebration held in a BTJ synagogue, Binyamin’s only guests were his parents. Yet his classmates filled the room with joy and excitement.

After Binyamin read from the Torah, the entire class enjoyed a festive breakfast – complete with a Bar Mitzvah cake. The celebration continued with a fun outing to a Jerusalem sports center, all thanks to Caleb’s donation.

One Mitzvah. Two Lives Changed.

“The distance between Australia and Jerusalem disappeared, as two very special Bar Mitzvah boys celebrated the invaluable gift of caring,” said BTJ Principal Rabbi Yehudah Rosencrantz.

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Representing Israel on the International Stage

This month, the acclaimed Boys Town Jerusalem Robotics Team will proudly represent Israel at the prestigious Canada Cup of Robotics in the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition. The challenge of building a better robot has driven the seven-member BTJ team – students aged 14 to 18 – to explore, experiment, and innovate without limits. Guided with care by three BTJgraduate mentors in the school’s Follender Robotics Center, the students have developed new concepts to elevate the robot’s performance.

Innovation, Creativity, and AI-Powered Design

“The contest involves autonomous robots competing to collect ‘fuel’ (plastic balls), shoot them into their ‘hubs,’ and then climb back to their towers in record time,” explains team captain Amichai Romain, 15. “Our team created a new mechanism that lets us shoot balls at superspeed, three at a time. We also designed systems to keep the robot balanced while accelerating its speed and force, using AI to calculate the optimal shooting velocity.”

Building Champions On and Off the Competition Floor

Throughout the war, Amichai personally devoted countless hours to coding the robot’s many mechanisms. “We programmed every joystick and camera so the robot can instantly find the best angles and shoot with the ideal distance and force.” But the BTJ Robotics Club offers far more than technical skills. It fosters collaboration and community. “We share experiences, challenges, and spare parts with other teams in the Jerusalem Robotics Coalition, and we mentor new teams as well,” Amichai adds proudly. “We’ll do our very best to become champions – but we already know that every single day, we’re winners!”

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Finding support at Boys Town Jerusalem

“In seventh grade, Sammy joined a Boys Town Jerusalem special education class, where we work to strengthen his emotional stability as well as his academic skills,” explains BTJ social worker Hadas Knopf. “Thanks to our supporters worldwide, we can fund smaller special ed classes, enabling us to focus on building Sammy’s self-confidence, giving him tools to overcome crippling learning blackouts and prepare well for exams.”

The power of a trusted mentor

Sammy’s teacher, Rabbi Yaakov Chanina, has become his greatest advocate. “Sammy knows I believe in him. His pent-up anger is beginning to ease, and he’s now started arriving at school on time.

“Although his learning disabilities make reading difficult, Sammy quickly grasps the material when I read it aloud. I know he trusts me completely. He – and so many of his classmates in crisis – are desperate for a father figure to support and guide them. This is my challenge and my privilege.”

Discovering the gift within

Beyond his teaching role, Rabbi Chanina directs Boys Town Jerusalem’s prizewinning Community Service program. When his class recently volunteered at a hospice for handicapped adults, Sammy took the initiative to communicate in sign language – his mother’s primary language – with a deaf resident. “From his own hardship, Sammy gave this woman such a precious gift,” Rabbi Chanina declares. “As his classmates watched him in awe, I proudly told Sammy, ‘You have a treasure to offer. You will enrich this world!’”

*Name changed for privacy reasons

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As students filled the new laboratory at the dedication ceremony, BTJ Dean of Students Rabbi Meir Linchner thanked Nancy T. Beren, a Director of Israel Henry Beren Charitable Foundation, for personally attending during wartime and for continuing her family’s longstanding commitment to Jewish education. “For over 50 years, the Beren family’s generosity has helped our school offer the finest education in the most advanced facilities, enriching the lives of thousands of our students.”

Addressing the students, Ms. Beren said, “My three siblings and fellow Foundation Directors, Amy A.B. Bressman, Julie Beren Platt and Adam E. Beren and I learned from our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles the importance of a high-level Jewish and secular education. Boys Town Jerusalem embodies these values. Our family is proud to make this computer laboratory available to help you make your own contributions to Israel.”

Ms. Beren and family members then toured many of the outstanding facilities endowed by the Beren family across the BTJ campus. Highlights included Harry H. Beren Synagogue, Harry H. Beren Sports Field, Israel Henry Beren Educational Wing of BTJ High School, and the newly renovated BTJ High School Bomb Shelter, funded in part by the Foundation.

With great pride, as her father Robert M. Beren z’l did before her, Nancy T. Beren then personally signed each 2026 Israel Henry Beren Institute of Torah and Technology diploma for both BTJ High School seniors and College of Applied Engineering graduates.

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Growing up in a reality on constant stress

“Naturally, it’s nearly impossible for students to stay ‘normal’ in Israel after two years of Corona followed by over two years of war,” she explains. “Today, every boy knows someone directly involved in the fighting, and each student is affected in different ways. Yet the ongoing care of our teachers, rabbis, and social services staff strengthens the boys with coping skills and confidence.”

When home becomes another source of struggle

Ari,* 16, who faces constant struggles of poverty and stress at home, has violent anger outbursts when his single mother leaves for work. When the desperate mother recently reached out for help, Hadas braved ongoing missile threats to bring Ari for proper medical care and medication to help stabilize him.

Staying connected through distance learning

“Once this war broke out, BTJ made a smooth transition to distance learning via Zoom,” Hadas notes. “While many students still struggle to keep up with their lessons, they are communicating – and they are not totally alone.”

The hidden toll

Not surprisingly, these difficult years of disrupted schooling have taken a toll on many boys. “There’s no schedule. They can sleep all day and stay up all night on the Internet. Parents are losing control. Yet life can give its own strength to carry on. Some families come together, taking walks and bicycling while staying close to safe areas. While students may have missed learning certain areas of math, English, and other subjects, many are gaining critical coping skills and confidence.

Tools, support, and lifesaving impact

“Very thankfully, BTJ supporters have made laptops and extra emotional support funding earmarked for the social services staff. These are lifesaving gifts for our boys.”

*Name changed for privacy reasons

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Remembering Benyamin, who carried a giant heart

At the grave of Sgt. Benyamin Yona, his teacher Rabbi Amos Daikon recalled with both a smile and tears the hardships and heroism that defined this remarkable young man. “Benyamin’s giant heart was beyond measure. He sacrificed focusing on his academic education so he could work long hours to support his invalid mother. He was sensitive to the needs of his classmates, reaching out to help anyone in need. Although every day was a struggle for Benyamin, he never complained. His smile never left his face.”

From student to soldier to hero

When Benyamin’s mild heart condition prevented his being drafted to the IDF, he volunteered to serve. As a heavy equipment driver in an Iron Dome mobile air-defense installation in Israel’s south, Benyamin and his comrades suddenly found themselves on the battlefield on October 7th . As hundreds of Hamas terrorists stormed the area to murder civilians, Benyamin and his fellow soldiers fought heroically, killing numerous enemy fighters before losing their lives.

United in memory and legacy

At the Memorial Day assembly on campus that followed, Boys Town Jerusalem students gathered to honor the over 70 students and faculty members who have fallen defending Israel since 1948. High School Principal Rabbi Avichai Charazi urged the students, “In their memory and honor, our mission is to become better, more compassionate people working to improve humanity. May we be blessed to add light to this world in a peaceful, thriving Israel.”

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