You may have noticed crews hard at work, this summer, building decks and other construction projects around town. Perhaps you took a double-take upon noticing their tzitzis T-shirts bearing a large Star-K logo. Those young men were part of Project Build, a summer program of the year-round Chananya Backer Memorial Institute (CBMI).
CBMI, one of the few programs of its kind in the nation, is an innovative teen mentoring initiative that perpetuates the memory of Chananya Backer, a”h, a 16-year-old Baltimorean who died tragically five years ago from injuries sustained in a car crash. The program aims to avert the many potential spiritual challenges young men face throughout the summer months, allowing them to be productive on a daily basis – learning, earning a salary from supervised construction projects, and having nightly fun in a kosher atmosphere. Beginning with only five young men, the program, under the guidance of Rabbi Aryeh Zigdon, now boasts 32 participants, thanks in great part to Star-K’s generous grant the past two summers.
“We feel privileged to afford the maximum number of CBMI participants the opportunity to feel a sense of accomplishment and the opportunity to learn a marketable skill for the future,” noted Star-K president, Avrom Pollak.
One of CBMI’s longtime participants is 24-year-old Dovid Chesner, who told WWW, “This program was created for me and four other guys, five summers ago. Every summer, I know that when I get back from Israel, I have a home to fall right back into.” The morning starts off with davening, followed by two hours of learning; local kollel men are partnered, with two or three boys each, giving potentially lasting friendships a chance to evolve. An afternoon of construction follows the learning. Crews of approximately five boys each are dispatched with a foreman to perform jobs that include demolition, painting, building decks and a variety of other building tasks, for which they are trained. An evening of fun is planned for each night; members of the community host the group for barbeques followed by swimming or other recreational activities.
The program gives its participants a sense of accomplishment, as they begin earning a salary, enough to purchase a return ticket to Eretz Yisrael or for spending money during their year in yeshiva. It also provides them with an opportunity to learn marketable skills for the future.
After this summer, Dovid Chesner returned to Israel to attend the YANAR program, which educates and trains people in family therapy, guidance counseling, and addictions. “Project Build gives me an awesome place, with learning, great chills, and an amazing chevra,” says Dovid. “I honestly would have a hard time coming back to Baltimore if Project Build didn’t exist. Without it, I would have spent my first summer home from Israel working in a secular day camp with a lot of secular people and a lot of destructive aftercamp activities. I don’t know where I would have been if I hadn’t spent that summer in this program. I definitely would not be where I am today. I thank G-d every day for Project Build….My favorite part is our end-of-the-summer trip to Deep Creek Lake.”
Shua Artman, 20, has been a participant in the CBMI’s program for a few years. “Summer is a very dangerous time to get caught up in trouble,” notes Shua, “but I was able to join this program, and since that first summer, it has kept me busy from the minute I woke up until the minute I went to sleep. It wasn’t an annoying, I-hate-my-day busy; it was a pleasurable, exciting busy. Learning with the guys, working with the guys, hanging out with the guys: I love every minute of it!”
This year, Shua was appointed a construction foreman, along with Shaya Lager. According to Shua, “I gained a sense of responsibility and leadership, having had to manage my own construction crew,” says Shua. He also helped start Project Build’s newest program, Mini Build, which Rabbi Zigdon and Rabbi Shaya Kohn started this summer for a group of 10 boys, ages 14 to 17. “When Rabbi Zigdon approached me about shifting gears to help run the Mini Build program, I was hesitant,” said Shua, “because I really enjoyed my crew with the older guys. But once I thought about what I could offer to the younger boys and I saw how serious the need was, I jumped on it and gave it my all. I tried to show these younger boys how to live a healthy, balanced life while having a great time, as well. I think we gave them a solid summer, keeping them busy all day – and usually all night. We hung out with them so they would stay in a productive environment, which helped them to make wiser choices on how to spend their summer and their free time.”
Shua is returning to Yeshivas Tiferes Yerushalayim (TJ) for a third year. He sums up his experience: “I think Project Build is the best summer program ever created. It has the perfect balance of learning, working, and having fun. We walk away from work every day feeling productive. There is a strong sense of accomplishment, and working with a really great group of guys – whether younger guys, older guys, or staff – creates real, solid relationships that we will carry with us well into our future.”
For 20-year-old David Sharaby, this summer was his second with Project Build. He is returning for his third year in Israel, at Ahavas Chaim, after the summer. “I got a spiritual uplift and learned how to make a good connection with other people,” says David. “Project Build instills us with healthy work habits and responsibility, gives us work skills, and teaches us how to work well and communicate with others. Every drop of sweat only makes us want to work harder in Project Build. What we gained in Project Build will stay with us forever. I like that I am able to work hard, while being able to learn and chill – all at the same time. Had I not come to Project Build this past summer, I probably would not have made the decision to go back to Israel this year. I am so glad I was able to be a part of it, because I know that going back for this third year is integral for my growth.”
This was Josh Gerhardt’s first summer with Project Build. The 17-year-old Beth Tfiloh student told WWW, “It’s hard to pick one favorite part of the summer, because I really loved all of it. The nighttime BBQ chills were awesome. I really enjoyed learning with my learning rebbe in the morning, because he found a way to make learning fun and enjoyable, and he piqued my interest to learn more. The construction was fun as well. It wasn’t just a job, although we learned a lot and got the feeling of accomplishment, we also had a great time doing it!
“I really enjoyed the guys in the program. Each one was unique and had something special to add to the family….Project Build made me feel like I was part of a family. It gave me the feeling that I had people to rely on if I ever needed help or support. It gave me skills in construction, in learning, and in life in general. Before Build, I spent my days lying on the couch doing nothing with no meaning and no purpose. Once I joined, I was given a jam-packed day in which I felt productive and alive.”
Daniel just spent his second summer with Project Build, but the 18-year-old was also part of CBMI’s year-round program. He is now attending his first year abroad at Yeshiva Tiferes Yerushalayim (TJ), in Israel. Daniel best sums up the success of CBMI, with his review of the program: “The reason this program is the best is because they are not here to police us, they are just there for us. In any way we need them, they are there. Nobody is trying to force us to do anything. They ask things of us, like in any normal healthy relationship. They give us a positive influence. Mentors are available to guide us. I don’t know anyone who lives as honest a Jewish life as Aryeh [Zigdon] and Rabbi Kohn do. I don’t know an entire group of people who, although have been through struggles themselves, are living a wholesome honest life. No one is trying to be better than the next, no one is trying to compete. Everyone is given equal love and attention, and they expect from us, each according to his own level and place in life. We go on trips together, and we behave like a large family, which is something I didn’t really get in my life. When we’re together, we sit down for ‘family dinner.’ It’s amazing!
“Project Build is all about building healthy relationships with great people,” continues Daniel. “We create friendships with people who we can look to for support and care whenever we need them. Ziggy [Aryeh Zigdon] is so careful with his words. He speaks to us with a true heart and shows us how to speak to each other with respect, so we can connect on a much deeper level. There is something to learn from every one of the staff members. There are guys who show us proper work ethic, guys who show us how to face our struggles, and guys who show us how not judge each other and how to accept everyone for who he is and where he is coming from, and to look past people’s flaws and focus on their strengths. I know that without this program there is no way I would be going to Israel and certainly not going to a yeshiva as solid at TJ. I was in a very difficult place in my life, and together with Ziggy and Rabbi Kohn and their programs I was able to get to the healthy and religious life that I live today.”
If there is one missing piece of the puzzle, it has to be Binny Margolese, project coordinator for Project Build. A home improvement contractor, he estimates the job, orders the materials, schedules the deliveries, and oversees all four crews and their foremen. “I manage the construction side of the summer program, and I love it!” says Mr. Margolese. “I get to do what I love and make a difference! Getting up and going to work is one of the most exciting parts of my day. Watching the difference in the guys from their first deck to the second (about two weeks) is awesome. The confidence, the approach to the job, and the can-do attitude is so very present. And all it took was a little guidance, structure, positive support, love (and endless BBQs!). Now imagine what an entire summer of success in construction and completion does for them!” The program provides a winwin on all sides. Our guys get structure, confidence, and money, and the customer gets a great product at a very reasonable price.”
In addition to Project Build, CBMI also runs the Sharaby Summer Bais Medrash program, thanks to a generous sponsorship by Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Sharaby. Thirty boys from the Project Build program came to this morning open bais medrash, along with another 10 to 15 boys who are not part of the actual Build program but just wanted to join the amazingly energetic learning environment with warm and caring learning rebbes and mentors.
According to CBMI director, Rabbi Zigdon, “Project Build is by far our most intense, exhausting, and expensive program. But it is also our most successful program. Thirty boys for 9 weeks, 7 days a week, between 14 and 15 hours a day, and a lot of care and personal attention is what we invest to make this program a success. However, our work pales in comparison to the tireless effort that our boys put in to make themselves a success. I’m thankful that they have given me the opportunity to become a part of their lives, a part of their growth and a part of their success.
“On behalf of the hundreds of parents who have benefited from our programs over the years, and the community at large, I would like to thank Star- K,” continued Rabbi Zigdon. “The primary reason that Project Build is able to exist and effectively carry out its mission is due to a very significant grant from Star-K which covers half of our total project cost. We truly appreciate this partnership in ‘building’ the neshamos of our community. The success of this program is also dependent on one other person, my wife, who willingly allows me to be away during the summer all day and all night for the good of the boys and the success of the program. She cooks for them, opens our house to them, and advises me on their growth and their success. Hashem should grant her continued strength and nachas from our children.”
Rabbi Shaya Kohn, who helps administer Project Build, added, “It was a tremendous pleasure being able to be a part of such an amazing organization and program. Watching teenagers spend most of their summer in a Torah fun-filled environment is beyond inspiring. Watching the boys learn and work for eight weeks consistently is incredible. Project Build not only builds decks and fences, it builds people, giving them the right tools to navigate today’s turbulent times.”â—†
©Margie Pensak-2013
