Is It Hard for You to Earn a Respectable Living? You Need to Know About This Program

Many people aspire and wish to earn a respectable and abundant livelihood, but when they approach the stage of studies, they often find themselves struggling to fund them and bear the financial burden. Sometimes they are even forced to reluctantly give up acquiring the profession and entering the job market.

Take, for example, Yael, a single mother of four children. She started studying for a degree in nursing so she could support her family respectably. The process was long and arduous, particularly since the financial burden constantly weighed on her shoulders, as the studies were expensive, and at the same time, she could not work full-time to fund them.

The same was true for Rinat, a yoga teacher living in the northern region, who wanted to develop her business and expand it to pain relief through yoga. Rinat is a mother of five children; her husband studies half a day and works in the afternoon, and the family earns a tight living. Pain therapy was supposed to help her upgrade her work as a yoga teacher, enabling her to treat people dealing with cartilage wear, herniated discs, orthopedic pains, sports injuries, and chronic disease-related pains. She knew that this way, she could help more people and earn more. Rinat found a place that taught this subject at the highest professional level, but the tuition costs were correspondingly high and unaffordable.

Both Yael and Rinat found their solution through the 'Shlavim in Employment' organization, a group operating under the 'Wolfson Foundation,' focusing on economic advancement and resilience, particularly among baalei teshuva and second-generation baalei teshuva.

Guidance on the Path to Livelihood

Thanks to the assistance provided by 'Shlavim in Employment' to Yael and Rinat, they managed to move forward. "'Shlavim in Employment' were the angels that helped me on the way to the degree," Yael says excitedly. "I received guidance and financial advice that provided practical solutions for economic management at home. In addition, I received a check before the holidays that delighted and surprised me each time and several interest-free loans that helped greatly, especially during my studies. Now, thank Hashem, I'm a registered nurse and continue with financial guidance. There's no doubt that what I received through the organization is one of the factors in my success."

Rinat also notes: "I received a loan from 'Shlavim' for the entire amount of tuition, which allowed me to start studying. The studies opened up a rich world for me, one I had longed to immerse myself in, and it upgrades me to a higher level of professionalism than I had before. Upon completing the studies, I was promised that I would receive 10% of the loan amount as a grant, and I would repay the rest in convenient installments."

Eyal Vaknin, the coordinator of the 'Shlavim in Employment' program, states that cases like Yael's and Rinat's pass through their department almost daily. "Our general goal is to provide individualized guidance to families on all economic issues, aiming to help them stabilize themselves. We prioritize baalei teshuva and the second generation, understanding their special need for this," he explains.

A Special Need for Financial Guidance Just for Baalei Teshuva? Why Do You Think So?

"First of all, when we talk about the 'baalei teshuva community,' we need to understand that we are referring to about 250,000 people in the country. So, it's natural that a significant portion of them would face difficulties. Additionally, there are clear studies indicating that among baalei teshuva, there are more financial difficulties compared to the general population. Many of them do not have the ability to handle debts by taking loans from gemachim or within the community, nor do their parents always support them. I don't want to generalize, but studies show that while 75% of the Haredi public owns their home, only 24% of baalei teshuva own a home. Of course, this is also related to reasons like various mental gaps and different priorities. Sometimes it's related to the perception that when a person leaves everything behind secularly, they feel that the only thing that matters is religion, forgetting to invest in the economic aspect and ensuring their own resilience. Of course, this often comes from wonderful innocence and purity, but we often see many cases of economic distress in baalei teshuva and their second generation."

And How Do You Help Them?

"Our department deals throughout the year with business and economic consulting. We have quality advisors who help business owners or those aspiring to open a business prepare a proper business plan and progress as required. Additionally, we manage a 'gemach loan,' through which we offer loans to those who need them. These are matters we deal with regularly throughout the year."

Breaking Free from Hardship

In addition to routine activities, Vaknin announces that a new program is being launched primarily for young people who wish to enter the employment world without having acquired a profession or an academic degree. "Surveys we conducted in the market showed us that there are many baalei teshuva who, after several years of studying in a kollel, want to start working, but since they don't have a profession, they can't succeed. Usually, the maximum they reach are jobs that don't pay much and are very draining. Sometimes these are very talented people who haven't been given the opportunity to prove themselves. In other cases, these are people who studied and succeeded, but despite their talents, they cannot fulfill themselves and find jobs that match their high abilities."

And What Does the New Program Offer Them?

"Our new program is unique. It offers loans for study purposes or vocational or academic training up to 20,000 shekels on a gemach interest-free basis. Additionally, part of the loan becomes a grant upon completion of the studies."

Do You Believe That Thanks to Your Guidance, Some People Will Break Free from the Cycle of Hardship and Poverty?

"I am sure," he replies optimistically and pulls out one of the letters he recently received: "Hello, I would like to thank you for all the guidance you provided me on my way to making a living, and especially for the help in reaching Kamach and your scholarship. You helped me take a workshop instructor course, a field I am currently working in. Thank you very much, just keep going... Hillel." "We receive letters like this almost every day," he says with great satisfaction, "They warm our hearts and prove to us the immense need for the kind of guidance we offer and the great merit we have in helping Torah families live with abundance and thank Hashem earn a respectable living."

Contact Information: Shlavim Offices - 0774050812 eyalyvshlavim@gmail.com