Giving life. Meaning.
Minyan Shelanu returns hundreds of teens andyoung adults to a life worth living WATCH OUR VIDEO
It takes a village to save a child. Minyan Shelanu is that village.
Minyan Shelanu was born in response to Lakewood's growing community of disenchanted and troubled teenagers. After dropping out of school, many would deteriorate socially, emotionally and spiritually, engaging in negative behaviors such as substance abuse, promiscuity and crime, sometimes culminating in juvenile detention.Since inception, Minyan Shelanu has always been about life after the street. As a low-profile yet highly effective synagogue and social center, we have achieved remarkable, lifesaving results. It began as a warm, nonjudgmental haven for those underserved by the rigid community model, and soon turned into a rallying point for troubled teens desperate for a bit of love, a kind word and a surrogate home.
Rabbinical luminaries and crisis professionals have come to revere Minyan Shelanu for the monumental power to save lives. Thanks to the organic connections our members form with our Rav and mentors, our minyan has corrected course for hundreds of kids, setting them on path of Yeshiva, career, marriage and lifelong wellness.
1,271 lives made worth living.
TAKE ACTIONSafety first, at last
Our primary focus is to provide a nonjudgmental, supportive safe haven for on-the-street kids, where they can always feel at home, physically and emotionally.
Structurally
unstructured
Gainful activity and laid back recreation is provided, particularly during evening hours, creating informal opportunities for individualized connection.
Effective,
as it happens
Our model has proved to organically administer guidance and support that eventually weans kids away from emptiness towards meaningful living.
Rabbi Chaim Abadi:Foundations first
A successful real estate developer and ordained Rabbi, Chaim's appeal lies in his unpretentiousness and unconditional love for every person. He feels the pain of these troubled teens, many of which are victims of abuse. His heart is open to them, and they instinctively recognize him as a trustworthy father figure. Chaim is also extraordinarily perceptive to youths' emotional, social and spiritual needs.