who is behind us
Congratulations to the Bino organization
Blessing of the Chief Rabbi Shalita
Words of the Great Gaon Yitzhak Yosef, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel
It is written in Eichah (Lamentations) Rabbah: “The Lord said, “I wish they would leave me and keep my Torah, and from studying it, its light would return them to the straight and narrow.” The Gaon of Vilna said that “not every Torah study will bring a person closer to Tshuvah (repentance), only study according to Halacha (Jewish Law)”.
The ‘light within it’ is found in the ‘according to Halacha’ study, and that’s what will bring our youth back to the Torah. Microwave, meat and dairy, Sabbath laws, etc. Everyday practical thing makes a person stronger, as the sages of the Talmud said in the Brachot (Blessings) Tractate: “Since the destruction of the [second] Temple, all the Almighty has are four cubits of Halacha”, as the Halacha strengthens the fear of G-d.
I give my blessing to all Rabbis performing this holy work, and the entire staff of the holy Bino organization who succeed in working with the youth in their own way and wish them success in their work. Bless you and bless your share.
Blessing of the Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Zafrani Shalita
Speaking of the Bino organization and its activity
People ask themselves: what is the secret of the organization’s success? And there is an answer to this. In the Haftarah of Hanukkah, we said: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty”. We all know that education is a very central matter in Torah and Judaism and that this is the secret of our existence. Our holy sages point out an interesting difference between what is written about Abraham our father and what is written about Job. Of Job it is said: “Blameless and upright, fearing G-d and shunning evil”, whereas of Abraham it is written: “For now I know that you fear G-d” and that’s it. Apparently, many good things are written about Job, and yet, G-d did not choose Job to be founder of the people of Israel but rather Abraham our Patriarch, why? Because Job was righteous to himself – he gave sacrifices, exalted himself but did not care for the next generation, and this is not what G-d sought when he wanted to establish his people. G-d did not want to have his people established by those who reach higher ranks as of themselves, but rather by those who invest in the education of the next generation, as was said in Abraham: “For I know him that he will command his sons and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and judgment”. When a person is great unto himself it is wonderful, but only where continued education is taken care of can the People of Israel be established.
Mayor of Jerusalem Mr. Moshe Leon
One of the main educational challenges that every educator faces lies in understanding the trainee. to be with him, in his place, and connect to his inner world. This, in essence, is the meaning of “educate a child according to his way”. The Talmudic sages instructed us that in education, although authority is held by the educator, the educational path taken should follow the child’s disposition. It should match the abilities, needs and unique world of each and every trainee.
We live in very unique times. On the one hand, awareness of educational issues is increasing – among other things thanks to organizations such as Bino. On the other hand, the ability to devote time and attention to each pupil becomes more and more challenging.
For this, it is necessary to dedicate resources, the first and most important resource being the heart. Give one’s heart to hear, listen, and understand.
The wonderful Bino team, led by Rabbi Eliran Somekh, are people of heart. They are people of understanding, and these are precisely the tools necessary for educational success. In addition to the human and emotional component, there is also a need for infrastructure. As the sages have already said: “If there is no flour, there is no Torah”. In order to enable proper activity and bring the youth to personal spiritual and moral achievements, investments must be made in appropriate infrastructure that will form the groundwork for their growth and development.
These days, we at the Jerusalem Municipality, together with city administration member and holder of the youth promotion portfolio,
Rabbi Zvika Assulin and head of the Jerusalem Education Administration, Mr. Yoav Zimran, are leading a historic move to establish a special home for the wonderful boys and girls of Bino. I hope and pray that our efforts will bear fruit, and that the boys and girls in whom we invest so much will find the right path,
And we shall fulfill the Talmudic saying: “Whoever saves one life in Israel, it is as if they have saved the entire world”
Blessing of Mr. Zvika Assulin
Words of city administration member, holder of the youth promotion file,
The Bino Guidance Center for challenged ultra-Orthodox youth was established by the Jerusalem Municipality with the aim of helping you, the parents, correctly deal with the many educational challenges our complex times present to us. The needs – the changing needs of the last generation;
The children – Jerusalem children, and this phenomenon of coping rages before our eyes and does not give us rest.
The questions are many. Scholars, people of action and an expert team practicing ‘Torah with Derech Eretz’ face them and try to provide solutions. Despite all the desire and willingness, many boys and girls do not find all the answers to their need within the walls of educational institutions and thus face a dangerous challenge.
I wish to congratulate the Bino Center staff members for their educational activity with youth, and I will conclude with a prayer and hope that they succeed in carrying out G-d’s will, and we should see the fulfillment of the verse “educate a child according to his way – and when he is old, he will not depart from it”.
Blessing of Mr. Yoav Zamran
Words of the Head of Education in Jerusalem
It is no secret that the City of Jerusalem is a leader in the areas of education and adapting programs for guidance and care for at-risk youth in the community. Nor is it a secret that we in Jerusalem realize that we must adapt the nature of our response to this youth to the target population; and that the ultra-Orthodox public needs its own field staff who understand the field and needs and work in accordance with them.
The establishment of the Bino Center was one of the steps taken in Jerusalem to provide a more accurate response to coping ultra-Orthodox youth and provide a holistic and culturally adapted response to every boy and girl. ‘Bino’ is part of a number of educational projects launched by the Jerusalem Municipality in the past year, under the leadership of the Education Administration.
In 2021, the Bino Center led a broad-based conference on education. The conference was held on behalf of the Jerusalem Municipality, but was attended by representatives from fifteen different authorities who came from all over the country in order to learn the working method operated by the Bino Center,
With the prayer that our children shall be like olive plants all around our table always.
