Father Shares His Motivation to Create Keren Yeshua

By Chaim Ber Kaminker

Several years ago, my family faced a devastating crisis, something we are still reeling from today. The only bright spot of this ordeal was the incredible support we received (and are still receiving) from friends, family, and neighbors. They shopped, cooked, looked after our children, helped financially, and offered boundless love and emotional support. People speak of “community,” but it’s hard to fully grasp its true value until you’ve experienced that constant wave of love and support.

It was during this crisis that I knew I needed a change, and I wanted to use my passion, creativity, and motivation to do something important and meaningful for the community.

With a deep commitment to Jewish education, I founded Keren Yeshua in the loving memory of our dear son, Shua Kaminker OBM, who loved life and learning and cherished spending time with his friends and teachers.

Our mission is to provide resources that help families overcome financial, educational, social, and emotional barriers to Yeshiva day school attendance so that they, too, can experience this same warm embrace.

כל ההתחלות קשות

Starting out is challenging, but with the help of over three hundred incredibly generous and supportive individuals, in just our first year of operation, I raised enough to prevent fourteen children from failing out of our Yeshiva system (leaving many more wanting due to limited funding).

Ironically, however, I didn’t raise enough to cover all of my children’s tuition, leading to a painful moment when I received a letter stating that my son, a top and devoted student, couldn’t return to his Yeshiva for the new zman after Sukkot until our balance was paid.

Just as it is impossible to truly comprehend the value of community until you’ve needed it for your survival, I now understand that even the most compassionate among us cannot fully imagine the anguish, dread, and fear a parent feels upon receiving such a letter.

So, I did for myself what I have spent the past year and a half doing for others. While it was one of the longest hours of my life, my community once again joined together to provide the love, understanding, and support I needed. This enabled my son to return to school without missing even one day of Torah learning, preventing untold anguish and heartbreak.

You might imagine I emerged from this experience angry or discouraged, but that’s not the case. While I hope to never be in that position again, I feel energized and more passionate than ever about the vital work I’m doing.

Our schools provide an exceptional education and deserve all the support we can muster, but sometimes the costs are beyond what parents can pay, or a child’s needs exceed what the school can accommodate.

Having experienced first-hand how horrible it feels to imagine, for even just a moment, your child failing out of the Yeshiva system, I’m more committed than ever to working with families to ensure their children receive the Jewish education they need and deserve.

If you can relate to my story, I unabashedly invite you to partner with me in this holy work. For more information, to volunteer, or to donate, contact director@kerenyeshua.org or visit www.kerenyeshua.org.