At just 15 years old, Yaniv Meirov looked around his community and saw a troubling reality: a generation adrift, disconnected from their heritage, their identity, and each other. The lack of accessible Jewish education left a void, a gaping hole in the fabric of their lives.
Undeterred by the enormity of the challenge, Yaniv embarked on a mission to bridge the gap, to breathe life into the dormant souls of his peers. Armed with nothing but a stack of parshah sheets and an unwavering determination, he laid the cornerstone for what would become Chazaq. And now, 18 years later, this organization has quietly transformed lives, igniting sparks of inspiration and unity in the most unexpected places.
As a young rabbi, Yaniv began his journey; his older brother Rabbi Ilan saw his ambition and decided to give him a helping hand. Within a year after beginning to pass out weekly parshah sheets to shuls, Chazaq held its first lecture. The room buzzed with anticipation, as over 500 people gathered, drawn by a shared thirst for knowledge, for connection, for something more. In that moment, Rabbi Yaniv saw the potential for Chazaq to become a catalyst for change, a beacon of hope in a world thirsty for inspiration.
As Chazaq began to grow, so did its impact. With each passing year, the organization’s reach extended further, touching the lives of countless individuals and families. But it was not enough to simply exist; Chazaq recognized that with growth came responsibility – the responsibility to address the ever-evolving needs of the community.
With each pressing need of the community that they noticed, they launched transformative initiatives designed to meet those needs head-on. The Jwave teens division provides a lifeline to high school kids in public school by keeping them off the streets and bringing them to a safe and educational environment on a daily basis, while the Shaping Lives Sunday School Program offers a sanctuary for young minds eager to explore their heritage. Today, these two programs have over 25 locations throughout the United States!
But Chazaq’s journey for public school outreach did not end there. In 2017, they launched the Public School to Yeshiva Division, where a team of dedicated staff reach out to parents and offer guidance from A to Z when it comes to transferring public school students to yeshivah. Since then, well over 1,500 students have been transferred to yeshivah.
That same year, the Chazaq beis midrash program also opened up, and today Chazaq has three such locations.
And just when it seemed that their journey had reached its peak, Chazaq took another bold step forward this past year, opening the Chazaq Youth Center for public school youth and launching the groundbreaking Chazaq Connections Shidduch Initiative, further solidifying their commitment to empowering individuals and strengthening communities.
As Chazaq celebrates its 18th anniversary, the organization looks back on its journey with gratitude and humility, but also with a renewed sense of purpose. For in every challenge, in every obstacle, they see an opportunity – an opportunity to make a difference, to change lives, to inspire hope.
Now is everyone’s opportunity to join Chazaq, not only by celebrating their accomplishments of the past, but to build towards the future, too. Chazaq is looking to strengthen their public-school divisions while tackling new initiatives to inspire the community at large.
Visit www.GiveChazaq.com to be part of Chazaq’s urgent Charidy campaign.
