Shua’s Kollel & The Soul House Created a Community

Communicated

My name is Moishe, I am 24 years old and was raised in a Chabad family and learned in Chabad yeshivas. I am a recent software engineering graduate and am a proud member of both Shua’s Kollel and the Soul House community.

Since moving to Crown Heights a year and a half ago, this community has played a vital role for me. I committed to three months of morning Kollel as soon as I arrived. It grounded me with a daily minyan, learning nigle and Chassidus every morning while I finished my degree in the later afternoons. Those pivotal months of learning outside of “Yeshiva” enabled me to own my Torah learning and crystalize my identity.

The guest speakers that they bring down and events surrounding the yomim tovim and yomei dpagra on Chassidus, marriage, or just generally celebrating life add so much structure and inspiration to my life.

I sometimes walk to Shul Shabbos morning and think, “maybe people will judge me for wearing xyz or being different in xyz way”. Then I exhale and remember that in The Soul House, everyone comes as they are, and everyone is accepted as completely unique individuals. I am proud to be a part of this community and know first hand the incredible need that the Soul House and the Engelsons tirelessly rise to serve.

A wise man once told me, “a place is only as good as the people in it.” Those words really stuck with me and have proven to be true in my experience. We are social creatures and, in addition to being hardwired for connection, require a village and community to propell us forward and nurture our higher selves. The Soul House provides just that for me and actively does for countless other young people who flock to Crown Heights from all over the world.

With immense gratitude and love – Moishe. R.

Donate at Charidy.com/soul/ShuasKollel

New video:

VIDEO: Rabbi YY Jacobson speaks about Shua’s Kollel

Shua’s Kollel is a half day learning experience, where participants, ages nineteen to late twenties that are unmarried, could come to learn, receive respectable payment and have time left in their day to work and establish an income, while still staying in the world of Torah.

Named after Shua Polonsky OBM, the Kollel aims to create an environment where much like its namesake, promotes healthy positive living and an emphasis on healthy and balanced Yiddishkeit. These single young men are able to transition from their previous experiences whether it was Yeshiva or in many circumstances other environments, into an accepting, non-judgmental home, encouraging growth in mind and soul. Which ultimately immeasurably impacts their future families and homes to come.

Workshops every Friday bring in different community members around Crown Heights, therapists, trades people and marriage counselors to share their personal experiences about life and mentorship to its young members. Individuals such as Shmuly Brummel, Tamar Pewzner, Yossi Molinsky, Yosef Halevy, Bronya Shaffer, Shlucha Rivka Slonim and psychologists Saul Hiamoff and Charles Goldberg have come to share their wisdom, knowledge of a trade and advice to enrich the young men’s’ future.

All donations matched for the next 24 hours at Charidy.com/soul/ShuasKollel