Three Lives Changed, Now Changing Lives

Last year, a new yeshiva opened in the heart of South Florida that is revolutionizing Jewish education and literally saving the lives of teens needing spiritual and emotional direction.

The three pioneers of this life changing academy have compelling stories of their own.

Rabbi Zalmy Raksin:
Merely a month before celebrating his bar mitzvah, Zalmy’s mother and grandparents were tragically killed in a horrible car accident. Understandably, Zalmy experienced all the unimaginable stages of grief and trauma. However, as he matured into adulthood, Zalmy was determined to turn his tears into growth and pain into action.

Instead of wallowing in his sorrow, Zalmy sought to help others overcome their similar experiences of loss and suffering. He pursued a career in education and became a certified grief specialist and life coach. Zalmy soon became a pillar of JETS, a Jewish trade school in California that offers students Judaic studies and vocational training. After 12 years of assisting the students of JETS with their emotional and spiritual needs, Zalmy moved on to help found his own unique yeshiva … TAG Academy.

Rabbi Pinny Andrusier:
Rabbi Pinny was a rambunctious young man with boundless energy. His story is well documented how upon marriage he established himself in business, until the Rebbe in 1992, hand-selected him for shlichus.

Rabbi Pinny accepted the Rebbe’s unexpected offer, handed the business over to his brother, and together with his wife Gitty, excitedly embarked on their new journey, establishing Chabad of Southwest Broward in Cooper City, FL.

For 30 years, the Andrusiers operated a typical Chabad center, offering the local community a minyan, classes and year round events. However, due to his magnanimous personality and a thirst for even larger scale community outreach and events, Rabbi Pinny became a pioneer of Jewish Heritage Night with the Miami Heat, Yidstock Music Festival and his famous five star Rosh Hashanah retreat.

Always seeking to take his shlichus to the next level, Rabbi Pinny dreamt of tackling one of the most blaring crises now plaguing the Jewish world: keeping at-risk Jewish teens excited about life, Yiddishkeit and guiding them on their personal path and journey. When by divine providence, the magnificent 6.5 acre property across the street from his Chabad Center became available, Rabbi Pinny realized he had the perfect setting to fulfill his dream – TAG Academy, where every teen is it!

Rabbi Aizik Chanin:
Growing up in the heart of Crown Heights, Aizik was the typical story of a teen falling through the cracks of the school system.

With no guidance, direction, or mentor, Aizik lost his passion and excitement for life, Torah and Yiddishkeit. He floated from one yeshiva to the next, trying to fill the void, until one day he met Rabbi Yoskeh Levin.

Levin, who actually now serves on staff as mashpiah of TAG, re-ignited Chanin’s spark for Torah and Yiddishkeit, giving him the guidance and inspiration he so desperately needed.

Aizik went on to become a shliach and ultimately a greatly loved and admired educator at JETS. His 12 years experience of teaching teens at-risk have contributed to his innate ability to form powerful relationships, develop an incredible rapport with the teens and makes him the ideal co-founder of TAG Academy.

Rabbis Zalmy, Pinny and Aizik are now teaming up to launch their first ever capital fundraising campaign so they can continue their most important and vital work. In addition to the great costs of launching a new school, considerable funding is needed for renovations and building.

The founders of TAG kindly ask you to please donate generously, as every dollar donated through July 19 will be doubled and will allow them to further help more and more teens in need. The future of our teens and the future of TAG is now in your hands.

Please visit Charidy.com/tagacademy to make your generous gift!