Pele Yoetz Celebrates Graduation of Professional Mentoring Course

Rosh Chodesh Nissan marked a joyous occasion for the graduates of Pele Yoetz's mentoring course. Beaming in satisfaction, they celebrated the completion of their rigorous training and received certificates that formally recognized their successful studies and accreditation as "professional mentors."

The creation of this vital course stemmed from a clear vision within Pele Yoetz's Al Pi Darko department. Founded over a decade ago, Al Pi Darko is Pele Yoetz Center’s flagship mentorship and tutoring program which has benefited hundreds of children in Talmudei Torah in Yerushalayim.  Spearheading this impactful program is Rabbi Avraham Vitman shlita, an esteemed educational consultant whose personalized educational approach, developed across two decades of dedicated research and practical experience, directly addresses the needs of young Talmud Torah students in the charedi sector. All program content is reviewed and approved by Pele Yoetz's esteemed Nasi, Rav Dovid Levy shlita.

Recognizing the growing need for skilled mentors, Pele Yoetz sought to empower more avrechim to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young learners and thus launched its mentoring course. Having already completed several cycles, this program has ushered in a new era in mentorship. Moving beyond traditional, often limited, academic support for struggling students, it champions a holistic integration of professional skills that addresses a student's multifaceted academic, social and spiritual needs. Identifying the advantage of a unified approach, the program's developers integrated didactic academic support with extensive emotional guidance, rather than addressing these needs separately.

Rabbi Vitman, the guiding force behind the department, emphasizes: "The role of a mentor is profoundly important, as it touches the very essence of a child's being. When these dedicated individuals are equipped with professional training shaped by the wisdom of experienced educators, their impact is transformative, leading to remarkable progress in the lives of the children they assist.

"Our training draws upon the expertise of leading figures in chinuch, and their insights are interwoven with the unique methodology and core principles that define Pele Yoetz's approach to mentorship."

So, what exactly do the mentors learn in the course of the program?

The course curriculum equips mentors with a comprehensive toolkit that addresses remedial teaching in Gemara, emotional support, life skills, tools for social coping, and integrating students with learning difficulties into classroom learning. It also emphasizes the paramount importance of consistent communication between parents and educational staff and teaches the mentors how to cultivate a proper relationship, infuse a student with motivation, and foster a child’s connection to spirituality. In addition, course participants learn to identify emotional difficulties, acquire basic premises of therapy, and become acquainted with other issues that affect students’ learning as health, ADD, hearing impairment, malnutrition, etc. The course teaches the mentors to identify symptoms, without diagnosing, and help parents navigate the path to the appropriate professional resource.

The program's structure was thoughtfully designed to incorporate practicum with engaging workshops, illustrative demonstrations, and insightful presentations that accompanied the learning journey.

Rabbi Vitman proudly highlights the graduates' enthusiastic and active engagement and praised them for not only learning the material, but also internalizing its principles on a deep level. The final task involved a comprehensive summary and submission of a course assignment, which attested to their newly acquired expertise.

The graduation ceremony featured inspiring addresses by Pele Yoetz's esteemed Nasi Rabbi Dovid Levy shlita, and CEO Rabbi Menachem Sheinberger who praised the graduates and extended their heartfelt wishes for continued success. The speakers shared the positive feedback that they received from parents and educators in Talmudei Torah. The latter unanimously express their profound admiration of the innovative, professional methods and dedication demonstrated by Pele Yoetz-trained mentors currently employed within Al Pi Darko’s framework and underscore the remarkable progress they are witnessing in their students.

The graduates now stand at the cusp of impactful service, with opportunities to join the Al Pi Darko network or to contribute their skills independently within the broader educational landscape.

The evening concluded with an exciting glimpse into the future, as the next professional development course – which focuses on training and certifying educational facilitators who will serve as consultants for school faculties – was announced. The course is set to be launched right after Pesach.

Visibly moved by the culmination of their intensive training, course participants expressed their conviction that this successful course has elevated their calling to a new level of professionalism, precision, and effectiveness. They conveyed their sincere gratitude to the visionary leaders of Pele Yoetz for their unwavering dedication in creating and delivering this transformative program.