The transitional stage for a Baal Tshuva from Yeshiva in Israel to a secular work/schooling environment is crucially important and presents unique challenges and opportunities. How successfully a student navigates this stage will determine the character and success of the next most important stages of life: marriage and family. The vision of the program is to help students both materially and spiritually navigate this stage and create the basis for a successful life with a healthy balance of work, family, and spiritual growth. The combination of a warm environment with other like-minded students, a strong learning schedule, a growth oriented relationship with a Rebbi, job networking and mentoring, and a vibrant dynamic Frum community will be the features of the program which will enable the students to successfully navigate this transition.
JOB NETWORKING/MENTORING A group of successful baalei batim in several fields will be available to help students network and mentor them in their career path.
TUITION A nominal tuition fee of $100 a month will apply. The tuition will increase by $100 a month after every year.
LOCATION Edison, NJ is centrally located providing easy access to many large Jewish communities and work opportunities. It is less than an hour to Lakewood, Passaic and Brooklyn, and one hour to Monsey. The NJ Transit Train runs from Edison to Manhattan and the ride is under an hour. Its central location has made Edison a prime choice for convention centers and large companies like Johnson and Johnson and others providing additional job opportunities locally. Rutgers University is 4 minutes from Edison. Highland Park and Edison are two contiguous townships which are actually one community.
DEMOGRAPHICS The Frum community of Edison consists of over two thousand families and is rapidly growing. Many young couples and families are moving in every year making Edison a young, vibrant, growing community. The community has institutions and families which run the full gamut of the orthodox spectrum.
COMMUNITY Edison boasts a robust infrastructure and wide range of institutions. There are six large Shuls, two elementary schools, a girls' Bais Yaakov, a Boys' Yeshiva, a Kollel, Mikvah, Eiruv, Kosher restaurants and supermarket, and a Maimonodies Kiruv program on the Rutgers campus. Edison has all of the amenities of a large orthodox city with an out-of-town feel where there is still a close knit feeling of community and opportunity to contribute to the growth and character of the community. There are over 25 Chabura couples who have settled in town and the Chabura has started its own Shabbos morning minyan and a vibrant Nshei. A new building has recently been acquired and is being renovated to provide a Beis Medrash, gym, simcha room, and housing.
Leading the program will be Rav Reuven Billowitz. Rabbi Billowitz learned by Reb Dovid Soloveitchik and in the Brisker kollel for eight years. He currently learns in the Edison Community kollel and gives numerous shiurim in the community. He has taught in Ohr Sameach Monsey, Edison Yeshivah and the Maimonides program at Rutgers University.
