CONFUSION INTO CLARITY

Right now, a 19-year-old Columbia University student walks past graffiti calling for his destruction. A 22-year-old at the mall in northern Toronto hides the Star of David necklace his grandparents gave him for his Bar Mitzvah. They are all asking the same question: "WHY AM I HATED FOR BEING JEWISH? UP UNTIL NOW I FIT IN..." Since October 7th, young Jews around the world have been facing a harsh reality. They're attacked for an identity they don't understand. They can't defend what they don't know. They can't love what they've never experienced. They feel scared and alone, unable to connect with themselves and their people. They need answers, but they are frozen. They are frightened by the stigmas of the Orthodox community, its outreach organizations, and rabbis... seen as out of touch and indoctrinated. WHERE SHOULD THEY TURN??? That’s the reason why Ascent exists. For over 40 years, Ascent has led the way, turning Tsfat into a vibrant classroom where Judaism comes alive through soul-stirring experiences rather than just intellectual explanations. Ascent’s experiential education program turns observers into doers, questions into meaningful connections, and confusion into strong commitment. Our mezuzah case workshop is a perfect example. Participants craft their own mezuzah case shaped like Israel from resin and olive wood. This is more than just an arts project. When they shape that wood with their own hands, they're shaping their identity. When they hang it on their door back home, they're saying: "I know who I am. I belong to something eternal." Next year alone, 130,000 young Jews will arrive at our doors, BROUGHT BY BUSLOADS ONE AFTER ANOTHER, by Ascent’s partners—the IDF, Birthright, JNF, and others. They send their most valuable assets: future defenders, builders, and leaders of our people. They trust us because we deliver results that can be measured: young Jews who leave with understanding not just of who they are, but why who they are matters. Most of these participants probably wouldn't have come on their own. Still, they leave happily inspired after finding answers that help them rebuild their Jewish identity and connect with themselves and their community. Time is limited; we often have only a few hours to build that essential lifelong connection to the Jewish people. But what truly breaks my heart is that the most effective, high-impact programs in our toolkit cost an average of $9 more than groups can afford. YOU CAN SAVE THE DAY! Think about it: for less than the price of lunch, you return the identity that was stolen from them. YOU’RE TURNING CONFUSION INTO CLARITY, FEAR INTO PRIDE, ISOLATION INTO BELONGING! • $18 DOUBLED equals FOUR awakened souls • $90 DOUBLED transforms TWENTY young Jews • $180 DOUBLED empowers FORTY young Jews with a connection to themselves and their people. • $360 DOUBLED builds EIGHTY bridges to the Jewish Future (and we'll send you a handcrafted mezuzah to mark your partnership). And thanks to our Giving Tuesday Matchers, G-d bless them, YOUR INVESTMENT IS DOUBLED. The match is already in effect. Please give today. These aren't just donations. They're the foundations of Jewish continuity. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote, our task is to show young Jews: "The glory of what they are—a letter in the scroll." Will you help write that letter today? With gratitude and partnership, Rabbi Shaul Leiter Director, Ascent of Tsfat P.S. Every day we wait, another young Jew drifts further. Your gift today brings them home. Please don’t hesitate, DONATE NOW