The boys house is an initiative aimed at providing a safe place and 'big brother' mentoring for teenager in the north Manchester Jewish community. The goal is to empower a generation of young people to become responsible givers in the community and beyond.

In a 'me' generation, young people so often can become narcissistic self-centred, and detached from family, community, tradition, and society. But that need not be the case. At the boys house we value each teenager, and help cultivate a sense of self-worth, whilst nurturing the innate potential to play an active and exemplary role in the community and society - not just tomorrow but today.

 

 The house-mentors are university students or young professionals who are carefully vetted, and who are active in community work. Their accomodation is subsidised in return for operating an 'open home' and actively running community projects in the home and nearby schools, synagogues and community centres.

 

 The project operates in co-ordination with the Whitefield Jewish community, the King David High School, Aish North West, and the Shrubberies Community Centre. This coming year students will expand their outreach activity to include South Manchester and Liverpool.

 

 Apart from regular activities in the home, the students have intiated or supported charity drives, informal Jewish education programs, holocaust memorial trips, as well as weekend retreat 'Shabbatonim'.

 

Feedback from the local schools, charities and communities confirms the transformative impact the home has had on helping to raise a generation of young Jewish teenagers committed to their families and communities, their faith and heritage, their responsibility to one another and to the world at large.

 

This amazing project can only continue with your support. What we have built over the past year is only a start and we hope that we can carry on building this great project and continue to inspire and make a difference in the community.