For five months, one young boy barely left his bedroom. He spent his days playing video games, while his parents watched helplessly as one door after another closed in his face.
They had tried place after place, hoping to find somewhere he could grow, connect and thrive. But after repeated rejection, they were nearly ready to give up hope that anything productive would happen in his life.
Then, one phone call changed everything. A friend from Bnei Aliya reached out and said, “Come join us.”
He came—and that is where everything began to change.
The unconditional Aliya hug helped him come out of his shell. Today, he comes to school happily, reconnects with friends and has become more social and confident. He is learning Chassidus and Gemara, preparing for his Regents, enjoying sports and working out with Rabbi Nissen.
Most importantly, he is happy and feels good about himself again.
That is what can happen when a boy who has heard “no” everywhere else finally finds a place that says, “Yes. You belong here.”
Every day, boys and young men walk through Aliya’s doors for a safe space, a hot meal, the Aliya Kollel, Bnei Aliya, a shiur, the gym, the mikvah—or simply a place where they know they will be embraced exactly as they are.
This year, Aliya moved its annual campaign from December to the beginning of the school year so that we can welcome more boys now, when they need us most.
Perhaps the best way to receive Hashem’s unconditional love is to show His children unconditional love.
The Aliya campaign is now live. For the next two days, every donation—every hug you give—will be tripled by our generous matchers, many of whom are Aliya alumni themselves.
Please join the hug and help us say YES to the next young person who needs a place to belong.
