Religious people do not want to do a program that is all business, and the secular community does not want to simply sit and learn Torah all day.
By YARON CARNIVolunteers of United Rescue/United Hatzalah Colombia in action in Cartagena(photo credit: UNITED RESCUE/UNITED HATZALAH COLOMBIA)
This past year, I was invited to speak at TorahTech, a gap-year program that integrates Torah study with professional development through business internships. I was blown away to see the combination of tech and Torah, my two favorite things. Nourish the soul and the mind. That is the goal of this unique startup.The idea began with two guys in Tel Aviv, a rabbi and a digital marketer.Shlomo Chayen, a father of four, holds degrees in education, psychology and sociology. He is a rabbi and a life coach whose main focus is on how to make people more happy and fulfilled.Yehuda Goldberg was well-immersed in the hi-tech ecosystem, having worked in digital marketing for 16 years, after which he wanted to find a way to fulfill his soul as well.This intersection is where they decided to work together and combine worlds.Bringing these two practices of Torah study and business study together to influence young adults at a pivotal point in their lives, TorahTech was created.Why work to do this? As Chayen explained, Torah and technology complement each other, and in the process allow each to elevate in significance and importance in the students’ lives.In the last five-10 years, the number of international students who have come to study at yeshivot and participate in fellowships has decreased from between 13,000-14,000 to 10,000.The founders of TorahTech think part of the reason for this decline is that it is hard for many students to let go of the traditional yeshiva experience in Israel. At the same time, students are becoming increasingly interested in getting hands-on experience rather than simply learning Torah all day.Religious people do not want to do a program that is all business, and the secular community does not want to simply sit and learn Torah all day. This program is a middle ground that combines both pillars of the Israeli ecosystem in a strong way without reducing the caliber and importance of either.TorahTech is based in the heart of Tel Aviv, sitting in Israel’s tech epicenter. The program finished its first year with 10 participants, and began its second year in September with 10-12 participants. Although they have generated a large amount of interest, the organizers have decided to do another year with a small enrollment in order to strengthen their program and allow it to scale effectively in the future.As the founder of Maverick Ventures in Israel and a venture capitalist in Tel Aviv who classifies himself as a non-observant religious Jew, I was also fortunate to play a small part in helping seed the program. I truly believe that the Torah’s teachings sharpen the minds of to be tech leaders. This, to me, can help strengthen outreach for all the obvious reasons.Various tech leaders come speak with the participants throughout the year to share their experiences. Hillel Fuld, an Israeli tech guru and Jerusalem Post columnist (“Hillel’s Tech Corner”), spoke to the group and found its members incredibly motivated to participate in Israeli society, both economically and spiritually.The next step will be starting a women’s program in 2020 in Ra’anana, giving the participants an opportunity to explore the growing business ecosystem in the Ra’anana and Herzliya region.Long term, Chayen and Goldberg do not just see this as a gap-year program for international men and women; rather, they see this as an educational system that extends to various age groups and Jewish backgrounds. By creating post-college programs that allow people to live in Israel and experience the intersection of spiritual guidance and tech, high school programs that teach relationships and economics, and chavrutot (small group learning in Talmudic studies) among hubs of Israeli professionals, TorahTech hopes to expand its mission beyond the post-high school age group and grow the presence of Torah and technology hand-in-hand.The writer is the founder of Maverick Ventures Israel and the Tel Aviv Angel Group. He sits on the board of the United Hatzalah, an independent, nonprofit emergency medical services organization with more than 5,000 volunteer first responders throughout Israel.
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