"Bro"

we heard that there was so many boys from our community in public school we decided that we're gonna start a public school program one night a week Tuesday nights in the basement that is true we called the do bro program the reason why we call that the yo bro program is because every time a kid came into the class in middle of the class he would go around high-fiving everybody and he would say yo bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro bro so we called it the Oh bro program and you wouldn't believe but we started with just a handful of kids but then in no time in a matter of a few weeks were up to 30 40 50 kids and then after the program and after I would speak to them we would take him round the corner to holy schnitzel or to other restaurants thanks to the great rabbi avi Salem this is the Rebbe Ivan rabbi avi Salem of Avenue o Torah Center and these kids I can tell you from night today with some of these kids are today would blow your mind but let me tell you about the first week of the program the first week of the program so the class was for seven o'clock and the kids are coming into the building of the show going down to the basement and one kid walks in and he's wearing diamond studs on his ears and as he's walking into the show there's a guy who does not pray in our show he just comes once in a blue form and on our beef during the week because he's in the area and he needs a minyan this guy comes walking out of the show as this public school kid is walking into the shul with the diamond studs in his ears he sees the kid he grabs the kid's arm and he starts yelling and screaming at the kids type a hot spot who's your father how did he bring you up like this you walk into a fool with earrings what type of Jew are you and he's killing the kid and I heard the commotion I came running out I saw immediately what was going on I ran up to the guy and I nicely asked him to leave I nicely asked him to leave and then I put my arm around this kid and I said don't pay an attention and he's not part of this synagogue he doesn't pray here and don't pay any attention don't even bother it's some guy he goes off on people don't don't even pay it attention the kid says okay and he let it go the kid let it go deep down I saw he was hurt the kid but he you know on the outside let it go he's a teenager in high school he goes downstairs to the class and I walk into the class and the class begins and I opened up with a concept and we started talking about Jewish pride and then a story and while I'm going through the class and while I'm giving over the material while I'm telling the story I keep calling out on this kid and I say hey you in the back with the beautiful diamond studs angel you have such an angelic face you get what I'm saying what do you think about that story ya rabbi I love this story what do you think about the message a great message is something to think about and as I went around the class calling out different case pulling them into the dialogue pulling him into the story pulling him to the discussion which is what really the class is about without them realize I kept turning and putting the focus and the kavod on this kid with the diamond studs angel and I said is it okay with you if I call you my angel because he have such a beautiful face and he says ya rabbi pleasure at the end of the class the class was over everyone left and the kid walks up to me and smiles and he says rabbi great class and I said angel it means the world to me that you came this week and I want to tell you something every speaker knows that when he gets up in front of an audience he needs those few good faces to balance his material off of to get him to be comfortable and to relax you will that face tonight your angelic to me you're a special kid he says thank you rev I really thank you and then I walked up then quietly and I say can I just talk to you for a second sis yeah sure so listen my 20th anniversary is coming up and I'm in the market the diamond studs those studs gorgeous I'm looking for something like that could you hook me up tell me who did you go with you pick him up I mean you know you know tip off the rabbi where do I pick up stuff like that he says rabbi you like myself love them love you like I love him love him Wow rabbi don't worry I talked to my boys and I'll see if we can hook you up with somebody really good for a good price I said angel you're the best thank you now was it the kid left and he walked out ten feet tall and he was glowing better met his face was glowing this kid was in the Shama neshama he was growing he leaves the next week I'm Dominique that this kid comes back the last thing I would want Hospital is for him to have such a bad experience with some guy that he thought God gods policeman and really destroyed that poor kid the way he did amberle hashem the next week angel comes back and i see that he's wearing this dopey little baseball cap and it's one of those big ones you know the ones that go over your entire face and your ears and it comes down to the class it's angel how i a by and we give the class and again i highlight this kid keep calling him out putting the spotlight on him making him feel like a million bucks show that Torah and rabbis are sweet and not what was represented to him on that first that first moment that he walked into Sheol that first impression it's hard to undo first impressions but I was giving it everything I got and then at the end of the case this kid walks up to me with a big smile and he says to me rabbi can I talk to you for a minute I said yeah he says listen rabbi about those stunts I said yeah he says he stole the market I said yeah anniversary's coming up the big 200 he reaches his arm inside his pocket and he pulls out a small box and I said no no no no no no no angel angel I said rabbi please I beg you he said I'm begging you take him take him for me give them to your wife I said angel I love him in your ears but now that they're out of your ears I love him even more but I'm not gonna take him for my wife inside that box is a victory and it's yours and that victory belongs to you and he looked at me and he started literally tearing up and he pulls his hat back and I see his ears are clear and he gives me this hug and we stayed in touch and we were together for a year and a half and classes till one day angel disappears I started asking people what happened to where did he go I found out they ended up going out of town to some sort of a school somewhere and I couldn't get his phone number and he didn't have a phone and back and forth I was hoping that that year and a half planted enough seeds to put this kid on the right path that one day he'll remember there was a rabbi that loved him that was it and I thought that was the list on my soul until about a year later I'm driving down Avenue you I'm coming to Coney and you I make the left and I turn on to having you you and I'm coming down the street towards the fire station and there is the red light that's always red so I'm sitting there and I turn to my right and I see a whole band of kids and to me they were they look like going there laughing boys and girls all over each other and yelling and screaming and no way those kids are Jewish and then right before the light changes one kid screams rabbi dummy ah I turn I cannot believe it these were some of the kids from the program I pull over the side and they come running up and then add a know where who steps up at the side door of my car angel I said angel where did you go what happened to you I missed you he says rabbi I promise you I missed you more he said my parents decided to send me out of town and they did it really fast and they decided for whatever reason they told me a whole family problem they had he said but rabbi I missed you too and then just then his buddy turns to him and says show him and I'm thinking what show show a rabbi he says now angel says nah I don't show show him now I'm thinking generally when they say show the rabbi it means and they're gonna reach inside and pull out a pair of seats eat that stuff so I'm saying to myself wow angels wearing seat see that's angel one watch what do you want what is it what does he want you to show me he says no not rabbi I said come on show me he opens up his first button and then a second button and I'm saying oh here comes at CC and instead he opens up his shirt and there around his neck is a necklace and that he holds up the necklace and he shows me that there is a carrot a little gold baby angel at the end of this necklace and he says to me rabbi do you see this the last year and a half every morning I woke up I looked down and I looked at this angel and it pushed me to put on to feeling every morning because it reminded me of the one rabbi that called me angel to everybody else I was a devil but to you I was red like doobies angel I'll never forget you I've never forgotten never missed putting on tefillin since the program that's talking huh Rebbetzin Connie Ashley's way Reb Yaakov come in net skis way the Rambam swing the goddess way this is the way we spread love to Torah the claw Israel to be so high to a hobbit Israel no more Senate Hannah this is the way we come to we do a lot thank you for listening [Music]