Sweat Equity (Mentorship)
דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי
“They should take for me an offering; From every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take my offering (Exodus 25:2)”
When the Mishkan was built, everyone in the Jewish nation participated in what was the first 100% group giving project. This was a direct commandment from G-d. Within our religion there are many areas where we see the importance of collaboration while respecting each individual’s strengths and capacity. For some, financial donations are easy, for others indicating time and volunteerism is ideal. Others may be able to share their expertise with the next generation of learners. We here at JCHS view this as the beauty of a diverse community. If everyone gave in the exact same way, it would take away from the individual and limit the collective good. Monetary donations and contributions are needed, welcomed, and appreciated. We need to be financially viable in order to operate. However, money alone will not make our school a success. Sweat Equity is something new to the educational landscape, but we built it into our core curriculum and program. High school students are on their young adult journeys and require many dedicated mentors and the proper guidance. In our Sweat Equity program we hope to recruit a variety of adult professionals within our broader community who would be willing to mentor and guide our students on a year to year basis. We believe that this will give our students an insider’s edge and the confidence to explore real world experiences knowing they have someone to check in on them in and out of school throughout the year. This form of contribution is something we cherish and hold to be a pillar of our unparalleled school culture.