Teaching that transforms lives
ORT UK is celebrating 100 years of making an impact through education. To mark this milestone, it has launched its There Then. Here Now campaign. The organisation is reflecting on a history of teaching employable skills to communities in need, while still offering exceptional opportunities locally — such as the popular ORT Jump mentoring programme — and fundraising for World ORT’s life-changing schools and vocational programmes around the globe.
Founded in 1921 as British ORT, ORT UK has always committed itself to helping the Jewish community find gainful employment to become self-sufficient. But it’s also broken the boundaries to help the community in dire situations. At the outbreak of the Second World War, for example, the organisation rescued 106 students and teachers from Berlin, set up a technical school in Leeds and equipped them with engineering skills to ensure they could find work and rebuild their lives. After the war, the charity’s vocational training courses were in high demand, as Jewish refugees signed up to learn valuable skills, from mechanics to dressmaking, leading to employment in a post-war world.
Decades on, the needs of the community are ever evolving, prompting ORT UK to continually adapt its offerings. So when the pandemic hit last March, the organisation continued fundraising for students abroad, while taking swift action to encourage its 300-plus ORT Jump mentors in the UK to continue offering support to students in lockdown online. They also organised an impressive 17 expert-led webinars, to keep sixth-formers focused and positive throughout a very challenging term of home schooling.
Rather than viewing online meetings as a limitation, ORT Jump used the digital world to its advantage, planning a national expansion of the programme. They also piloted a collaboration with the Jewish learning disabilities and autism charity, Langdon and put plans in place to offer careers support to vulnerable young people through Gateways at JW3.
Face-to-face learning has now returned with the relaunch of ORT UK’s NXT lay leadership project, offering members the opportunity to explore the Jewish charity landscape with some of our best known communal leaders passing on their wisdom and experiences.
In-person fundraising events are also now in the pipeline, with preparations for next month’s ORT UK annual dinner in full swing. Money raised will help fund essential World ORT projects, including the major rebuild of the Kfar Silver Youth Village, near Gaza — home to some of Israel’s most at-risk youth, where the majority of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They rely on the excellent teaching, extra-curricular skills training and emotional support that will help change the path of their lives.
On a global level, across ORT’s education network of more than 200,000 people in more than 30 countries, there is a strong sense of renewed hope as the world cautiously emerges into a postpandemic era. The ORT network is also embarking on a journey — via a global campaign — to Face the Future together.
The current challenges are clear. Lives have been irrevocably changed by the pandemic. In Russia and Ukraine, students have lost parents and grandparents to Covid and are living with the emotional and financial consequences. In Brazil and Argentina, severely dented economies mean fewer parents can afford the fees needed to continue their child’s education, so ORT is finding ways to help. The organisation provides a framework and the tools for students to succeed whatever their circumstances.
Dan Green, World ORT director general and CEO, says: “The collaborative approach that has made Stem programmes and other curricula so powerful across our network also guides our approach to Jewish education. A firm grasp of Jewish history, culture and values can help students see the bigger picture as they go about their daily lives. The result is a richer Jewish communal life.”
ORT teachers worldwide explore Jewish texts alongside providing critical-thinking skills and a project-based learning approach. Whether it’s a field trip, museum visit or sitting down with older Jews to hear their personal stories — students are well-positioned to get a sense of who they are and their place in Jewish history.
As we move forward from a time of great uncertainty, one thing is guaranteed — ORT teachers will continue preparing students for a life of meaning, ensuring that they face the future with hope and determination.