Don’t Judge a Book By It’s Cover
Suffice it to say that I didn’t expect to learn anything new about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs from Srulik Kushmerski. This Jerusalem born, ultra-Orthodox father of six, with a long black coat, a beard and “payot” (side-curls) is far from what you would expect.
A high-school educator himself, Srulik latched onto an unspoken phenomena in the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community. Simply put, their socio-educational constraints are not conducive to all and nearly 3500 young men every year find themselves odd-man out from their traditional world. These are not at-risk youth, says Srulik, they simply don’t “fit the mold,” and this is where Maslow comes in. You can’t expect self-actualization, the highest rung of Maslow’s hierarchy, when you are considered an outcast.
Modern society rewards individualists but in the Haredi world, to be a maverick is to be a pariah. You wear color when white shirts and black pants are expected. Smartphones are forbidden but it is your lifeline to the world. You enter the workforce when you are expected to learn in yeshiva for decades.
You can be a Haredi and an individualist, says Srulik, and to make it possible he created Abi’a (אביעה — באור פניך), a center for Haredi youth (ages 18–30) to give these nonconformists a spiritual home and direction, with educational and employment guidance that allows them to remain true to their religious values. Understanding the importance of sustainability, Srulik developed a young leadership track to cultivate Haredi social activism. Some are already “paying it forward,” creating their own grassroots initiatives that help others.
“Abi’a” in Hebrew, means to express oneself and the center’s name is an acronym for responsibility, choice, initiative, action and success. Today, the center serves more than 50 youth who are getting an education, working, learning social responsibility. They found their voice and are well on their way to achieving Maslow’s highest goal — self-fulfillment. The marketing strategy is simple — BYOB, bring your own buddy, and hundreds more are coming.
Srulik leads by example, spending 3 years studying for a B.A. in psychology with 2 more years to go. “We can be self-critical, we can bring about societal change,” said Srulik. “We just need to do it slowly while preserving our values.” Meet Srulik, who presented his initiative before a crowd of more than 200 at PresenTense Israel this week.
He is #MyJLMHeroes this week because he believes in a wide tent, a place for everyone. “You can’t fulfill your potential, or bring about social change, if you lack a sense of belonging,” says Srulik, and I promise to never again judge a book by its cover.
