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Menachem Bombach
President and CEO of Netzach Educational Network

Manhattan’s Jewish Renaissance: The ALTNEU Effect

On Shabbat morning, after the Musaf prayer, despite battling the flu, Rabbi Goldschmidt stood and addressed the five hundred families that filled ALTNEU. The silence in the hall was absolute as he shared a story that touched every heart.

He spoke about Merav, Agam Berger’s mother. Merav, who hadn’t seen her daughter for so long, yet at this crucial moment, expressed deep concern about unnecessary violation of the Sabbath. “Think about this,” said the Rabbi, his hoarse voice trembling with emotion, “a mother whose heart is torn with longing for her daughter, yet even at this moment, she thinks about the sanctity of the Sabbath.”

Even though the Chief Rabbi had given permission to travel, Merav requested that the Sabbath not be violated unless absolutely necessary. Rabbi Goldschmidt managed to convey in his words the tremendous power of this moment – the tension between a mother’s love for her daughter and the devotion to keeping the Sabbath.

And then, just one day after this moving sermon, on Sunday, a special event took place at ALTNEU. The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and his wife Michal came to celebrate one year since this thriving community moved into their new home. It was a significant milestone for a community that had grown in just three years from a handful of families to five hundred families.

Alex Tsigutkin and his wife Diana, who led the community from vision to impressive reality, stood there as living witnesses to the power of faith and dedication. Merav’s story from the Sabbath still echoed in the air, reminding everyone that behind the impressive numbers and meteoric growth stand deep values of devotion and faith.

President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog
Rabbi Benjamin and Avital Goldschm
ALTNEU President Alex Tsigutkin
About the Author
Rabbi Menachem Bombach is an educator and an entrepreneur - founder and CEO of the Netzach Educational Network – and a spokesperson for the progressive Haredi community. Menachem was born and raised in the ultra-Orthodox community in Meah Shearim in Jerusalem as a Vizhnitz Hasid. Educated at the Mir Yeshiva, he earned his undergraduate degree in Education and graduate degree in Public Policy from Hebrew University, where he also founded a preparatory program (Mechina) for Haredi students. He was a fellow at Maoz and in the leadership program of Gesher, and is a fellow and senior project leader at the Mandel Institute. Menachem founded a ground-breaking Yeshiva High School (HaMidrasha HaHassidit in Beitar Illit) in 2017, expanding his vision to create the Netzach Educational Network of 18 Haredi schools. Today, Netzach provides over 3,000 students with an outstanding Haredi education alongside a full Bagrut (matriculation) certificate. This empowers them to create a strong, financially viable future for themselves, their future families, and the Israeli economy, while remaining strongly connected to their core values of Torah observance. Additionally, the network makes general studies accessible through the Eshkolot website, which serves more than forty thousand students. For more information, visit www.netzach.org.il​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​