OVER 350 ATTEND EYE SQUAD "COFFEE BEAN" KICK-OFF EVENT

Over the course of this past Shabbat, I just couldn't get any rest - I had only one thing on my mind - COFFEE. Coffee Bean, that is; how many one-year program attendees would show up to the Eye Squad kick-off event on Sat. night, March 1st? Had they seen the orange and green neon posters all over Jerusalem? Did our school reps hang up fliers and tell their friends? Was Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf - located in the center of Jerusalem - the "hang-out" we were led to believe?

My worries were for naught - in excess of 350 North Americans and Anglos from a broad spectrum of one-year programs descended on Coffee Bean - to get a free gourmet coffee drink and learn more about the Eye Squad. Participants were asked to register and were automatically entered in a raffle for great prizes. At the same time, each person received an Eye Squad pen, refrigerator magnet and bookmark - all imprinted with the Eye Squad hotline number (*9111).

Our dedicated staff of professionals and volunteers made sure that everyone registered and received a 30 second sound bite about the what the Eye Squad has to offer. More pictures from the event can be seen by clicking here.

I was completely bowled over by the response. Some have said that I should have expected so many young adults to show up - especially when you're offering free coffee at their own hang out on a cold winter night.

But after the seemingly countless conversations we had with students during the course of the evening, I am confident that the curiosity factor of "What's the Eye Squad" combined with a desire to learn how to access the Eye Squad was paramount to the mass number of attendees.

Kudos to our Program Coordiantor Adina Bloomberg, staff members Rav Jason Demant, Talya Levin and Ora Rotenstein, and our volunteers Sara, Tali, Marissa and Eitan for making this event a huge success.

Yet, we cannot and will not rest on our laurels. Meetings with heads of one-year programs are in full swing, and I continue to spread the word of the Eye Squad to parents and others during my next trips to the United States.

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EYE SQUAD IN THE NEWS

Newspaper reports about the Eye Squad continue to surface and spread the word. The most recent articles appeared in the following newspapers (click each link to access each article):

New Jersey Jewish Standard

Jewish Star (Long Island, NY)

I SHOULD NOTE THAT, AS A DIRECT RESULT OF BOTH OF THESE ARTICLES, THE EYE SQUAD RECEIVED CALLS FROM PARENTS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN STUDYING IN ISRAEL FOR THE YEAR. This resulted in the Eye Squad receiving calls from the students.

In addition, I have been interviewed by the Jerusalem Post and have other interviews scheduled in the near future. I am thankful once again for the National Council of Young Israel's PR person, N. Aaron Troodler, for helping us spread the word through the media.

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QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS?

For those of you who want to reach me for any reason, you can try one of two ways:

Shavua Tov from Israel.

Rabbi Aaron S. Tirschwell
Founder and Director