Dear Friends,
My name is Tzachi Hayun, and I have the privilege of serving as the Managing Director of Migdal Ohr’s Zoharim Youth Village.
More importantly, I’m part of a family… the only family that many of our boys have ever truly known.
This past week, as rockets fell and sirens wailed, I stood with our teens - not as staff and students, but as brothers. As a family. And I’m writing to let you know: Baruch Hashem, we are safe. Two missiles landed dangerously close. One in an open field, and another sparked a fire nearby. But thank G-d, all of our youth and staff are accounted for and protected.
Zoharim isn’t just a school or a shelter. It’s home to over 100 boys who were once lost , many estranged from their families, living on the streets, or headed down dangerous paths. Here, they find structure, warmth, purpose — and most of all, unconditional love. Our motto is simple and lived every day: “A Home that Believes in You.”
During times of crisis, when other families huddle together behind locked doors, our doors open even wider. Our alumni — now young men, soldiers, even commanders — are returning to us. They call, they arrive at our gates, and they know: Zoharim is still their home.
And it’s working. Our Zoharim family has helped thousands of teens to turn their lives around: graduating high school, enlisting in the IDF, and continuing on to college. Many serve as commanders in elite units and go on to become leaders in Israel and around the world.
These same boys who once stood at our gates lost and broken are now standing guard, protecting Israel and our people. They are living proof of what love, structure, and belief can build.
But we are at capacity. And that’s the painful truth. The need is urgent.
Security regulations now require additional protected shelters, and we are forced to turn youth away, not because we want to, but because we physically don’t have the safe space to receive them.
Imagine turning a child away - a child with no one else - when the sirens are screaming, and the skies are filled with missiles. It is heartbreaking. And it’s happening.
These past few weeks have reminded me just how vital this home is. When missiles are flying and the world outside feels unsteady, we must be the steady ground beneath their feet.
We’re not just building physical shelters. We are building resilience, hope, identity, and a future for Am Yisrael.
As Rabbi Grossman says, in just a few short years, they will be the ones taking care of us.
These formative years are shaping how teens see themselves and their role in the future of the Jewish People. Your support today isn’t just helpful — it’s lifesaving.
Help us expand Zoharim. Help us say “yes” to every teen who needs a place to belong.
Today, tomorrow, and for years to come.
With deep gratitude,
Tzachi Hayun
Managing Director, Zoharim Youth Village
P.S. Below is a video of our boys in the barn, caring for the animals. For them, it’s not just chores… it’s healing. It’s grounding. It’s the act of giving life when life outside feels threatened. Thank you for showing them they’re not alone. Thank you for standing with us and with them.
