Support Tyler's Journey to Study in Jerusalem

Hi, my name is Tyler Joseph Pilkington and my Hebrew name is Shimon Yosef.

I am a senior at Katz Yeshiva High School and I have been learning about Torah and embracing my Jewish roots on a scholarship for four excellent years. Next year, I am looking to defer from college to expand my education by going to Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem, Israel. While I seek to enrich my Judaism and Torah knowledge beyond Katz, there is so much more to why I want to, and feel that it is my duty to, go to this Yeshiva. Being raised by a single mother, I feel the absence of knowledge in leading Jewish customs. If given the incredible opportunity to study in Israel, I believe I will be able to truly learn the various laws and customs to eventually raise a Jewish family of my own and thoroughly lead Shabbat and Holiday rituals. I kindly ask for your generosity to help me achieve this opportunity.

My Story:

Growing up, my family has persisted in a constant grapple with our Jewish identity. When I was a baby, my family had no tangible connection to the religion beyond celebrating holidays like Chanukkah. At age 5, I was beginning my first year of public schooling in Long Beach, New York, when Hurricane Sandy came and destroyed my family's house. This one act of God completely changed my and my family's lives. We were homeless, and the hurricane also served as the final blow to my parents' already dwindling relationship, causing even more tribulation to my young life and adding to the financial burdens of my now single mom. Following the hurricane, my father decided to abandon my mother, sister, and me both physically and financially. We were forced to move to Florida to live with my grandparents, which was only temporary because my grandma had cancer, and my grandfather had Alzheimer's. For the next seven years, we struggled just to get by. We moved eight times, living in rentals, hotels, and even staying with family or friends when we had nowhere else to go.

However, the hurricane also led to my good fortune of finding some stability in my Jewish education. Since the hurricane happened during the school year, and we were not residents of Florida, we were not allowed to enroll in a public school. Seeking schooling, my mom enrolled my sister and me with a substantial scholarship to a Jewish day school called Katz Hillel Day School. My mom did everything she could to ensure my sister and I stayed in school, even when we couldn’t afford it. Things were really tough, but thanks to the constant support from the community, along with a lot of bartering and volunteering, she somehow made it happen. Among our chaotic home life, my mom was determined to give us consistency in our Jewish education, friends, and teachers, which has meant everything to me.

My Pursuit of My Jewish Identity:

Meanwhile, while my mom always kept her burdens hidden from my sister and me, I was receiving a strong foundation in what Judaism truly was in my private school, learning information well beyond how to open presents on Chanukkah and eat latkes. However, my true connection to my religion didn't blossom until I began Katz Yeshiva High School. Over the past four years, I have developed proficiency in reading Talmud and Gemara (Jewish Law) and consistently excelled at the honors level in my Judaic classes. Furthermore, my education in Jewish practices and traditions has translated into my home life as I climb the stairs of personal observance and help my family observe practices and traditions more closely. In addition to my Jewish education, Katz gave me an excellent overall education. I took 10 AP classes, received a 35 on my ACT, served as captain of my Mock Trial team and Volleyball team, and played flag football. Additionally, I co-founded the Ladino High School Club of America to help preserve the Ladino language. In my free time, I work part-time for a law firm and I also volunteered at Ishine and Camp Simcha Without Borders, where I became a mentor to an 8-year-old boy.

Why Israel is for Me:

I strive to go to Israel next year, and feel that I must, for the sake of my family as I believe it to be my duty to step up and learn the information needed to become the religious luminary and patriarch of my inner and extended family. My goal is to come back from Yeshiva with a brain full of answers to my family's questions on religion and morals and with the ability to properly lead a Seder, Shabbat dinner, and other religious activities for my family.

Why I Need Help:

As my mom has been fighting a constant uphill financial battle since we became homeless from Hurricane Sandy, and she is only able to afford my education through scholarships and communal contributions, my mom isn't in a position to expend extensive sums of money at the moment. Therefore, it is now that I come to ask if you could please contribute anything, no matter the size, to help me make this dream possible. Thank you for caring to read my story and helping send me to Yeshiva; have a wonderful day.