JACK SETTON

OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR INSPIRATION

SARINA ROFFÉ

IN PROVERBS, KING SOLOMON WROTE “TEACH A CHILD IN THE WAY OF HIS ABILITIES; HE WILL NOT SWERVE FROM IT EVEN IN OLD AGE.” THE INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION FOR WHAT WE DO WITH OUR LIVES OUTSIDE OF OUR CAREERS, THE WORK THAT GIVES OUR LIVES MEANING, OFTEN COMES FROM OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR NEEDS.

Such was the case with Jack and Claude Setton, who began Gesher Yehuda three decades ago, and later Yeshiva Prep High School. When their son was not talking at age three, the Egyptian-born couple began looking for alternative methods to encourage him and help him develop.

There were no community schools at the time for children who learned differently. The couple looked around and did not like their options. At a family bar mitzvah in Israel, they went to get a blessing from Rabbi Shalom Lopes A”H, father-in-law of Israel’s Chief Rabbi Bakshi Doron A”H. When Rabbi Lopes heard their story, he suggested they open their own school. He opened a book to a pasuk. “Whoever takes care of my children, I’ll help them take care of theirs.” This planted the idea to open a school. Years later, Rabbi Bakshi Doron came to visit the yeshivah.

“Some children just need that extra help, or the right approach to help them over the gap. I call it a bridge to regular education,” said Jack. “When I saw the impact on my own child in just two years, as he was able to go to Yeshivah of Flatbush in second grade, I knew it was important to help other parents.”

Each child is unique in his or her own way. It is important to build on a child’s strengths. It reassures them and builds confidence, and there is a domino effect which enhances other traits. To Jack, it was clear children could succeed if they were in a positive, encouraging environment. He felt you could change the trajectory of a child’s life if given the proper guidance at that stage of their lives and build their confidence so they can reach their full potential.

With parental determination and drive and no other alternatives, the Setton’s started their own school. In the first year, there were six students in kindergarten and first grade, then 18 students the second year in K-1. By the third year, there were 36 students. Today, the elementary and high school have about 100 students. The school expanded grade by grade, and Jack hired professionals to give the students individualized instruction to help them thrive.

Before they knew it, Gesher Yehuda became the go to school for children with language delays and other academic needs. Jack is motivated by King Solomon’s philosophy to think outside the box, to educate each child according to their own way, and teach in a way that works for that individual child. Teachers do not stick with traditional teaching methods, but instead find techniques that connect with the children and the way each child learns.

Many remember the children’s storybook by Watty Piper called the Little Engine That Could. The book is about a little blue engine that has to make it up the mountain hauling a long train. The task seems overwhelming, but because the engine has the desire, the motivation to deliver her load to the children on the other side of the mountain and make them happy, the engine is successful. It is motivation that inspires the little engine to plug along and be successful.

Jack faced a huge challenge when at age 14, while attending Stuyvesant High School, the top public high school in the City of New York, his father Leon Yehuda had a stroke. Born in Egypt, he had watched his father, who was successful in Egypt struggle to rebuild their lives again when they settled in New York. Now living in Manhattan Beach, his father came home to recuperate after the stroke.

One Shabbat morning, Jack woke up and saw his father was gone. It was a windy day and Jack and his brother Mark ran to shul, only to find that their father was in synagogue praying. He had walked a mile and a half to get there.

“I saw his determination, and the emunah, the way he pushed himself and the drive my father had. It made a big impression on me,” said Jack. “My mother went to work to help out.”

Jack also worked after school to help the family. Like the Little Engine that Could, Jack had to rise to the occasion and was motivated by his family’s needs and the culture of hesed as he grew up. When he married Claude Nackab and they had children of their own, Jack faced new challenges. Soon the needs of his own son inspired him to give other families with children who needed a little help with their learning challenges the same hope.

In the early years, Jack was guided by the wisdom of people like Joe Beyda A”H, who told him, “It’s not the kids that have disabilities, it’s us, the parents. The kids are just challenging us to teach them differently.”

“We became dedicated and wanted to make sure other people had that bridge for their children who had early learning needs. For example, if a child has dyslexia, they learn differently, and we were able to help with that, and so many other learning challenges,” said Jack.

When children feel at home and in a place where they feel they belong, their other issues melt away, they feel better about themselves and become more eager learners. Because of the excellent success rate the school had, many community children were pulled from public school and enrolled in Gesher Yehuda, where amazing accomplishments were happening. The school became a model for other Jewish communities around the world. Gesher hosted the Minister of Jewish Cultural Affairs from France, as well as yeshivahs from Mexico, Los Angeles, Chicago, Englewood, Connecticut and elsewhere, where they coordinated and shared curriculum to start their own programs.

There are so many incredible opportunities that Hashem has blessed the yeshivah with. For about 20 years Gesher’s school psychologist was Dr. Mary Courtney. She grew up in Minnesota and became a renowned psychologist and author of many books. She was a senior member of the New York University Child Study Center, as well as the head of psychologists in the New York City Public Schools.

“When I once asked her why she was working with us, she told me that as a young student she dreamed of a time when she could work hands-on with kids and implement effectively what her training and passion was all about, to help kids,” Jack said. “She could never have imagined that opportunity would come later in her life in a small boutique yeshivah in Brooklyn, New York.”

In a study done in the late 1990s by Harvard University about schools that provided individualized instruction, Gesher Yeshiva rated amongst the top schools.

About one third of the children in the community have some kind of special need that requires a specialist, such as a speech language pathologist. So Gesher Yehuda is opening a therapy center, as well as an early childhood center to help those children who need therapy.

“One of the main ways to help build a child up is to give them confidence in their ability. If they see they can succeed, their confidence grows. I saw the impact the school had on families firsthand, including my own son,” said Jack.

Funding comes from several sources including tuition for the Jewish part of the day, and fundraising. With one voice and one heart the community and multiple volunteers have rallied to help the yeshivah with bake sales, parlor meetings, tournaments and other fundraisers. Gesher owes a deep debt of gratitude to all those pillars in the community who lent their financial, emotional and intellectual support to the school.

Before they knew it, it was time to establish a high school. Setton worked with Rebecca Harary to open Yeshiva Prep High School for students who needed additional academic support. The school opened in 2009 to help those students aging out of the K-8 schools that were not yet ready to attend a mainstream high school. A collaboration with Yeshivah of Flatbush High School allows Yeshiva Prep students to participate in non-academic and social activities such as morning prayers, Shabbatons, plays, gym, computer classes and more.

One of the many inspirational and moving moments of Jack’s involvement with Gesher came last year when Rabbi Eli Mansour, Gesher’s Rosh Yeshivah for approximately 20 years, came to Gesher on one of his regular visits. He reviewed and tested the seventh and eighth grade students on Gemara and Chumash. He was very impressed by the knowledge and clear understanding the students had of the text. A child’s potential is unlimited if given the proper attention and education. The foundation of our character and education is emunah.

What gave meaning to Jack’s life began with the need to enable all children to thrive. And so many other children and families benefited from his commitment.

“The most rewarding gift is when years later you see these children have grown up, gone to college, have amazing careers, got married and now have children of their own,” said Jack. “I tell the graduates that the greatest appreciation they can show parents and educators is their success. And they delivered in a big way. I get a warm feeling, seeing them confident and productive. I thank Hashem every day for giving me the zechut and opportunity to be involved in enhancing the education and social development of our incredible children, B’H!”

A genealogist and historian, Sarina Roffé is the author of Branching Out from Sepharad (Sephardic Heritage Project, 2017), Sarina holds a BA in Journalism, and MA in Jewish Studies and an MBA.