WhatsappWhen a young Jewish kid with unthinkable hardship becomes a firefighter, you would never imagine the journey he took to reach that milestone. It is an inspiring story of resilience that will change the way you think.
Yaakov Guttman’s Story
Yaakov Guttman was born to a typical Jewish family. But things began to change. By first grade, Yaakov’s parents realized he had learning disabilities that needed to be cared for. By 4th grade, he still could not read. And then his emotional situation declined. His father suddenly passed away from a heart attack. Yaakov was not ready to encounter the death of his father at such a young age. Sadly, 8 short months later, his uncle who helped raise him after his father died, passed away as well.
What can you expect of a young child experiencing the death of 2 close family members? How is he going to succeed both emotionally and academically?
Sinai Schools
Sinai Schools provides the type of help that Yaakov needed. They have schools on different campuses to help learning and developmental disabilities. The Sinai Schools caters to other unique needs as well. One of their missions is to “teach our students skills that promote success in mainstream academic, social and vocational settings, and empower them to become productive and confident members of the community.”
They definitely catered to Yaakov’s needs. And his life was forever changed.
Yaakov’s Journey
Yaakov went on to graduate high school, study in Israel for a year, and join the Israeli army, even becoming a commander and having his own soldiers. But Yaakov did not stop there. He wanted to do special ops as well.
And again, Yaakov did not stop there. He became a firefighter. He wanted to help the Jewish people and to protect them – which is exactly what he does.
A kid who grows up with struggles and pain has no limits if he is given the tools to overcome what is blocking his path. And Yaakov Guttman is the perfect example.
