PHOTOS & VIDEOS: Thousands Turn Out For First Ever Parnassah Expo – Exceeds All Expectations
[UPDATED PHOTOS – VIDEO 1 – VIDEO 2 – WITH INTERVIEWS] [ALSO ON VIMEO] What was expected to be a turnout of a few hundred turned out to be an event like never before. Thousands from around the Tri-State
area gathered at the Bais Yaakov Hall for the event, which resulted in dozens of confirmed jobs already.
“This was unbelievable”, says Duvi Honig, the founder of the event. “They printed 1,500 booklets which were gone withing the first hour”, Duvi says.
Vendors and guests came from places such as Williamsburg, Monsey, Boro Park and even as far as Denver, Colorado and Florida.
Attorney Abe Penzer, one of the key coordinators and behind-the-scenes Askanonim of the event, had nothing but praise for the historic event.
“We’ve exceeded all our expectations”, Attorney Abe Penzer – who himself confimred jobs for 24 guests at the event. “We never expected this.” Hakodosh Baruch Hu was Mezakeh us with a Mitzvah”, Penzer says.
Employers too were overwhelmed with the success of the event.
“This has been an event beyond what we expected, Yehuda Ungar, the CEO of Toma Real Estate Services and LTC says. “We’re exploding from all sides”, Ungar says.
Prime insurance, also a vendor, said “This is one of the best job fairs I’ve been at in the last 10 years.”
“It’s truly inspiring and heart-warming”, David Benarroch, the floor planner and coordinator said. “I can tell that Hashem’s Schinah is down here”, David said.
Deputy Mayor Albert Akerman, also from the coordinators and planners of the event, was beyond excited with the results.
“I’m amazed at what a success this turned into”, Deputy Mayor Albert Akerman said. “Obviously the need was bigger than what people imagined”, Akerman says.
One of the main sponsors of the event, was Isaac Deutch of ID Tech Solutions.
“We’re very proud to be a sponsor”, says Isaac Deutch. Looking at the crowd Deutch says, “It looks like it’s definitely accomplishing what he’s looking to accomplish here.”
Askonim such as R’ Zisha Novaseller say they hope many such events will follow.
“We hope this will be the first, not the only, event”, R’ Novaseller of OU’s Job Board says.
Steven Reinman, Lakewood’s Director of Economic Development added, “It was a tremendously successful and wonderful event, and hopefully we’ll be able to do more of these over time.”
A big thank you must be given to Mrs. Devorah Wahl for her total devotion to the project and ensure no detail was left out.
Also behind the scenes coordinating the event, was Lakewood’s Purchasing Agent Yehuda Abraham.
Despite having LCSW controlling traffic at the building, James Street backed up till about the intersection of Sunset and James, prompting the police to respond and assist with the traffic control.
Coordinators expect the next event to take place at a much larger hall.
To share your success stories from today’s event, please email success@parnassahexpo.com, as well as to tlsnewstips@gmail.com. TLS.
There are 50 Comments to "PHOTOS & VIDEOS: Thousands Turn Out For First Ever Parnassah Expo – Exceeds All Expectations"
Was there. A lot of booths but not so many people as a lot of people I know were too embarased to publicly announce that they were unemployed.
Wow! It was not to be believed! What a sell out crowd! Duvi Honig knocked this one out of the park!
It was explosive!
WOW! WOW! WOW! Tizkv Limitzvos!
Duvi I must say you did a great job. May hashem bentch you with all the best!
told you it shoulda been in lake terrace..
It is such a big zechus to help people get parnassah. I am emotionally overcome watching the efforts of all the askanim as they try to help all of acheinu be’nei yisrael earn a livelihood.
I would be curious to know how many people actually found a job through this fair. It seems many of the booths were occupied by services and others trying to help people through training, resume creation , etc, but what about actual job offers?
I was disappointed.
Asked people where to go for a programming position and was directed to the area of training courses. I was told they had a copier to make resume copies and no-one could tell me where it was.
people looking to hire entry level and sales. No-one wants a very experienced older programmer. Very little support for a displaced wage earner.
I went during womens hours and could not walk the aisles as men were blocking the way.
I was there. It was absolutely amazing. You felt proud to be a part of am yisroel. Everyone was there with one goal in mind, how can I help someone else. With this tremendous mitzvah, may we be zoche for Moshiach to come bimihara biyamainu.
Also, a tremendous yaasher koach to R’ Duvi Honing and R’ Avrohom Penzer for their hard work and their selfless devotion. Hashem Yishalem Sichorom!!
I wasn’t there but heard there were 5,000 people there. Unbelievable. Lakewood at its best. Thank you R’ Duvi and R’ Avrohom for this tremendous kiddish Hashem
@Nice Read the article! And thats only what has happened so far. Most people don’t hire on the spot.
Kudos to Duvie Honig! What a tremendous zechus! Keep up your great work!
There was way over 6000 people.
This was only a beginning.the oilem should come n learn at the learn n network kollel. Everyone shares leads n helps each other.
This was the first event and I’m sure the next will b much better
I hate to be the one to touch on a raw nerve, but what struck me today was–look how many people, if just given the chance to earn a respectable parnossah, would have jumped out of the Bais Medrash YESTERDAY and done so. Maybe there needs to be some actual hadrochah as to who should be bleibing by learning and who should not, (moderated).
I don’t blame you for moderating the second half of my post, but I don’t want people to think that it was an expletive or something like that. It was just more of the same, and dai lechakima beremiza.
Here are a few tips for the future. First of all, you need a larger hall. I understand that the organizers were not expecting so many people so now they will know for next time. I noticed a few booths that were offering college classes. Hello Lakewood. Time to wake up. No company, no matter how hiemish they are, will hire someone right out of kollel to be their controller of real estate manager. YOU NEED A DEGREE! I hope people there realized this and took the opportunity to sign up to one of those wonderful courses available. This way, you will have training for the business world and you will have something to show on your resume.
Don’t forget the person who probably did most of all Mrs Wahl! May all the people who worked on this thing be blessed from Hashem!
I was there today, and it was indeed as impressive as noted in previous posts. That said, it seems like there were many positions with limited potential. We live in a community where its difficult to live on 30,000 year salary. Moreover, as soon as one is employed the mosdos view you as one who can pay more tuition. You also lose the very fine benefits allocated to low income families… My point is, what is the motivation to work?
I think this expo shows the tremendous willingness of the tzibbur to go out and be mefarnes their family, if given the chance. There was a tremendous feeling of achdus in the air – which was amazing. However, I wonder how many people actually found meaningful employment (defined in my book as a job with potential for long term employment and a salary sufficient to support a family). I also wonder how many opportunities for meaningful employment there were at this expo in the first place. With that said, this Parnassah Expo has real potential to become a major player in helping bnai torah find meaningful employment in the future.
I think next time the signs at each booth should be higher up so that each business can be seen and each sign should have a list of all job openings so that a job seeker can know if that business is looking to hire or to just advertise.
I was there and was truly impressed. However, I felt that there was not enough direction for the guests as to where to go to seek what etc. Don’t mean to criticize, just a suggestion for the next expo bez”h. (I also agree with nice that there was more booths for training etc than actual job offers for beginners…)
Yehuda Abraham, Isaac Ackerman and Tress were involved behind the scenes too.
Very, very impressive.
R’ Duvy- you did a great chessed today. The amount of work put into it was astronomical. Besides for giving ppl jobs gave ppl, albeit for one day, a purpose to get dressed up w/ someplace to go. Zeidie Max z”l is proud of u. Dudi B.
I was there and there were a few hundred ppl there not thousands.
duvy is mamish a tzadik
for all those complaining of lack of certain jobs or not enough hiring- you have to realize this is the first time , this broke the ice, it made it clear that it is ok to get a job in lakewood, also at this point many more people need training because without training you can not get good jobs
Im sure next time there will be more vendors with higher level jobs and many more people will realize that it is ok to go , and the its ok to work.
My company was there even though I wasn’t – just curious how many people signed up to work for us – I guess I will find out today. Btw its a great company to work for. My brocho to one and all that all this tremendous hishtadlus on everyones part should translate into real jobs and real money and in some measure we could boost our own economy. People could start paying up tuition groceries gemachim private loans -and the domino effect could be massive.
Issue of supreme importance not being addressed is that these fairs appear to only offer low-paying, non-professional jobs – i.e., salesmen, mortgage brokering, etc.. which is noteworthy, but our bochurim are not being encouraged after several years of learning to seek higher secular education. If they would, they would be at least be able to seek employment in higher paying, professional firms. How does the yeshiva velt advise a 32 year old yungerman with children when he finally realizes that his wife can no longer be the sole supporter and he has to finally leave the halls of learning? He’s not destined for chinuch – so where is he to go? Why aren’t we offering educational opportunities for him? Please create “educational” fairs along the same lines as “job” fairs.
Mi K’amcha Yisroel how jealous we should be of R’ Duvi and the others for the unbelievable zchusim accrued.
Thank you for all your hard work.
Nat. It wasn’t the masmidim that were there but those that were truly desperate and had no one to turn to.
Of course it us incombant on each individual to speak to his rob and decide with his family when is the time to move on. That is not the resoonsibilty of the organizers.
Right now there are literally thousands of people desperate to work. Their whole mitzus and shalom Batista depends on it.
The Expo showed YOU ARE NOT ALONE. SOMEBODY CARES.if for that alone it was worthwile
#25
Can you post your company info for those seeking jobs.
Thank you.
What was truly remarkable was that the word “work” is not a dirty word in Lakewood anymore.
Until now, even if someone thought about perhaps entering the workforce, they had nowhere to turn, nowhere to start.
This expo opened up to these people a whole new world of options and ideas.
For the first time, the word “Parnassah” is seen on those same little signs across Lakewood that “Lev L’achim” and “Tomchei Shabbos” advertise their dinners.
What is truly earth-shattering is that hundreds of people from NYC and Monsey came to a “Parnassah Expo” in LAKEWOOD. of all places.
This world never ceases to surprise me. A pleasant surprise.
people need proper training before they can get a job
thats why it is so important for the boys to have a better english program in yeshiva that way if they are not going to learn and are going to work they will know how to spell and other basic grammer.
a family member of mine works in a store in town and always tells me how many times men come in and don’t know how to write a check or how to spell certain words. an employer would never hire people like that.
Howdy, that is exactly my point. There are hundreds and hundreds of people that, if they had the right hadracha from those who should be giving it, would be told that it is completely proper at this juncture in their lives to do what it takes to procure a respectable career, and support their families. Without this hadracha, they maintain their inertia, holding out for i-don’t-know-what, with their families becoming larger and their kids getting older, until, out of desperation, they are forced to take a low-paying job well below their potential level of expertise. Kudos to Reb Duvi for the leadership that he showed in helping to prevent this from happening.
I think this function was mis-labled. It was a regular bussiness expo, rather than a venue for people to find employment. I can list at least 25 booths who were only selling or promoting their product rather than hiring.
I was offered a higher level job so the assertion that there were only low paying job offers is untrue. I do think tho that there were not enough fields being covered. I also think that there is hesitancy to training for professional jobs as that usually requires travelling to Manhattan etc. I feel there are some really good points being made in these comments, and I hope the organizers will take these suggestions in mind when planning the next much needed job fair.
It was amazing. I wonder if it would be better to split up and have seperate expos for training, advice on job seeking, and actual job fairs, because it was a bit o a jumble and some people seemed lost.
Many people signed up for courses, that they would never have known existed.
Many people landed high paying jobs
Many people landed low paying jobs.
One bochur I know got a job working $18 an hour 8 hours per day.
This was an absolute success.
Thank you Duvi!!!
Lower paying jobs turn into higher paying jobs if you are good.
Look lets face it companies hiring a guy, fresh out of yeshiva , today are nor giving a large salary: however mke yourself into a superstar, show up on time, give it your all, be kind curteous and eager to grow, your boss will be so dependaant on you that he will increase you.
many people are very stubborn on this point. yes we all know you have large families K’eh. but unless you can produce, why should someone offer a top salary.
Hint: work as an intern , show that you are awesome and you’ll grow with the company.
The real truth is that this was a good step in the right direction
was there anyone that went to the expo without a resume and got a job?
Yes I know people that went to the expo with out resumes and got a job Avery good one one of the people is me
#23
You obviously werent there the entire time from 12noon till 5pm like I was otherwise you would have lost track in the 2-3000 mark!!!!!!!!!!
TO ALL THE CRITICS OUT THERE I SAY: SIT DOWN WITH DUVIE & HIS WONDERFUL TEAM OF SELFLESS PEOPLE & HELP PUT TOGETHER AN EVEN BETTER EXPO IN THE SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!
Keep the comments (and compliments) coming! We want to make it better and better each time! We are open to advice and hear all that you have to offer. B’ ezras Hashem if we get more funds we can continue to help more and more people!
We are in the process of setting up the success and feedback emails. For now you can email to info@parnassahexpo.com and hopefully this week we will let you know that the other emails have been set up.
Thank you Lakewood Scoop for all your help in this zechus of being mefarnes klal yisrael!!
@worriedbubbe: There were plenty of education booths. Yo name a few: PCS, Touro College, TTI…………
Kudos to the organizers, but next year cut out the microphone. It made it sound like a carnival. I cannot tell you how many times I had to stop talking to people because they couldn’t hear me over the mic! I have been to many fairs and I have never seen such a thing.
Again, thanks for arranging such an event.
I agree that the micro phone was out of place. Other then that, it was a great success. There were many educational booths. I hope people realize that in order to secure a well paid job you need a degree! Maybe schools will start to encourage english….
is it too late for me to find a job?
It was a great atmosfere thank you
@medien: although I agree with you, it is a fantasy that Lakewood schools would even consider English.
Lakewood has broken new exciting ground.
The “im derech eretz” part of the mishna in Avos is reattaching itself to the “torah” at a terrific pace.
What an event! It defied reality.
Cool