What Does Judaica, Education, and LEGO Have in Common?
One Man, One Dream
If you’re wondering about the answer to the question above, just ask Master LEGO Builder Yitzy Kasowitz whose work over the past years has been to answer just that.
Kasowitz is the founder of Jbrick, the only Jewish Lego company in the world. The company, which is run by Kasowitz and his wife, Channie, was created in 2014.
According to Jbrick’s website, the goal of the company is “to bring children and adults closer to their Jewish heritage.” By utilizing a fun tool like LEGO®, Kasowitz is able to teach more about Judaism in a fun and engaging way.
“We offer something completely unique and is especially universal regardless of age, background, or country,” Kasowitz said. “It’s a great medium for education, even for STEM students and teachers alike.”
Changing the Industry
The idea first came to him, while working for a company that did custom Lego builds. The company was doing some Christmas pieces and after creating a menorah design, he got the idea to make Jewish-themed building kits.
“It was a risk,” he said. “But after selling out of our first 100 menorah sets in just one week, we knew we were onto something great!”
Kasowitz said Jbrick is committed to designing the highest quality kits, which is why they only use genuine LEGO® parts.
However, lego companies do not have military or religious-themed pieces, so that means that Kasowitz has to get the pieces for his kits from other lego packs and mix and match the various pieces to create his own pieces that fit for different Jewish lessons, images, and holidays.
This may take more time and money than using a knock-off version of the original LEGO®, but Kasowitz said he wants to use only the best for his cause and his customers.
“I believe we are the only company in the entire world to offer these unique limited edition pieces made of genuine LEGO® bricks with Jewish education and heritage in mind,” he said.
Providing an Educational Aspect
Along with these kits, the company also has incorporated an educational side to its work. For any who are interested, Kasowitz is available to give online or in-person presentations. During these talks, he tailors each presentation to the audience, depending on age and size. Most of the presentations range from 30 minutes to an hour.
“We are always open to collaboration and partnering with organizations so we can create more smiles around the world,” he said.
For any entrepreneurs trying to follow in Kasowitz’s footsteps, here is some advice straight from the businessman himself.
“You have to give in order to receive. You have to risk something in order to reap a reward for your efforts,” Kasowitz said. “No one is saying to start big or take an unnecessary huge risk, but give it a shot and G-d will assist you.”
Anyone interested in having Kasowitz do a presentation for them can contact him directly at info@jbrick.com. Kasowitz said he is also open to donations.
“We do accept donations to our nonprofit and of Lego, new or used,” he said. “Used brick would be for displays or play brick for events. We would like only to use new LEGO® bricks for our kits for sale.”