We need a system that enables kids to get a personalized filter, I thought

As told by Yossie Strickman to Bayla Hersher

In a soundbite:

I am the founder of Project TRUST, which I run out of Passaic, New Jersey, where I’ve lived for 25 years.

My background:

I began my career working as a network administrator for a real estate developer, and then for ArtScroll/Mesorah. Friends and neighbors were always calling me with technology questions and asking me about setting up their phones.

I started working on Internet security in an official capacity after TAG was founded, following the Internet asifah at Citi Field in 2012 — I joined the team as a volunteer. Eventually, I was hired to manage their main offices, and even after I left in 2020, I continued volunteering there for about ten years.

Why I started my own organization:

Working on the inside of a filtering company, I saw so many people, specifically teenaged bochurim, coming in for one-size-fits-all filters — but I knew this wouldn’t help them in the long run. I knew they would get frustrated by filters that didn’t take their individual needs into account, and in the end, they’d abandon the filter altogether.

We need a system that enables kids to get a personalized filter, I thought. Chanoch l’naar al pi darko; everyone is different, everyone has his own needs. (Obviously, my job would be a lot easier if our teens adhered to the recommendations of rabbanim and professionals to stay away from smartphones during their school years. But those who do own these devices — regardless of the reason — are often open to guidance, and that’s where I come in.)

I wanted to be able to hold my clients’ hands and make sure that every step of the filtering process worked for them personally. With that in mind, I launched Project TRUST, an organization that offers support and personalized solutions for people struggling with unhealthy technology usage.

Growth and expansion

When I started Project TRUST in 2020, it was a side gig. I was working as a logistics manager for a medical supply company during the day and for Project TRUST in the evenings and on weekends. I knew I’d keep that up as long as I could manage both, but I didn’t plan on abandoning Project TRUST when having two jobs became unmanageable — I planned on leaving my actual job instead.

Two years ago, I told my wife, Sabrina, that I thought it was time to run Project TRUST full-time.

“What about the work you actually get paid for?” she asked.

I need to give her credit for accepting a very out-of-character answer from me.

“I’m going to be doing Hashem’s work,” I responded. “He’ll take care of us.”

From the first moment, I’ve seen an unbelievable amount of siyata d’Shmaya in every aspect of building Project TRUST. I went from working for myself and getting no salary to employing three people, and we’re all salaried, baruch Hashem.

How I came up with the name

I knew I wanted something everyone could relate to, regardless of religious background. The word “trust” felt perfect. It even became an acronym that reflects our goals: Taking Responsibility Using Safe Technology.

Getting our clients to trust themselves and to be responsible with technology are our main objectives. In order for them to be healthy and functional, they need the self-awareness to know whether everything they’re doing is good for them, no matter what anyone else is doing. Only when you’re honest about your needs as well as about what’s dangerous for you can you really trust yourself. Trusting yourself when you use technology comes second.