Justin Bieber’s mentor reveals story behind life-changing charity
Justin Bieber’s mentor, Adam Braun, quit Wall Street to launch a charity that’s opened 200 schools in Laos, Ghana and Guatemala, Sharon Feinstein reports.
Justin Bieber’s mentor, Adam Braun, drew on his Jewish values when he walked away from a lucrative career to build schools in remote jungles. Braun, who met the teen pop idol when the singer was just 13, took him to Guatemala, where they joined isolated villagers and spent days stripped to the waist lugging bricks and building a school. The grandson of Auschwitz and Dachau survivors, Braun has always felt compelled to give a voice to the voiceless.
Speaking on the eve of his book release detailing the journey of his charity, Pencils of Promise, Adam gave an exclusive interview to the Jewish News.
He says: “Justin came with me to Guatemala to a rural village and helped build the school. We did it together. It was fantastic.
“I hope people can see the good he’s done, instead of focusing on his negative behaviour as he grows from adolescence to manhood.
“He’s incredibly philanthropic and cares immensely about the well-being of other people. He came from poverty himself so understands that kind of suffering. I’ve watched him participate in many causes and do a tremendous amount of good.
“He donated some of the profits of his perfume sales, which made a significant difference to Pencils of Promise.
“I’ve been close to Justin since he was 13, so I feel immense pride that, with his incredible voice and platform, he’s chosen to support global education, an issue he’s passionate about. His help gives us an extra boost.”
Braun, 30, described how his Jewish upbringing and the idea of tzedakah guided his choices.
He says: “My grandmother was in Auschwitz and then Bergen-Belsen and grandfather in Dachau, so I knew my family had survived through a series of miracles, and then lifted themselves out of poverty through education.
“Education and family values were at the centre of our Jewish household. We honoured Shabbat, kept meat and dairy separate, said the Shema every night before we went to sleep and celebrated the holidays.
“My sister lives in Israel so I have very close ties, but wouldn’t consider myself a Zionist, even though I have a real heart for the land and people.
“I see all people as equal so try to provide a voice to the voiceless, which tends to be people in rural poverty in undeveloped areas.
“My Jewish values influence my approach to work in that we don’t proselytise at all. To me, the core of Jewish values is a commitment to education and service to others – the idea of tzedakah. When I look at the state of global education and see 57 million children struggling to learn basic numeracy and literacy, I see that as an injustice I want to rectify.
“At first, my family weren’t happy because I was leaving a safe lucrative job, and they’d worked so hard to get me to that point. But considering the growth and impact we’re having, now they’re very proud.”
Braun started his charity with just $25. His ethos has always been to enable locals to build and sustain their own schools. They are often villagers living in mud huts on less than $2 a day, so Pencils of Promise enlists their labour. Once the school is open, the charity provides teacher training and student scholarships.
Braun says: “I’m not an Angelina Jolie figure – she’s far more beautiful and famous, and she’s used her fame to shine a spotlight on the issues she cares about. When I started, Justin wasn’t famous at all, and by the time he started speaking about Pencils of Promise we had 15 schools.”
They’ve just built their 200th school between Guatemala, Laos and Ghana.
Braun’s older brother, Scooter, manages Bieber, The Wanted, and is the business partner of Usher.
Braun explains: “Scooter sits on our board. We are extremely close and support each other. His partner, Usher, and I are very close, and he’s built a school with us. He’s a very good person.
“I resonate more with people who are good and see the good in others. I want to put 10,000 kids in our school by 2016. This is a real passion of mine, the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.”
• For details, visit the Pencils of Promise website.
The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change by Adam Braun is published by Simon & Schuster on 1 April, priced £15.10
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
