By a teacher
I teach Limudei Kodesh in one of our Crown Heights community High Schools, and I have an agenda beyond getting through the curriculum and my students knowing the material. I try to see to it that my girls “go crazy” over Chazal. Maybe I’m off, but I see this being the only way for Yiddishkeit to be the “in thing.”
What I find to be my biggest challenge is “Where are they?”
Who are the heroes? Where is our leadership? Now, Baruch Hashem we have some close to home. We have a Rebbe, who sees beyond his community, his city and state, and gets us all to see things this way. And every dedicated selfless Shliach exemplifies this.
My issue is that girls are about learning, and learn that Rabbonim are the “Eyes of the Eida (congregation)”. They don’t usually have a chance to see the Rov’s involvement with the community. As adults, we know how much Rabbonim give of their time, effort… in the realm of business, tahara, sholom Bayis etc.
My students, however, only see an occasional kashrus question. There isn’t an opportunity to see, hear or hold onto the guidance of Rabanim (like there would be by hearing a pulpit speech, hearing parents at home discuss the Rov’s guidance and help to them, etc.).
I must say thank you to them for their most recent gesture, the “Summer Guide” for Chabad girls! It was the best thing that hit my class! I remember 3 years ago, when several Rabanim joined to compile halochos for girls going to summer camps. They had to put up with lots of negativity, unfortunately, from Shluchim, the schools, the girls and many others. So, for them to have this on their minds and to be ready to get in the hot water again is commendable.
Leadership takes the ability to see beyond yourself. As the saying goes, ‘EVERY ONE THINKS OF THEMSELVES’. At this time of year when girls come to life, their creativity, energy and social skills come to play in full color. But who’s thinking about guiding both the girls and bochurim ? Who is guiding the Shluchim, the Counselors and Head staff?
6 Lubavitcher Rabbonim responsible for their own communities, write, re-write, edit and endorse a booklet. And for whom?!
I explained to my girls, some of the halochos may be challenging to adhere to, some shluchim may tell you, “I follow a different Rav.”
You’ll need to figure it out – these rabanim are there for any girl who wants to stand up for what’s right. They are backing you! THEY OFFERED. So call them…
This was one class of mine, where I felt I wasn’t talking about Rabbonim, I was actually showing them Rabbonim!
Thank you to Rabbonim Shochet, Rabbi Telsner and Dayan Raskin. Rabbi Osdoba, Rabbi Shwei and Rabbi Braun. You are our heroes; You are an inspiration at least to one class consisting of a teacher and 26 students.
Dear Ladies and girls of Lubavitch At this special time it is a must to stress the urgent need for chizuk of Tzinius by girls and women and particular in Crown Heights. Years ago is was unheard of to wear short skirts, low neck tops, short sleeved tops etc. Ladies help bring a brocha to yourself and your family by strengthening Tzinius Please dress in a way that if Moshiach comes right now you will not have to run to the tailor to have your clothes altered or have to buy new clothing!!! Please for your own sake and the… Read more »
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT,WHERE IS THE CONCEPT OF SHTUSS DEKEDUSHA.WHERE IS THE PRINCIPLE OF USING EVERY MIDDA FOR AVODAS HASHEM.
I WISH EVERY CHILD HAD A TEACHER LIKE THAT MORAH
Only through COLlive did i get this booklet (Sadly…) but when i did, i made some amendments based on these pesokim.
as much as possible under the time constrains…
PLEASE next year wake up earlier..
My child can use a heavy dose of this Chinuch..
Best thing we should be focusing is chazal. They are our heritage and they formed Judaism, they were brilliant people and tzaddikim and we have what to be proud of. The brilliance of chazal is an incredible way to instill Jewish pride.
Many CGI’s are very careful in following these guidelines in planning and running their day camps. Thank you to the Shluchim and Shluchos for giving our children fabulous summer experiences and ensuring that all is well both bigashmiyus and biruchniyus!
go amazing teachers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To the p a discussingarent of #11..
sit down for a DMC. and learn it together, questions are legitimate! And call a rov if very necessary.
Model a discussion… this is what our children need, it works!
I totally agree in concept. however you might be a little outta touch…
Our teachers, and this DEAR LOVELY teacher is up against such strong winds and influences from the outside world. that a Mechanech or Mechaneches Must have this passion of “Going Crazy” over kedusha in order for the students to have an “balanced” view.
I do however agree that the word isn’t the best choice! BUT in my opinion, she is spot on!!!
Like all best things, that is so simple, though brilliant!
As a post sem girl who has done many camps for shluchim around the globe, I have sent that when Halacha is a priority, you can make everything else work-I hope this can help #4.
For instance, instead of singing on the bus with over age 9 boys and with a male driver, the head counselor prepared tzivos Hashem booklets. The kids got really into learning and being tested on them. And singing was done at other times.
Thank you! I think every class from grade 7 and on should have the students asking a question to Rabbonim as part of their curriculum. Also, students should be taught not only the chain of mesora but a lot of biographies of each generation in the mesora. There is a lot of ignorance about this.
To #4, too many Shluchim are causing our girls (and boys) to be doing things that are NOT allowed according to Halacha. As a girl, I had a Shliach try to convince me that it was fine to be a counsellor over boys over 9, and I called the Rov he asked me to, and of course the Rov said no. I also called another Rov, who likewise said no. Please continue talking about this, not only for the summer, but for girls who go on Shlichus for the year. How lucky are the girls who have this teacher! We… Read more »
Beautiful article first of all. Very important and necessary for people especially students and teenagers to see that people and especially people who are in a place of leadership in that they are educators- respect the leaders above them. One thing stuck out though from what you wrote: I try to see to it that my girls “go crazy” over Chazal. Maybe I’m off, but I see this being the only way for Yiddishkeit to be the “in thing.” As a mechanech myself, I want to bring in a different aspect to that concept. In my opinion this way of… Read more »
Thanks for all these publishe’d halachos applicable to the current holiday or times…… it really helps s do things right!
That’s fine, but he can not force you to violate what your Rav tells you.
I just got this booklet yesterday in class. Im wondering how this can work out in camp- im going with a group of friends to day camp- i think the olderst bunk is 10 years old== mixed. (even though im pretty sure that in most camps by that age kids are split)
i hope it works out- i expect the director to try as hard as we are to make it work
So taking your logic to the obvious conclusion, we should allow mixed sitting in shuls, touching, etc, so as to make it easier to be mekarev people.
The Rebbe repeated numerous times: hevai mekarvun l’torah. Bring people closer to the Torah, not the Torah closer to people.
If shluchim want their camps to achieve their desired objectives, they should run them as the Rebbe wants. Otherwise, they may get more kids, but it will be counterproductive.
Must see!
last pages of this beautiful booklet.
In general, people should prepare themselves before they talk. specifically when calling a figure Rov!!!
I’ve seen and heard too much 🙁
aight sounds like this reached all the girls schools.
I hope this reaches the male shluchim as well
Kol haKavod to the author
The way this teacher shows such respect and reverance for Rabbonim is admirable and that’s what this generation is missing (in Lubavitcvh)
I make sure to teach my children how amazing and respectable the Rav is. Chldren need to grow up in awe of the Rav. I bring my son over to the Rav of our shul every time he attends to say Good Shabbos. I hope this will be one little thing that will help in raising my children with the proper respect for our leaders.
Our Rabbonim are of course incredible, KA”H. And this kind of education gets 5 stars from me!
It seems to me that these printed dinim will make all those counselors and staff and shluchim be ‘over’ on things willingly.
Almost all gan israel camps have girl counselors for young boys, they all sing all the time, every camp i ever went to the counselors sang in front of their campers and certainly, the male no jewish, bus drivers were not even thought of
Some of these other dinim are really strict and make running a camp even more difficult than it already is for shluchim…
Its been year’s that my children tread through the system, and I feel that they are lacking in Yiras shomayim…
BUT, they are doing fine on their grades and test… what we need are to hire such teachers!!
Lemme quote: I try to see to it that my girls “go crazy” over Chazal. Maybe I’m off, but I see this being the only way for Yiddishkeit to be the “in thing.”
You are 1000% right.
Thank you!!
THank you rabbonim…
No one else can say what you can!
heart warming!