17 Schools Lead Chidon Top Charts

By COLlive reporter

In 5774, forty-five kids gathered in the lobby of the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights for the first day of an action-packed Shabbaton. After a seven-years intermission, Chayolei Tzivos Hashem was bringing back Chidon Sefer Hamitzvos.

“That first year, we spent hours on the phone convincing schools to join,” remembers Rabbi Shimmy Weinbaum, director of Tzivos Hashem who spearheaded the re-launch.

The contestants all fit onto one school bus, and Shabbos meals were hosted in the Rubashkin family’s basement. “It was the Rebbe’s vision that kept us going,” says Weinbaum. “We had a long-term goal in mind.”

Fast forward to today: 2,637 boys and girls from 83 schools across the world have committed to studying Sefer Hamitzvos in their free time. And with just five days left for registration, Tzivos Hashem is expecting even more growth.

The numbers tell a story all their own. At the start, 1% of Lubavitch students participated. Currently, that number stands at 31%. Over two thousand people made up the audience of Chidon’s grand Game Show last Nissan, held at the historic Kings Concert Hall.

“Myshliach, the largest Tzivos Hashem base, boasts over 400 young shluchim enrolled in Chidon. “We are proud of each and every one of them,” says Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch.

Educators play a key role in how Chidon has developed. In participating schools, mechanchim are investing time and resources into its growth.

“We are proud to have such a big representation from our school,” says Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig, principal of Oholei Torah’s 5th through 7th grade. 288 of their 506 chayolim participate, thanks to Chidon classes offered after school that make it easier for kids to learn. “It takes a lot of energy from the principal and teachers to reach these numbers,” he says.

The explosion of Chidon Sefer Hamitzvos would surely bring pride to its founders, Rabbi Zirkind AH and Rabbi Wenger AH. Over twenty-five years ago they set out to bring the Rebbe’s Rambam campaign to life, and that vision is in continuous movement. From its humble beginnings to where we stand now, Chidon Sefer Hamitzvos—like its participants—keep aiming for more.

With just days left, sign up today at Chidon613.com.

Chidon is funded in part by a generous grant from Mr. George Rohr and dedicated in honor of his mother, Mrs. Sarah (Charlotte) Rohr, of blessed memory. COLlive.com is a proud media sponsor of the Chidon.

Here are the schools leading the Chidon charts with enrollment.

Top 9 Schools – % Registered:
Lubavitch Boys, London 100%
Hebrew Academy, Tampa Bay 100%
Cheder Chabad Baltimore Maryland 94%
Maimonides Day School, Albany 93%
Cheder Chabad, Philadelphia 85%
Lamplighters Yeshivah Girls 80%
Hillel Academy 73%
Bais Chaya Mushka Toronto 70%
Lubavitch Cheder Day School Minnesota 70%

Top 8 Schools – # of Chayolim Registered:
MyShliach: 415 Chayolim
Oholei Torah, Crown Heights: 289 Chayolim
Beis Rivkah, Crown Heights: 222 Chayolim
Lubavitch Educational Center Florida Girls: 150 Chayolim
Bnos Menachem, Crown Heights: 123 Chayolim
Lubavitcher Yeshiva, Crown Heights: 110 Chayolim
Lubavitch Educational Center Florida Boys: 104 Chayolim
Bais Chaya Mushka, LA: 95 Chayolim

Full Leaderboard:

Boys Schools

#1 Lubavitch Boys London: 70 Chayolim 70 Registered 100%

#1 Hebrew Academy of Tampa Bay: 3 Chayolim 3 Registered 100%

#2 Cheder Baltimore Maryland: 39 Chayolim 37 Registered 94.87%

#3 Maimonides Albany: 15 Chayolim 14 Registered 93.33%

#4 Cheder Chabad Philadelphia: 32 Chayolim 28 Registered 87.5 %

#5 Hillel Academy: 11 Chayolim 9 Registered 81.82 %

#6 Cheder Menachem NJ: 12 Chayolim 8 Registered 66.67 %

#7 LEC Florida Boys: 167 Chayolim 104 Registered 62.28 %

#8 Cheder Lubavitch Arizona: 26 Chayolim 16 Registered 61.54 %

#9 Cheder Chabad Toronto: 118 Chayolim 72 Registered 61.02 %

#10 Menachem Mendel Seattle: 14 Chayolim 8 Registered 57.14%

#11 Oholei Torah Crown Heights: 506 Chayolim 289 Registered 57.11%

#12 Cheder Chabad Monsey: 107 Chayolim 61 Registered 57.01%

#13 Cheder Lubavitch Chicago: 90 Chayolim 51 Registered 56.67%

#14 Ohr Temimim Buffalo, NY: 16 Chayolim 9 Registered 56.25%

#15 Cheder at the Ohel: 33 Chayolim 18 Registered 54.55%

#16 Cheder Menachem Wilkes barre: 12 Chayolim 6 Registered 50%

#16 Lubavitch Cheder Minnesota: 8 Chayolim 4 Registered 50%

#16 Cheder Chabad Sydney, Australia: 12 Chayolim 6 Registered 50%

#16 Chassidus Club New Haven: 22 Chayolim 11 Registered 50%

#17 Cheder Lubavitch Morristown: 45 Chayolim 22 Registered 48.89%

#18 Yeshiva School Pittsburgh: 53 Chayolim 24 Registered 45.28%

#19 Hebrew Academy S. Diego: 7 Chayolim 3 Registered 42.86%

#19 Torah Academy South Africa: 14 Chayolim 6 Registered 42.86%

#20 MyShliach: 505 Chayolim 204 Registered 40.39%

#21 Cheder Menachem LA: 195 Chayolim 77 Registered 39.49%

#22 Lubavitcher Yeshiva CH: 284 Chayolim 110 Registered 38.73%

#23 Tzivos Hashem Vancouver: 8 Chayolim 3 Registered 37.5%

#24 Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch OP: 54 Chayolim 20 Registered 37.04%

#25 Hebrew Academy Margate Fl.: 54 Chayolim 18 Registered 33.33%

#26 New England Hebrew Academy: 40 Chayolim 13 Registered 32.5%

#27 South Florida Jewish Academy: 10 Chayolim 3 Registered 30%

#28 Bais Chaya Mushka IA: 27 Chayolim 8 Registered 29.63%

#29 Darchai Menachem CH: 63 Chayolim 18 Registered 28.57%

#30 Tzivos Hashem Long Beach: 29 Chayolim 7 Registered 24.14%

#31 Kesser Torah College: 47 Chayolim 10 Registered 21.28%

#32 Oholei Yosef Yitzchok CH: 11 Chayolim 2 Registered 18.18 %

#33 Torah Day School of Houston: 32 Chayolim 5 Registered 15.63 %

#34 LEC Mesivta Florida: 78 Chayolim 9 Registered 11.54 %

#35 YTTL-Montreal: 149 Chayolim 16 Registered 10.74 %

#36 Anash Kinder: 254 Chayolim 25 Registered 9.84 %

#37 CT Hebrew Academy: 28 Chayolim 2 Registered 7.14 %

#38 Chabad Youth Boys Melbourne: 112 Chayolim 1 Registered 0.89 %

Girls
#1 Hebrew Academy of Tampa Bay: 9 Chayolim 9 Registered 100%

#1 Cheder at the Ohel: 4 Chayolim 4 Registered 100%

#2 Cheder Baltimore Maryland: 26 Chayolim 24 Registered 92.31%

#3 Lubavitch Cheder Minnesota: 9 Chayolim 8 Registered 88.89%

#4 Tzivos Hashem Vancouver: 8 Chayolim 7 Registered 87.5%

#5 Cheder Chabad Philadelphia: 27 Chayolim 22 Registered 81.48%

#6 Cheder Menachem Wilkes-barre: 10 Chayolim 8 Registered 80%

#6 Lamplighters Yeshivah: 15 Chayolim 12 Registered 80%

#7 Maimonides Albany: 15 Chayolim 11 Registered 73.33%

#8 Bais Chaya Mushka Toronto: 133 Chayolim 93 Registered 69.92%

#9 Hillel Academy: 19 Chayolim 13 Registered 68.42%

#10 Bnos Menachem Crown Heights: 180 Chayolim 123 Registered 68.33%

#11 Ohr Temimim Buffalo, NY: 21 Chayolim 14 Registered 66.67%

#12 Beis Chaya Mushka CH: 72 Chayolim 46 Registered 63.89%

#13 Menachem Mendel Seattle: 7 Chayolim 4 Registered 57.14%

#14 Yeshiva School Pittsburgh: 53 Chayolim 30 Registered 56.6%

#15 LEC Florida Girls: 270 Chayolim 150 Registered 55.56%

#16 Cheder Lubavitch Morristown: 45 Chayolim 24 Registered 53.33%

#16 Cheder Lubavitch Arizona: 15 Chayolim 8 Registered 53.33%

#17 Cheder Lubavitch Chicago: 64 Chayolim 33 Registered 51.56%

#18 Bais Chaya Mushka LA: 189 Chayolim 95 Registered 50.26%

#19 Cheder Chabad Sydney, Australia: 8 Chayolim 4 Registered 50%

#20 Beis Rivkah Crown Heights: 450 Chayolim 222 Registered 49.33%

#21 Cheder Menachem NJ: 13 Chayolim 6 Registered 46.15%

#22 Senior Girls London: 44 Chayolim 19 Registered 43.18%

#22 MyShliach: 496 Chayolim 211 Registered 42.54%

#23 Chassidus Club New Haven: 24 Chayolim 10 Registered 41.67%

#24 Cheder Chabad of Monsey: 116 Chayolim 45 Registered 38.79%

#25 Tzivos Hashem Toronto: 13 Chayolim 5 Registered 38.46%

#26 Beth Rivkah Montreal: 154 Chayolim 58 Registered 37.66%

#27 Hebrew Academy Margate: 72 Chayolim 26 Registered 36.11%

#28 Torah Academy South Africa: 20 Chayolim 7 Registered 35%

#29 Bais Chaya Mushka IA: 18 Chayolim 6 Registered 33.33%

#30 Southern CT Hebrew Academy: 34 Chayolim 9 Registered 26.47%

#31 Torah Day School of Houston: 23 Chayolim 5 Registered 21.74%

#32 Tzivos Hashem Long Beach: 25 Chayolim 5 Registered 20%

#32 Hebrew Academy S. Diego: 5 Chayolim 1 Registered 20%

#34 legacy academy: 24 Chayolim 4 Registered 16.67%

#36 Lamplighters Jewish Academy: 8 Chayolim 1 Registered 12.5%

#37 Kesser Torah College: 36 Chayolim 4 Registered 11.11%

#38 Anash Kinder: 232 Chayolim 25 Registered 10.78%

#39 New England Hebrew Academy: 29 Chayolim 3 Registered 10.34%

#40 Lubavitch Girls London: 60 Chayolim 2 Registered 3.33%

#41 Chabad Youth Girls Melbourne 164 Chayolim 1 Registered 0.61%