Not all Kinus activity takes place in a public forum, in fact some very important things happen with little fanfare.
After months of planning, on Sunday morning of the weekend of the Kinus Hashluchim, some twelve young principals of Chabad schools met in the Merkos Chinuch Office suite (an equal number were involved from a distance) to create the Association of Chabad Professional Leaders (ACPEL).
The group includes Rabbi Efraim Sorkin – Cheder Chabad Baltimore, Rabbi Mendel Klyne – Cheder Chabad, Detroit, Rabbi Yehudah Green – Cheder Menachem, Kingston PA, Rabbi Shlomo Denburg – Hebrew Academy Community School, Margate FL, Rabbi Gil Hami – Lubavitch Mesivta of Monsey, Rabbi Yossi Chaiton – Portland, OR, Rabbi Moshe Levertov – Phoenix, AZ, Rabbi Yisroel Goldberg – Lubavitch Cheder Day School, S. Paul, MN and Rabbi Shmuel Karasik – Lubavitch House Boys School, London, UK. Chairing the group was Rabbi Avrohom Wolowik, Cheder Chabad, Monsey, NY.
Long overdue, ACPEL will strategize and plan cooperatively with an eye on the future of Chabad chinuch. The principals will focus on long and short-term goals for their mosdos and their students and help each other professionally. One of the immediate projects will be to create a personal mentoring program for the younger principals.
It was during the summer Kinus HaMechanchim that discussion about the need for these activities was first discussed at a round-table discussion and Rabbi Wolowik has been following up since.
The group formed a task force to create formal by-laws and elect an executive board to chart the course forward.
Rabbi Nochem Kaplan, director of the Merkos Chinuch Office said that while officially affiliating with Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, ACPEL will have the complete backing (and the accompanying zechuyos) of the Rebbe’s organizational structure, the principals need to chart their own course. He said that mechanchim who are the practitioners of chinuch are motivated to undertake a new level of cooperative activity which will benefit all our children and he pledged that the Chinuch Office will shoulder a significant percentage of the budgetary needs.
Kol Zeman that there is no strong emphasis in a serious Halacha curriculum in Chabad schools (as per the Rebbe’s response to Rabbi Nachum Kaplan years ago) the Chinuch is useless and worthless, and may I add dangerous.
What good is knowing Hamaclif Parah Bachamor if you don’t know a word of the 39 Melachos? It is high time that teaching halacha in our schools was an Ikar and not a Tofel.
First and foremost, we need a change in attitude. Maybe start with realizing that an eleven week summer vacation is a churban and against the Rebbe’s wishes. No, camp is not a healthy replacement of proper organized learning.
teachers need training
principals need that training as well as experience in the classroom
principals and teachers need that secret ingredient called TLC (TENDER LOVING CARE)
as one my professors in university imparted upon me as young student in teacher training (over 40 yrs ago)you must know the mechanics to teach it , keep looking for new and fresh ideas to incorporate in your teaching but with TLC and HARD WORK even most challenging student you will reach.
Cheder Menachem of Los Angeles is a good example of a well run school. Caring teachers and staff. Thanks to Rabbi Greenbaum.
Is a inspiration and is so awesome he loves helping people.
Will there be something similar for the girls’ principals?
The current CH principals and many around the world down to Australia need quite a bit of help as well. The way our system runs is an embarrassment. The kids know it and hundreds are not following in the intended path, as a result of poor mechanchim. The old fashioned method of knassim and suspension vs. explanation and rationalization does not work. It’s time mechanchim become true mechanchim instead of ego power hungry adults who take advantage emotionally of their chanichim. Our boys’ schools have taken on longer sedarim and a stricter dress code yet the bochurim are not appreciating… Read more »
why so little schools
we need the whole chabad
A great asset to our community.
To Rabbi Kaplan for seeing the need in this, and to Rabbi Krinsky for seeing to it that Rabbi Kaplan head the Merkos Chinuch Office.
Rabbi Gil Hami is an expert in chinuch
top top top in the entire world!
it is an excellent idea. Young principals are in great need of guidance on how to manage so many aspects of a school. There are teachers who need motivation, kids who need education, and parents who need satisfaction. how once can expect a young principal to take on such a task without any experience of dealing with any of these areas is beyond belief. I hope older principals will mentor the younger ones.
Hatzlocha Raba
remember, our children are vulnerable. These Principals should be trained in dealing with ALL abuse, inc CSA, verbal/psychological & physical abuse, in the home & in the school. ZERO tolerance should be the policy.
I hope all this young principals have all taught in a classroom before, for at least a few years, and continue to teach even after they have been “awarded” this position by some merit. There is nothing worse than people going by the name “principal” when they have not had any real experience in chinuch.
They should follow the lead of Cheder Menachem in Los Angeles
Isn’t Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum – Pittsburgh – missing from here?
This association has to include yeshivas at the mesivta and zal level as well. Hatzlocha
Long overdue. Lubavitch has not made a significant investment in its chinuch in decades and it shows. May this group have much hatzlochoh.