Children Experience the Rebbe’s First Farbrengen

By COLlive staff
Photos: Shimi Kutner

In honor of Yud Shvat, children from boys and girls schools in Crown Heights gathered upstairs in 770, where the first Farbrengen of the Rebbe’s nesius took place.

The children had the opportunity to listen to and watch a video slide-show presentation of the Rebbe’s very first farbrengen, watching and learning from the Rebbe’s words in the exact location where they were said.

The event was a project of Connection Point, the collaborative initiative of JEM and Tzivos Hashem aimed at teaching students to watch and learn directly from the Rebbe. It was the culmination of an exciting two-week program for students to experience the Rebbe’s inaugural farbrengen of Yud Shvat 1951 (5711).

“The schedule for Connection Point was to do one round before Chanukah and the next before Purim,” explained Rabbi Levi Plotkin, Connection Point director. “But with Yud Shvat approaching, we knew we had to do something. We are going to empower students to hear directly from the Rebbe so that they too can experience and appreciate the watershed moment when the Rebbe accepted the mantle of leadership.”

Unique to this program is a special presentation created by JEM this year that focuses on the backstory of that historic farbrengen, as told by people who were there. The presentation even has special kid-friendly narration created for the Connection Point program.

Crown Heights schools that participated included Oholei Torah, Lubavitch Yeshiva – Crown St., Lubavitch Yeshiva – Ocean Parkway, Ohr Menachem, Lamplighter Boys, Lamplighter Girls, Bnos Menachem.

The Yud Shevat program is made possible through a generous grant from Yossi & Nechama Dina Katz and Family.