Behind every JewQ Champion is a JewQ Parent. Supporting them, helping them learn and become experts in their heritage. The upcoming CKids Shabbaton will be giving these unsung champions the opportunity to learn, enjoy, and be inspired together with their children.
The Upcoming CKids Shabbaton will celebrate not just the children, but their parents as well. Inspirational classes, engaging events, and fine cuisine will provide the ingredients for an uplifting and enjoyable evening.
Coming up on April 5-7 is the CKids Shabbaton, where Hebrew School children who excelled in the JewQ studies come to spend a Shabbos together. It is a weekend celebrating their accomplishments and bringing one last competition to the table, The JewQ International championship.
At first glance, this is a weekend for children. They will have trips, activities, games, and a packed schedule from beginning to end. Their parents are coming along for the ride since these children aren’t old enough to travel without chaperones. They enjoy the weekend peripherally by getting nachas from their children and watching them enjoy the amazing schedule laid out for them.
While this is true, the children are the ones showing up and studying, these parents have been involved since day one, facilitating and supporting them. For many of these families, this child is the first one to explore their Yiddishkeit, and that would not be possible without their parents’ support. They are the unsung heroes of these children’s success.
As a result, they are very much a part of this weekend, not just in helping out their children but in learning and growing as well. This weekend, they will have opportunities to learn, grow, be inspired, and enjoy events and speakers targeted for them.
In addition to the parent’s constant role in their child’s growth, this year has been unique. In light of the horrific occurrences in the Holy Land and for Jews worldwide, young Jews have been more involved than ever. They want to learn more about who they are, for themselves and their children. Watching what is happening in the world in combination with their children’s pride has lit a fire in their souls, and this weekend, they will have the chance to exercise that.
Speaking to parents on Friday and Sunday, the featured lecturer will be Rabbi Simon Jacobson, a renowned Chassidic thinker, speaker, and bestselling author. He has traveled the globe, inspiring hundreds of communities with his knowledge of Chassidus and its practical application.
Another guest who will be sharing with the parents is Mrs. Sara Bluming. Mrs. Bluming, together with her husband founded Chabad of Potomac, and have built it into a thriving community. Mrs. Bluming has been in the field of teaching both adults and children, and is a sought-after education expert. With a child in the IDF, Sara has moving stories to share from her view as a parent at home and from her son’s experience on the front lines.
“These children who are studying and competing in JewQ are impacting their entire family,” says Rabbi Zalmy Lowenthal, Director of CKids International. “They are joining them to celebrate Torah learning, and from there we saw a natural obligation to give them a weekend filled with growth and inspiration as well.”
In addition to Rabbi Jacobson, there will be several other classes tailor-made for the adults in attendance. All of this while having a premium fine dining experience. Sushi bars and cocktail soirees are examples of some of the five-star dining events that will be paired with speakers, scholars, and entertainers.
“The parents of these children are the unsung heroes of JewQ’s success,” says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302. “This weekend is just as much for them to celebrate their accomplishments, and be inspired to bring the growth and excitement for Yiddishkeit to their entire family and community”.
The Shabbaton is being produced by the CKids team at Merkos 302 in conjunction with Malka Aisenbach of MA Productions. To find out more and register, visit CKids.org/Shabbaton
