As Jake P. fills his backpack with school supplies, he’ll be one of just 5 Jews in his entire elementary school. “He’s used to being the minority,” his mom says.
For kids like Jake, Hebrew School at Chabad isn’t a nice bonus—it’s a lifeline. And the CKids Tzivos Hashem Magazine, full of Jewish puzzles, activities, and quizzes, plus updates from other Hebrew Schools around the world, is a breath of fresh air.
“A child’s identity is heavily influenced by the media they consume,” says Rabbi Zalmy Loewenthal, CKids director. “Instead of superhero movies or worshiping athletes, we wanted to create a magazine where every kid saw the superpower of their own neshama.”
The magazine, developed by Mrs. Risa Bursk, includes its fair share of fun, with features such as a flow chart quiz entitled “Which Jewish Hero are you?” and exciting updates from Jewish summer camps all over the world.
Last year was the first-ever launch of the CKids magazine, which has been well-received by shluchim worldwide. “I obviously don’t have the time to create something with this level of design, writing, and quality,” says Rochel Flikshtein, shlucha to Wilmington, DE, “so we jumped at the opportunity to order the magazine and personalize it with pictures and updates from our Chabad house.”
The personalization element is an integral feature of the magazine, one that gives the magazine “almost the feeling of a local newspaper,” says Flikshtein. The kids see their own friends featured in the magazine, allowing them to feel part of a personal and vibrant local Tzivos Hashem community.
Besides the local news, there are also updates from bases everywhere. “The magazine reflects a global community of Chabad Hebrew School kids,” says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302, the umbrella organization behind CKids.
Part of the genius of the magazine is how it perfectly complements the CKids Tzivos Hashem programming, an important motivational aspect of Hebrew School.
With Elul upon us and Tishrei just around the corner, it’s the perfect time for shluchim everywhere to bring a healthy dose of Jewish identity to kids like Jake, the kind of kid who could be at any Chabad house.
For an even easier experience, the 24-page, customizable Tishrei magazine can also be printed professionally and shipped straight to Shluchim by CKids, visit the CKids Marketplace to find out more.
