Girls Yud Shvat On a Mitzva Tank

The Rebbe strongly encouraged men and women alike to go on mivzoim and reach out to every Jew. Using this as their inspiration, students from Chabad Girls Academy prepared for Yud Shvat, by going on mivtzoim on a mitzvah tank, and taking to the streets of Washington Square Park with enthusiasm. They greeted strangers warmly and offered them the opportunity to participate in the mitzvah of lighting Shabbos candles, by giving out neshek.

A young Jewish couple was surprised that the girls were not selling anything. “They thought it was so nice that we were giving them a shabbos candle kit,” said Shira Ladiov. Another student, Sara Levine relates, “A couple had an eight month old baby so I asked one of my classmates to quickly get a brochure from the mitzva tank about buying a letter in the sefer torah and I explained to them that for just $1 they can get their baby a letter in a sefer torah!”

During the entire evening the girls succeeded in giving out 65 sets of shabbos candles. It was very empowering for them to approach different types of people with excitement and positive encouragement. They urged non-Jews in a very upbeat way, to tell their Jewish co-workers that they can easily fulfill this mitzvah and gave them shabbos candle kits to pass on.

The Mitzvah Tank which the girls rode in was generously donated in memory of Simcha Ben Eliezer Eliyahu and Meir Ben Eliyahu. May their neshamos continue to go higher and higher, and may the tears and laughter of their family inspire them to be strong advocates for them and all of Klal Yisroel.

School on Thursday was buzzing with lively energy as girls were getting ready for their Yud Shvat carnival organized by Mrs. Rochel Hildesheim. Each of the Ten Mivtzoim was showcased at a different booth. Girls had to do something fun and creative at each booth connected to that mivtza, and then they received a stamp on their mitzvah tank necklace.

Some of highlights of the carnival included the hachlatos that the girls made to light Shabbos candles on time, reciting the lines of Bosi Legani that they learned by heart and presenting projects about the meaning of the maamer to their classmates. Each girl came away feeling much more connected to our Rebbe through learning his powerful message and mission. It gave them a tangible sense of purpose knowing that the Rebbe empowered each one of us to accomplish the last part of the mission to bring Hashem’s shechina into this world.

In a heartwarming and inspiring assembly on Friday, Yud Shvat, the girls sang the Hachanah niggun together. The atmosphere was very uplifting and spiritually motivating.