They are there for the Rebbe’s vision. But who is there for them? And who is there for their children? That was the dilemma for generations. Shluchim in far-flung locales had to send their children away at the earliest ages—or try to educate them at home. It was a problem with no solution.
Enter the Shluchim Online School.
A project of Chinuch Yaldei Hashluchim, a department of The Shluchim Office, the Lilian and Meyer Nigri Shluchim Online School is the Jewish world’s first full-fledged online school—and the first real answer to the shliach’s perennial question, “How will I give my kids a proper Chassidishe Jewish education?”
Evolving out of the Home School Phone School, as it was named in its early stages, initiated by Reb Mendel Shemtov and his wife Sara OBM, the Online School quickly turned into the powerhouse of chinuch that it is today.
With over 500 students and 80 teachers in over 200 daily classes from preschool through high school, and two full-time principals presiding over three schools for three international regions, the Online School is a life-saver for thousands of shluchim worldwide.
Yet considering their tight budgets, a fiscal reality made all the more pressing by the difficult economy, many shluchim cannot even afford to pay tuition.
Enter the brand-new CIS Scholarship Fund—a history-making project for a history-making project.
In an unprecedented team effort between Ohr Avner, Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar and The Shluchim Office, the contributions of two leading philanthropists – Levi Leviev and Yitzchok Michean – were solicited, and the Fund was born.
Thanks to the Scholarship Fund, every CIS shliach will receive a 50% scholarship on the second child enrolled, a 60% scholarship on the third enrolled and a dramatically-reduced 70% scholarship on the fourth and subsequent children enrolled.
But shluchim throughout the rest of the world need not feel left out—another fund is being established for shluchim outside the CIS. Details will be announced shortly once the second fund is available.
The Scholarship Fund is the outcome of the Founders Committee meeting and a joint effort between co-chairmen Motti Korf and Uri Laber and Founders Committee benefactor Ben Federman.
Still, one thing is for certain: whether it’s for shluchim in the former Soviet Union anywhere else in the world, the Shluchim Online School—and now, the two Scholarship Funds—will make all the difference in the world.
YAsher Koach to the wonderful people at the Shluchim Office-Moshe Shemtov and the whole team. A very special thank you to Moshe Pinson for really caring about shluchim’s financial drain and often going way “out of the box” to help shluchim. A special YAsher Koach to Ben Federman for getting involved and helping the struggling American shluchim.
Believe me there are families right here in crown heights who dont have two coins to rub together and also needhelp!
The problem is that all students on the on line school feel that they need a break or free tuition and they are probably right. It would drain the school. Other schools have a mix of students, some can pay full tuition, some partial. It is amazing that the shluchim office is looking for ways to help as opposed to the other mosdos who charge the shluchim full tuition and do not take into concideration all the additional cost like flights and having children away from home.
Years ago, at a kinus hashluchos, when we would sit down with a friend on shlichus in remote locations and ask ‘ how is shlichus?’, the next question would then be, ‘ and how is chinuch?’ The answer was often a huge sigh or ‘ don’t ask… this is the biggest challenge…’ BH, the Shluchim Office have changed that! Now, wherever you are on shlichus, your kids can enjoy and amazing chinuch with excellent teachers.. and classmates who live lives similar to their own. This is the only school that begins at 3 am!( NY time) There are no words… Read more »
There happens to be a great Mesivta in Tzfas that gives children of Shluchim a huge break on tuition – a full year (including dorming) for only $1800 – no other qualifications necessary, other than being a shliach. The cost for Anash is $8000 a year, which is far less than many other yeshivos out there.
A very satisfied Shliach/parent
This is, of course a wonderful help for our wonderful shluchim. But, now that the kids are are in out-of-town yeshivahs, dorming, the cost is prohibitive. Schar limud, flying the kids home two or three times a year, takes a toll on our shluchim. Parents help as much as they can, but the need obviously is far beyond most people’s capabilities. A fund to meet this situation is badly needed,and would allow our shluchim peace of mind, knowing help is available to them to help meet the heavy cost of educating their kinderlach. They surely deserve it!
maybe a fund for regular bali battim for our children! we don’t get shluchim discounts
The Shluchim Office is doing something tremendous to help shluchim worldwide with one of the greatest challenges: the chinuch of their children. With great dedication, the school is providing a terrific chinuch for hundreds of yaldei hashluchim right in their own homes. Many thanks Rabbis Shemtov, Mrs Rosenfeld and the whole shluchim office team, including tech support…and all the amazing teachers …Der Aibishter zol rich bentchen!
As a Shliach with no other alternative we were blessed to have such a wonderful mosad with quality chinuch available for our children. However a few years back I was forced to call the office administration and request a scholarship due to financial circumstances and heartbroken to hear the reply, “don’t register your child for all the classes if you cannot afford to pay for them all, sign him up for as many as you can pay for”. I understand local mosdos make as big an effort to accommodate all financial situations however this was my “local mossad” living in… Read more »
this is very needed- thank you for dealing with this need!
thank you !!!!
Amazing to see the Shluchim Office at the cutting edge and always out there to do the most they can for the Shluchim.
Thank you Moshe Shemtov and Gedalya.
sos does great work!!
Wow
that’s a massive fund
shluchim office should go from strength to strength in all that they do with all the brochois that the rebbe gave it to the people which would establish this mosad which helps shluchim in every thing they need
This year with 3 of our older children in Yeshiva (no breaks for Tuition for them) and two children on the Online School with a third not being able to afford to go online school. This is great news.
Looking forward to putting our third child into Online School. Our 2 children are gaining both spiritually and physically on the Online School, it is the best outreach for our own children.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Gevaldik! but maybe we can expand this fund to help Shluchim who are not in the online school but are expected to pay FULL tuition for each of their children by all the Mosdos around the world?. Some Shluchim that I know don’t have two dimes to their name but are paying full full tuition without receiving the local breaks that many of the local parents enjoy! I know of some who are paying close to 60,000 annually to send their kids to Yeshivas out of town!
as a shliach in the US, with children in the online school, I am VERY excited to hear this news, amd look forward to hear all the details! Thank you!!!!
very happy to see the shluchim office in full glory.