New Haven Youth Program Marks First Anniversary With Event

“The rally gave a feeling of Elul to both kids and adults!!” Shared one mother and local mechanech, Yaffa Kenan.

A Palace Comes to Life:

4:15. The stage in the palace was set. The scene of over 200 children and parents from 3 different schools flocking by foot/bus/car to the Moshiach Youth home in New Haven already set the tone of the King’s children sitting together B’achdus in the month of Elul.

Suddenly, a voice came from the palace. The children turned their attention to the 2nd floor palace windows to see the King (being played by Moshiach Youth Director, Rabbi Menachem Cadaner) and the prince (played by his son, Yosef Yitzchok Cadaner) preparing to send his son to the far away lands where he would learn about the people and have a better understanding for when he is ready to become the King.

Fast forward, the scene (being played by the Mesivta Beis bochurim of Yeshivas Beis Dovid Shlomo, New Haven) brought to life the unrecognizable and now grown Prince behaving in a way not fitting for royalty and swept into the low ways of the common-folk, even forgetting the royal language and behaviors. But with time, the prince wakes up one day to remember how far he has fallen from his father the King and yearns to go back to the Palace and be reunited with his father.

The children watched as the prince (dressed in rags and dirt) climbed up the mountain to come and gain entry to the palace but the guards did not believe the cries of the dirty man’s claim to be the son of the King and pushed him away from entering the palace.

With no choice, the prince wanders near the palace and begins to weep uncontrollably crying for his father, and blows the shofar to resemble the cry of every Yid to our dear father, Hashem, the King.

Moments later, the King hears a familiar cry and insists to be taken to the voice he believes is his very own son, despite the guards telling the King, “This is not your son! This is a lowly dirty man who doesn’t even know the royal language!”

The children’s attention is then drawn to the opening of the palace doors. The trumpets are blown in preparation for the King’s royal entrance. Loud engines are heard with the King’s motorcycle grand entry (played by local Hatzolah member, Mendy Katz), followed by the royal carpet with the King himself.

The Message:

With the clear message, and the King standing amongst the children “in the field”, the King described the powerful Nimshal: We are now in Elul. The King is in the field.

After a full year of experiences and sometimes getting lost and confused in our role as a Yid, our Neshama cries out yearning to reunite with Hashem and our cries are heard as Hashem’s only child which He loves, recognizes and embraces no matter the dirt we may have been surrounded in.

Baruch Hashem, the message was truly brought to life even for the youngest of ages. One preschool teacher shared her nachas the next day as she overheard her students in the playground excitedly recounting the message of the King in the field and that the King is Hashem. And of course their excitement in seeing the motorcycle!

Another mother, Rosie Gurevitch, shared, “Thank you for bringing the Elul energy to our children and infusing our kids with the knowing that Hashem is close to us even more this time of year.”

With that power of Hashem, Our King, in the field, and the power of the King hearing the cry of His child, the children shouted “Ad Mosai! Ad Mosai! Ad Mosai!” We are ready for Hashem to reveal Himself!

Video Recap

Looking Back:

The rally was still full of surprises.

4 Boys ascended the stage and shared how they were already seeing Moshiach in the world by sharing their experiences in Moshiach Youth this past year. Whether it was the achdus they saw their sisters have at the Ahavas Yisroel Chesed club, or the memories of going on Mivtzoyim with the perspective that every Yid they met was a Neshama, just waiting to be approached.

The boys then asked, who is behind all of this?

In Appreciation

Rabbi Cadaner took the opportunity to thank all those that partnered to bring Moshiach Youth of New Haven (First of its kind- a Chabad House for our own Youth) to life and then called upon the Co-Founders of Moshiach Youth: Yudi & Rosie Gurevitch, who approached the Cadaners just over a year ago with the passion to finally bring the Geula, starting with the power of the Youth in New Haven.

In addition, Moshiach Youth is grateful to Eliyahu & Racheli Zohar, for taking on the role of the Moshiach Youth Platinum Partners of 5775, in merit of the complete and everlasting recovery of Chaya Mushka bas Tamara Rochel, and for Yosef ben Zilpah.

The Rally

With Eretz Yisroel at the forefront of our minds and hearts, the children were called upon to lead the 12 Pesukim, give Tzedakah, and say Tehillim. New Haven is proud that after each and every grand Rally gathering, always hours later, nissim v’nifla’os were heard in the news for Eretz Yisroel. The next morning the community was stunned to wake up to the news of Eretz Yisroel taking a stand against the terror heads in Qatar, and the green light for a full operation in Gaza City, bringing b’ezras Hashem true peace for our brothers and sisters and all humanity.

Youth Leadership

The surprises of the program were not over yet. The committee heads, who were chosen amongst the youth, and had the honor of working throughout the year to serve the rest of their Moshiach Youth family, were called upon with their new title of “Senior Committee Heads” and a personalized Moshiach Youth Sweater. Committee Heads of the girls’ division were Menucha Borenstein of 6th Grade, Southern CT Hebrew Academy, and Esti Dagan of 6th Grade, Cheder Chabad New Haven. From the boy’s division: Meir Baitelman of 6th Grade, and Yossi Bogart of 7th Grade, Cheder Chabad New Haven, and Gabi Rosenstein of 7th Grade, Southern CT Hebrew Academy.

Special Day

While gathered on such a special day of Tes Vov Elul, the founding of Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch, the children were empowered with the message that the Rebbe Rashab saw the need to take a final step of Milchemes Beis Dovid with the power of the Youth as soldiers leading the battle of revealing Geula in the world.

Grand Unveiling of Youth Lounge

Finally, the moment the children were waiting for arrived: The Grand Unveiling of the Moshiach Youth “Youth Lounge”. Each child received a flyer with the hours and a $5 Moshiach Youth Bill to use towards purchasing snacks at the Youth Lounge’s Snack Bar. The other side of the flyer included a list of all the programs that already began during the last year, and will now be earning them opportunities to gain more Moshiach Youth Dollars by joining the programs, in addition to earning Dollars by completing their Tzivos Hashem missions, working together with the local school’s Tzivos Hashem Bases.

After the children made bracha achrona on their Pizza and donuts, each grade was dismissed together with their Madrichim and Madrichos to get a 2 minute Tour of Part 1 of the long-awaited Youth Lounge!

Working to Expand

Moshiach Youth is proud to have been one of the top 3 (out of 48!) finalists during this year’s Kinus Hamechanchim Chinuch Pitch led by the Chinuch Office of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch.

A special thank you to the representative of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven for joining the event as they are working to create more unity amongst the Jewish Community while focusing on fostering our children with a strong stand for Israel and a stronger Jewish identity in the youth that are facing anti-semitism in America.

Already 9 more locations have reached out to start Moshiach Youth in their own communities, putting a focus on our own youth, giving them healthy outlets, a sense of belonging, and giving them the tools and power to finally reveal Geula in the world!