The children studying at “Cheder Menachem” of Moscow warmly and excitedly welcomed about one hundred and twenty students their age, who study all year long at the “Or Menachem” online school, intended for the young emissaries in the CIS countries, who live thousands of kilometers apart and only meet through a computer screen.
At the initiative of the founder of the unique institution, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar Shlita, all the students were flown to Moscow from all countries for a special ten-day gathering, where they met face-to-face and integrated into the city’s Jewish educational institutions and classrooms, in order to experience studying among friends, listening to a teacher standing in front of them, playing games together during recess, and eating meals together in a shared lunchroom.
“On a normal day with us, the lunch break is different for all our students. For one it is still breakfast, while for his friend it is already dinner”… Rabbi Menachem Mendel Halperin, the dedicated director of “Or Menachem”, tells about one of the challenges of managing an online classroom, in the largest country in the world, which consists of nine time zones, alongside different times in neighboring countries in the Commonwealth of Nations – where students are also located. Rabbi Halperin meets with these students physically, when they arrive for their stay in Moscow, and during the entire ten days of study he meets in person with each student, following his progress in studies and behavior.
The online school – which also has a parallel institution for the daughters of the Shluchim – proved itself about five years ago during the Corona period, when studies continued as usual.
Each student sat down in front of their computer – which is open for study but hermetically sealed against any outside distractions – and they were at ease: everything flowed smoothly; the educational staff, most of whom lived in Israel, and had their children at home with them, had to deal with this complex situation; but their dedication outweighed everything, and it was the only educational institution in the world that continued its studies as usual.
During their ten-day stay in Moscow, the children had a classroom learning experience and formed important connections with the children of Moscow.
After school, they enjoyed fun and enriching social activities, participating in tours and attractions in the city accompanied by a team of guides, while the community families and institutions of Moscow extended a warm and supportive hand to the young shluchim from the various cities, hosting them in institutions and on Shabbat in their homes.
A special event was the meeting with the Rabbi of Russia, Shlita, who personally came to visit the students and sat with each group for about an hour, during which he listened to them, answered various questions, told them about his Shlichus experiences, and greatly strengthened their spirits.
Together with his colleague in management, Shliach to the city of Novokuznetsk Rabbi Menachem Rabinowitz, the Director Rabbi Halperin thanked the chairman of the “Or Avner” Education Foundation, Rabbi David Mondshein, within the framework of which the “Or Menachem” online school operates, and the many educational figures in Moscow, including the director general of Moscow educational institutions, Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Lipsker, and the director of “Cheder Menachem” in Moscow, Rabbi Avraham Gvirtz – for their cooperation and assistance every step of the way.
