Chabad Girls Academy was treated to a flawlessly run Yud Shvat program by program director, Chanie Gajer. The day started off in school with an interactive Kahoot game based on the history of Yud Shvat. Next came the special Yud Shvat Hayom Yom with the famous story of Rebbetzin Rivkah. Rebbetzin Rivkah was instructed by the Tzemach Tzedek to eat in order to daven rather than to daven to eat, highlighting the importance of prioritizing our lives in a practical manner in order to have a strong yiddishe and chassidishe foundation.
Then it was on to 770 to join the Rebbe’s minyan for Shacharis. The girls noted how the Rebbe’s shul was extra busy with bleachers set up as they’d seen in Rebbe Videos. They sat in the section next to the Rebbe’s balcony where the Rebbe originally sat following his stroke. The director, Mrs. DL Kramer, spoke about the holiness that remains in a space after a tzaddik has been there, and how much more so in the Rebbe’s shul and in a place he actually davened! The girls’ davening was very heartfelt, focused, and filled with kavana.
After a meaningful Davening, everyone walked to the Rebbe’s house, down Brooklyn Ave to President Street, the same way the Rebbe walked to 770 from his home. They were greeted by Rabbi Menachem Krinsky, who gave them a tour of the house. He explained how the velvet on wallpaper is rubbed out from all the Chassidim leaning against the wall in the year of aveilus following Chof Beis Shvat, the passing of the Rebbetzin. He showed them where furniture useds to be, how the Rebbetzin set up the house. The girls were curious about upkeep, and Rabbi Krinsky explained how it is unkept by Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch.
Following the fascinating tour, every girl had time to say her own Kapital Tehillim as well as the Rebbe and Rebbetzin’s.
Back at school it was time for a Farbrengen! The focus was to tap into practical ways to connect to the Rebbe. Teams were set up and discussions surrounded achieving personal hiskashrus through looking at a Rebbe picture, watching a Rebbe video, writing to the Rebbe, and learning the Rebbe’s inyonim. The teams presented their ideas by creating a visual poster.
Poster presentations were followed with practical group learning – now that they understood the different ways to connect to the Rebbe, it was time for practical application. At CGA we believe that hands-on learning is the best way to understand the messages being taught. This was accomplished in a few ways. First, everyone learned the difference between writing a Pan or Duch to the Rebbe. Next came crafting a special picture frame with a Rebbe picture inside. Learning the Rebbe’s inyonim was exhibited as well by some of the girls who learned the many concepts in Basi Legani. Their hard work got them into a raffle where three winners went home with a gift certificate to Mozzarella restaurant. Thank you to Mozzarella for sponsoring this gift.
After practical application, inspiration to take home the day’s events came in the form of a very special guest speaker Talya Goldshmidt who shared her personal journey of her Hiskashrush with the Rebbe and how Yud Shvat is a big part of her life.
