Two Keynote Speakers to Address Kinus Hamechanchim

Rabbi Shlomo Kaplan will discuss the idea of imbuing children with a love for Torah learning on the second day of the 21st Kinus HaMechanchim which will be held at the Armon Hotel in Stamford CT on 118 and 19 Menachem Av, August 15th and 16th BE”H.

Many of the sessions at the Kinus will focus on the principle that the development of Middos Tovos can be taught from a skills perspective. There are approaches to what is being called social-emotional learning are being developed by professional educators that really have Torah underpinnings and they need to be reclaimed by mechanchim, to create a framework for melamdim who teach Torah to be able to use a practical approach in teaching middos.

We can almost begin to feel as though the real job of a mechanech today is to concentrate of the “arum” of learning, how to make it exciting for children, how to make it fun. We need to focus a great deal on the talmid’s personal development, especially in times such as these, when the distractions are so great.

The fact is that “chazal” used language about the teaching Torah like “sofo lei k’tota” loosely translated “stuff him like an ox” meaning that we need to concentrate on teaching in a way that the child learns a great deal. We need to help children feel that learning Torah is the greatest thing they can be involved with, so the more we challenge them the better.

Chassidishe melamdim used stories, they taught nigunim and used their personal warmth to attract their talmidim; but untimely their objective was to encourage them to learn and enjoy the process of learning Torah. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves from time to time: are we concentrating too much on the means and to little our objective?

A mechanech can never lose sight of the fact that he must imbue children with a sense of the chashvus of lifelong Torah learning, with ahavas haTorah and the idea that it is our great fortune to be able to learn Torah. We strive to make them life-long learners, each talmid according to his abilities and talents, but all that is predicated on his appreciating the fact that he learning Toras HaShem.

The same is true of Kiyum mitzvos. It cannot all be funa games and a contest as to who does more or better but the idea of “ato vechartonu” have to come through loud and clear.

So, to balance the social and emotional aspects of teaching, Rabbi Shlomo Kaplan will discuss the chashivus of learning Torah ourselves and how to imbue children with that feeling.

Renowned educator, Rabbi Yonasan Rietti will also present at the 21st Kinus HaMechanchim which will be held at the Armon Hotel in Stamford CT on 118 and 19 Menachem Av, August 15th and 16th BE”H.

Rabbi Rietti, a great grandson of the Ben Ish Chai, is the kind of presenter that according to Rabbi Yosef Wolf of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva (Crown Street) “he has the conferees following him in droves at the conclusion of his presentation, just to hear another word.”

Rabbi Rietti will make two presentations: The first on A Torah definition of how to engage students in learning at all levels, from pre-K till 120.

“Al Pi Darko means every single child has a Derech to travel on, how do I help them discover their Derech?” asks Rabbi Rietti. He will present hands-on examples of engaging children in their learning from Tzuras HaOs, Chumash, Mishna and Gemorah.

The second will feature an interesting thesis of his related to the teaching of Taryag Mitzvos. The Rebbe taught us the great value of learning Taryag Mitzvos – The skeleton of the entire Torah. The idea is for a student to know what they are and have a brief understanding that will be expanded upon as he grows older. Rabbi Rietti suggests that a middle school child can learn the basics of a hundred Mitzvos in less than one hour with close to 100% retention!

To register:
https://www.chinuchoffice.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/4018241/jewish/Kinus-HaMechanchim-Registration-57822022.htm