Message from Michoel Albukerk
Tzivos Hashem Outreach & Youth Services
After 30 years of operation, the Tzivos Hashem Crafts Workshops are looking for a new center of operations.
For more than three decades organization has been providing hands-on education to children of all backgrounds in the greater New York area and surrounding states, bringing them the Traditional Crafts of the Jewish People. The innovative Traveling Workshops include hands-on demonstrations in which children press Olive Oil for Menorah lighting, produce candles, leichters, challah, and other items for an authentic and usable Shabbat & Havdallah kit; they learn to assemble their own Lulav & Esrog, scrape, stretch and buff Klaf for Sifrei Torah & Tefillin and Mezuzos, bake shmurah matzah at the Model Matzah Bakery, and assemble their own kosher Rambam style wooden Menorahs.
Literally, hundreds of thousands of children over the years have taken home their own kosher Shofars, Shmura Matzah, Shabbat leichters, and Menorahs, Tzitzis, Havdallah candle and kit, and Torah parchment, all that they have made themselves at these on-location workshops. For many children, these programs have been the first authentic Jewish connection in their life.
Talented crews of craftsmen travel to hundreds of schools, Jewish centers, Temples and special events, sometimes driving for hundreds of miles each way. Schools and shuls of all denominations and backgrounds appreciate the tremendous excitement and educational value of these innovative and impactful programs, and are constantly calling to request these services and praising the work of Chabad.
In addition, some of these workshop resources are offered to the public online at no cost, such as the free download of the beautiful cardboard model of the Beis HaMikdosh that anyone can build with their children (for a free download visit JewishChildren.com).
The organization also hosts the JewishChildren.com website as a clearing house of Tips-and-Tricks, new innovations, and hard-to-find items which enable Shluchim to conduct and improve their own Traditional Jewish crafts workshops. Today, dozens of Shluchim, many of them former craftsmen of Tzivos Hashem Crafts workshops, conduct these workshops all over the world.
For the past 13 years, this organization has been running programs on a shoestring, working quietly and independently, always covering their budget and paying all bills. Most of the dynamic bochrim, talented yungerlite and dedicated workshop staff have worked as volunteers over the years, and the Workshops have not actively done any fundraising, or appeals, but managed to operate with the modest proceeds from the schools they work with.
Now, however, the Workshops are reaching out to the public for help. With their very tight budget, they cannot afford to rent the space necessary to continue their work. A temporary premises is an absolute necessity in order to fulfill all their commitments for Workshops throughout the next two months of Elul and Tishrei.
At this moment, all of the essential offices and work areas of the Crafts Workshops have been dismantled and put into storage. Much has been lost due to lack of space. Appropriate office and workspace (ideally with a parking or loading area) in Crown Heights is desperately needed to serve even temporarily as the new Tzivos Hashem Crafts Workshops headquarters.
If anyone reading this article can be of help, they should please contact the organization immediately at the website JewishChildren.com, so that these vital educational outreach programs can continue uninterrupted.
To donate please visit:
Paypal.me/JewishChildren
Traditions of
the Jewish People
Traveling Crafts Workshops
Shofar Factory
Lulav & Etrog Set
Chanukah Olive Oil Pressing
Menorah Building
Dreidel Molding
Tzitzit Factory
Model Matzah Bakery
“Celebration of the Torah”
Torah Parchment Factory
Shabbat Challah Baking
Havdallah Kit Workshop
Beis HaMikdosh Workshop
Kosher Workshop
Ongoing Youth Outreach Programs:
Tzivos Hashem Clubs
TH Ranks & Mitzvah Badge program
Staffweek: Camp Counselor Training
Youth Chaplaincy
Youth Shabbat Programs
Thousands of kids have learned about their heritage
In a fun interactive way because of the work you do
Cause I was one of them 20years ago
I still remember making a shofar it was awesome
For years this man has been serving our community and beyond. If anyone has any leads and can help, this is a great mitzva and investment.
Beautiful pics. Hatzlaacha in your shlichus expansion
Rabbi Albukerk is the most generous and modest person I know. He has given of himself selflessly all these years purely working for the intention of shlichus. Blessed with his creativity and persevering, he has gifted shluchim around the world tools and techniques of how to teach children about the yomim tovim in such an engaging and hands on way. May he have much hatzlacha in his work!! I can assure you that your money will be going to an amazing cause.
Amazing work. Truly a fulfillment of the Rebbe’s vision. Wishing all success. They deserve our support
A tremendous positive experience is given to Jewish children of all kinds
He gave us his guidance and help to built a workshop in Kazakhstan!
Such a heart of gold!
Has brought yiddishkait to thousands of kids!
Please help e’m out however you can
Its Money well spent.
You don’t get this kind of hand on without Michael!
Gluck and keep pumping up yiddishe neshomoes
One of your admirers
DZ
Michoel is a special person. He is able to reach out to all Jewish schools even non frum schools to teach about Hashem, the Mitzvot, and moshiach. Keep up your great work.
R’ Michoel is a true Chossid who lives and breathes the Rebbe’s work, day in and day out, never asking anything for himself.
Keep up the good work!
I personally watched some of the workshops and I was always amazed of how they perform and the great impact they have on children.
They deserve to be helped to find a new home to continue their incredible work.
Yashach Koach!
Pure Hafatza.
A great cause, and something that for sure directly impacted thousands of kids. I was a presenter for a few years, and saw first hand the positive “Yiddishe” impression it had on thousands of kids.
Gd Bless Michoel
This is mesiras nefesh work you do day in and day out, it’s a must to raise the money and get a new home for these projects, it’s life changing for the kids. Keep up your holy work!
Beautiful!!! From strength to strength. Both kids and adults really enjoy it and it makes such a long lasting impression when a child brings his own shofar home.
My son participated in the Shofar workshop with his friends and had an amazing time. Till today he uses the shofar to blow the shofar during Elul. Michoel put his life into educating the children. Dovid
BH
Reb Michael always there to help out Shluchim with their events.
I hope you find a place fast! The world needs you!!
Michael Is a man of action. he has taken mivtzoim to a whole new level with all the wonderful mitzvah workshops He has been doing shows for all jews with all types of background, from not affiliated all the way to chassidishe kids in Williamsburg. It’s unbelievable what he accomplished and on top of it all with a smile! In the Zchus of doing the Rebbe’s work you should be blessed with all the blessings Amen! PS. I heard that a few summers ago he gave a Shiur – Class in the bungalow on Shofar, for A Chassidishe crowd With… Read more »
When I worked for Tzivos Hashem, Michoel stood out as a completely committed soldier. Michoel has a level of dedication to the Rebbe and the mission of Tzivos Hashem that can only be described as Mesiros nefesh bpoel over many years. I never told him this as he is the last person that wants any attention or praise. To me he is an inspiration and indeed an ideal of how to be committed to the Rebbe’s work. Michoel lives with the conviction that every Jewish child is precious. To inspire them to grow in their yiddishkeit is his greatest pleasure.… Read more »
Is there a way to donate?
Paypal.me/JewishChildren
Keep up the great work and hatzlocho. Wish I could help
I grew up with Tzivos Hashem menorahs and shofars and I love the organization’s peerless style, approach, and quality.
I haven’t seen a group in America that reaches out and touches the minds and hearts of young Jews the way they do.
Tzivos Hashem Workshops is definitely worthy of support on their mission to build better edjucated Jews.
Michoel Bracha vhatzlacha
The children live with the shofar and menorah that they made themselves
The mitzvah comes to life
Hashem should give you all that is needed to keep the projects going
Bracha vhatzlacha
The children live with these projects
The shofar and menorah that they made themselves brings a special life to these mitzvos
Hashem should give you everything needed to be able to continue this holy work
I still use my shofar that I made when I was 11 years old. I bring it to shul and everyone asked where I got it and I answer that “I made it!”
Thank you.
Wow I hope you get another place soon! I love seeing the work that Tzivos Hashem Workshops does!
It’s the real thing!
One really needs to experience the workshops to grasp the magnitude of what Tzivos Hashem Craft Workshops is all about. Groups of participants (from preschoolers to senior citizens) learn about the upcoming Yom Tov, while crafting what’s needed for the Yom Tov (e.g. Shofar for Rosh Hashanah and olive oil for Chanukah). This process can repeat itself 100 times in a single season (e.g. during the month of Elul – before Rosh Hashanah). The sheer amount of Mivtzoim that the workshops accomplish is astounding. The workshops reach Yidden of all stripes and of varying degrees of knowledge and observance of… Read more »
As a team member of Tzivos Hashem Craft workshops, I want to add that Michoel’s unique approach, of constantly finding creative ways to present these basics in Yidishkeit to Jewish children from all backgrounds – is truly inspiring. I’ve seen many Shluchim which tried to emulate him yet want to or need to cut corners, and it’s just not the same. At his presentations, even the adults are wowed, and regardless of their level of observance – they ALWAYS learn something new! Michoel is one of a kind, and it would be amazing to help him keep his great work… Read more »
This is some of the coolest and most creative educational methods of giving a good education of Torah and Mitzvos to Jewish kids.
Michoel, you are an inspiration to all of us, you never lost your youthful spirit, You should continue from strength to strength מתוך הרחבה בגשמיות
You make the Rebbe very proud
I want to echo all the comments about how great a cause this is and encourage everyone to donate via PayPal.me/Jewishchildren. As a former talmid of R’ Michoel trained by him in multiple workshops I witnessed first hand how he not only brought Yiddishkeit and Chassidus alive via his trailblazing approach to Jewish education, he broke through all barriers of so called Jewish denominations as he was welcomed everywhere and made a big kiddush Lubavitch. Not only do many Shluchim owe him for all the effective mivtzoim tools he pioneered, but don’t forget that R’Michoel pioneered Staff Week to train… Read more »
I had a great time taking my little ones there. They enjoyed all the activities and made things to take home that remind them of their yiddishkeit. I was impressed, thanks
Michoel, you are an inspiration to all of us. You should continue from strength to strength!
You make the Rebbe very proud
So many bochurim who have gone on to marry and be sent on Shlichus got a chance with R’ Michael Albukerk. Be it workshops, staffweek, Jamborees, etc.
I plan to give (back).
If you have one of those wooden Rambam menorahs at home, regardless if you live in Crown Heights or anywhere in the world – you have been positively affected by his handy work.
Give as well – be it monetarily or with connections to property, short-term or long.
Thanks and lechaim!