Montreal Girls Reach Outward and Inward

Four busloads of Elementary students from Beth Rivkah of Montreal visited 10 senior citizen centers and nursing homes, in honor of Yud Shvat.  The children interacted with the residents in an amazing way and brought simcha and encouragement to them.

Lovely “Tree of Life” Torah certificates were given to each senior.  The students had Mitzvah Labels, from which the seniors were able to choose, to indicate which mitzvos they do that “earns” them the privilege of receiving the certificate.  The goal of the activity was to show the seniors that, Boruch Hashem, they are still blossoming Torah trees at any stage of life, no matter where they live.

In one moving incident, a woman sadly reminisced how “she used to light Shabbos candles”, whereby a few other women from the residence interjected “I still light candles here”.  This week there will be one more senior lighting candles because her friends committed to showing her the special place in the home where she would be able to light candles again.

The school’s principal, Rabbi Yosef Minkowitz, who also accompanied the students to the Golden Age Center, put on tefillin with the men at the Center, and the students enthusiastically said Shma Yisroel with them.  Yosef Dovid, who miraculously survived five death camps during the Holocaust, told the girls that it is very important to always be proud and happy to be a Jew, even if it is sometimes difficult.

The residents and staff were very grateful that the girls came and begged them to return.  The children all felt wonderful that they made a difference in people’s lives and fulfilled the Rebbe’s shlichus.  This event was organized by Mrs. Pessy Minkowitz, extra-curricular coordinator, and Mushky Shanowitz.

The students of Grades 7 and 8 prepared an exciting original “Mivtzoim Carnival” and Program for close to 300 children in pre-school and Grades 1 and 2.

The High School (Grades 7 through 11) had a month-long Hachona (preparation) for Yud Shvat, which included learning parts of the maamor Basi Legani by-heart, going on mivtzoim after-school hours in bone-chilling sub-zero (Farenheit) weather, giving extra tzedakah and extra learning b’chavrusa.  This culminated on Erev Yud Shvat with a special gathering.  The program began with a Rebbe video and an original Powerpoint presentation about Rebbetzin Rivkah (wife of the Rebbe Maharash), whose 100th yahrtzeit was on Yud Shvat this year [Beth Rivkah is named after her].  This was followed by the entire High School davening together, singing a Seder Niggunim, writing a Pan to the Rebbe and being moved by a special guest speaker, Rabbi Yehoshua Binyomin Gordon, head Shliach of The Valley in California, who flew in specifically to spend Yud Shvat with the High School students.  Prizes were then awarded for participants in the Hachona.  Rabbi Michoel Seligson spoke to Grade 11 about many fascinating details of the Hayom Yom.  Thanks to Chana Harrison and Shaina Gurary of Grade 11 for organizing this program.

In a letter from the Rebbe dated Rosh Chodesh Shvat 5745, addressed to Beth Rivkah of Montreal, the Rebbe wrote:  “Beth Rivkah in Montreal can also say with pride to the  Baal Hahilula [previous Rebbe]: ‘see the good fruits – and fruits from the fruits – which your plantings have produced’!”  In conjunction with this, there was an exhibit of class photos of the present High School students dating back to their early pre-school and Elementary years.  The exhibit generated tremendous excitement for the girls when they actually saw how they “grew”.  Surely, with the Rebbe’s ongoing brochos they will continue to grow to produce “good fruits – and fruits from the fruits”.

An exciting Shabbaton was arranged by the G.O. Heads, Mushky Ezagui and Rechi Gurkow, for the students of Grades 9, 10 and 11, who ate the Friday night Shabbos meal together at beautifully decorated tables in school.  The seuda was filled with lively and heart-warming zmiros, divrei torah by the students and a true feeling of achdus.  Rabbi Gordon inspired and encouraged the girls with his divrei chizuk words and stories.  The evening continued with a thought-provoking farbrengen and question-and-answer session with Rabbi Gordon.

The conclusion of the Shabbaton was on Motzoai Shabbos at an inspiring melava malka.  A full-length video about “Mume Sara”, the legendary Sara Katzenelenbogen, who risked her life after World War II to save hundreds of Jews trapped in Soviet Russia, by “arranging” documents for them to leave to freedom.  It left a very deep impression on the students, how to have “mesiras nefesh” in our times, to put our own personal needs aside for the benefit of another Yid, as the Rebbe explains in his first maamor, Basi Legani, which the girls studied.

This is all in addition to the on-going high school Achos HaTmimim program directed by Mrs. Chani Berkowitz and Esty Altein, and the Elementary Tsivos Hashem program directed by Mrs. Shoshana Scheiner.