Philly Cheder Finds ‘Waze to Hiskashrus’

At Cheder Chabad of Philadelphia, students not only celebrated Yud Shvat, but lived it! Staff and students spent many weeks before preparing for and creating a Grand Yud Shvat Expo, exploring how to bring Hishkashrus to life in many incredibly meaningful and interactive ways.

The theme of the expo was “Waze to Connect,” with each exhibit highlighting another way to connect to the Rebbe. This event was not limited to only Cheder students though, and many guest students in each grade joined for a day to experience the amazing expo and learning.

One exhibit was a “Waze Maze,” with different stops delving into the Rebbe’s Torah and seforim. Inside Cheder, a lifelike 770 backdrop enhanced a lively Farbrengen with the Rebbe’s Farbregngen table and bleachers. Another classroom was transformed into the Ohel, with a pan kloli, pushka, and even Ohel cookies and a coffee station, just like the real Ohel!

Kittah Aleph worked very hard to create their own Mivtzoyim Museum, with exhibits including beautiful handmade dioramas of Mivtzoyim, and a video of the children performing all kinds of Mivtzoyim. There was also a Picture Museum, where students were not only able to view many different picturse of the Rebbe, but also receive their very own frame to paint and Rebbe picture to go with it. Another aspect of the Picture Museum was an ongoing video in which students and staff described what they feel when they see a picture of the Rebbe.

Cheder also housed a Music Station for niggunim that the Rebbe taught, complete with student recording and listening center. An especially artistic exhibit was “Horo’os at Home,” where students created a real life home with the horo’os of the Rebbe for the home.

Older students were given the opportunity to have very meaningful farbrengens, eight grade girls with Mrs, Moussia Goldstein and seventh and eighth grade bochurim with Rabbi Yudi Shemtov.

Of course, Yud Shvat would not be complete without watching and participating in the Tzivos Hashem Rally.

At Cheder Chabad of Philadelphia, the excitement of Yud Shvat was truly experienced by every student. Hishkashrus was brought to life as it never had been before.