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Darchai Prepares a Parade Float in Their Own Image!

It’s 7pm on a Monday night, and Darchai Menachem is buzzing. Hours after the students are usually long gone, there are scores of boys covering two floors and three rooms, sawing wood, drilling planks together and painting boards. It’s five short days before Lag Ba’omer and staff and students are hard at work on the Darchai Menachem float.

This year, our school was chosen to represent the special Mitzvah of Tzedakah. The first step to any successful project is planning and so, the boys of the oldest class gathered to concept, plans and create a model of the completed float.

Next, photos were taken to match each image being portrayed on the float. Multiple poses and setups were explored before the perfect photos were chosen. Fifteen year old, Simcha Teich, who was instrumental in getting the project off the ground, proudly showed off this photography skills before adding: “I feel very lucky to be a part of this, everyone is really helping out and doing their part.

Our in house photoshop wiz, Mendel Shlanger, 13, transformed the photos into vector (line) art, perfect for blowing the photos up to fit the huge boards, and most importantly, easy to trace. “It’s really enjoyable to make something on the computer,” Mendy said, “And then see it created in life-size looking almost exactly the same. It’s amazing!”

Then, the vector images were projected onto 6 foot boards and its lines carefully traced in pencil.

Finally, over the next week, each board will be handpainted by the boys and then mounted on wooden frames, also specially built by the students. “I’m here because it’s a fun project,” said Laible Muchnik, 13, “and because it’s my school.”

“There are so many benefits to launching a project like this,” said Rabbi Sebbag, resident art and director of the float, “The kids learn teamwork, explore their artistic talents, and get the satisfaction of seeing a project this size actualized.” But most importantly, Rabbi Sebbag explained, the students learn what it takes to pull off a large scale project. They learn how to plan, to break it down into simple, manageable steps and to tackle unfamiliar assignments with confidence.

Rabbi Sandhuas, Chassidus teacher of the oldest boys, is acting as the general manager of the project and gave up three weeks’ worth of evenings to direct the students. There were a few elements that pushed him to take on the project. First, he says, the Lag Ba’omer parade was instituted by the Rebbe and became the Rebbe’s pet projects of sorts. The parade fits right into the Rebbe’s theme of Tzivos Hashem complete with the children marching proudly by.

“Loving art myself,” Rabbi Sandhuas concluded,” I understood how important it was for the children to get this opportunity.

Post parade, the artwork will be permanently displayed in Darchai Menachem.

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8 Comments

  • Lucky kids!

    wow! I wish the school was around when my boys were little. they would have thrived in a school like this – that cares about the whole child being involved in learning and growing.
    these children are so fortunate to be in such a warm, caring environment.

  • kuddos to yeshiva

    truly fabulous! these children are learning so much from this experience.

  • ckm

    Darchai M. is really an incredible school, REALLY !!!
    They have such warm and wonderful staff!!

  • parent.

    meir perlestein is the # 1 teacher I had ever met in my life you have changed my kid meir you are pricles.!! Thank you so mutch I love you.

  • proud parent

    looks awesome! i know the boys are putting a lot of time and energy into this project. The pop-art look is fabulous. Can’t wait to see the final outcome rolling down the parade path.
    Rivka Teich