The Connection Point Event That Nearly Didn’t Happen
In the midst of last week’s Lag B’omer celebrations, children from all over the world stopped what they were doing to tune in to an exclusive presentation Connection Point program. From Manchester to California, Chicago to South Africa, thousands gathered online for this unprecedented virtual Lag B’omer celebration. But the event almost didn’t happen.
Last year, the Connection Point program, a project of JEM in collaboration with Tzivos Hashem, held large gatherings all around the world in honor of Lag B’omer. Children at each location came together to listen to and watch videos of the Rebbe’s talks from Lag B’omers past. The central event, held on the street in front of 770, boasted a crowd of over 1,000 boys and girls along with their parents. They watched videos of the Rebbe’s parade in the exact spot where the original celebrations took place.
But this year, plans for an even grander event were almost upended by social distancing measures. “We couldn’t let the challenges put an end to such a beautiful program,” said Rabbi Shimmy Weinbaum of Tzivos Hashem, who collaborates with Rabbi Levi Plotkin from JEM on the program “So we tweaked the event plans and brought it online. In the end, we succeeded in bringing together even more participants than ever before!”
“Today was such an incredible day,” said Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin, director of JEM. “All we did was to bring the videos and program to the children, but they listened to and understood the Rebbe words on their own. No translators, no adults ‘in the way’; just straight from the Rebbe to the children. It’s a powerful testament to the value of this program.”
A tremendous thank you is owed to Rabbi Lustig for chairing and helping to coordinate the event, and every teacher and principal who helped make the event happen deserves a big thank you as well.
This Connection Point program is made possible through a generous grant from Yossi & Nechama Dina Katz and Family in the merit of a speedy recovery for זאב יחזקאל הכהן בן מינדל and for all those suffering from the pandemic בתוך שאר כל חולי עמך ישראל!
Schools that Participated in the Lag B’omer Program:
Cheder Chabad Boys, Palm Beach County, Florida
Cheder Chabad Philadelphia Boys
Cheder Lubavitch Chicago Boys
Cheder Menachem, Los Angeles
Hebrew Academy Boys, Margate FL
Lamplighters yeshivah
LEC Middle School – Boys
Lubavitch Cheder Day School Boys, St. Paul, Minnesota
My Shliach – Boys
Nigri International Shluchim Online School Boys
Oholei Menachem, Postville IA
Oholei Torah
Oholei Torah 8th Grade
OYY Lubavitch Boys
Sacramento Jewish Academy – Boys
Tomchei Tmimim, Ocean Parkway
Torah Academy – Boys
Torah Academy High – Boys
United Lubavitcher Yeshiva
Bais Rebbe – 8th Grade
B.C.M. of L.A.
Bnos Menachem
Cheder Chabad Philadelphia Girls
Cheder Lubavitch Chicago Girls
Cheder Chabad Girls, Palm Beach County, Florida
Cheder Chabad of Monsey Girls
Hebrew Academy Girls, Margate FL
Lamplighters Yeshivah
Lubavitch Cheder Day School Girls, St. Paul, Minnesota
My Shliach – Girls
Nigri International Shluchim Online School Girls
Sacramento Jewish Academy – Girls
Torah Academy – Girls
Torah Academy High – Girls
Connection Point high is currently in 8 girls’ high schools. To bring this unprecedented opportunity your high school or for more information, email lplotkin@jemedia.org
High Schools participating in this round:
Rohr Bais Chaya Academy – Tamarac, FL
Lubavitch Girls High School – Chicago, Illinois
Chaya Mushka High School Detroit – Oak Park, Michigan
Beis Chana High School – Maimi, FL
Yeshiva Schools – Pittsburgh, PA
Bais Chomesh – Toronto, ON
Bais Rivkah – Montreal, QC
Bais Rivkah Seminary – Brooklyn, NY
