The boys live with their parents, Rabbi Mendel and Basya Chana in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a small town of 600 Jews. Apart from their once-a-year visit to New York, where they get together with cousins and family, they don't have much opportunity for socializing.
At a young age Zevi and Levi learned that they live in Nova Scotia for a purpose; the boys identify as Chabad shluchim and help their parents in their outreach activities.
Inside Chabad: A Big Brother Program To Nurture Children of Shluchim
Zevi and Levi Feldman, ages 10 and 12 are brothers. They’re also best friends.
The boys live with their parents, Rabbi Mendel and Basya Chana in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a small town of 600 Jews. Apart from their once-a-year visit to New York, where they get together with cousins and family, they don’t have much opportunity for socializing.
At a young age Zevi and Levi learned that they live in Nova Scotia for a purpose; the boys identify as Chabad shluchim and help their parents in their outreach activities.
But they’re still boys, and they yearn for friends who share their values.
“My sons are home schooled and have little opportunity to socialize,” said Rabbi Feldman. “Because of My Shliach, my children now have a friend and a role model to look up to.”
Following the success of an innovative big brother pilot program launched last year by Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, My Shliach has now formally opened to Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim worldwide.
The program, made possible with the generous support of the Rohr Family Foundation, pairs the children of Shluchim with older yeshiva students who fill the role of big brother, mentor and friend, serving as an anchor for the children living far from established Jewish communities.
Article continued on Lubavitch.com
F.B.I.L
A Big Yasher Koach to Beryl Frankel for making this program Happening, Keep the good work
chaim L.
Wow, fantastic – i wish they had it when i was growing up!
Kol Hakovod
YYBochur
This is a great program, but I’m only sorry it isn’t open to nonshluchim. I grew up in a community with a lot of shluchim. These kids went to the different kinuses with their parents when I couldn’t. They were able to access different programs and I couldn’t. All because my parents weren’t shluchim. Sure, there are families out there in the middle of nowhere with no Jews in sight, but what about the communities with lots of shluchim? Why are those kids more entitled to shluchim perks than the nonshluchim kids?
I applaud this program. I really do. But what about a program for children with BT parents. Parents who aren’t quite sure what they are doing? These kids could also use a "big FFB brother or sister" to help them out.
Yossi
The fact is that being a rabbi’s kid, especially in a non frum community is a whole different ball game then anyone else. They have an entirely different childhood, being in the spot light, exposed to problems etc etc.
Still, a similar program would be great too.
whats up
whats up levi feldman. i wish i could have a big brother!! :)we shall speak levi.
your big brother
Non- Shliach parent
We are not Shluchim, and our head Shliach spoke to Rabbi Berel Frankel, who helped us and now my kids have joined the program.
We love this program and thank merkos for making this program a reality for our children as well.
YYBochur
That’s very interesting, Non-Shliach, because I know of a family that asked Rabbi Frankel if they could sign up their boys and he said that the program isn’t designed for nonshluchim kids yet or that they weren’t ready to have nonshluchim kids yet. You must be one special family or your rabbi must have some fantastic pull.