Over 100,000 Jewish Kids Carry Their Learning Into Summer and Beyond
by Yossi Weinstein
As the school year ends and summer begins, shluchim around the world are seeing how the impact of Jewish learning continues outside the classroom. From mitzvah carnivals to camp bunkhouses, the CKids lessons planted throughout the Hebrew School year and reinforced at end-of-year graduations are still blooming, fueling pride, and continuing to inspire.
In towns big and small, from classrooms to living rooms and community centers, it’s the shluchim who are at the heart of it all. With passion, warmth, and endless dedication, they’ve been working all year to give children in their communities a joyful, hands-on Jewish education that they can carry with them for life.
To do this, many drew on the tools and curriculum of CKids International. But it was how they brought those materials to life that made the difference. CKids, the largest Jewish children’s network in the world, reaches more than 125,000 students across 700 communities. In the hands of a devoted shliach or shlucha, that curriculum transforms into something deeply personal and unforgettable.
Every mitzvah became an adventure. Every Jewish value became a living moment. One teacher turned a lesson on mezuzahs into a scavenger hunt around her Chabad House. Another hosted a Kosher Kitchen makeover, where students labeled food and learned to spot kosher symbols. Some built escape rooms for Purim. Others created oil labs for Chanukah or ran mitzvah carnivals that brought each child’s learning to life.
The CKids curriculum includes lessons on tefillah, Shabbos, kashrus, tzedakah, Ahavas Yisrael, and more. But it was the shluchim who turned those lessons into real experiences, helping children not just learn about being Jewish, but feel proud of it.
“At a time when so many families are feeling pressure to blend in, the shluchim are their only support,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “They’re helping children feel proud, confident, and deeply connected to their Yiddishkeit, and it’s making a real difference.”
The CKids Vaad of Shluchos, Mrs. Sara Bluming, Mrs. Devorah Gancz, Mrs. Chana Burston, and Mrs. Chavie Ash, each played a pivotal role in guiding and supporting shluchos around the world, shaping the Hebrew school experience with creativity, clarity, and care. Curriculum development is overseen by the CKids team at Merkos 302, led by Mrs. Mushkie Loewenthal and including Chaya Schochet, Chana Esther Davidow, Pessi Naparstek, Mussie Slonim, and Chaya Mushka Zalmanov; together their efforts have been instrumental in elevating the entire Jewish educational experience and strengthening the network of Shluchim at the forefront of Jewish education.
One shlucha shared a moment that summed it all up. “At our prize store at the end of the year, one student didn’t have enough points for the prize she wanted. Two classmates offered their own points so she could get it. After she got the prize, they all high-fived and said, ‘We did a mitzvah.’ That’s when I realized they’re not just learning the words. They’re living them.”
Communities ended the year with the CKids Graduation program, complete with mitzvah fairs, family brunches, and student performances that gave children a chance to shine. The pride on their faces wasn’t just about what they had learned. It was about who they’ve become.
And behind it all were the shluchim, showing up, day after day, giving it their all, to ensure that every Jewish child knew that being Jewish is something to treasure.
