Kinus Banquet Celebrates Mechanchim Shaping The Next Generation of Chassidim
The gathering, held at the Armon Hotel ballroom, marked the climax of the yearly conference for Lubavitcher Mechanchim, drawing teachers and principals from across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and South Africa, all united in their mission to educate the next generation of chassidim.
The program opened with the recitation of the Rebbe’s kapitel and Tehillim for Eretz Yisrael, led by Rabbi Eli Krichevsky. MC Rabbi Mendel Gordon welcomed the assembled educators, emphasizing the incredible privilege of being “in this room with so many who devote their lives to be the shining light and the guiding light for the young generation.”
Rabbi Mendy Majesky of Kingston, Pennsylvania, delivered the evening’s dvar Torah. “Being a mechanech,” Rabbi Majesky reflected, “offers one of the greatest blessings, we have the opportunity every single day to shut off our adult mind, our sophisticated mind, and look at the world and connect with Hashem the way a child sees the world, with simplicity and temimus exactly the way it truly is.”
The evening featured remarks from Rabbi Nochum Kaplan, Director of the Chinuch Office. Rabbi Kaplan, with over 50 years of experience in chinuch and 25 years organizing kinusim, shared inspiring insights about the sacred nature of chinuch.
“Chinuch is not a career, it’s a calling. It’s a life,” Rabbi Kaplan emphasized. He stressed the importance of patience in understanding each child, noting that “if you have the patience to find out what makes a child tick, you will watch him blossom.” He shared the Gemara’s teaching that a rebbi’s smile can determine whether a child will be successful in learning, and concluded with the Rebbe’s Hora’a to a mechanech entering the field: “Build self-confidence. Build self-confidence. That’s what it’s all about.”
Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch connected the evening to Chof Av, the yahrzeit of the Rebbe’s father. He emphasized the Rebbe’s gift of chinuch to the post-Holocaust world. “Mechanchim have the unique responsibility to direct and train the next generation,” he said, noting how this creates the phenomenon where Lubavitcher children are different, where young bochurim have the confidence to walk into Fortune 500 companies and engage with CEOs, about Yiddishkeit.
Video presentations throughout the evening showcased innovative teaching methods, including the use of songs and music to engage students, mivtzoyim trips to instill Geon Yaakov, and practical life lessons drawn from the weekly parsha. One particularly moving video segment featured a former student named Avi Rosenberg, who reached out to his second-grade rebbi, Rabbi Aron Rabin, years later to express gratitude for the lasting impact of his teacher’s care and dedication.
“There’s a point in every kid’s life where they have their first teacher that really believed in them and really cared about them,” Avi shared. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a teacher that was as gifted at making the children feel happy and welcome and excited about learning as he was.”
Rabbi Zalmy Loewenthal, associate director of the Chinuch Office, conducted the iconic roll call showcasing the global reach of Chabad education, from California’s Los Angeles, Irvine, and Santa Monica to Arizona, Arkansas, and Florida, the East Coast’s Baltimore, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York communities, the Midwest’s Chicago and Postville, Iowa, and internationally from South America: Buenos Aires, Paraguay, Argentina, South Africa: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Canada: Toronto, Montreal, and London.
The keynote address was delivered by Rabbi Moshe Wolberg, who focused on the concept of “na’aseh v’nishma,” emphasizing the elevated nature of the mechanech’s mission and the importance of approaching chinuch with deep appreciation and understanding.
“A mechanech must have the appreciation and understanding of his role,” Rabbi Wolberg emphasized, highlighting the profound responsibility and privilege of shaping young minds. Drawing on Naaseh v’Nishma, he spoke of combining firm commitment with inner enjoyment so that talmidim see authenticity.
Rabbi Moshe Pape provided inspiration for Chof Av, focusing on the power of niggunim in chinuch. He described how he uses niggunim to transform difficult classroom moments, explaining that “niggunim of Chabad take us out of our galus and put us in a geula mode.”
Organized by Mrs. Shterna Rapoport of the Chinuch Office, the uplifting evening featured moving presentations, including musical performances and videos highlighting the creative and effective approaches mechanchim use to make Torah learning engaging and relevant to today’s talmidim.
The banquet concluded with spirited dancing and renewed commitment among the assembled Mechanchim, rededicating themselves to their important shlichus, energized ahead of the new school year.
Photos: Sholem Srugo
