Young Shluchim Meet Their Virtual Chavrusa
Boxes of freshly glazed donuts, stacks of printed booklets, and a table decked with prizes stand beside the endless rows of tables filling the Oholei Torah cafeteria. The room was ready for the hundreds of Young Shluchim who were to meet their “big brothers” for the first time this past Thursday.
Ach Sheli, the mentorship program from MyShliach (a division of Merkos 302), connects boys aged 9 to 13 on shlichus around the globe with older mentors. Through weekly learning sessions, the young Shluchim receive personalized attention, Parsha learning matched to their level, and most importantly, a caring connection with a new “big brother.”
“MyShliach’s goal has always been to connect Young Shluchim with a global community of friends through Torah learning and innovative programs such as Ach Sheli,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “For the past 18 years, our volunteers have embraced these children with essential support and chassidishe warmth, helping them feel their unique significance and the Rebbe’s boundless care for them.”
For Mendel, a Young Shliach homeschooled in Southeast Asia, the MyShliach Yeshivas Erev program lets him feel like any Lubavitcher boy heading to learn after supper. The weekly calls with his chavrusa, Berel, a yeshiva student thousands of miles away, remind him of his connection to the Rebbe and the importance of his Shlichus, and the global community of young Shluchim he proudly belongs to.
“This year, the boys had the opportunity to pair themselves with their summer camp counselors,” said Mendy Hirsch, Director of MyShliach’s Ach Sheli Initiative at Merkos 302. “It’s one of the many new features we’re implementing, and it’s made the program even more personal and impactful.”
Bolstering that powerful sense of community is the new MyShliach online portal, where young Shluchim can instantly join a lively farbrengen with friends or attend interactive classes with just a few clicks. Dozens of programs are available on the MyShliach platform, from library subscriptions to personalized birthday packages.
“Computer screens came to life when the many virtual chavrusas sat together on Thursday evening,” said Rabbi Mendy Shanowitz, Director of MyShliach at Merkos 302. “The in-person Meet and Greet is the highlight of the year for so many Young Shluchim. When they return home and get on their weekly call, it’s as if they’re in Crown Heights again.”
For Mendel and for the hundreds of others, Thursday night’s annual Seder Limud reinforced the unbreakable bond that connects Shluchim oceans apart.
