“Happy is your lot that Hashgacha Ha’elyona has placed you in the most fortunate position of one engaged in Chinuch, which draws near the hearts of Jewish Children to our Father in Heaven.” (Igros Kodesh, vol. 17, p. 313)
This is what the Rebbe wrote to teachers, and as Chassidishe Mechanchim and Mechanchos, we have the additional privilege of helping draw near the hearts of our students to our Rebbe!
We asked teachers to share practical suggestions for encouraging our students to connect to the Rebbe, and here are some of responses:
🔗 Show you students your personal example of how you connect to the Rebbe and how special the Rebbe is to you.
🔗 Students can take turns preparing a weekly “Rebbe Time” for the class. At this “Rebbe Time”…
🔗 Younger students can bring in items that show their special connection to the Rebbe – a hiskashrus “show and tell” with things such as their own Chitas, etc.
🔗 Older students can share a family story of the Rebbe, or ask their parents to tell them about their personal connection to the Rebbe and share that.
🔗 Play Niggunim in the classroom during independent work or centers.
🔗 Give opportunities to write to the Rebbe, or to draw pictures. Encourage students that the Rebbe cares about everything that’s on their mind!
🔗 Bring students’ Panim or even Mitzva notes to the Ohel, and let them know that you’ve done so.
🔗 Make class farbrengens and hachlatos as much as possible.
🔗 Organize optional learning and farbrengens to help students take ownership and feel personally invested.
🔗 Have students keep a “Chassidus Journal” to choose one idea they learned from Chassidus each week and write about how they make it personal.
🔗 Share stories about the Rebbe involving children and teenagers.
🔗 For students who have special interests or talents, share stories or Sichos of the Rebbe encouraging people in that area. (For example JEM’s “My Encounter”)
🔗 Be sure that you keep your own connection strong! At this year’s Kinus Mechanchos Chabad, many teachers took on the Hachlata to write a monthly Duch to the Rebbe about their teaching.
Special thanks to Morahs Chaya Lebovic, Shaina Gurevitch, and Shaina Feldman for your contributions to this list of ideas. Remember that you, the teacher, are the “shamesh” candle with the goal of igniting students into self-sustaining Neiros Lehair, with their own, personal and lasting connection to the Rebbe.
How will YOU help your students connect? Please add your own ideas and suggestions to the comments below.
