After a late night of farbrengens, 324 participants at the Kinus Hamechanchim in Tarrytown, NY, rose early for a full day of sessions, workshops, and networking. The Kinus was organized jointly by the Merkos Chinuch Office and the Menachem Education Foundation (MEF), and the Achdus of educators united from over 40 schools around the world was felt throughout the program.
In addition to early morning Mikva, a private swimming session was made available to fitness enthusiasts at the Kinus. Rabbi Osher Farkash started the day with a shiur Chassidus, following which participants made their way to a leisurely breakfast.
For school leaders and administrators though, this was a working breakfast with Rabbi Eli Moskovitch, on “The Key to Forging a Robust Administrative Team.” Teachers had the choice after breakfast to attend a shiur Nigleh with Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun, or to get practical financial advice in a session on “Saving, Budgeting, Investment and Mortgages” with Rabbi Chaim Rosenstein. Both Rabbis Braun and Rosenstein, along with other esteemed presenters, were also available throughout the Kinus for individual meetings and consultations, addressing both the Ruchinius and Gashmius needs of Mechanchim.
The day continued to provide both practical and inspirational sessions for Mechanchim, in four simultaneous tracks tailored to the needs of teachers in all grade levels, school leaders, administrators, and general interest topics. On the pedagogical side, highlights included “Cognitive Candy: How to Help Your Students Develop a Sweet Tooth for Gemara” with Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum, of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh; “Setting the Stage: Cultivating Classroom Values and Procedures” with Rabbi Zelly Silber, of Cheder Chabad of Monsey; “Kriah 2.0: Advanced Rules for Reading Accurately for All Ages” with Rabbi Chaim Kosofsky, of Longmeadow Hebrew Academy; and several sessions on forming a strong bond with students with Rabbis Shmuli Hayes, Osher Farkash and Uri Perlman.
Other sessions addressed practical school infrastructure, including: “Strategic Game-Changers That Can Revolutionize Your School’s Fundraising Efforts” and “Proactive School Safety: 5 Must-Do Actions for Emergency Readiness” with Rabbi Yaakov Cohen; and a panel discussion about “How Should Schools and Parents Deal with the Tuition Crisis” featuring Rabbis Yossi Rosenblum, Yossi Langsam, and Yossi Touger.
“Powerful Chinuch Lessons From a Cult-Busting, Family Crisis-counselor, and Director of the Oldest Chabad Organization in America” with Rabbi Shea Hecht was a session to uplift all Chinuch demographics, and “Roundtable Discussions by Mechanchim for Mechanchim” offered structured networking and a fruitful exchange of ideas.
At lunch, podcast host Nachi Gordon featured a live twist on his popular show, interviewing 4 educators in a session dubbed “Meaningful Mechanchim” with: Rabbis Mendy Naparstek, Avraham Granat, Moshe Weinfeld and Nochum Schapiro.
After so many sessions to choose from, with refreshing breaks and delicious snacks in between, Mechanchim finished on a strong note with a closing session entitled “The Path Forward: 3 Powerful Insights.” Rabbi Mendel Greenbaum of Cheder Menachem, LA, Rabbi Mendel Moscowitz of Cheder Lubavitch, Chicago, and Rabbi Yossi Denburg of Lubavitch Hebrew Academy, Margate, each shared their own brief but powerful take on the future of Chinuch.
The largest-ever Kinus Mechanchim could not have been made possible without the incredible team: Rabbi Zalman Shneur, Executive Director of MEF, Alyson Feldman, Event Manager, Rabbi Mendel Moscowitz, Kinus Program Coordinator, Etty Teleshevsky, Administrator, Bayla Rutman and Mushka Cohen, Communications Directors, and Chaim Zippel, Creative Director of the Banquet. The dedicated Vaad Hakinus led by Rabbi Nochum Kaplan, worked tirelessly for months to shape this Kinus into a truly joyful and memorable experience.
