54 maamarim in five months. That was the challenge posed to 10th to 12th grade girls from over a dozen Chabad high schools around the globe. When the school representatives introduced the 8th annual High School Chidon to their schools, 200 girls rose to the challenge. With focus and determination, they spent the next five months mastering the entire Sefer Maamarim Yiddish of the Frierdiker Rebbe.
Each month, they took another test on the material that assessed their mastery of the sefer. The tests focused on their ability to understand the maamarim from their original source in the Hebrew or Yiddish sefer. As the year progressed, the students could see their skills improving and they developed new confidence in their ability to open a sefer and learn on their own.
One student shared, “I loved every minute of the learning. The flow of learning a maamar from inside is so clear and beautiful. Every maamar is relevant to my life with so many ideas and perspectives that I never learned before. Pesukim that I see every day took on a whole new meaning. Most of all, it was amazing to see how my resolve to do Chidon lasted and grew every day. I learned that I can learn, and that I love it.”
This past weekend, 110 participants who successfully passed all five tests flew to New York for a memorable Shabbaton, celebrating their impressive achievement. At a picturesque campsite in Upstate New York, they were treated to a five star experience. Over the course of the Shabbos, the girls gained new insights on the maamarim they learned through farbrengens, workshops, games, and discussions.
One of the guest speakers summed up their experience for them: “Chassidus is the art of raising our soul above our body and seeing our life experiences with a broader perspective”. This was the message these girls had been internalizing all year, as they delved into the Frierdiker Rebbe’s Chassidus.
The most powerful part of the experience was the opportunity to connect with so many like-minded girls. As the girls bonded over their shared learning journey, they formed deep friendships with peers from around the world who shared their passion for Chassidus.
On Sunday afternoon, the girls arrived back in Crown Heights in time for the weekend’s grand finale: the Chidon gameshow. The event took place at the Jewish Children’s Museum, where the top ten finalists demonstrated their proficiency of the material in front of a panel of judges. The questions were challenging and the timer moved quickly. At the end, the top three winners were announced and were awarded prizes.
The first prize, a set of Likkutei Sichos, was awarded to Cheli Kagan from Bais Chana, Miami, FL. The second prize, a set of Lekkutei Dibburim in English, was awarded to Chanale Tenenbaum from Bais Chaya Mushka, Crown Heights, NY. The third prize, a set of Maamarim Melukat of the Frierdiker Rebbe, was awarded to Miriam Mann from Bais Chana, Miami, FL.
Personalized plaques were awarded to every student who participated in the Chidon, but the greatest prize of all was the learning itself.
As the parent of a student remarked, “The fact that my daughter can come home from a babysitting job and tell me that the maamar she just learned was amazing is worth everything. This is her second year doing the Chidon, and she’s already looking forward to next year.”
