Chavrusa Friendship Leads to New Book

By Yaacov Brooks

For 17 years, MyShliach at Merkos 302’s flagship Ach and Achos Sheli program has been pairing children growing up on shlichus with student volunteers in Yeshivos or seminaries for a weekly phone call learning session. Here’s the story of how one chavrusa made an unexpectedly wide-reaching impact.

When Sholom Rosenblum, now a bochur at 770, entered Zelig Sharfstein’s bar mitzvah celebration at the Rohr Chabad House at Georgia Tech and Georgia State, the young celebrant was stunned. In a coordinated surprise with Zelig’s parents Rabbi Shlomo and Shifra Sharfstein, his MyShliach Ach Sheli chavrusa had traveled from New York to Georgia for the big day.

This moment was the touching culmination of a three-year learning partnership that began when Zelig was just ten years old. Growing up on shlichus with his parents and siblings, Zelig attended the local Chabad community’s day school with a robust curriculum. But as proud shluchim representing The Rebbe daily, Zelig and his parents sought a chassidishe flavor to complement his school education.

Enter MyShliach’s Ach Sheli program, an initiative designed to enhance young Shluchim’s education by pairing them with a student volunteer as a chavrusa and mentor. Sholom, then learning in Oholei Torah in Crown Heights, volunteered for the program, drawing on his own experience growing up on shlichus in Belgium.

“Towards the beginning of the year, I saw a sign posted in Zal that MyShliach was enlisting volunteers,” Sholom recalls. “Thinking back to my own uplifting Ach Sheli chavrusa sessions, where I remember learning the Rebbe’s sichos inside for the first time, I figured it would be appropriate to pay it forward to the next generation of Shluchim.”

In regular communication with the Rabbi and Rebbetzin Sharfstein, the weekly sessions began by reviewing the Mishnayos that Zelig had learned in school. With time, the pair became well acquainted and would spend some time talking about Zelig’s school and shlichus life, peppered with Chassidishe Maasehs, uplifting anecdotes, and watching Rebbe clips on Yoma D’pagra, bringing the warm chassidishe spirit Zelig’s parents sought into his life.

“Sholom was always fully dedicated to the sessions, preparing properly, calling punctually, and communicating with my husband throughout. This led to a special connection developing,” recounts Mrs. Sharfstein. “They even got to meet and learn together in person a few times when we visited New York as a family, and at the annual MyShliach meetup during the Kinus Hashluchim.”

As the years progressed, the pair began studying the Rebbe’s Sichos on the weekly parsha. Due to their complex nature, Sholom and Zelig would write a summary together at the end of the study sessions, to consolidate the information properly. This brought an unexpected twist:

At the encouragement of a camp counselor one summer in Gan Yisroel Detroit, Zelig began sharing the weekly Divrei Torah with his family at the Shabbos table. Then his mother began sharing the succinct sicha summaries with her extended family WhatsApp group chat. And just like that, what was simply a chavrusa between two people, blossomed into a community learning experience. Family members were inspired by this role model of consistent study, and Chabad House guests were enamored by the young shliach sharing his studies confidently, taking a leadership role in his parents’ community center at a young age.

In the leadup to Zelig’s bar mitzvah, Rabbi and Mrs. Sharfstein together with some family members, prepared a softcover book featuring the weekly parsha articles based on Zelig and Sholom’s study sessions. Cheerfully designed with a picture of the pair learning together in person, ‘Thought For The Week’ was given out at the Bar Mitzvah as a testament to Zelig’s hard work and dedication, sharing the inspiration with all the guests.

As Zelig embarks on a new chapter in Mesivta, the weekly chavrusa has now drawn to a close, but the close friendship remains.

“Young Shluchim stand on the frontlines of the Rebbe’s mission, carrying unique responsibility at a young age. For the past 17 years, our volunteers have provided these children with essential support and chassidishe warmth, reminding them of their special role and the Rebbe’s love for them,” says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “What’s beautiful is how these relationships impact both sides – while mentoring young Shluchim, our volunteers discover their own deep connection to the Rebbe’s shlichus as well.”

“One thing I would share with fellow MyShliach volunteers is that the impact isn’t always immediate, but if you stay committed to the weekly program, the growth is remarkable,” Sholom concludes. “Whether it’s the process of preparing a sicha to teach or being part of a family’s meaningful shlichus, the value of these efforts becomes clear with time and focus. I’m also incredibly grateful for the appreciation shown by the parents along the way—it’s a reminder that even small efforts can make a big difference.”

To join MyShliach’s Ach Sheli program or for more information, visit myshliach.com/chavrusah

Click here to message Merkos 302 on WhatsApp for any questions, comments or sponsorship opportunities.

Click here to download Thought for the Week.