Chidon: Every Child, Every Mitzvah

Rosie Grossbaum, an eighth grader at Cheder Lubavitch of Morristown, is humble and somewhat reserved. She’s been part of the Chidon Sefer Hamitzvos for the past two years, and thinks the Shabbaton is spectacular. “It’s like camp!” She says, “I get to meet new people and have a great time with friends.”

Last year, Rosie had to make a difficult choice: Kids of Courage, a non-profit organization that hosts trips for children with serious medical diagnoses, was having their annual ski trip Shabbaton the same time as Chidon. Rosie was invited to both, but decided on Chidon. “She worked so hard for this,” Rosie’s mother says. “She put herself into her learning and did not want to miss the Shabbaton.”

Thirty-five years ago the Rebbe started Mivtza Rambam with one goal: Every man, woman, and child would study Rambam daily. “We want to make the Rebbe’s vision a reality,” says Rabbi Shimmy Weinbaum, director of Chayolei Tzivos Hashem.

The Chidon sets the stage for children to learn all 613 mitzvos from fourth to eighth grade. Using the acclaimed, full-color Yahadus curriculum, chayolim learn all 14 of the Rambam’s seforim with examples that bring the mitzvos to life.

As this year’s Chidon registration gets into full swing, Rosie has already started studying with fervor. Every night she listens to the audio book and dedicates time to study. “I’m amazed at the amount of information my daughter has learned and retained in two years” Mrs. Grossbaum says.

Besides for her own commitment, Rosie has become a Chidon cheerleader of sorts, encouraging friends who are hesitant to join. A friend who lives in California asked Rosie—was all the hard work for Chidon worth it? “Of course!” Rosie told her, before promising to help her study. “Chidon isn’t easy, but if you set your mind to it, you can do it,” Rosie explains. That’s the mindset behind the study groups Rosie arranges for classmates, which are held in her home; where friends join over snacks and study material. They create trivia games on the information and test each others knowledge and progress.

Currently, there are 2,217 students registered for Chidon. But that number is not high enough. Last year, 1,674 chayolim participated in Chidon. “This year, we want double that—with 3,348 kids signed up by the time registration closes,” says Rabbi Weinbaum, who is never satisfied with previous accomplishments. With just nine days left, now’s the time. Sign up today at Chidon613.com.

Chidon is funded in part by a generous grant from Mr. George Rohr and dedicated in honor of his mother, Mrs. Sarah (Charlotte) Rohr.

COLlive.com is a proud media sponsor of the Chidon.

Participating Bases:

Girls:
Anash Kinder
Bais Chaya Mushka IA
Bais Chaya Mushka LA
Bais Chaya Mushka Toronto
Beis Chaya Mushka Crown Heights
Beis Rivkah Crown Heights
Beth Rivkah Montreal
Bnos Menachem Crown Heights
Chabad Hebrew Academy S. Diego
Chabad Youth Girls Melbourne, Australia
Chassidus Club New Haven
Cheder at the Ohel
Cheder Chabad Baltimore Maryland
Cheder Chabad of Monsey Girls
Cheder Chabad Philadelphia
Cheder Chabad Sydney, Australia
Cheder Lubavitch Arizona
Cheder Lubavitch Chicago Girls
Cheder Lubavitch Morristown Girls
Cheder Menachem NJ
Cheder Menachem Wilkes-barre
Hebrew Academy Margate Florida
Hebrew Academy of Tampa Bay
Hillel Academy
Kesser Torah College
Lamplighters Jewish Academy

Legacy Academy Los Angeles
Lubavitch Cheder Day School Minnesota
Lubavitch Educational Center Florida Girls
Lubavitch Girls London
Maimonides Hebrew Day School Albany
Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder
MyShliach

Southern CT Hebrew Academy

South Florida Jewish Academy
Ohr Temimim Buffalo, NY
Torah Academy South Africa
Torah Day School of Houston
Tzivos Hashem Long Beach and Orange County
Tzivos Hashem Vancouver
Yeshiva School Pittsburgh Girls

Boys:

Anash Kinder

Bais Chaya Mushka IA

Chabad Hebrew Academy S. Diego

Chabad Youth Boys Melbourne, Australia

Chassidus Club New Haven

Cheder at the Ohel

Cheder Chabad Baltimore Maryland

Cheder Chabad Monsey

Cheder Chabad Philadelphia

Cheder Chabad Sydney, Australia

Cheder Chabad Toronto

Cheder Lubavitch Arizona

Cheder Lubavitch Chicago Boys

Cheder Lubavitch Morristown Boys

Cheder Menachem LA

Cheder Menachem NJ

Cheder Menachem Wilkes-barre

Darchai Menachem Crown Heights

Hebrew Academy Margate Florida

Hebrew Academy of Tampa Bay

Hillel Academy

Kesser Torah College

Lamplighters Jewish Academy

Legacy Academy Los Angeles

Lubavitch Boys London

Lubavitch Cheder Day School Minnesota

Lubavitch Educational Center Florida Boys

Lubavitch Educational Center Mesivta

Lubavitcher Yeshiva, Crown Heights

Maimonides Hebrew Day School Albany

Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder

MyShliach

Southern CT Hebrew Academy

South Florida Jewish Academy

Oholei Torah Crown Heights

Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Crown Heights

Ohr Temimim Buffalo, NY

Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch – Ocean Parkway

Torah Academy South Africa

Torah Day School of Houston

Tzivos Hashem Long Beach and Orange County

Tzivos Hashem Vancouver

Yeshiva School Pittsburgh Boys