The vibrant streets of Barcelona were filled with laughter and excitement as 75 young Shluchim and Shluchos arrived from 20+ countries for the MyShliach Chidon Retreat, organized by MyShliach at Merkos 302. Doubling in size this year, the parallel camps for boys and girls were a reward for their efforts as champions of the Chidon.
Chabad of Barcelona, headed by Rabbi Dovid and Nechama Liebersohn, played host to the camp for the second year in a row, with Rabbi Berel Faiden of MyShliach at Merkos 302 directing the program. The number of participants doubled this year, underscoring the dedication of the young Shluchim.
The young scholars who dedicated countless hours to deserve this trip by studying for their chidon tests, wasted no time immersing themselves in the action-packed schedule. For the girls, the program started with a scrumptious schnitzel lunch before they headed to the Bounce House trampoline park. Afterward, they visited an ice cream store for gelato and embarked on a guided tour of Barcelona city. The day reached its climax with a master chef night activity at Chabad. An uplifting farbrengen followed to top off the day.
The boys started with a fascinating tour of Barcelona’s historic Jewish quarter, where they dived deep into the area’s rich history. It was a memorable moment when, standing in the square of the old city—a spot where Jews once cried as they were burned at the stake—the boys broke out in spirited song. Their choice was Ani Ma’amin, the song of Bitachon, with a prayer for the ultimate redemption. The program continued with a picturesque sunset cruise and energetic farbrengen. An unexpected visit to a trampoline park and an ice cream store rounded out their day.
The following day, both groups loaded onto their respective buses and headed for the Port Aventura amusement park, where they spent the day riding roller coasters and enjoying the many attractions. A unique tanya-ba’al-peh program was to accompany them for the ride, and every child who studied the entirety of Perek 32 by heart received a special prize. To end the day off, the staff and campers sat around the table for a farbrengen, encouraging each other in their respective shlichus and reveling in the camaraderie.
As the three whirlwind days neared their close, each camp settled down for a grand banquet, celebrating their unique role as Shluchim. “These children aren’t just our future,” said Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Chairman of MyShliach and Vice Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch. “They are our most potent current leaders. Back in their respective locations, they each have an outsized impact.”
As they cemented their new friendships and took on hachlatos, the young shluchim parted ways, leaving with many happy memories. But a sequel has already begun taking shape. As Mrs. Ita Wolf put it, “Mendy returned to Helsinki filled with joy; he loved every moment! It’s a real treat for him to be with fellow young shluchim boys like himself. And now he’s on to studying next year’s chidon book.”
The MyShliach Chidon Retreat Europe was made possible by:
Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos and Chairman of MyShliach.
Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302
Rabbi Mendy Shanowitz, Director of MyShliach at Merkos 302
Chidon Coordinator, Rabbi Moshie Shapiro
Boys Trip Coordinator
Berel Faiden
Boy’s Counselors
Sholom Lebovics
Levi Uminer
Moshe Levy
Yisroel Faiden
Avremi Visfishe
Girls Coordinator
Mendel And Mushkie Lebovics
Girls Head Counselor
Mushkie Lebovics
Girls Counselors
Chaya Faiden
Chana Deren & Rochel Faiden
Chayale Tennenhaus
Aydel Lebovics
hope you all had a wonderful time