Couple’s Work Becomes Global

By COLlive reporter

“Mommy, did the Chitas come yet? I want to do Chitas!”

That’s not an unusual phrase to hear in one of the tens of households signed up to receive a daily Chitas email and printable coloring booklet. Some families sit down and learn it, others discuss it at the supper table, and some kids just color the pictures. However they do it, the end result is the same – kids are getting excited about doing Chitas.

“It gets my kids into Chitas without any nudging whatsoever,” says Rochel, a Shlucha in Europe.

Rabbi Mendel and Nechama Dina Hecht, the founders, agree. “Our kids, even the babies, see Chitas as a special treat.”

And it’s not just kids. Adults are also enjoying a new chayus in Chitas, as the simple summaries make the Chitas accessible and interesting. In fact, that’s the tagline at the top of every email – “Chitas for Kids (and adults too).”

As one shlucha put it, “My daughter looks forward to learning it with me all day, and I must say, I’m loving it too!”

The “Chitas for Kids” consists of two parts – summaries of each part of Chitas, written in a way that kids can understand, and printable coloring booklets, complete with captions (in Yiddish) for the children to color and follow along. These are emailed (almost) every night to a growing mailing list of over 300.

The Hechts, co-directors of Chabad of Franklin County in Greenfield, MA, says they prepare the next day’s booklet only the night before. “Sometimes it gets very late and one of us has to wake up early. We feel bad for the people in other countries, so we usually will better send it very very late than to wait until the morning!”

Who is paying for this? “Nobody, yet,” they said.

“We originally started this for our own kids, and nobody pays you for things you do for your own children! Now that it has become its own project, we are starting to look for sponsors so that we can get what we need to spend so much time on it.”

A number of schools have joined as well, making Chitas a welcome part of the curriculum. Classes from 1st to 4th grade across America and in other countries now learn Chitas.

Rabbi Hecht emphasizes that there is no one too young to learn Chitas. “Remember that if they are excited about Chitas now, they’ll be excited when they’re older too.”

Now in its sixth month, the Chitas for Kids has until now only been mentioned on the Shluchim email forums and spread via word of mouth. In honor of Yud-Alef Nissan, the wider public is invited to subscribe as well.

The basic subscriptions is free, but many choose to express appreciation, and give their children an added chayus, by sponsoring a day in honor of a child’s birthday.

“More people learning Chitas is a wonderful present for the Rebbe’s birthday,” says Rabbi Hecht.

Learn more and subscribe at KidsChitas.org