Virtually every school agrees, there’s no one-size-fits-all in education. Most schools seem to specialize in a particular area pertaining to education.
There are many mesivtas that successfully guide their talmidim to high scholastic achievement year after year.
There are many schools that welcome students from a diverse array of backgrounds with a broad range of learning skills.
Many institutions tailor their educational programs to truly meet the individual needs of each student.
More than ever, schools and educators are focusing on the emotional development of each student, investing time and resources into the mental, social, and emotional wellbeing of their talmidim.
There’s even a growing list of yeshivas that empower talmidim to develop their personal non-scholastic interests, pursue extracurricular activities, and engage in regular physical activity and sports.
Many schools have incorporated several of these elements into the education they provide.
But there’s a very short list of schools that manage to synthesize all of these niches simultaneously.
Year after year, Yeshivas Ohr Eliyahu Lubavitch Mesivta of Chicago sets the standard as a mesivta that fine-tunes phenomenal Torah education to build happy, healthy, grounded, high-achieving temimim. Our outstanding educators commit their hearts and minds to assessing each student and adapting their classes to meet learning needs. If the Mesivta only admitted top students from rigorous Cheders, there wouldn’t be a need for much adaptation in the classroom. But this institution values more than the skills of students entering Shiur Aleph.
As a result, our melamdim are teaching students with a very broad range of learning skills. With tremendous care and thoughtful investment, our teachers bring every student up to speed, building their skillset and their confidence. At the same time, students with strong learning skills are challenged to grow, both in the classroom and through extra learning opportunities beyond the daily seder. The lifelong impact of these gifts cannot be overstated.
The Mesivta is uniquely proactive in its investment in the mental and emotional health of the talmidim. Mashpi’im and teachers stay close to their students, making themselves available for one-on-one guidance many hours every day. If a student doesn’t reach out, a mashpia follows up to reinforce his relationship with the student. When necessary, the Mesivta’s faculty connects students with professional therapeutic assistance outside of the school. The Mesivta goes the extra mile, ensuring that the cost of therapy does not prevent a talmid from accessing the help he needs. Our commitment to the mental and emotional health of every student – the whole student – is absolute.
Staff set a positive tone in the school, modeling the life of a true chossid through tangible passion for Torah and mitzvos, strong hiskashrus to the Rebbe, vibrant ahavas Yisroel, engaged community service, and middos tovos that naturally encourage the best in everyone who enters the school. Nigla and nister are not just subjects here: they are alive.
The Mesivta promotes the tremendous value of personal expression and physical health. Students are encouraged to join daily basketball games and trips to the local JCC swimming pool multiple times a week. The student recreation room is equipped with musical instruments, art materials, books, and board games and ping pong for students to enjoy and unwind.
After nearly three decades, the result is predictable: happy, whole, engaged talmidim. Year after year, our graduates return to the Mesivta to stop in and visit a teacher or catch up with a mashpia. With endorsements like these, we think we’re on to something.
Wholesome Learning for the Whole Talmid – Mesivta Charidy 5783 from Shmuel Wineberg on Vimeo.
Chicago Mesivta is a shining jewel in the crown of worldwide Lubavitch yeshivos. Keep up the great work!