As a new school year gets underway in this Hakhel year, administrators, principals, and teachers are working feverishly to provide in-school programming that reflects the unique spirit of the year. In what is perhaps the single most appropriate fit for such an effort, the folks at Connection Point have rolled out a full lineup of events to virtually reenact the original Hakhel in the Beis Hamikdash: Bringing everyone—children included—to personally hear Torah from the king himself.
“From its inception, Connection Point has always been founded on a simple and powerful principle: bring children to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe will do the rest,” said Rabbi Elkana Shmotkin, CEO of JEM Media under whose umbrella Connection Point operates in collaboration with Tzivos Hashem. “It’s been proven time and again that yes, indeed, Hiskashrus grows organically from there.”
Rather than expending boatloads of time, energy, and other resources into coming up with innovative ways to create a feeling of Hiskashrus, the success of Connection Point has proven that simply bringing children straight to the source will foster that inimitable bond. The thoughtful prompts, questions, pre-program, and post-program—along with many other resources that come with a full Connection Point package—do wonders in making the Rebbe’s words accessible and relatable to even the youngest of audiences.
As this Hakhel year unfolds, the poignancy of Connection Point is only amplified. “The Rebbe often stressed the beauty and power of Hakhel,” said Levi Plotkin of Connection Point, “how it was all about coming in person and hearing the Torah being read from the king together with so many other people. When tens of schools come together and watch a video of the Rebbe at a rally talking directly to them, it’s a literal embodiment of the Hakhel of old.”
Seeing the wild success of its flagship program, the staff at Connection Point recently unveiled their junior program which caters to its youngest audience yet—second to fourth grade.
“It’s remarkable to see how even the youngest child can connect with the Rebbe personally,” said Rabbi Levi Milecki, principal of Kesser Torah College “Looking at their young eyes and hearts fill with such chassidish varmkeit as they watch the dollars, niggunim, and farbrengens is nothing short of inspirational.”
Indeed, the junior program adheres to the Connection Point ethos of living instead of lollipops; experiencing instead of earning. Through a carefully designed media experience, children are given the opportunity to be with the Rebbe at an age-appropriate level, living through the experience of receiving dollars, hearing the Rebbe daven, and other such relatable moments.
For this Hakhel year, in addition to the now incredibly popular regular program, additional programs have been created for four Yoma Depagra’s, including a dedicated program for Hakhel, bringing the Rebbe’s words about this important topic straight into the classrooms and lunchrooms of all Lubavitch schools.
“Connection Point has transformed the way our students think and speak about the Rebbe and their entire chassidishkeit,” said Rabbi Gurary of MMSC Day School “We’re eager to introduce even more programming into our school for this Hakhel year, and IYH, witness the beautiful brachos that it brings.”
To sign up for Connection Point, please contact tkievman@jemedia.org
Connection Point is a project of Jem in collaboration with Tzivos Hashem
Connection Point 5783 is made possible by
Yossi & Nechama Dina Katz and Family
Participating schools and high schools:
Classic:
Cheder Chabad New Haven Boys- New Haven, CT
Oholei Torah Grades 6-7 – Brooklyn, NY
CHA Boys – San Diego, CA
CHA Girls – San Diego, CA
Darchai Menachem – Brooklyn, NY
Cheder Chabad Florida Boys – Delray Beach, FL
CLHDS Boys – Skokie, IL
Mechina Oholei Torah 8th grade – Brooklyn, NY
Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch – Brooklyn, NY
Sacramento Jewish Academy – Granite Bay, CA
Lamplighters Jewish Academy Boys – Oxnard, CA
Cheder Menachem of Kingston Boys – Wilkes Barre, PA
ULY Crown Heights grades 7-8 – Brooklyn, NY
Shluchim Online School boys – Global
Cheder Menachem Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA
Oholei Torah 5th Grade – Brooklyn, NY
Torah Academy Boys – Johannesburg, South Africa
YTTL Montreal – Montreal, Canada
Cheder Chabad of Monsey Boys – Monsey, NY
Oholei Yosef Yitzchok – Brooklyn, NY
Cheder at the Ohel – Valley Stream, NY
MMSC Day School Boys – Seattle, WA
MMSC Day School Girls – Seattle, WA
Cheder Chabad New Haven Girls – New Haven, CT
Cheder Chabad Florida Girls- Delray Beach, FL
Cheder Menachem NJ – North Brunswick NJ
Lamplighters Jewish Academy Girls – Oxnard, CA
Cheder Menachem of Kingston Girls – Wilkes Barre, PA
Bais Chaya Mushka Toronto – Toronto, ON
Bais Rebbe Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA
Torah Academy Girls High School – Johannesburg, SA
Bais Rivkah Elementary – Brooklyn, NY
Bnos menachem – Brooklyn, NY
Shluchim Online School Girls – Global
Lubavitch Educational Center – Miami, FL
Beth Rivkah Montreal – Montreal, Quebec
Cheder Chabad Baltimore Girls – Baltimore, MD
Lubavitch Hebrew Academy Boys – Margate, FL
Junior:
Cheder Chabad New Haven – New Haven, CT
Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch – Brooklyn, NY
Cheder Menachem Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA
Cheder Menachem of Kingston – Wilkes Barre, PA
Shluchim Online School – Boys – Global
Lubavitch Cheder Day School – Saint Paul, MN
Kesser Torah College Boys – Sydney, Australia
Kesser Torah College Girls – Sydney, Australia
High:
Lamplighters Jewish Academy – Oxnard, CA
Ohel Chana High School – Los Angeles, CA
Bais Chomesh High School – Toronto, ON
Bnos Menachem – Brooklyn, NY
Beis Chana Miami – Miami, FL
Beth Rivkah Montreal – Montreal, Quebec
Rohr Bais Chaya Academy – Tamarac, FL
