Young Shluchim who participate in MyShliach’s Ach Sheli “big brother” program met their mentors for a special program in Oholei Torah this past Thursday.
Ach Sheli pairs young shluchim around the globe with bochurim who give of their time once a week to learn, schmooze and farbreng with the boys, helping them maintain and strengthen Yiddish and Chassidishe values in their remote places of shlichus. There are currently over 350 boys and girls in the program.
As participants from around the globe traveled to Crown Heights for the Kinus Hashluchim they were offered a chance to meet their long-distance chavrusas face to face.
“The energy was incredible,” said Rabbi Mendel Lebovics, Ach Sheli coordinator. “The program has seen tremendous growth over the past year, for most of the boys here, they were meeting their mentor in person for the first time.”
“It was amazing to see the excitement on the kids’ faces,” Levi Moskowitz, a bochur in Oholei Torah who participates in MyShliach, said. “It would be even more amazing if we could do this more often!
Many of the “big brothers” themselves had participated in the program as young boys growing up on Shlichus, and they want to be able to share the same chayus and connection they felt with the newest generation of young shluchim.
As a bochur thinking about joining Ach Sheli, Mendy Rubinstein shared his thoughts. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to join the program and be a mentor, if I would have the time to spend, but after seeing the chayus in the zal with all of the chavrusos learning in the same place, I’m sure this is something I want to be a part of.”
Besides the boys coming to meet their Chavrusah, Some boys also came to meet and Learn with their virtual Yeshivas Erev class and Rebbi and learned in a classroom setting for the first time.
“it’s one thing for boys to learn over Zoom nightly and connect; it’s a whole other ballgame when the boys can come together as a class and learn with their Rebbi in person. It really is something special and important,” said Rabbi Yossi Elberg, the Yeshivas Erev program coordinator at Merkos 302.
MyShliach would like to express their hakoras hatov to the event coordinators and especially to the Hanholo of Oholei Torah for making this event possible. Thank you!
