6,000 Kids Joined CKids’ All-Star Opening Day

Thunderstix in hand, children made an All-Star Walkout as the sound of the shofar filled the room. The entrance had the excitement of a sports arena, with a Rosh Hashanah message about starting a new year, setting goals, and making good choices.

Leading up to Rosh Hashanah, more than 6,000 Jewish children at over 200 Chabad centers around the world took part in Rosh Hashanah Opening Day, a sports-themed pre-Rosh Hashanah experience developed and supplied by CKids International, a program of Merkos 302.

The idea was simple. Take something children already know and love, sports, and use it to teach the mitzvos and lessons of Rosh Hashanah. The program was designed to give Shluchim a ready-to-run experience that could attract children and families while keeping the focus on meaningful Jewish content.

Children customized sports caps before stepping up for the “Opening Pitch.” They explored the “Rosh Hashanah Hall of Fame” and competed in the “Simanim Playoffs,” learning the meaning behind the special foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah.

At the “Challah Pro Shop,” children customized their own round challahs. Then came the “Official Team Draft.” Instead of selecting athletes, each child chose a personal resolution for the new year and thought about how they wanted to grow.

Parents were impressed by the way familiar Rosh Hashanah Mitzvos and traditions were presented through a sports experience their children could easily relate to.

One Shlucha summed up the experience as “such a good mix of toichen, innovation, and a good time for kids.”

Throughout the program, each sports activity connected back to a Rosh Hashanah tradition, idea, or action. CKids developed the program to give Shluchim the tools to create something children would be excited to attend without losing the Jewish content at its center.

The program ended with the All-Star Walkout. Children grabbed their Thunderstix and made an energetic team entrance to the sound of the shofar.

The message behind it was that Rosh Hashanah is each child’s own Opening Day. It is a chance to begin again, choose a personal resolution, and decide how they want to grow in the coming year.

For many families, it was a fresh and exciting way to experience Rosh Hashanah. For Shluchim, the program gave them another way to bring children and families into Chabad, strengthen their connection to Yiddishkeit, and encourage them to return.

With over 6,000 children taking part in over 200 communities, the program also showed what ready-to-run programming can give Shluchim. They received a full experience built around something children already understand and enjoy, while using it to teach the ideas and Mitzvos of Rosh Hashanah.