As the school year begins, an exciting project launches: the return of a beloved Talks and Tales youth magazine column, first illustrated in the Rebbe’s yechidus room. The Rebbe’s handpicked messages for children are now shared again with vibrant, full-color illustrations that bring the lessons to life.

By Anash.org reporter

As the new school year begins, an exciting and special project is being launched: the return of a beloved column from the Talks and Tales youth magazine, first illustrated in the Rebbe’s yechidus room (!). The Rebbe’s handpicked messages for children are now being shared once again – this time with vibrant, full-color illustrations that make the lessons come alive.

One of the very first directives given by the Frierdiker Rebbe to the Rebbe upon his arrival in the United States was to breathe new life into Jewish children’s education with special emphasis on various publications that would help instill the foundations of traditional chinuch.

Among the projects initiated by the Rebbe was the launch of the monthly magazine talks and tales (in Yiddish, Shmuessen mit Kinder un Yugend). In its early years, nearly every issue introduced a new feature, and in Teves 5705, a new column titled Vunder Vinkel appeared, under the bilingual headline Mah Nishtanah – Curiosity Corner, illustrated by Michel Schwartz.

According to Schwartz, who at the time was not yet 20 years old, the process initially worked as follows: Rabbi Nissan Mindel, the Rebbe’s secretary, would pass along to him the ideas that needed illustration and then return his sketches with the Rebbe’s comments and notes. However, soon after, a decision was made that it would be far more effective if Schwartz himself entered the Rebbe’s room. From then on, he would go in twice a month, receiving the Rebbe’s personal guidance and feedback on every detail of the illustrations.

Thus, the uniqueness of this column lay not only in its content but also in its creation: it was literally produced inside the Rebbe’s room (!), with Schwartz sitting there twice a month and receiving the Rebbe’s direct and precise instructions on every aspect of the drawings – conceptually, visually, and educationally. These were not mere illustrations, but finely tuned educational tools, crafted from the ground up under the Rebbe’s guidance for tens of thousands of Jewish children.

Eighty years later, these unique illustrations have now been artistically restored in full color, bringing them closer to today’s children and enabling parents and educators to use them in daily life.

For each month of the year, more than 30 illustrations were published over time. This makes it possible to focus on one drawing each day, devoting the proper attention to its message in a way that excites children and draws them closer to the educational themes personally chosen by the Rebbe.

With the new school year beginning, below are the newly restored illustrations for the month of Elul.

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To download the publication for Elul, click here.