Atlanta’s Sunday Secret to Raising Chassidishe Children

While thousands of Atlanta children are enjoying their day off, 120 Lubavitch boys and girls make their way to the Chaya Mushka Chabad Academy building every Sunday morning for a special Cheder program built around their Chabad heritage and Chassidishe themes.

The program was established nine years ago by Mrs. Shoshi Levin, who ran the program for 7 years before moving out of state, and Mrs. Shifra Sharfstein, who now runs the Tzivos Hashem department.

As Mrs. Levin prepared to move, there were doubts as to how the program would be able to continue without her leadership. A group of parents who saw how valuable it was to the community came together to form a committee and hire a new director.

“It’s like a Hebrew school, but for Anash kids,” Mrs. Bracha Slavaticki, who runs the program, told Anash.org. “They’re learning, but through a lot of stories, games, activities, and prizes.”

The Sunday morning program is meant to expand on what the children are introduced to during the week. The children go in depth into the lives of the Rabbeim and focus on the Chassidishe Yom Tovim and the Rebbe’s inyanim, including Tzivos Hashem and the 12 Pesukim.

There are 10 classes, 5 in the girls’ program and 5 in the boys’. The program runs on Sunday mornings, and every week begins the same way: the children recite the 12 Pesukim, then sit down to eat breakfast and watch a video of the Rebbe.

Throughout the day, the learning is woven together with interactive activities and an endless supply of stories. A few times a year, the Cheder holds a farbrengen, with the boys and girls gathering in separate rooms to celebrate an upcoming Chassidishe yom tov or to highlight an important theme.

The oldest girls’ class, dubbed ‘Chayenu Club’, is structured like a Bas Mitzvah Club, but centered around concepts in Chassidus. This year, they are learning the “Chassidishe Aleph Beis,” with a new concept connected to one of the letters of the Aleph Beis introduced each week.

“They learn about it, and then they have a workshop that’s connected to that topic, where they create something magnificent or learn a new skill,” Mrs. Slavaticki said.

The staff is made up of a dedicated team that includes shluchim and shluchos, members of the community, and bochurim and girls who work for various mosdos in Atlanta. The men and bochurim teach the boys, and the women teach the girls.

“The purpose is to have a few hours a week where they’re fully immersed in a fun, cheder-like environment,” Mrs. Slavaticki said. “To that end, the feedback has been great. The children are brimming with excitement when they arrive each week, and the parents are all smiles, too!”

To sponsor a Cheder day or a farbrengen, visit https://form.jotform.com/chederchabadofatlanta/day-of-learning.