Close to 100 educators gathered in Crown Heights to soak up chinuch inspiration at Igud Hamelamdim’s annual chinuch farbrengen with Morristown mashpia Rabbi Efraim Piekarsky.
It has become a yearly highlight for many teachers: several months into the school year, mechanchim gather for a Yud Shvat farbrengen in Crown Heights. The evening, one of many throughout the year that are organized by Igud Hamelamdim, is an opportunity to recharge and be uplifted together with fellow educators.
Close to 100 mechanchim from Crown Heights, as well as guests abroad and many online participants, came together in a spirit of achdus.
At a catered seuda, the melamdim heard words of inspiration from beloved Morristown mashpia R’ Efraim Piekarski. Rabbi Piekarski enthralled the crowd with animated chinuch messages intertwined with stories of chassidim and inspirational anecdotes – all with his characteristic lively humor.
Throughout the 3-hour farbrengen, Rabbi Piekarsky shared many chinuch insights. He brought out how chinuch is twofold – chinuch atzmoi and chinuch zulusoi – and only one who engages in improving himself can have a real impact on others. He also empowered the mechanchim reminding them that “the children’s whole Eibishter depends on the mechanech” and that “students get more from who you are than anything else.” He expounded upon the importance of chinuch that is full of freilichkeit, varemkeit, and emeskeit.
Rabbi Avrohom Bluming, director of Igud Hamelamdim, shared the concept behind these farbrengens. “We source a broad range of renowned, high-level mechanchim and mashpiim from far and near, to farbreng and share their insight and uplift our mechanchim.”
Each farbrengen delivers invaluable lessons to help teachers improve their hadracha and provides a surge of inspiration to warm and fuel their motivation until the next gathering. “A mechanchim farbengen uplifts not only the teachers,” Rabbi Bluming shares, “but through them, their students.”
The mechanchim enjoyed it immensely and the feedback was incredible. They left warmed, moved and uplifted, and as one teacher commented “it is these farbrengens that keep us energized throughout the long winter months.”
Photos: Shalom Ross
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