New Agricultural Cheder for Pre-Bar Mitzvah Boys Opens in Rural Pennsylvania

A groundbreaking cheder class for pre-bar mitzvah boys, true to Chabad history and tradition, is opening in rural Pennsylvania. Cheder Menachem of Mount Pleasant is to become North America’s first-ever Cheder farm school program

Talk about getting down to earth.

No Chabad parent today needs convincing that our standard yeshivos and chadarim are not for every single boy. 

Some need something else—and, Boruch Hashem, for most of our boys, there is something else: Nowadays, there’s no shortage of excellent “alternative” yeshivos, mesivtos, programs and curricula for boys who “don’t fit the mold.”

But what about 12-year-old “pre-Bar Mitzvah” bochurim who aren’t “at risk” but who need a reboot before heading into our standard mainstream mesivta system?

Isn’t there any program out there for good kids—who love Torah, Yiddishkeit and Chasidus but who just can’t sit through a regular full-day seder—who just need that healthy reset to prep them for their future as mainstream Lubavitcher bochurim and ultimately, Chasidishe yungerleit and baalei batim?

There is now.  Introducing Cheder Menachem of Mount Pleasant.

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Attending a recent chinuch conference in Crown Heights, Cheder Menachem co-founder Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Smith was delightfully astonished by how much positive feedback he received from veteran educators for the “cheder farm” educational model and that this option can keep young bochurim firmly centered in Chabad. This is especially because Cheder Menachem grounds the bochur in his Bar Mitzvah year. 

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Cheder Menachem of Mount Pleasant is a pre-Mesivta dorm program for 12-year-old boys that combines morning sedarim of Tefilah and Torah with afternoons working on a farm.  As the Rebbe guides, the majority of the day will be Tefillah and Torah learning.

The program is inspired by the Rebbe’s vision for engaging the bochurim who cannot sit the entire day in Torah learning in fascinating life-skills activities in the afternoon.  This fits well with our rich and time-honored Chabad heritage of the greatest Chasidim who combined Torah, Avoidas Hashem and hands-on activities with the recognition that for some men, hands-on activities are the way they come to better serve the Aibishter in whatever they ultimately do, be that shliach, rov, mechanech or working man.

In a powerful and lengthy letter written the 10^th of Menachem Av, 5712, by the Rebbe to the leadership of Kfar Chabad, the Rebbe urges: 

“I have already written to the leadership of Agudas Chabad about the greater urgency in the matter of building 1) a trade school and 2) for newly-arrived farming youth… Especially since we can hope for [teaching] a source of livelihood through this, as well from the agricultural school, for a great many families.”

“Our goal is to start this right as the talmid is approaching manhood in his Bar Mitzvah year,” explains Rabbi Smith. “Nurturing, encouraging and growing the bodies, minds and souls of every bochur, at every level from the ground up, is historically the very mainstream of Chasidus Chabad. Our talmid is not a second-class Chosid: All our Rebbeim have made it very clear that he is the very definition of a Chosid.”

Located on a serene 70-acre farm with a 13-acre pond, Cheder Menachem offers a unique blend of Chabad-true academics and practical learning. Mornings begin with davening and Torah study to build that all-important strong spiritual foundation, and afternoons are centered on skill- and self-building activities like farming, animal care, light construction, and machine shop work.  EEach afternoon offers recreational activities including kayaking, soccer, and trips to local attractions, and each day ends with Maariv, Krias Shema, and a set bedtime to recharge for yet another productive, satisfying and nourishing day.

“A father called me and said, ‘My son is very smart, can’t sit in class all day, and loves to build things,’” Rabbi Smith concludes. “I responded, ‘So your son is normal!’”

In an era where finding the right educational environment for our children is more critical than ever, Cheder Menachem stands as a beacon of Chabad Chassidic values, integrating both profound spiritual teachings and practical skills. Guided by the Rebbe’s visionary directives, Cheder Menachem is dedicated to providing a nurturing space where your son can experience the joy of life, mitzvos, and Torah learning in a truly meaningful way.

Register now!  Space is limited.  To register or for more information, contact Cheder Menachem of Mount Pleasant now at 201-250-5385 or [email protected].  You can also visit www.ChederMenachemMP.org.