Released Time Hosts End-of-Year Appreciation Lunch

The Jewish Released Time Program hosted an end-of-year appreciation lunch to honor and thank its dedicated instructors for their tireless efforts throughout the school year.

The Jewish Released Time Program hosted an end-of-year appreciation lunch to honor and thank its dedicated instructors for their tireless efforts throughout the school year. The event featured a delicious catered meal from Holesome Bagels and Sushi Spot, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the bochurim in attendance.

The lunch served as a meaningful culmination to the year’s efforts, providing an opportunity for bochurim to connect with one another and strategize for the future. “Boruch Hashem, we had a very successful year and it’s all thanks to the bochurim,” said Rabbi Yanky Hecht. “We reached and educated close to 1,000 children over the course of the year and expanded into 11 new public schools. This has been one of our most impactful years yet.”

Rabbi Shazak Zirkind, the program director, expressed heartfelt thanks to the instructors and inspired them to maintain and deepen the relationships they’ve built with both parents and students. “It’s not about seeing the results; it’s about doing the work,” he told them. While the program officially takes a break over the summer months, it also runs a special weekly Zoom program giving children who aren’t in Jewish camps the opportunity to stay connected to Yiddishkeit.

The instructors were also addressed by Rabbi Shimon Hecht and Rabbi Shloma Leib Abramowitz, members of the NCFJE executive committee. They praised and thanked the bochurim for their dedication on behalf of NCFJE, encouraging them to continue their important work with pride and passion.

In a special moment during the event, a raffle was held for a dollar received from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, at the request of Rabbi Sholem Ber Hecht, the program’s chairman, who is in need of a refuah shlaimah. The raffle was open to all instructors who were active throughout the year, and the lucky winner was instructor Shmully Fried from PS 993 in Queens.

The Jewish Released Time Program is the flagship initiative of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE), continuing to make a lasting impact on Jewish children and their families across New York City.