By COLlive reporter
Photos by Sholem Srugo
350 mechanchos from across North America gathered for the Gala Banquet at the 6th Annual Kinus Mechanchos Chabad held at the Crown Plaza in Stamford, had all the bells and whistles educators and teachers deserve.
The event kicked off with the elegant words of the Master of Ceremonies Shlucha Mrs. Zeesy Deren from Sinai Academy, Cape Town, South Africa.
Chairwoman Nami Friedman had uplifting words touching on the theme of the event Geulah in our times, launching a chavrusa program for teachers to continue learning from a beautiful Dvar Malchus sefer that was gifted to all.
Heartfelt greetings from Rabbi Zalman Shneur, founder and Executive Director of Menachem Educational Foundation (MEF) which organized the conference. The event was professional as it was elegant, with the mechanchos treated like queens, participants noted, thanking MEF team, led by Rabbi Shneur and Mrs. Chana Rose, for the uplifting program.
The guest speaker was Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gluckowsky, one of the Rebbe’s Shluchim to the holy land of Israel and Rov of the Chabad community in Rechovot.
He began his keynote address by sharing that he is not just speaking to 500 Mechanchos (joining in-person and on Zoom). “I am speaking to thousands of neshamos that are influenced by the people in this room!” he said, continuing to encourage and inspire the educators to carry on with their vital task.
Singers Mrs. Chaya-Bracha Rubin of Albany, NY and Mrs. Chavie Rappaport of Toronto, CA uplifted with their renditions of “Morah, My Dear Teacher” (based on Benny Friedman‘s tribute to a teacher) and Rivka Leah Popack‘s original “Ani Maamin.”
A surprise appearance by a former student honored local Shlucha and veteran educator Mrs. Vivi Deren on the occasion of her 70th birthday.
The banquet, which was produced by Alyson Feldman of FFH Events, catered by Bentzion Turk of Turk Caterers and Sound by Dovi Abrahams of Zikron Digital created a flawless evening, moving teachers to linger and farbreng with speakers and with one another until midnight and beyond.
VIDEO: The live broadcast of the banquet on COLlive.com
Thank you MEF for bringing Rabbi Chaiton to come give a session. It was the most incredible chinuch talk I have heard in over 30 years of being in this field.
Please be smarter next year and get him to stay the whole Kinus so that so many of us can learn his technique!!
The entire event was spectacular.
The banquet, video, food, extra touches were phenomenal.
Thank you to all organizers
We are so blessed to have such a dynamic and empowering organization of our very own. Thank you to all of MEF for another amazing kinus!