For the Youngest Female Emissaries, a Program of Their Own

Have you heard about the conference for girls, ages 8 to 14, who hail from six different continents and converge in New York for a few jam-packed days of learning and socializing in the midst of wintertime?

They’re all set to come this week to the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., with their mothers, aunts, cousins and grandmothers, who will be attending the International Conference of Chabad Women Emissaries (Kinus Hashluchos) from Thursday, Jan. 28, to Sunday, Jan. 31.

Less widely known is the parallel convention for the younger set, where the budding young emissaries enjoy their own full schedule of activities, excursions, learning sessions, workshops and, perhaps most importantly, social time with friends, old and new.

The Kinus (Hebrew for “conference”) for Young Shluchos began in 1995 with 30 children in attendance. Each year, it has grown substantially; this year, nearly 800 girls and 200 staff members are expected to participate, with girls coming from as far as Cambodia, Thailand and Australia. The children anticipate this event for months in advance; for some, it represents an annual opportunity to share experiences with others whose lives mirror their own.

This year’s theme is to increase ahavat Yisrael and achdut Yisrael—a focus on love of the Jewish people, and on being kind and looking out for one another. As a continuation of the theme, each girl will pick a “buddy” this weekend to keep in touch with throughout the year.

And in the spirit of the Hakhel year, a highlight of the conference will be a children’s rally on Friday at the Ohel—the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—in Queens, N.Y. It will be broadcasted live, uniting people from all over the world. Schools worldwide will join the webcast, as well as mothers and daughters who were unable make it to New York for this year’s convention.

‘Inspired and Proud’

Take the Schmerling sisters: Nechama, 11, and Mushka, 10. The girls assist their parents, Rabbi Sholom Ber and Chaya Rivka Schmerling, co-directors of Chabad of Venice & North Port on Florida’s West Coast. The area has a significant population of retirees, and while the six Schmerling children appreciate having so many grandparental types around, they also crave the company of younger people. They get this dose of companionship at the Kinus.

Nechama and Mushka have been attending the Kinus for a few years now. This year, their 6-year-old sister, Yocheved, will be joining them in New York. Although she is too young to attend the official girls’ program, she is coming along “just for fun,” according to their mother, so that she, too, can experience the excitement in Crown Heights.

As to why she makes an effort to bring the girls each year, Chaya Rivka Schmerling says: “My husband and I don’t look at the Kinus as optional. For our children, it is a must. They need to socialize with other children; they need to be immersed in an environment where they become inspired and proud of their shlichus, and the Kinus accomplishes that on so many levels. They make new friends, spend time with family, get to visit kosher eateries, and, of course, eat ice-cream, even in the freezing-cold winter. And they also get to meet their online school friends, some for the first time.”

The Schmerling children, along with more than 1,000 other Chassidic children around the world, attend the Nigri Shluchim Online School, an online virtual school provided by the Shluchim Office for Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in remote areas with no local Jewish-schooling options.

The office was established in 1986 following the request of the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—that a central organization be set up to assist the global network of Chabad emissaries and their families. The Kinus for Young Shluchos is a project of the Shluchim Office—another way to help shluchim and their families.

When asked what the Kinus means to her in one word, Nechama Schmerling responded with: “reconnecting.” Because, she says, “when I go back home, I feel reconnected with the Rebbe and my fellow shluchos.”

Rochele Liberow, all of 10, has been traveling from her home in Barranquilla, Colombia, to attend the Kinus for four years now. For Rochele, going there is about seeing her 12 online schoolmates, as well her older sisters and their children, who live in North America.

“All year, I look forward to seeing my classmates and camp friends at the Kinus who I don’t see for months on end. And being able to pick my bunkmates ensures that I’ll have quality time with those I miss most,” explains Rochele on the phone during her lunch break from online school.

Two New Initiatives in the Works

In addition to programs for the younger girls in Crown Heights, this year a special “Pioneer Program” for seventh- and eighth-graders was introduced, to be hosted by Chabad of Great Neck on Long Island, N.Y. It will feature special workshops and farbrengens geared to the preteens, many of whom have participated in the conference for as many as six years already.

Like Chava Freundlich from Beijing, China. “I am so excited for this weekend; I know it’s going to be so much fun! I feel special to be among the first to have this opportunity, and I can’t wait to spend Shabbat together with all of my friends,” she says.

Another new initiative this year is an exclusive program for Hebrew-speakers. While girls from Israel have been participating in the conference from the very beginning, this new development will allow them to converse in their mother tongue. According to organizers, it has already attracted more girls from across oceans to join the conference this year.

Simi Shemtov, coordinator of the Young Shluchos Conference, points out that there is an excellent lineup of staff this year, “most of whom are shluchos themselves and have been to Kinus for many years. They are uniquely positioned to connect with and relate to the girls. It is amazing to see what can be accomplished in just 72 hours.”

“The girls come to the Kinus for a reason,” she continues, “and we work our hardest to give them what they need to go back home rejuvenated.”