5918 —הרחבת גן הילדים עד גיל בית הספר, שלא יאבדו הילדים וההשפעה על ההורים

B"H, 11th of Kislev, 5718

Brooklyn.

Brachah v'Shalom!

We acknowledge your letter of the 27th of Cheshvan, which has just been received. It is surprising that until now you have not written about your work in the field of education, especially as you are apparently seeing fruit from your labor.

As for what you write, that when the children you teach reach a certain age they move on to another kindergarten, which is secular^[1]: it would be proper for you to draw the attention^[2] of the people who run the institution in which you serve to this. Through it not only are the children lost, but also, to a considerable degree, the influence on the parents; and this is harmful also from the organization's point of view, besides the main thing, the religious matter^[3]. Surely it can easily be arranged for your institution to suit five-year-olds too, and in general children up to the age at which they enter regular school^[4]. A year at so tender an age is an important achievement for the child, besides the fact that through it^[5] one influences the parents for another year.

Surely the Nshei Chabad in your area will use the days of the month of Kislev in general, and the days of Yud and Yud-Tes Kislev^[6] in particular, to develop their work; and I hope that you too are among those active in this. "Whoever does more is praiseworthy"^[7], especially in a matter that concerns the public.

With blessing for good news^[8] in all the above, and also in your personal affairs.

Notes

1. Secular (חפשי): Literally "free", i.e. not religious.

2. Draw the attention … to this (שתעורר ע"ז): ע"ז — על זה.

3. Harmful also from the organization's point of view, besides … the religious matter (מזיק גם מנקודת מבט מפלגתי נוסף על העיקר - ענין הדתי): That is: when the children move to another kindergarten, not only are they themselves lost to religious education, but the influence on their parents also stops. This harms the institution and the stream to which it belongs ("from a party point of view"), in addition to the main thing, the religious harm.

4. School (בי"ס): בית ספר.

5. Through it (עי"ז): על ידי זה.

6. Yud and Yud-Tes Kislev (יו"ד וי"ט כסלו): Yud Kislev — the day of the Mitteler Rebbe's release from imprisonment (Hayom Yom, 10 Kislev); Yud-Tes Kislev — the day of the Alter Rebbe's release, "the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus" (Hayom Yom, 19 Kislev).

7. "Whoever does more is praiseworthy" (וכל המרבה ה"ז משובח): After the wording of the Pesach Haggadah: "and whoever tells at length of the Exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy." ה"ז — הרי זה.

8. Good news (בשו"ט): בשורות טובות.

Summary

The Rebbe asks a kindergarten teacher why she has not written about her educational work, and advises that her institution extend its classes to five-year-olds and up to school age, so that the children do not move to a secular kindergarten and the influence on their parents is not lost. He hopes she will take part in the Nshei Chabad activities of Kislev, Yud and Yud-Tes Kislev.