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Education and Sharing Day: Focus on Kindness and Emotional Balance
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Education means more than just accumulating knowledge. It’s about shaping individuals who live with purpose, act with integrity, and bring light into the world through acts of goodness and kindness. This is the message behind Education and Sharing Day, proclaimed this year on April 9, 2025, by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, the Alaska state legislators, and community leaders including Mayors Edna DeVries (Mat-Su Borough), Glenda Ledford (Wasilla), Steve Carrington (Palmer), Carter Cole (Houston), and Mat-Su Borough School Board President Kathy McCollum. Education and Sharing Day honors the 123rd birthday of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson—widely regarded as the most influential Jewish leader in modern history and the most revered American Jewish sage—whose ongoing leadership and guidance continue to inspire people of all backgrounds to live morally upright lives and to pursue the betterment of society through meaningful education and acts of kindness. The Rebbe emphasizes that education should not only prepare students for a career— but also develop their character, sense of responsibility, and commitment to the greater good. To bring this day’s message to life in the Mat-Su Valley, the Mat-Su Jewish Center Chabad, in partnership with MyHouse, REACH 907, The Children’s Place Alaska, and Friends of the Wasilla Public Library, is hosting a free, community-wide event on Tuesday, May 6, 2025: “Finding Emotional Balance in an Unbalanced World” Book Signing, Lecture
& Dinner at Wasilla Public Library | Doors open at 5:00 PM | Program begins at 5:30 PM. The evening will feature a lecture and book signing by Rabbi Levi Shmotkin, author of Letters for Life, a collection of wisdom drawn from more than 20,000 personal letters written by the Rebbe. These letters offer profound yet practical guidance for navigating life’s challenges and building emotional resilience in an often chaotic world. The event includes a complimentary buffet dinner, with dairy-free, gluten-free, and kid-friendly options, as well as a children’s program featuring a ventriloquist show, face painting, and balloon artist— making it a meaningful and fun evening for the whole family. This special event is free and open to the public. Learn more and RSVP: matsujewishcenter.org/letters The message of Education and Sharing Day is already taking root in Mat-Su schools. A few years ago, the Mat-Su Borough School Board implemented a policy that all public schools begin their day with 60 seconds of silent reflection. This moment offers students an opportunity to pause, think, and ground themselves before the day begins.
Parents are encouraged to discuss with their children how to make that minute meaningful. A moment of gratitude, a quiet prayer, or simply setting a goal for kindness can transform not only the student’s mindset but the environment around them. The Rebbe teaches that it’s crucial every child should know they are watched over by an Eye that sees and an Ear that hears—the creator of the universe that cares about each person’s thoughts, words, and actions. This gives children a sense of personal responsibility and the comfort of knowing they are never alone. One of the Rebbe’s most powerful educational campaigns was a global initiative to instill the habit of giving. He encourages placing a charity box in every home and classroom, and making it a daily routine—even for young children— to give a small coin to help someone else. The amount doesn’t matter; what matters is the act. By making giving a habit, children become “givers” not just in name but in character. They exercise their kindness muscles and become more compassionate and empathetic people as a result. This year marks 75 years of the Rebbe’s leadership, and his vision is more alive than ever—inspiring countless people in every corner of the globe to make the world a better place and prepare for the ultimate redemption through the coming of Moshiach. Education and Sharing Day reminds us that we each have the power to raise the moral bar of society—through how we speak, how we act, and what we teach our children. As we celebrate together, let us recommit to the Rebbe’s call: to live with purpose, teach values, and fill the world with more goodness and kindness, one act at a time.