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Shmotkin shares Rebbe wisdom BY DAVID SAFFER
Bestselling author Rabbi Levi Y. Shmotkin concludes a global book tour about mental health in Belgravia, London over Shabbat.
Rabbi Levi Y. Shmotkin
PHOTO: YOUTUBE
Shmotkin has visited over 80 cities across five continents, sharing the Rebbe’s wisdom on emotional wellness
at synagogues, conferences, college campuses and Jewish community centers since releasing Letters for Life: Guidance for Emotional Wellness from the Lubavitcher Rebbe in July 2024. This week Smotrich spoke to communities in Paris, Bournemouth, Florence and Rome. Earlier this month he visited Copenhagen, Malmo, Brussels, Belgium, Helsinki and Finland. Drawing on four decades of letters and private counselling of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, Shmotkin has provided anecdotes and tools for finding emotional equilibrium in the modern world. “Our generation is known as the ‘anxious generation’ and this book shares invaluable teachings for so many who are struggling emotionally,” said Shmotkin. “The Rebbe’s practical insights and guidance can help countless people, young and old, who are dealing with stress, anxiety, low self worth and much more.” Released in July 2024, ‘Letters for Life’ has resulted in social media
communities, online courses, book clubs and self-guided workbooks based the publications’ teachings. The Rebbe was a visionary leader who launched global initiatives to rebuild Jewish life after the Holocaust, ‘Letters for Life’ offers another dimension to his legacy. With unprecedented access to the Rebbe’s correspondence, Shmotkin analysed tens of thousands of letters to people from all walks of life facing emotional and spiritual challenges. “The Rebbe had the remarkable ability to distill over 3,000 years of Jewish wisdom into simple, practical advice that resonates just as strongly with readers today as it did with those to whom the advice was given initially,’ noted Shmotkin. Shmotkin discovered the Rebbe’s letters during his own struggles as a young adult. “As I read the Rebbe’s letters searching for answers, the words had a vibrancy and a life to them, as if they were
speaking directly to me.” Shmotkin recalled. “The advice spoke to the very experiences I was having, the fears, the angst, the isolation. I gradually began feeling an energy lifting me out of a dark place and revealing a profound lightness I didn’t know existed.” Discussions explored the two sections of ‘Letters for Life’. ‘Essentials for a Healthy Life’ focuses on preventative emotional care. ‘Overcoming Darkness’ addresses practical approaches to handling anxiety, selfdoubt, sadness and low self-esteem. Based in Brooklyn, Shmotkin has developed courses exploring the Rebbe’s teachings studied by tens of thousands of pupils worldwide. Letters for Life: Guidance for Emotional Wellness from the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Levi Y. Shmotkin (Ezra Press and Chabad.org) is being translated into Spanish, Russian, Portuguese and German.
Hasmonean Primary welcomes Minister Hasmonean Primary School on Wednesday welcomed the Minister for School Standards, Catherine McKinnell, and leaders from Barnet Education Service, who came to observe a new
educational initiative. Hasmonean has been instrumental in introducing the ELSEC programme to its Nursery and Reception classes. This scheme helps schools, nurseries and
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parents to support their children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The focus is on supporting those children who have mild to moderate SLCN and who do not meet the threshold for specialist support. Hasmonean staff have had bespoke individualised training and the positive impact of this programme has been seen across Nursery and Minister Catherine McKinnell with pupils Reception, so much so that it is now being brought to Hasmonefor Speech and Language programme an’s innovative Learning Space as well as (ELSEC) since January. She observed a Key Stage 1. small group intervention in one of the Head of Early Years and SEN Support school’s calming environments. The at Hasmonean Primary School, Jemma activity focused on developing children’s Brahams, said: “The impact on our social communication skills by engagpupils’ development has been really ing the children’s attention, promoting positive. The training provided on these interaction and vocabulary, and making interventions has been huge for us, as we learning and communication fun. now don’t need to wait for anyone to come into the school or go on any waiting lists – we can just take it forward straightaway.” The Minister came because the school has been part of the Earlier Support
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Minister Catherine McKinnell (centre) with Kim Miller, Barnet Head of SEND and Inclusion (left), Morris Cohen, School Governor (right), Georgia Roskin, Barnet Clinical Coordinator (front) and Hasmonean Primary pupils