CKids International
| Abbreviation | CKids |
|---|---|
| Formation | Late 2010s[1] |
| Type | Religious nonprofit |
| Purpose | Jewish children’s education and outreach[2] |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Chairman | Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky |
Key people | Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky (chairman); Rabbi Zalman Loewenthal (director)[3] |
Parent organization | Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch |
CKids International (the Chabad Children’s Network) is the youth-education arm of the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, it provides supplementary Hebrew-school classes, after-school clubs, summer camps, and the annual JewQ International Torah Championship. Programs target children who do not attend Jewish day schools and aim to strengthen Jewish knowledge and identity.[1]
History
CKids International was formed in the late 2010s under Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, with Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky overseeing its growth. It unified dozens of local Chabad Hebrew-school programs and, in 2018–19, introduced the JewQ International Torah Championship to engage pupils through competitive quizzing.[4] By 2023 more than 3,500 children from 230 communities on six continents were enrolled in JewQ.[1]
Programs
Hebrew-school network
CKids partners with local Chabad centres to run more than 700 Hebrew schools that serve pupils enrolled in secular schools.[3] Classes meet weekly and emphasise Hebrew literacy, Jewish history and hands-on holiday projects. Each spring the division hosts the CKids International Shabbaton in Brooklyn, New York; the 2025 weekend drew “more than 1,000” children and parents and was billed as “the largest summit of Hebrew-school families in the world.”[5]
JewQ International Torah Championship
Introduced in 2018, JewQ is a quiz-bowl competition that motivates 4th- to 7th-grade Hebrew-school pupils to study Jewish knowledge independently.[2] Local and regional exams select finalists who compete on stage during the Shabbaton. In 2025 the programme reached 4,200 contestants from 250 communities in 26 countries; 63 pupils advanced to the world final.[3][5] Regional champions took place across the globe including in Maryland,[6] Pennsylvania,[7] Florida,[8] California,[9] and Australia,[10] which highlighted the competition’s role in fostering Jewish pride amid rising antisemitism.[9][11]
Camps
CKids oversees the CKids Gan Israel camping network—day camps in dozens of cities and overnight camps in Florida, Wisconsin and Denmark—that blends outdoor fun with immersive Jewish life.[11] A US $2.5 million grant announced in 2022 is underwriting new overnight sites and scholarships “to change the face of Jewish camping for decades.”[12] Reports note that many campers arrive from small or isolated Jewish communities and experience full-time Jewish living for the first time at camp.[13]
Clubs
- CKids Clubs offer monthly or weekly enrichment—STEM projects, cooking, art and holiday workshops—designed to reinforce classroom learning in an informal setting.[14]
- Holiday-specific clubs, such as those run by Chabad of Riverdale in New York City, provide themed programmes before each festival.[15]
After-school programmes
CKids After-School programmes operate at local Chabad centres and typically serve children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Weekday sessions combine Hebrew-reading practice, Jewish-holiday lessons, values-based curriculum, homework support and recreational activities.[16] In October 2024 the first CKids After-School site launched in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, offering transport from local public schools and extended-day care; the pilot expanded in February 2025 after strong uptake.[16][17][14] That same year CKids International announced plans for 100 additional after-school programmes across ten countries and fifteen U.S. states. The initiative—marking 30 years since the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe—adds STEM, robotics, drama and sports to its core Hebrew-literacy and bar/bat-mitzvah preparation modules, all delivered without synagogue-membership requirements.[18]
Online learning
During the Covid-19 shutdowns in 2020, CKids created a virtual Hebrew school that logged “tens of thousands” of student sessions within its first weeks.[19] Building on that success, the division introduced “Hebrew School 3.0” in 2024: short, arts-driven terms and hybrid lessons tailored to communities with declining enrolment or long travel distances.[20]
Reach and impact
As of 2025 CKids reported engaging about 125,000 children in 2,500 classrooms across more than 700 communities worldwide.[3] Educators say the programmes reduce isolation for Jewish pupils in public schools and foster resilience amid rising antisemitism.[21] Parents likewise report increased engagement and pride in their children after participation.[22]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 JNS Staff (24 March 2023). "Students to compete in 'JewQ' International Jewish Knowledge Championship". Jewish News Syndicate. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rogelberg, Sasha (16 March 2022). "Chabad's JewQ competition instills Jewish knowledge, pride". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 VINnews (30 March 2025). "LIVE: Top Finalists From 26 Countries Compete for International Torah Championship Title". Retrieved 1 May 2025.
- ↑ Rosenblum, Steve (April 2023). "Local student wins the International Jewish Knowledge Championship". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Feller, Tzemach (16 April 2025). "1,000 Gather for Chabad Kids' Shabbaton; Jewish Knowledge Championship". Lubavitch.com. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ Blum, Jordan (11 April 2025). "Montgomery Village student named world champion of Jewish knowledge competition". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "Lower Merion student crowned world champion in global Jewish knowledge championship". Main Line Media News. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ Dorfman, Zachary (24 April 2025). "'We will give you a Jewish tomorrow': Boynton fifth-grader is Torah world champion". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 30 April 2025.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "L.A. and Inland students test Jewish knowledge at international competition". Daily Breeze. 1 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "Jake wins Australian JewQ comp". Australian Jewish News. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "International JewQ Championship emphasizes connection to Israel". Jewish News Syndicate. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "$2.5 Million Grant to Change the Face of Jewish Camping for Decades". Chabad.org. 20 Nov 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "For Public-School Kids, Jewish Overnight Camp Is 'Nothing Less Than Amazing'". Chabad.org. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "CKids Jewish Enrichment Club". CKids International. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "CKids Holiday Clubs". Chabad of Riverdale. Retrieved 30 April 2025.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Chabad of Union County Launches Innovative CKids After-School Program". TAPinto Scotch Plains/Fanwood. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "CKids After-School Program Expands in Scotch Plains". TAPinto Scotch Plains/Fanwood. 18 February 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "Chabad marks 30 years since the Rebbe's passing with launch of new initiatives". Jewish News Syndicate. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ "Tens of Thousands of Kids Log on to New Hebrew School". Chabad.org. 18 Mar 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ Brown, Yoni (14 Jan 2024). "Small, Scrappy, Innovative: Hebrew School 3.0". Lubavitch.com. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ↑ Kantor, Karen (5 April 2025). "Officials: Youth Torah quiz boosts pride amid rising antisemitism". Daily Breeze. Retrieved 30 April 2025.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Margolis, David (10 April 2023). "JewQ brings Jewish learning to life for kids around the world". The Photo News. Retrieved 30 April 2025.[permanent dead link]
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