Goal: To familiarize the chanichim with leadership figures and to encourage them to be leaders-each one in his own personal way!

Sicha:

This peulah is meant to be used for all age groups, with more emphasis on the sicha in the older grades and more of a focus on the games section for the lower grades.

Start by asking each Chanich/a who his/her role model is. Ask them why? What makes that individual a role model? (A story perhaps from the chanichim about why?) Don’t forget to include your role model!

As people we have many leaders. We have religious leaders of all types, political leaders, academic leaders, and personal leaders.

It is important for us to know who our leaders are, so we know what kind of person to follow and strive to be like. Since that is essentially what a leader is – a role model, an example.

Let’s start small. As young people we have even more leaders. First and foremost our parents are our leaders – and the most important ones we could have. Then comes our school teachers and principals and our hadracha (in SNIF and Camp and other youth programs)! These people can and should act for us as personal, spiritual (religious) and academic leaders. 

On a broader level, we have community leaders – mainly our Shul Rabbi and our school principal/director. 

On a more idealistic level we have Jewish leaders - common leaders for the entire Jewish community.  We have people like the Rabanut Ha’Rashit of Israel – both the Sephardi and Ashkenazi – who should appear to us as leaders of the Jewish people. [Today = Rav Meir Lau (Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi) and Rav Bakshi Doron (Sephardi Chief Rabbi)]

There are other people as well who we consider Jewish leaders today who fit into many categories, and these leaders are more subjective leaders and they are determined on an individual basis. For example – Natan Sharansky (and Avital Sharansky); Nachshon Waxman, the MIAs, Chayalei Tzahal, Eli Cohen, etc…

It seems that we have many leaders. This can be overwhelming. But it can also prepare us for our future task: Making ourselves into leaders. 

You can be a leader for others, but more importantly you can be your own leader. There is great importance in being your own personal leader and setting up your own priorities. But before reaching that stage you have to take examples from others. 

“Ase lecha Rav, K’ne lecha chaver.” Pick the people who you wish to you be your leaders and follow them. Start at home, start with your parents and your teachers.

Game:

· Attach a name of a Jewish leader to the back of each chanich/a’s back. They have to guess whose name is on their backs by asking the other chanichim yes and no questions. Once everyone has guessed their person, go around the room and ask each chanich/a why that person is a Jewish leader today. (examples of leaders – Rav Solovietchik, the Shul Rabbi, the school principal, the name of the marich/a, the Rosh SNIF, Natan Sharansky, etc…)

· (more for the younger chanichim than the older ones.) FOLLOW THE LEADER!!! Pick a leader and go around the building following that chanich/a’s actions. Every few minutes pick a new leader.