PHOTO: Erev Shabbos has been transformed into an all-new experience for many families in Sterling Forest. A few weeks ago, they initiated a Likras Shabbos group- the third such group to open in Lakewood since Pesach and it has been met with resounding success. “We’re only in our third week and we already have forty-five kids coming,” says the group’s rebbe and coordinator. “The material is so clear and the kids are all excited.”

Likras Shabbos is a program designed to revitalize the way families are welcoming Shabbos. Its goal is to instill the value of entering Shabbos peacefully and preparedly, while simultaneously imparting a rich hilchos Shabbos curriculum in a fun and engaging way. Its success is spreading so rapidly that over eighty five groups across the United States have welcomed Likras Shabbos into their lives. In Lakewood alone there are twenty five groups totaling over 500 boys, and the Likras Shabbos offices are inundated with calls from individuals from across North and South America clamoring to open new groups.

Boys in 6th- 8th grades meet prior to Shabbos to learn hilchos Shabbos in an innovative way from the Shabbos following Sukkos until the summer months. Each group is conducted by a rebbe and they have the requisite nosh, kugel and raffles. Likras Shabbos’s goals are to inculcate an appreciation for Shabbos, by making the learning a pleasurable and stress-free experience, while still covering a great deal of information.

Parents and rebbeim alike are astounded by both the boys’ enthusiasm to attend Likras Shabbos groups and the amount of information and halachos they retain.

The entire Likras Shabbos curriculum is based on the world-renowned sefer Meorei Halacha, and is instrumental in Likras Shabbos’ success. Each illustration teaches an entire concept visually. Participants do not have to read a word, lending to the relaxed environment. Each year, the curriculum focuses on one melacha- this year it is hilchos bishul- which the boys find extremely practical and hands-on. There are customized MP-3 CDs available that feature master storyteller, Rabbi Fishel Schachter bringing the halachos to life.

Families of boys who participate have welcomed the benefits that result in their involvement.

In addition to the boys gaining a tremendous amount of knowledge, all the menfolk are ready well before the onset of Shabbos so that they can walk their boys to their Likras Shabbos groups. It has also resulted in a number of fathers beginning erev Shabbos learning sessions. Even more so, family discussions on Friday night have begun to revolve around topics of interest that the boys learned with their Likras Shabbos rebbe.

The boys who participate in the program are so disappointed to stop their Erev Shabbos learning come summer that many camps have opted to adopt it. “Today,” says Rabbi Yossi Hirsch, Director of Likras Shabbos, “Two thousand boys are prepared for Shabbos early and learning the Likras Shabbos program in camps that run the gamut of the Jewish spectrum; Camp Stolin, Bobov, Camp Milwaukee, Camp Morris, Camp Romimu, and many more.

For thousands of young boys and their families, Likras Shabbos has changed the way they will ever experience Shabbos. As the rebbe in Sterling Forest has been telling his group, “When you prepare for something you get the most benefit from it. By coming to shul early and learning, your entire Shabbos is completely transformed.”

To bring Likras Shabbos to your neighborhood, or for more information, please call the Likras Shabbos office at (732)363-0669 or likrasshabbos@ymail.com.