Release Time Honors Rabbi JJ Hecht’s Birthday With Another Day of Chinuch
A special sponsorship by Mendel and Bassie Hecht marked the birthday of Rabbi JJ Hecht a”h, honoring his lifelong dedication to bringing Yiddishkeit to Jewish public school children through Release Time • Full Story, Photo
The mission that shaped Rabbi Yaakov Yehuda “JJ” Hecht’s life was honored this past week with a special sponsorship of the Release Time Program by his grandson Mendel Hecht and his wife Bassie.
The sponsorship marked Rabbi Hecht’s birthday on Chof-Daled Cheshvan and supported the work to which he devoted decades: giving Jewish public school children a connection to Torah, mitzvos and their own Yiddishe identity.
The Frierdiker Rebbe told Rabbi Hecht that leading Release Time was the very purpose for which his neshama had come into the world. What began as an early Chabad outreach effort in America became a life-changing experience for generations of children.
Week after week, volunteer bochurim and girls bring Jewish children out of their public school classrooms for an hour of Jewish learning. For many participants, that hour is an important opportunity to discover the foundations of Yiddishkeit and strengthen their connection to their heritage.
The Rebbe repeatedly stressed the importance of the program and encouraged participation in its work. For many future shluchim, Release Time provided an early experience of reaching another Yid and sharing Torah and mitzvos.
Rabbi Hecht’s years of leadership at the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education helped lay the foundations for a wide range of chinuch and outreach activities. Honoring his birthday through another day of Release Time continues that legacy in the place it matters most: in the lives of Jewish children.
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