Editing Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (section)

== Center Activities ==
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch coordinated all Jewish and educational activities in the United States, except for yeshivas and cheders; among its activities were:

==== Schools for Girls ====

* Beis Rivkah (named after Rebbetzin Rivkah) and Beis Sarah (named after Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah); such schools were established by Merkos branches in rural towns, and their influence was significant: hundreds of female students studied in them, influencing their parents and causing many families to draw closer to Judaism. The main branch of Beis Rivkah was located in Crown Heights.

==== Shabbat Parties ====

* Every Shabbat Kodesh, dozens of boys and girls gathered at each Merkos branch, hearing from instructors about the sanctity of Shabbat, Judaism, and current topics; special activities on Jewish subjects were organized by each branch; periodically - usually on Lag B'Omer, children from the branches would gather for a type of parade in the courtyard of 770, and the Rebbe would address them on Judaism and Chassidut.

==== Religious Studies Classes ====

* For Jewish children attending public schools, an organization called "SHLA" was established, which, with permission under American law, provided weekly lessons every Wednesday where they learned about their Judaism and its meaning in their daily lives; this weekly hour was called "Wednesday Hour"; this department was managed by Rabbi Yaakov Yehuda Hecht (it later became the Committee for the Protection and Expansion of Kosher Education).

==== Department for Jewish Farmers ====

* Operating in rural towns among Jewish farmers, distant from urban centers; it organized educational activities on Jewish topics; supplied them with religious items (such as tallit and tefillin); and worked to arrange Jewish education for their children (this department was shared between Merkos and Machne Israel).

==== The MeZVAT Department ====

* (= Supply of Mezuzot, Tzitzit, and Tefillin), which worked to provide sacred objects and books to Holocaust survivors and Russian emigrants waiting overseas, in refugee camps, etc., as well as in China and Japan; the central branch of the department, from which supplies were provided to all of Europe, in Pocking, was managed by Rabbi David Brawman; the branch that supplied sacred items and books to refugees who fled to the Far East was managed by the Rabbi of Shanghai, Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi.

==== The Department for Military Personnel ====

* Established during [[the Holocaust]] period by Merkos and operated in cooperation with [[Machane Yisrael|Machne Israel]]. The department worked with Jewish soldiers in the [[United States of America|United States]] Army; and provided them with: sacred items; reading and study books; special booklets - "Messages" - produced for them, (prayer books and holiday prayer books, Grace After Meals, booklets of talks and encouragement and reinforcement booklets; and general involvement with all their needs.

==== Evening Classes ====

* Torah classes for Jewish homeowners busy with their livelihoods during the day, held in the evening by Merkos in synagogues or at the local branch; in 5705 (1945), the organization of these classes was transferred to the Eshel HaTorah department of Machne Israel; in 5707 (1947), the organization of classes returned to Merkos.

==== Promotion of Jewish Education ====

* Conducted among Jewish parents in the United States on a national scale; each Merkos branch was responsible for a certain district, and it took care of promotion; books, booklets, signs, flags, pennants, face-to-face conversations, and newspaper advertisements were all dedicated to "promotion of kosher education" - for sending Jewish children to Merkos schools.

==== Teachers Department ====

* A. Organized pedagogical classes in education for teachers of Merkos schools and other schools B. Arranged educational positions for Jewish teachers.

==== Department for Financial Support ====

* For Jewish educational institutions, both those belonging to Merkos and Tomchei Tmimim and those not affiliated with Chabad, such as Beis Yaakov, etc.

==== Missions to Rural Towns ====

* Mission Center, young men who went out as traveling emissaries for tours spreading Judaism in rural towns; this department operates to this day; the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach greatly valued this department and dedicated many talks to it.

==== Gatherings and Lectures ====

* Merkos organized many gatherings and lectures in all areas of Judaism, with the main gathering among them being the annual gathering of yeshiva students during Sukkot at 770; the Rebbe would regularly speak at these gatherings.

==== Publishing Department ====

* [[Kehos|Kehot]] published dozens of textbooks and reading materials for [[Jewish children]], notable among them: [[Hayom Yom|HaYom Yom]] and Daily Anthology - pocket encyclopedia (2 volumes) edited by the Rebbe, monthly "Talks for Children or Youth" - in English: "[[Talks and Tales (Sichos L'Noar)|Talks and Tales]]", the reader 'Sefrenu', Tehillat Hashem Siddur, Order of Blessings and Prayers in English, "Torah and Israel" (History), "Tefillin", "Shabbat", "Maaseh" (English), "Book of the Year", "Lo Tishtachavu" and "Passover Haggadah" (Hebrew), "King David", "Beit HaMikdash" and more. The books were edited by [[Rabbi Nissan Mindel|Dr. Nissan Mindel]], and they were printed with the assistance of the 'Stulman Fund'. The Rebbe was involved in the production and publication of these works. The Rebbe commented about these types of booklets - I do not proofread [every word], but am only responsible for the content of the idea and approach: "It is obvious that when I edit a booklet published by Merkos and the like - the content of my editing is the general idea, the approach, and so forth, but not issues like the aforementioned [i.e., checking how to pronounce God's name in blessings and prayers]"

These works and booklets were distributed among all children in the United States and included both Chabad customs and others, from kittel on Rosh Hashanah to different versions of kapparot.

In 5704 (1944), the 'Stulman Fund' was established to assist Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch in providing Jewish textbooks. The fund was established by the philanthropist Julius (Yehuda) Stulman and Alexander Elchanan Cohen. The Rebbe was a member of the fund's board along with Rabbi Nissan Mindel.
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