On March the Community Centre of the Jewish Community of Lithuania saw  a festive opening of the fourth school of madrichim (tutors) with participants in the age of 16 – 17.  Through the lifetime of the school studying there has become so prestigious that this year 22 people expressed their wish to participate. The course of studies in the duration of 2 years includes a complex of the following subjects: culture, history and traditions of the Jewish people, various facts about Israel and Lithuania, educational skills, basics of psychology, sociology etc. The program also involves meetings with the specialists in medicine, psychology, designers, stylists and many more in other spheres of knowledge. All these lessons and seminars are meant for developing intellectually-individual potential of young leaders and of course for the practical as well as theoretical preparation for the work with children. After finishing the course the teenagers will be able to lead themselves group activities and will participate in the roles of madrichim in the Winter camp 2007.

There is one innovation this year: each participant will have to provide 3-4 hours a month for the work of his or her choice in the community: visiting senior people, preparing visual aids for the children clubs, helping with the organizing the community events etc. The wish to invlove the kids into the activities of the community is definitely triggered by the hope that in future it is them who will become the leaders of the Jewish Community of Lithuania.

The classes in the school will be organized in two sections: first, the kids will have a three-moth trial period which will indicate who of them is worth becoming a madrich. Of not less importance during the process of selection is the marks they receive at school, as a madrich should always be considered an example to the children under his or her responsibility. The coordinators of the school hope that this class of graduates will be provided an unforgettable present – a journey to Israel.

The coordinators of the school of madrichim are Dina Messigriser  and Aleksandr Mark.

The lessons of the school of madrichim take are held on Saturdays from 2 PM to 4 PM and Sundays from 1 PM to 4 PM.