Education and Sharing Day 2023: On National Education and Sharing Day, observed annually on the birthday of a leader, which falls on the eleventh day of the Jewish month of Nissan, we learn that sharing is genuinely caring. Through the collaborative efforts of mentors, educators, family members, scholarship programs, and community leaders, education cultivates the spirit and builds character in addition to preparing students for a particular career. Join us as we pay homage to the great Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and his work for shared education across the nation and across borders more than a century ago.
HISTORY OF EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY
As the seventh leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty, “the Rebbe” was indisputably the only Jewish figure of modern times to have disseminated education without allowing divisions to impede him. He believed that all children were entitled to an education.
The Rebbe was a spiritual leader who advocated education that went beyond academics, and he went to great lengths to instill moral and character development in young minds.
Since his arrival in the United States in 1941, he has pursued one goal: education for all. Schneerson also led Chabad Lubavitch, an international movement that established a network of Jewish educational centres and institutes (called Chabad Houses) in the United States and around the world, where both spiritual awakening and academic knowledge were disseminated.
The Rebbe is recognised for his extraordinary efforts and innovative approach to the betterment of society, as he so accurately stated in his goals: “To place greater emphasis on the promotion of fundamental human rights and obligations of justice and morality, which are the foundation of any human society if it is to be truly human and not devolve into a jungle.”
Born on the 11th of Nissan of the Hebrew (Jewish) calendar, four days prior to Passover, the Rebbe’s birthday has been celebrated as National Education and Sharing Day in the United States since 1978. Congress and the president govern the nation. Each year, the president of the United States, along with governors and state legislatures from various states and localities, proclaims the day to honour the Rebbe’s efforts and encourage the public to follow in his footsteps for a better society.
On the Gregorian calendar, Education and Sharing Day typically falls between March 21 and April 21.
Cyprus National Holiday 2023: Date, History, Facts about Cyprus
Boomer Bonus Days 2023: Date, History, Facts, Popular Boomer Names
Assyrian New Year 2023: Date, Activities, History and Facts
HOW TO OBSERVE EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY
Learn further about Rebbe
Today, take the time to learn more about the man who shared education across borders and left no part of the globe untouched. As you attain the highest calibre of education today, you owe at least this to Rebbe.
Share the news
Start a conversation on social media using the hashtag #EducationAndSharingDay to let as many people as possible know who planted the seeds for universal education in your life, and thereby serve the purpose of the day!
Inform someone about something
If you are not already a tutor (or even if you are! ), make it your aim on this day to teach one person something they did not already know. It can be something as simple as an interesting fact, a recipe, or something from your curriculum.
Five educational facts that will blow your mind
England’s oldest institution is the oldest in the world.
The oldest school in the world was founded by the Apostle of English in 597 A.D. in Canterbury, England.
Tibet is home to the highest school in the world.
This school, located in Phumachangtang, Tibet, is 656 feet higher than Mount Everest’s base camp, at a staggering 17629 feet above sea level, and offers free compulsory education.
Learning to crochet
In Iceland, students are required to learn to knit beginning at the age of seven.
The United States ranks fifth in college degree recipients
The United States ranks fifth in the world for the greatest number of college graduates between the ages of 25 and 64.
Prestigious seminaries for clerics
Prior to Rebbe, Harvard College, one of the first colleges in the United States, only provided higher education to clergymen, who then passed on their knowledge and religious doctrines to those who could afford it.
WHY EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY IS IMPORTANT
We learned an invaluable lesson
Without the Rebbe, we would not have discovered education to be so liberating and soul-stirring. He ensured that all communities learned the characteristics that define an educated human being, regardless of geographical boundaries.
An advanced society
Education helps us differentiate between good and evil and instills us with integrity, self-control, and compassion. Education is the only force capable of positively transforming society.
No discrimination!
The Rebbe denied all distinctions and divisions. He worked diligently for all of humanity, whether young or ancient, male or female, a leader or a commoner, a scholar or a laborer, a student or a teacher. He made sure his Chabad Houses did not exclude anyone.
EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | April 12 | Tuesday |
| 2023 | April 1 | Saturday |
| 2024 | April 18 | Thursday |
| 2025 | April 9 | Wednesday |
