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LUBAVITCHINTERNATIONALNEWS FROM THE CHABAD-LUBAVITCH GLOBAL NETWORK Winter 2009

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Jewish Campus Life | Profiles in Giving | Personal Profiles | Chabad Women: Doing it all

EDITORIAL

T he year 5769 has the distinction ofbeing the year of Hakhel, (lit. thecommand “to convene”) occurring

every seven-year cycle following theSabbatical (Shmittah) year. The mitzvah,applicable in Temple times, enjoined Jewishmen, women and children to participate asequal members of the audience while the kingread inspirational sections of Deuteronomy,“In order that they should listen and should learn,and should fear G-d, your G-d, and observe to doall the words of the Torah.” (Deut. 31:12)

When Jewish people congregate in large num-bers, says the Talmud, they are empowered toelicit the Shechina and thus invest the finitehuman experience with a transcendent ener-gy. No wonder that the Hakhel concept,though no longer a mitzvah in practice today,captured the imagination of the LubavitcherRebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, ofblessed memory.

The Hakhel year is a favorable time, theRebbe believed, for individuals and the Jewishcollective to draw upon great spiritualresources. He called upon the Jewish leader-ship to convene Hakhel gatherings, and toencourage others—from the youngest of chil-dren to the elderly—to do the same in his orher own sphere of influence. An inspired cli-

mate, the Rebbe felt, would spur people on toshare of their G-d-given resources and create aspiral of positive inspiration.

In the face of recent events in Mumbai, whereJewish life was targeted and Chabad-LubavitchShluchim and Shluchos lost two extraordinarycolleagues, we need the comfort and strengththat is to be found in Jewish unity.

Indeed, the spirit of unity that Gabi and Rivkacreated at their Shabbos table in Mumbai hascompelled many to emulate it within theirown circles. Since this fateful tragedy, thisyoung couple and the ideals that defined theirlives have come alive to millions.

Thousands of Jewish women have begun tokindle Shabbat candles to perpetuate thepeace and light that Rivka and Gabi shared.People the world over have united in choosingto engage in daily mitzvahs, from the universalto the particular, in a decisive move towards amore purposeful, compassionate and G-dlysociety. Perfect strangers have named theirbabies born after the Mumbai tragedy forGavriel and Rivka.

The momentum for the empowerment of thegood beckons a unified, resolute response.Hakhel et ha-Am . . .

Issue 18aPublished by

Lubavitch News ServiceRabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chairman

LUBAVITCH WORLD HEADQUARTERS

770 Eastern ParkwayBrooklyn, NY 11213

Phone: 718.774.4000Fax: 718.774.2718

Email: [email protected]

Editors:Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman

Baila M. Olidort

Staff Writers:Rivkah Chaya Berman

Sarah BronsonDvora Lakein

Mordechai LightstoneZalman Nelson

Managing Editor:Zalman Feldman

Marketing Director:Yaakov Behrman

Design:Unique Image Advertising - NYC

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GATHERING FORCES

THE LUBAVITCHER REBBERABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSONgWhz nWdcb vWvkkeumz

“ “All good actions unite to make the world as a wholeprogressively better. With every passing year, every day andevery minute, the world is essentially becoming holier, forno instant passes without many good deeds. —The Lubavitcher Rebbe

LUBAVITCH INTERNATIONAL

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COVER STORY

GABY WAS YOUNG, AMBITIOUS,sometimes bullheaded in his zeal to over-come all impediments, a young man in ahurry. He said and exemplified the expres-sion “the word impossible does not exist.”

There was the instant of drug relatedproblems which affected Israelis, as theydid other nationalities, and Gaby madesure every Tuesday to go to the localprison to minister and comfort and pro-vide food for our Israeli inmates.

There was the case of the tsunami. Gabywas receiving frantic calls – panic strick-en parents from places such as NewYork, London, South Africa, Israel andSingapore – to please find out how theirchildren were, as they were in theAndamans.

He flew first to Chennai and then got onthe flight to the Andamans, where he metup with over 100 Israelis. “Why are youhere?” they asked him. “We know nothingabout the tsunami, we are not affected.”Gaby, in typical fashion, says: “Okay, inthat case, each one of you put on tefillinand thank G–d that you are alive...”

— Samuel Marshall

I REMEMBER LOOKING AT RIVKA,and admiring this petite, slender, youngwoman, who had the energy to haveguests day in and day out (they had dailydinners at 8 PM), and still look andremain so serene. I remember telling twoother young women at the table that Iam always amazed by shluchim Chabadladies. I am amazed at their patience, Iam amazed at the endless supply of ener-gy, I am amazed at their strength andstamina with which they manage theirfamilies, while cooking up huge mealsfor never ending string of guests, giving

lectures, and being their husbands’ righthands. And Rivka was amazing, to dowhat Rivka did in India was no smallchallenge.

— Olga Daniella Bakayeva

I WAS ALWAYS ESPECIALLYimpressed by the way Rivky bonded withthe young post-army Israeli girls whoshowed up at the Chabad House. Hereshe was with her modest (but very hip)clothing and wig, huddled head to headon the couch with a bunch of girls sport-ing multiple piercings, dreadlocks andbody art... and yet there was absolutelyno sense of distance or disparity. Sittingthere, they were on exactly the samelevel... sharing the powerful commonali-ty of being holy Jewish Women.

. . . Every guest at the Holtzberg’s tableleft with the odd (but special) feelingthat we had somehow done our hosts anincredible favor by coming!

— David Bogner

FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER,I had taken for granted the fact that aChabad House existed in the middle ofnowhere. I had taken for granted the factthat kosher wine was shipped to thehouse in three gallon plastic jugs, all theway from Israel. I had taken for grantedthe Rabbi and his family, who whole-heartedly and single-handedly preservedand instilled Judaism in a far corner ofthe earth. I quickly changed my atti-tude, and thanked G-d from the bottomof my heart. This was a memory worthinternalizing. I laid awake for a longwhile thinking about how amazingthese events were. How amazing that

one family could change hundreds ofpeoples lives, one Shabbat at a time.

— Louis Allan Kriegerx

GABI AND RIVKY WERE ONLY Afew years older than me, in their late 20s,and despite being far from friends andfamily they kept positive and built abeautiful bastion of Jewish goodness. Itwas at Gabi and Rivky’s where I metJoseph Telushkin, the famous Jewishauthor. It was at Gabi and Rivky’s whereI randomly bumped into friends offriends from back home. It was to Gabiand Rivky’s where we brought our non-Jewish Indian friends who became curi-ous about Judaism. It was at Gabi andRivky’s where a girl I would later fall forfirst developed feelings for me, when Ibrought her some water while she laysick on the sofa from Indian food poison-ing. She was being nursed by Rivky.

Gabi and Rivky were real for me . . .

— Benjamin Holtzman

THIS WAS ONE OF MY MOST memorable Shabbat experiences, not inany way because of the tragedy that sub-sequently occurred, but for zeal andcommitment to the Jewish people thatRabbi Gabi and Rivky demonstrated.India, and downtown Mumbai in partic-ular, is not for the fainthearted. There istremendous poverty, overcrowding, andsqualor. Yet the Holtzbergs created ahaven for Jewish travelers catering fortheir physical, emotional, and spiritualneeds with a place to pray, learn, eat,sleep, and relax. I know my story is byno means unique—I can only imaginehow many people were touched by theirkindness and hospitality.

— Trevor Horowitz

Reflectionsof Gabi&Rivky

4 LUBAVITCH INTERNATIONAL UPDATE | WINTER 2009

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

Chani Lifshitz, Chabad representative in Katamandu, Nepal, wrote a let-ter to her close friend, Rivkah Holtzberg, following the tragedy inMumbai. The following is a translation from the Hebrew that appeared inthe Israeli paper Yediot Achronot.

“Write,” you told me only two hours and ten minutes before theyentered your home. “It’s been a long time since you wrote anythingabout shlichus,” you noted. “Write something, Chani, for me!”

So I’m writing you, Rivky. For you, my confidant for the last four years.

Only for you, my twin soul.

The tears burn my hands. My heart is torn into small pieces. Thescreen is a blur. Yet I write, because you asked. After all, when didwe ever say no to each other? My Messenger is open, as usual. Yourssuddenly went blank. Where are you, Rivky? I’m waiting for you toconnect. It’s been three days since we last spoke, and for us that’slike forever. I began the morning with you, I ended the day with you,and I have so much to tell you. Where are you, Rivky?You can’t suddenly disappear on me. This is not whatwe agreed upon. We’re supposed to be together in this.You and I. It can’t be that you have forgotten. Younever forget.

Four hours after we spoke for the last time, my hus-band, Chezki, quietly woke me. “Don’t panic, but . . .something happened in India,” he whispered gently,knowing the special bond between us. “Something ishappening in Bombay . . . let’s check if they’re allright.”

The stars studded the night sky while I left a messageon your answering machine every hour on the hour. Dawn rosebetween the narrow lanes, and with it the worry. Drops of dewcoursed down my window and my messages cried and pleadedtogether with them (“Rivky, answer me, please. Answer the phone.I don’t want anything to happen to you. Please!”)

It is inconceivable that you fell at your post. You are stronger thanthem all.

In the morning I made you a cup of jasmine tea with spearmintleaves, the tea that you love. I waited for you to connect to theMessenger, so that we could have coffee and a croissant together infront of the screen, as we’ve doing for the last four years. A sort ofprivate virtual joke. You prepare the morning pastry on a plate, witha detailed description of taste and texture. And always somethingdifferent: one day apple pie, one day jelly cookies with cream. I pre-pare the drinks. In the summer I would offer you fruit juices and inthe winter I would roll tea leaves from Dodover Square and GeiyahBazaar market.

I’m waiting for you with the tea, Rivky. Waiting for your cake. Iwant to taste your sweet chocolate muffins, because I have this verybitter taste in my mouth. I am sure that you would come outside tocheck what is it that happened near your Chabad House last night.

But you’re not coming, Rivky, and your tea is getting cold . . .

Yesterday evening when we spoke you told me that tomorrow youhave a quiet day, no special events, and if I didn’t mind we’ll discusspossible colors for the upstairs rooms of the Mumbai Chabad House.I thought about it a lot and I have a color that might be right. Iknow that every few minutes you will interrupt our conversation andask Gabi what he thinks and if he has another idea. That’s how it isbetween you – everything is done together.

So I sat and waited for you, Rivky, all day long. Because you alwayskeep your word. I made you another cup of tea and the steam burnedmy eyes, my soul. Remember how we would laugh and say that ourlives in India and Nepal were like a movie? Nothing can surprise usanymore. “Everything’s possible,” the locals say, nodding their headsin a circular motion. On any given day we meet someone who is alittle lonely, someone who is hurting, someone who wants to hear afriendly word and a woman who needs a warm embrace. Ourshlichus is never boring, not even for a second, right Rivky? This isan enchanted place – everything is possible, right?

Everything, besides this. It is simply unthinkable, asheer impossibility! It is inconceivable that you fellat your post. You are stronger than them all. Streamsof pain washed over you daily, as I know only toowell. During the day you would share your life storywith me – and at night I would cry your tears. I cried,you comforted. Absurd, isn’t it? But you were rock-solid. No storm could knock you over. Nothing couldstop you. So where are you, Rivky? Why aren’t youcoming out?

I was sure that you would come out. That they toowould fall under the spell of your charm. That you

would hurry up the stairs before them, thin and wisp-like, and withyour soft baby face would offer them a plate of hot soup. You wouldtell them that Chabad House has nothing to do with whatever theyare after, and that you don’t mind contacting the authorities, if that’swhat they want...but maybe they should leave because it’s gettinglate and Moshe’le just fell asleep. “Even without this ruckus it’s noteasy to put him asleep at night,” you would say in your slightlyhoarse voice, and “here are cheese blintzes for the road,” and “makesure to stuff them deep inside the knapsack, so that they don’t fallout.”

How is it that you didn’t come out, Rivky?!

We have received dozens of calls and hundreds of emails since theattack, all of them trying to console and comfort, and at the sametime asking: What will be? What do we do now? This is the questionbeing asked by 3,500 of the Rebbe’s shluchim worldwide. I knowwhat you would have answered, Rivky. You would have told us totake the massive outpouring of empathy and unity that was createdin the world and draw from it as much strength as possible for thecoming days.

Despite the profoundest of pain, I promise to try, Rivky!

–Translated from the Hebrew by Eli Friedman, for lubavitch.com

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I’m Still Waiting For You, Rivky

“We have received

dozens of calls and

hundreds of emails

since the attack, all of

them trying to con-

sole and comfort...”


J amie Zebrak, a senior at the University of Oregon inEugene, has seen Jewish involvement on campus growfive-fold since she started here as a freshman.

Four years ago, Chabad was getting five to six students at theirShabbat dinners. Rabbi Asi and Aviva Spiegel arrived in 2002to serve as Chabad representatives to this scenic city as theywere just beginning to build their own family.

A few weeks ago, the Spiegels, who are now expecting theirfifth child, moved out of their living quarters that doubled asthe campus’s Chabad student center.

“With 20-30 students joining Chabad for Shabbat dinners, anddouble minyans, we needed the space,” says Zebrak, an EmersonFellow and President of the Chabad Student Center.

The Spiegels moved three doors away, close enough to their for-mer home which is now entirely dedicated to the students. There,a wide array of social and educational opportunities are attractinggreater numbers of the university’s 1500 Jewish students.

Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos, theChabad Lubavitch educational division, says the growth at theUniversity of Oregon mirrors the movement’s growth acrossthe country. Today, Chabad chapters are bona fide studentorganizations at numerous campuses, many with beautiful stu-dent centers. Others like the Chabad center at the Universityof Oregon, are launching capital campaigns to buy and buildsuitable facilities.

“We’ve reached a level of maturity where we now have morethan 100 Chabad centers on campus, with a substantial net-work of shluchim who are employing very sophisticatedresources, with people tied into every part of the academiccommunity. And we’re beginning to see exceptional results,”says Rabbi Menachem Schmidt, President of the Chabad onCampus International Foundation.

Wayne Firestone, President of Hillel, acknowledges thatalthough Chabad’s approach differs from Hillel’s, “Chabadshares our visions. We share a common mission to engage Jewishstudents and to connect them with their Jewish identities.”

NURTURING A NEW GENERATION OF STUDENT LEADERS

CAMPUS

CHABAD ON CAMPUS

CHABAD ON CAMPUS: THE NUMBERS 2007-8

First Chabad House – UCLA campus

1969Chabad Houses worldwide 2008

130Chabad Houses established this year:

11

Students at Chabad’s Shabbat dinners during a typical week: 5,481

Students joining one of 495 classes or lectures each week: 3,510

1-to-1 educational encounters with Chabad staff: 20,291

Chabad and Hillel often co-sponsor local programs, and, says Mr.Firestone, “Hillel enjoys a warm and productive relationship withour Chabad colleagues at the national and local levels.”

Chabad’s increased presence on U.S. campuses (11 opened in thepast year, and five in the UK) is partly a response to the new pres-ence of Jewish students at a bevy of smaller colleges that are nowactively recruiting them. With 130 on-site Chabad centersworldwide, Chabad offers a Jewish infrastructure that often fac-tors into students’ decisions when applying to college.

Samuel G. Freedman, Professor of Journalism at ColumbiaUniversity, who is also a Faculty Advisory Board member ofChabad at Columbia, has observed the impact of Chabad’sactivities at his campus.

“College is a time for students to explore and experience newthings, and traditionally, that’s meant students move awayfrom religion.” Yet Chabad, which he describes as “anincreasingly visible and joyous part of student life atColumbia,” has actually brought “students toward Jewishlife,” and has shown that if students get turned on to Judaismduring their college years, they will carry it with them wellafter they’ve moved on.

INTERNATIONAL SHABBATON

This past November, some 800 students traveled to New York forthe annual Campus International Shabbaton and Conference,sponsored by the Chabad on Campus national office.

That is an extraordinary spike in attendance, up from the 50-60students that were coming to the Shabbaton only a few yearsback, as is the number of students—in the hundreds at somecolleges—who join their campus Chabad for Shabbat dinnersevery week.

One of the remarkable developments, say campus shluchim, isthe vibrant leadership rising from within the student ranks.This year’s Shabbaton featured a day-long program where 60Chabad student presidents convened for leadership training.

“We want to provide students with skills that will empowerthem to become active in the development of social and edu-cational programs to further enhance the choices of Jewishactivities on any given campus,” explained Rabbi YossyGordon, executive director of Chabad on CampusInternational Foundation.

THE CHABAD MODELThough enhanced programming will attract greater practicaland intellectual participation in Jewish life, Rabbi Schmidtmaintains that nothing is more effective than the unique para-digm that Chabad shluchim bring to the campus.

“Chabad is exceptional in the model of theJewish home and the Jewish family that itbrings to Jewish students on campus,” offering students the only year-round access to a real Jewishhome peopled by parents and children who live a fullyintegrated Jewish life.

Michael Denis, 22, a graduate of UC San Diego, is an officer inthe Marine Corps, with a kippah on his head and tefillin in hisbag. He also has a standing request for kosher MREs and for hisfellow officers to cover him when his shift falls on Shabbat.

From his base in Mission Valley, San Diego, Denis says that hediscovered Judaism in his teens when he met up with Chabad.It was only when he got to college and began studying with thecampus Chabad rabbi, Yehuda Hadjadj, that Judaism becamepersonally relevant to him.

“Were it not for Chabad on campus,” says the Marine officer,“I’d probably be nowhere, in terms of Judaism.”

Today, Denis is dating Jewish women. Before his exposure to Jewishlife on campus, he says, none of the girls he dated were Jewish.

“Were it not for Chabad,” he offers, “I would have marriedout.”

CAMPUS

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1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2008

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GROWTH OF CHABADON CAMPUS


ADULT EDUCATION

HE STUDY OF TALMUD IS HIGH ON THE LIST OFSKILLS, MOST ADULTS SAY RUEFULLY, WHICH YOU EITHERGOT AS A YOUNG YESHIVA STUDENT, OR YOU NEVER DID.

Not so, say developers of a successful Chabad Talmud studyprogram for adults that is gaining popularity in Jewish com-munities worldwide.

MyShiur: Advanced Learning Initiative Talmud course set tobegin its second semester this November, is training adults toparse the words of the medieval commentators, and split hairsover dense Aramaic text, in the tradition of European yeshiv-as of centuries past.

The series, a division of the Chabad sponsored Rohr JewishLearning Initiative’s adult education program, brings Talmud“to the next level,” says director Rabbi Levi Kaplan, whereadult learners are reclaiming the traditional study of Talmudat 30 Chabad centers worldwide, and growing fast.

“It is the yeshiva-style, in presentation, technique, and formu-la, that makes this program so revolutionary,” explains RabbiYossi Bryski, a lecturer in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bryski, whotaught last year’s course to 20 students plans to teach a largercrowd this fall.

According to Bryski, “Talmud” is the new buzzword, as tanta-lizing as “Kabbalah” and mysticism were several years ago.

In response to rising interest, a number of learning tools,including a translated Talmud and MP3 audio classes, wererecently developed for those who wish to delve into the2,000 year old arguments.

“The difference between these tools and the MyShiur courseis like night and day,” insists Bryski in authoritative Talmudicfashion. “Those options are cold and dry and read more like a

novel than a relevant text.” And that’s not how the study ofthis ancient codification should be, he says. “The study ofTalmud is alive; it is a passionate discussion that remainsapplicable to this day.”

“Talmud” is the newbuzzword, as tantalizingas “Kabbalah” andmysticism were severalyears ago

Bankers andBusinesspeopleBecome Today’s Talmudic Students

T

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ADULT EDUCATION

That passion captivated last year’s 280 participants and hasattracted several hundred more for the new course. Asidefrom learning the subject material, MyShiur seeks to train itsstudents to think like veteran Talmud scholars. The curricu-lum, which can be simultaneously invigorating and madden-

ing, teaches basic skills in anattempt to set students up fora lifetime of independentstudy.

Rabbi Moshe Liebermanauthored the first syllabus andtaught it to a diverse audi-ence in Newton, Massachusetts. “Our goal was to enablestudents to become part of the Talmudic dialogue,” he says.“Throughout the course, the students realized that the con-versation begun 2,000 years ago in ancient Babylonia andJerusalem is significant in their own lives today.”

“I honestly did not expect such a great response,” admitsRabbi Levi Wolosov of Manalapan, New Jersey, who hasbeen teaching a similar class for some time. Wolosov willbegin to teach the MyShiur syllabus this November, forwhich many more people have already registered. He is

grateful, he says, for the course which introduced him, a life-long learner, “to many commentators I would otherwise nothave discovered.”

The male and female students in Wolosov’s classroom, andin classrooms around the world, come from varied back-grounds. Some haven’t opened a Talmud since studying ityears ago in yeshiva. Others skim a daily portion, but neverreally get their teeth into the matter. And there are othersstill, for whom this course will be their first rendezvous withthe ancient text.

Mark Canter studied Talmud in high school, and hadn’tperused a tome since. For him, “this course was initially dif-

ficult to follow,” but quickly became “fascinating and man-ageable.” Canter, a businessman in California, has alreadysigned up for the next course, because, he says, “it was thebest class ever given.”

Their first time or their 50th, this November, MyShiur stu-dents will discover the intertwined debates of TractatePesachim. Between discussions of the laws of Passover andthe intricacies of proper speech, the students are empow-ered by the mastery and confidence of their heritage theyexpect to gain.

The study of Talmud is alive;it is a passionate discussionthat remains applicableto this day.


The only true financial net worth wehave is the tzedaka we give. Thatremains in our account forever, andno economic crisis can take it away.

In the early 1970s, the Lubavitcher Rebbe met with a group of leaders from the Federation, then known as the JewishBoard of Philanthropies. The Rebbe’s Secretary, Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, was present at the meeting, and recalls thatthe Rebbe discussed the need to step up the pace of their efforts on behalf of Jewish education. The Rebbe said:

“We are all looking for good deals. In your business, if you’re afraid you’ll miss a good opportunity for lack of funding,you can use your good credit to borrow and close the deal tomorrow. In my business, if I miss an opportunity to help aperson in need today because of lack of funding, I may never see that person again.”

Chabad-Lubavitch shluchim, ever grateful for the support of those who continue to identify with their mission, refuse tocut where Jewish life is at stake. While people everywhere are hurting financially, opportunities to be inspired by those whoare passionate about sharing, and committed to the work of Chabad, abound.

“

”

When the market goes down,

the only shares that go up are

those of good deeds.“

”

PROFILES

Eduardo Elsztain, Buenos Aires, Argentina | CEO IRSA Inversiones Y Representaciones S.A. GDR

George Rohr, New York, NY | President, NCH Capital Inc.

I am inspired to support Chabad for a variety of reasons. Mostly, I am moved by tradition-al Judaism. It speaks to my soul. I also respect and appreciate Rabbi Beryl Levertov verymuch. I love Chabad’s mission of providing an opportunity for all who want to partici-pate in Judaism in a way that best works for them. So, when times are tough I findChabad to be an even more important resource for inner strength.

It took the recent stock market crash for me to gain a perspective about money. After losing a large amount in the recent meltdown I realized how much more meaningful andfun it is to give money away than it is to be demoralized by losing it. So, my wife and Imade our largest contribution to date to Chabad Lubavitch of the North Shore. I also planto be a little more generous to myself.

Larry Goldstone, Santa Fe, NM | CEO, Thornburg Mortgage

Neil D. Donnenfeld, Swampscott, MA | Senior VP, Global Sales & Marketing Advanced Vision Research

Jerry Weintraub, Los Angeles, CA | Producer, Chairman of the Chabad “To Life” Telethon

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The money in the bank doesn’t mean a thing. It’s been a hard year for many people,and Chabad has been flooded with requests for help. It’s at times like these that weneed to be triumphant and defiant and to show the world that we will rise up andgive even more.

Despite the dire economic crisis and negative societal influences that have taken over ourcountry, the shluchim are out in full force to ensure that every Jew has the opportunity tolive a fulfilled life and exercise their beliefs. It is my privilege to be Chairman of theMiracle Drive in South Africa for 2008 and may the Rebbe’s vision continue to flourish.

Robert Brozin, South Africa | CEO Nandos Chicken & Chairman, Miracle Drive

In today’s very complicated world, we all need an avenue of spirituality. As Jews, we canchoose from many organizations, and have a great opportunity to connect with one inparticular—Chabad. Most unaffiliated Jews are always afraid to take that step into aShul. With Chabad, once we enter we are hooked. The love and non-judgmentalencouragement allows everyone to grow in a manner that is warm and comfortable.

Gary Finder, Encino, CA | CEO K. Bell, El Segundo, CA

in Giving

To me Chabad is synonymous with menshlichkeit. It is the basis of why I supportChabad of Studio City by the manifestation of those attributes through Rabbi YossiBaitelman and Rebbetzin Chani which is, after all, the core of Yiddishkeit.

“Chabad is my spiritual home, it is my shelter from the storms and vicissitudes of thisworld, it is my place of learning. Rabbi Mendy Mangel is my teacher, my spiritual men-tor and my friend. He has brought fellow Jews to a more profound sense of self, Torah,and brotherhood/sisterhood as a People. For reasons too numerous to mention, I supportand will continue to support Chabad in every way that I can.

Rick Schuller, Studio City, CA | Attorney, Schuller & Schuller

Louis D’Angelo, Marlton, NJ | President & CEO Fabri Trak Systems, Inc.

Warren Modlin, Alpharetta, GA | Mednetpro

With Rabbi Mordechai and Nechamie Silberberg at Chabad on Campus, not only was Iable to maintain my existing connection to Yiddishkeit, I was able to enhance it ten-foldby attaching real meaning to my inherited beliefs. Now I want to ensure that other UWOstudents have the same opportunities as I did, in that very crucial stage of life. I have madethe continuous support of Chabad at UWO a top priority in my life.”

Our family is proud to support the outreach work of Chabad. The love, care and dedica-tion to the wellbeing of all Jews, physically and spiritually is an inspiration to our familyand community. It has been incredibly rewarding to see the return on our small financialcontributions over the years in the tremendous growth of the Jewish community aroundus and we look forward to working with the organization for many years to come.

Rob Bloom, Toronto, ON | Commercial Real Estate Leasing Manager

It is even more critical in these times for Jews everywhere to refocus on what isimportant to our lives, character and families, and reach deep to support the chari-ties serving our communities and enhancing our lives. Chabad’s truly incredibleglobal infrastructure allows us all to be proud Jews, able to celebrate our rich her-itage all over the world.

Yvette Edidin | Mayor, Roslyn Harbor, NY


PERSONAL PROFILE

WHAT DID YOU ENVISION WHEN YOU STARTED THE ORGANIZA-TION 14 YEARS AGO?

Soon after my husband, Levi, and I were married in 1994, we set on a mission to provide friendship to those who really needed it.Together with the Sobel family, my husband founded the Daniel B.Sobel Friendship House which provides unconditional friendship forpeople struggling with addictions and substance abuse. At the time, Itried to think of others who needed friendship as well—and I hit onthe idea to provide special needs children with companions. I enjoyworking with teens so I devised ways to motivate them to donatetheir time to these children.

QUESTIONS FOR BASSIE SHEMTOVFOUNDER, FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE

MakingFriends

At age 22, Bassie Shemtov foundedthe Friendship Circle, a humanitari-an program that tapped into a vitalcommunity resource—youngteenagers—to volunteer their timeand love for local children with special needs.

Today, 14 years later, the FriendshipCircle model has been adopted in74 locations around the world.There are 11,000 teenagers from theU.S. to Australia helping 4,500 spe-cial needs children live better lives.

Representatives interested in devel-oping their own Friendship Circlevisit the headquarters in Michiganfor hands-on training, participate intwice-yearly conferences, and dis-cuss issues with other branchesthrough an online exchange.

Their teen volunteers proudly sportFriendship Circle gear, Facebookwith fellow volunteers around theworld, and participate in YouTubecontests, closing a circle of love forthe children, their families and thevolunteers, in every community witha Friendship Circle.

To date, the Friendship Circle hasreceived numerous awards includ-ing: The Social EntrepreneurshipAward from the Manhattan Institute;The Dove Award from Arc ofOakland County; Grechtko Awardfrom the West Bloomfield Chamber,and the Diversity Award from CorpMagazine in Detroit.

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PERSONAL PROFILE

DID YOU EXPECT THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE TO BECOME THE

MAMMOTH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION IT IS TODAY?

Hardly. Initially we started as a visitation program to pro-vide friendship for these children who are often isolatedand lonely. At the same time, of course, we gave a fewhours of respite to their parents and families. When we sawhow popular the visitation program was, we began hostingdifferent social and holiday events for the kids.

WITHIN 10 YEARS, 1N 2004, YOU OPENED THE MEER

FAMILY FRIENDSHIP AND THE FERBER KAUFMAN LIFE

TOWN, A 22,000 SQUARE FOOT COMPLEX. WHAT HAPPENS THERE?

Life Town is a unique village where we teach kids practical,real life skills. The children practice these skills throughvisits to realistic stores including a salon, bank, doctor, den-tist, and movie theater. They schedule appointments, learnhow to interact and behave in public, and prepare to enterthe real world.

The complex also contains 12 therapy rooms where specialneeds children and adults with disabilities work with theirtherapists. We also have six therapy rooms, including music,tactile, water, dance, and art rooms, where the latest thera-peutic techniques are implemented.

YOU WERE RAISED AS THE DAUGHTER OF CHABAD

SHLUCHIM. HOW DID THAT FIGURE IN YOUR FOUNDING OF

THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE?

From an early age my parents, who were sent by the Rebbeas his representatives to Michigan, raised my siblings andme to be givers.

WERE THERE ANY STRONG WOMEN ROLE MODELS IN YOUR LIFE?

My mother, Batsheva Shemtov, remains to this day mygreatest role model. She is an amazing, selfless woman. Butwhat I truly try to emulate is the fact that she has strived tomake the Rebbe’s will her own in every sense of the word.She always did the “right thing.”

SEVERAL PROMINENT AWARDS AND MEDIA REPORTS ATTEST

TO THE FACT THAT YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND ARE CLEARLY

DOING “THE RIGHT THING” AS WELL. WHAT ARE YOUR

BROADER GOALS FOR THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE?

Our goal is to ensure that children with special needs arerespected and that people will recognize their “specialness.”Some of our teen volunteers may grow up to have childrenwith special needs. I hope that through their experienceshere, they will handle the situation in a positive way. And Ihope that their families will be accepting as well.

� 250 children and teenagers with specialneeds are being served by the FriendshipCircle in Michigan.

� 850 Michigan teenagers volunteer theirtime and hearts.

� 3,300 public school students will visitLifeTown in West Bloomfield, Michiganthis year.

� There are 74 Friendship Circles operatedby local Chabad centers in the UnitedStates, Canada, South Africa, England,France, Israel, Hong Kong, and Australia.

� 11,000 volunteers are involved withFriendship Circle International.

� 4,500 children with special needs benefitfrom Friendship Circle programming.

� It costs $80,000 to establish a local branchand to maintain it for the first year. Once itis successful, the price tag can run from$300,000 to $600,000 (depending on howlarge the operation is).

thenumbers

PERSONAL PROFILE


DO YOU THINK THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE HAS HELPED

LESSEN THE STIGMA THAT IS ATTACHED TO PEOPLE WITH

DISABILITIES?

Through volunteering, I have seen hundreds of peoplebecome more accepting and develop a special love and pas-sion for these children. Even people who are not involvedwith Friendship Circle, but who have heard about us, aremore open-minded and aware.

HOW CAN SOCIETY CONTINUE TO ELIMINATE WHATEVER

SHAME IS ATTACHED TO DISABILITIES?

I believe that every young child should interact with special-needs people. They will quickly learn that they are not intimidat-ing or scary. I have seen this with my own five kids. I love thatthey are totally a part of the Friendship Circle—they volunteerfrom a young age and have special-needs kids over to our house.My children, and others who are involved with the disabled, displayan extra sensitivity to people and have learned not to judge others.

YOUR SMALL FAMILY VISITATIONS HAVE MORPHED INTO A

PROJECT THAT CLEARLY INVOLVES

A LOT OF FUNDS. WHO SUPPORTS

YOUR WORK?

Our first big supporters were fourJewish businessmen. When Leviwent to that first meeting, theyhad no reason to believe in us. Butthey gave us $1,500 which was ahuge donation for us at the time.To this day, they remain closefriends and strong supporters of our work. We are alsoindebted to friends from across the Michigan communitywho support different aspects of the Friendship Circle’s pro-gramming and infrastructure.

THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE ORGANIZATION IS CLEARLY

FRIENDSHIP. WHY ARE FRIENDS IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Everyone has problems, whether they are related to health oremotions, or something else entirely. To treat these issues, weturn to doctors and psychologists. But in truth, when someoneis really feeling down, he will call a friend. Children with dis-abilities need our friendship just as much, if not more.

HOW DOES THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE’S MESSAGE INSPIRE

YOUR WORK?

The Rebbe gave us an amazing gift when he taught us tolook at each Jew as our equal. He often stressed that we can-

not know who a person really is and we certainly cannotjudge them. We are here to bring out the special beautywithin each child and support them and their families.

EVERY CHABAD REPRESENTATIVE WHO DEVELOPED A

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY SAYS IT’S THE

MOST POPULAR OF ALL THEIR OUTREACH PROGRAMS.TODAY THERE ARE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLES ALL ACROSS THE

U.S. CANADA, SOUTH AFRICA, ENGLAND, FRANCE,ISRAEL, HONG KONG, AND AUSTRALIA, MODELED AFTER

YOUR PROTOTYPE. HOW DOES THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT

MAKE YOU FEEL?

I am very excited to see how much it has grown, thank G–d,and I just hope that we are doing everything in the rightway. But it is really the Rebbe’s project and I can’t, anddon’t want to, take credit for its success. It is only because ofthe strength and guidance we take from him that we areable to achieve what we have.

When the Shemtovs founded the FriendshipCircle in 1994, they recruited eight volunteersand served three special needs children.Today this international organization is aforce of love to be reckoned with. The num-bers only begin to tell the story.


FEATURE

How Elena Met RamiElena Lourie and Rami Kafarov never would have met, let alone married in Oslo this summer were Chabad-Lubavitch no more than a bunch of affiliated synagogues and rabbis doing what they do, without the shluchim’strademark passion for a greater vision. Bringing Elena and Rami together took three Chabad rabbis, one business school with a Chabad-run Jewishstudies program, and Chabad’s European Jewish Student Center. “Their story amazes me because it involved five Chabad representatives, each doing his job in hiscorner of the world,” said Rabbi Shaul Wilhelm of Chabad of Oslo.

NICE JEWISH GIRL FROM SIBERIA MEETS NICE RUSSIAN-ISRAELI BOY IN BRUSSELS

E lena Lourie’s parents were worried that their brilliantdaughter, a physics student, had little hope of meeting,let alone marrying a Jewish man while studying in

Norway. They confided their worries to Rabbi ZalmanDeutch, their Chabad representative in their home in Perm,a frosty outpost on the Siberian steppes.

So Rabbi Deutch called his colleague Rabbi Shaul Wilhelm,in Oslo. Two years later, with much cajoling by Rabbi

Wilhelm and a scholarship from the European Center forJewish Students, Elena boarded a plane to spend Shabbat inBrussels.

Also finding his way to the ECJS Shabbat was RamiKarfarov. Several years before the 2006 New Year’s Weekendwas to be held in The Hague, Rabbi Shmuel Katzman hadbefriended Kafarov, a Russian-Israeli student at a local univer-sity. Concerned that Kafarov’s Jewish identity would flag and

FEATURE


fade during his university years, Rabbi Katzman recommendeda transfer to Lauder Business School in Vienna, where Chabadrepresentatives manage the school’s Jewish studies compo-nent. Kafarov did so, and flourished.

Rabbi Shaya Boas, director of Jewish student life at Lauder,brought Kafarov’s talents with a digital camera to Rabbi YossiWaks’s, of the EJCS, attention. Kafarov was hired to capturethe first-ever ECJS retreat. On break from shooting the post-Shabbat social, Kafarov sat down at a table where Lourie wastaking a breather from all the socializing.

When Kafarov met Lourie, the two were delighted to find theycould converse in Russian, and one thing led to another,which eventually led to a five-course wedding feast preparedby Chabad of Oslo’s Esther Wilhelm.

Stories like the Lourie and Kafarov match are the new realityof the worldwide Chabad community.

Chabad centers have multiplied, the number of its representa-tives up from hundreds to 4000 in two decades. Unlike a cor-poration that’s gone global, Chabad has become more ubiqui-tous but not bigger. Each Chabad center is an independententity, with all fundraising done locally, with one Chabad cou-ple devoting their lives to its success.

They share a sense of brotherhood, a sense of shared missionas spelled out by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi MenachemM. Schneerson, of righteous memory, that sees Jewish welfarenot as a sweeping whole, but as a constellation of individuals.Their commitment to this idea has them dropping everythingto help when a fellow Chabad representative calls.

“Calling another Chabad shliach is the most natural thingthat I do,” said Rabbi Wilhelm, and out of the blue offers ofhelp are not unusual. When a Norwegian now living in RabbiZalman Grossbaum’s community in Livingston, NJ, discov-ered Rabbi Wilhelm’s website, Rabbi Grossbaum emailedRabbi Wilhelm to offer assistance.

“It’s not surprising” to get a message like Rabbi Grossbaum’s,says Rabbi Wilhelm. “It comes from the basic understandingthat we are all where we are for the same purpose.”

Where once a Chabad representative could offer up sweat

equity and compassion, Chabad now has a network of pro-grams that offer solutions to an ever-widening array of chal-lenges.

A Chabad representative who has worried parents of a collegestudent in his community can do more than offer counsel. Hecan call the Chabad on campus representative to check onthe student, offer him a kosher dinner, and a healthy place tohang out.

There are Chabad representatives serving in communitiesnear major medical centers like the Mayo Clinic who will visitpatients, host family members, and bring home cooked meals.Jews and others battling addiction at Caron in Pennsylvaniahave a place for Shabbat dinner with the local Chabad rabbi.Families unable to care for their children in Argentina canreceive home help and full day care for their children through

Chabad’s IELADEINU program.

Whether it is eye problems in Kiev or a hungry family inSydney, Chabad has a rabbi, a program, a Shabbat dinner, orprofessional services that can help.

And if the local Chabad rabbi doesn’t know the answer, heknows where to find it. Rabbi Zalman Heber, director ofChabad of Tacoma, WA, checks in with an online networkexclusively for Chabad representatives, about once a day. Hescans the messages to see if there’s something he can helpwith. He’s emailed a speech for a brit milah ceremony to a fel-low shliach in another state, and received help with delicatereal estate negotiations for his new center.

“It’s heartwarming to know you are not alone,” said RabbiHeber. Even in the dead of night. Chabad’s worldwide spreadmeans that when a rabbi is puzzling over a community matterat midnight, it’s mid-morning in Australia and there’s some-one up who can offer advice and answers.

Recently, one of Rabbi Heber’s community members was fret-ting over the emotional state of his son training on an armybase in Fort Knox, TN. Rabbi Heber phoned the Chabad rep-resentative closest to Fort Knox. The rabbi jumped into thecar and drove 60 miles to meet a stranger because a fellowChabad rabbi left a voicemail.

“We are all working toward the same goal. So my issue is yourissue. Your problem is my problem. It is my responsibility tohelp,” Rabbi Heber said. “It’s a worldwide family.”

We are all working toward the same goal. So my issue is your issue. Yourproblem is my problem. It is my responsibility to help, it’s a worldwide family.


SHLUCHOS

CHABAD WOMENDOING IT ALL

Now that the votes have been counted and bar-riers have been shattered on one front, will2012 be the year of the woman?

Women who lead Chabad on Campus centers have theirown way of preparing this generation’s up-and-comingwomen to take on community leadership roles. They’releading by example.

In contrast to other religious organizations where the per-centage of women in leadership positions hovers between 10and 20 percent, according to University of Arizona sociolo-gist Mark Chaves, 50 percent of the Chabad campus leaders are women.

When the Chabad House at the University of Virginia wasselected to host a Sinai Scholars program on campus,Channa Mayer and her husband, Rabbi Shlomo Mayer, co-directors, divvied up course work. She teaches the concepts,he the texts. This winter, Mrs. Mayer will be leading aBirthright Israel ten-day tour of the Jewish homeland for herstudents. Her dance card is filled between now and thenwith classes to teach, discussions to lead and emergencycounseling sessions all vying for her attention. She and her

husband are partners in their venture to bring Jewish conti-nuity out of the catch phrase and into reality.

“Everyone has a responsibility to bring Jewish people totheir heritage,” said Mrs. Mayer, who is known for her abil-ity to cut to the heart of an issue, just as she dissected spec-imens while completing her biology degree at NYU.

At Chabad Jewish Center of Penn State University, SarahMeretsky co-directs campus activities. For the local com-munity Mrs. Meretsky leads a Jewish women’s circle, directsa Hebrew School and homeschools her children. To this sheadded a Jewish women’s study session on Friday nights, inbetween candle lighting and the Sabbath meal.

Meretsky relates well to students engrossed in busy collegelife. She did the same while working on her biology degreeat Brandeis University. “One thing [students] are learning isthe power of the Jewish woman to stayfocused while so much else is going on. It’sa characteristic that differentiates our relationship with G–dfrom a man’s.”

Taking a leading role also means having your own style,according to Aviva Spiegel, an alumna of Stanford

MOTHERS, TEACHERS, LEADERS


SHLUCHOS

University, now co-director of Chabad House JewishStudent Center at the University of Oregon. Mrs. Spiegel,an artist, gathered a creative community of women for anight of art and expression at a local gallery space lastyear. She hosts Torah classes in a local coffee shop, find-ing its caffeinated and open atmosphere conducive tothoughtful discussions.

Doing what comes naturally to a Chabad representativeruns counter to the stereotype of a traditional OrthodoxJewish woman. For years when students called to ask ques-tions, they asked Chana Silberstein, PhD., to put her hus-band Rabbi Eli Silberstein on the phone.

“Once I got my doctorate, that changed. Suddenly studentswanted to speak to the rabbi or the doctor,” said Dr.Silberstein, whose doctorate is in developmental psycholo-gy. “I think often people come into a situation with theirown preconceptions, deciding that anyone who chose tohave more than 1.3 children must not have any interestsbeyond the kitchen.”

Mrs. Meretsky says that she and her husband share the load.“If I am putting the children to bed, my husband serves the

food. Our goal is to make sure it gets done. It’s not about

roles. It’s more about practicality.” Raised in Omaha, NE,

with three older brothers and no sisters, Mrs. Meretsky is

not shy about setting male students right if theyjoke about letting women do ‘women’s work.’“I tell them, ‘That’s not how it works in ourhouse.’”

Jonathan Neff, a senior at Penn State from Ardmore, PA,vouches for the egalitarian nature of the Shabbat experi-ence at Chabad. “I’ve cleaned and swept and mopped, andI don’t find it emasculating. I don’t find a gender barrierhere when it comes to chores.”

Spending time in the kitchen is no assault on a woman’sselfhood. What goes on in the kitchen is important, evenbeyond the heart-to-heart talks that often take place therebetween Chabad representatives and students, according toDr. Silberstein.

“One of the messages of the Chabad House dinner is thatcaring for people, serving people is no less a G–dly pursuitthan making kiddush or reading the Torah.”

often people come into a situation with their own preconceptions,

deciding that anyone who chose to have more than 1.3 childrenmust not have any interests beyond the kitchen.”

“


ISRAEL

C H A B A D O N T H E

FRONTLINES

When Tzeiri Chabad in Israel first got word of Israel's defensive strike against Gaza, it mobilized its

own resources: The Israel Home Front worked diligently to give IDF soldiers an inspired sendoff. Before

making their way into enemy lines, Chabad met with soldiers who gratefully welcomed the opportunity

to wrap tefillin, say the Shema, and reach into spiritual reserves for strength and confidence to accom-

plish their mission.

Thirteen Israelis lost their lives in this war for Israel's survival. Chabad Terror Victims Project (ctvp.org)

was at the side of grieving families. Long after the headlines moved on to other stories, Chabad of

Israel continues to be a reliable address for support, comfort and sustenance for the casualties of

Israel's war, survivors of terror, and their families.

A N D I N T H E

HEADLINESSon of Chabad Representative,Newlywed, Injured in Gaza OperationPETACH TIKVA, ISRAEL -- (January 13, 2009) Zalman Nelson

The fighting in Gaza hit very close to home today when IDF Corporal Nechemia Rubin and his

commander, IDF Combat Officer Aharon Karov, were wounded early Tuesday morning when a

mine exploded in a house they were searching for terrorists. Nechemia is the son of Rabbi

Yehuda Rubin, director of Chabad of Alon Moreh.

Under Rockets andSirens, A New Baby IsWelcomed in AshkelonASHKELON, ISRAEL Miriam Davids

How does one plan a brit milah under the rain of

mortar shells? Who will manage to get a minyantogether, a mohel, let alone a festive meal, under the

cacophony of red alert sirens and rockets that

explode at random?

Those were the worries of Zahavit Shlomo, a local

resident of Migdal, in Ashkelon who had given

birth last week to a baby boy. Under the circum-

stances, she and her husband Yinon, realized it

would be just about impossible for her to plan her

son’s brit. So Tuesday night, she turned to her local

Chabad representative, Rabbi Uri Cohen.

Chabad in Action asGrad Rockets Slaminto Gedera GEDERA, ISRAEL -- (January 6, 2009) Zalman Nelson

Athree-month-old girl was injured

by shattered glass and several

people were treated for shock

Tuesday morning when a grad rocket

struck the city of Gedera. Miraculously

falling in between two homes full of peo-

ple, it represents the longest-range attack

to strike southern Israel in the Gaza war.


Chabad Stays Open, Reliable, As Gaza Responds With RocketsSDEROT, ISRAEL, December 29, 2008

Israel’s air strikes on Gaza, aimed at bringing relief and

restoring some kind of security to the country’s southern res-

idents, have been greeted with an onslaught of more than

150 rocket attacks, chasing many residents out of their

homes and cities, and confining the rest to bomb shelters.

Chabad centers in Sderot, Ashkelon and Ashdod remain

open despite city-wide lockdowns, providing support to resi-

dents and soldiers between sirens that give residents 15-20

seconds warning of incoming rocket.

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Yinon and Zahavat Shlomo and their new baby, Iliyah.

ISRAEL

FLASHBACK

In the summer of 1956, after our return from the SovietUnion, I made a visit to Rabbi Menachem MendelSchneirson, better known as the Lubavitcher Rabbi.

The purpose of my visit was more than idle curiosity.Somehow, as a result of what we had seen in Russia, I felt thatI could find the answer to a most perplexing problem—how tocaptivate the hearts and hands of our people for God and HisTorah—how to cause commitment to His Truth.

But why the Lubavitcher Rabbi? For this I will have to go backto our visit in the Soviet Union.

It would be trite to repeat the oft-heard story of spiritual decayin this hell-on-earth—where Satan rules and the god of mate-rialism holds sway.

Yet it was in the midst of this modern Egypt and its forty-ninedegrees of spiritual uncleanliness that my colleagues and I dis-covered the only meaningful resistance among our people. For,to our amazement, we found scattered groups of LubavitcherChassidim that had somehow managed, not only to survive,but to continue to find strength and to transmit it to their chil-dren.

Upon my return to America, I hastened to 770 EasternParkway in Brooklyn, expecting to find an imposing buildingas would befit this gigantic challenge to Russian Communismand the god of Moloch. I looked for severe security measures—secret chambers—and a hard dynamic leader of internationalmovement.

I suppose that I was a little disappointed to find, instead, a ram-

shackle old building, badly in need of paint and repair, thelusty voices of young men hard at a folio of Talmud—and a softspoken and gentle middle aged rabbi, who seemed hardly to bea match for the Kruschev I had met in Moscow.

But that was until I started to speak to Rabbi Schneerson and lookedinto his eyes.

Slowly, it began to dawn on me why we had met LubavitcherChassidim in Russia, even after they had been cut off fromtheir source of strength for over thirty years. The formerLubavitcher Rabbi had been expelled in the mid-twenties—but more importantly, I began to see the answer to many ques-tions that had been giving me no peace. For here I sawstrength of a different kind—the strength of spirit.

The answer was obvious. To overcome material giganticism,one does not have to meet it on its own level. Synagogues neednot be turned into a kind of religious night club or replica ofLas Vegas to draw on the hearts of its people.

The simple answer to material giganticism is in being spiritu-ally gigantic. No more—no less.

The power of truth is overwhelming—and its obvious asset isthat it is Truth.

This is the great discovery that is beginning to turn AmericanJews back to the synagogue. We are beginning to realize, in thewords of the Lubavitcher Rabbi:

“Before the truth, all must prostrate themselves.”“Far dem emes muzen alle fahlen!”


A Meeting With the RebbeSince the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1994, a treasure trove of literature has beenuncovered and continues to grow, illustrating the breadth and depth of his involvement andinfluence in Jewish life and Jewish leadership.

Many yet remember the late Rabbi Samuel Adelman, a distinguished American pulpitrabbi, poet and activist, who founded Torah Pilgrimage, forerunner of the NCSY, and ledcongregations in Dover, New Jersey, Morristown, New Jersey, and Newport News,Virginia, and finally, the Beth Medrash Hagadol Synagogue in Denver, Colorado.

Few however, may know that this activist for Judaism and social justice who worked vigor-ously on numerous commissions on the state level to advance civil rights, fair housing andcare for mentally retarded children, and led the first delegation of Rabbis to CommunistRussia in 1956, had a rewarding association with the Rebbe.

The following was a message by Rabbi Adelman (courtesy of his daughter, Mrs. ShulamithAdelman Schwartz) to his congregation, as it appeared in the B.M.H. Bulletin, datedSeptember 20, 1960.


NEWS BRIEFS

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...Google Earth Brings Exodus Story To Life

Carmiel, Israel–Flying virtually around mountains and over seas, Adult Jewish education students in Carmielare experiencing the Torah’s account of the Exodus from Egypt from a bird’s eye view using the interactive,three dimensional maps of Google earth. “Based on the traditions and research, we mapped out a visual expe-rience of the Exodus experience,” said Rabbi Mendy Elishevitz who led Carmiel’s adult education course. Theinternet-based program lets viewers fly from galaxies in outer space to anywhere on Earth, viewing rich geo-graphical content, maps, terrain, and 3D buildings via satellite imagery. Chabad rabbis around the world haveadded the map experience to enhance their teaching of the subject...

Askmoses.com, possibly the largest online Jewish knowledge base, took its one millionth chat session recently,

garnering a spot on CBS's 6:15 Spotlight. After 10 years of answering questions live, 24/6, the website cre-

ated by Chabad of California has become a point of reference for people looking for a reliable response to

anything related to Jewish life and practice. Sometimes, it’s not a question but a cry for a listening ear. “It’s

an incredible resource where someone is always available,” one user told Lubavitch.com. “I can be as spe-

cific as necessary, I can remain completely anonymous yet discuss something really personal, and someone

is there when I need them.” It’s free too . . .

Orenburg, Russia–With the difficulties that Jewish communities everywhere are facing as philanthropic

resources dry up, the recent completion of a new school building in the Ohr Avner network in Orenburg,

Russia, was good reason for a celebration. Formerly a city preschool, the building was approved for sale

to Chabad by the city’s Mayor after discussion and negotiations with the input of Russia’s Chief Rabbi,

Berel Lazar. The facility gives the ten year old growing school of 200 students a new home where all its

divisions from ages two to seventeen can be under one roof. Orenburg’s only Jewish school, the Ohr

Avner Chabad Day School enjoys an excellent reputation after strong annual showings by its students in

local academic competitions . . .

Justice Scalia, Talmudic Authorities, on Privacy, Free SpeechNYC–Gossip columns may plaster the internet and paper newsstands. But is this commerce of secrets per-

missible according to Jewish or American tradition? Over 300 lawyers, judges, and professionals gathered to

hear the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Talmudic experts discuss the right to privacy and

individual liberties. The daylong seminar, sponsored by the Institute of American and Talmudic law featured

a smorgasbord of legal offerings based on the traditional Jewish perspective and that of the American legal

system. IAT Law, under the auspices of Chabad of Midtown, aims to, “bring the ethics and morals of the

Talmud to the masses,” explained director, Rabbi Noach Heber. Since its 2001 inception, the Institute has

hosted over 1,000 attorneys at its monthly seminars and annual conferences.

Got Questions? Askmoses. Website Counts More Than 1 Million Questions

Hard Times Don’t Stop Opening of New Jewish School

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBrooklyn, NY

Permit No. 3844

Machne IsraelLUBAVITCH WORLD HEADQUARTERS770 Eastern ParkwayBrooklyn, NY 11213

The Talmud states, “One who wishes to be a chasid, shouldpractice the words of Avot (Ethics of the Fathers).”

Now, with the release of Pirkei Avot: With a New Commentary,Anthologized from the Works of the Classic Commentators and theChasidic Masters, that daunting task has becomethat much easier.

Compiled by well-known author and translatorRabbi Yosef Marcus, and published by theLubavitch publishing house, Kehot PublicationSociety, the volume gives the reader a compre-hensive and fundamental understanding of PirkeiAvot. Anthologized from hundreds of commen-tators, classic to obscure, the commentary iscrowned with insights culled from the volumi-nous works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and hispredecessors.

Printed in elegant two-color with original art-work, and issued in a deluxe gift edition as the“Rabbi Gavriel and Rivky Holtzberg MemorialEdition,” it was dedicated by Howard and ClaireGlowinsky of Toronto, Canada, in honor of theBar Mitzvah of their son Benji.

The publishers hope that this volume will con-tribute to the appreciation of the wisdom of Ethicsof the Fathers and its application to modern, dailylife.

Pirkei Avot is available online, at: www.kehot.com.

A Chasidic Guide to“The Chasid’s Guide”

Documents

Chabad Lubavitch International