Daily Archives: February 7, 2006

Teens Training to Defend Themselves Against Police

Is this the answer? What does this have to do with Chabad?

Youths calling themselves “Orange Youth Brigade” are busy training in self-defense, explaining they will not permit a reoccurrence of the Gaza or Amona expulsions, especially the brutality directed against youths in Amona.

The directors of the program, including a former IDF self-defense and hand-to-hand combat instructor, explained their training is strictly self-defense. Training includes defending oneself against a threat riding horseback, preparing for mounted police as well.

An Assault and A Mugging Yesterday

Yesterday there were 2 incidents of assault in Crown Heights, one on Carroll St. between Kingston and Brooklyn at around 8:00pm where a man walking was jumped by a black man and stole his cell phone, police picked up the victim and drove around the neighborhood in hope to maybe identify the perp, when that proved unsuccessful police took him to the Police station and filled out a police report.

The second incident was on Eastern Parkway and Brooklyn Ave. where a black man struck a Jewish man and just ran police were called in immediately and chased the perp down and caught him on Eastern Parkway and New York Ave. and after the victim identified the perp Police arrested him and took him to the police station.

If you are a victim of any type of crime, don’t hesitate to call Shomrim at (718) 774-3333 24/7

Rabbi takes life lessons to classroom

Students at Cayman Prep and High School recently received a real–life demonstration to complement what they are learning in their religious education class.

To commemorate Benjamin Stoner’s Bar Mitzvah, the Jewish rite of passage into adulthood and responsibility when a boy turns 13, the rabbi, who performed the ceremony Saturday, 4 February, became the religious education teacher Friday morning.

Part of the class curriculum revolves around rites of passage in various religions so the students were already familiar with the idea of a Bar Mitzvah.

The Heroic Struggle in Russian in time for Yud Shvat

The dramatic story of the imprisonment and release of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn, in 250 pages. Published by FREE Publishing House, a division of FREE (Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe), in Shvat of 5766 (2006). Text is in Russian with an English Foreword. The original Hebrew and English text was put out by Kehot Publication Society.

The recent collapse of Russian Communism was soon followed by a Jewish re-identification and a sweeping resurgence of open religious observance. These striking changes followed 70 years of Soviet religious suppression.

Religious feeling and observance had been driven underground for decades but was kept alive by a strong “Jewish underground.” At the center of the struggle for Jewish survival was the giant persona of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn (1880-1950), of Blessed Memory.

Senseless Vandalism On Montgomery St.

Yesterday a resident of the neighborhood woke up to find the rear window of his car smashed in, the car was parked on Montgomery St. between Brooklyn Ave. & New York Ave. It appears this was a case of vandalism since nothing was taken from the car. The window was smashed by what appeared to be a glass bottle that was thrown at it.

This incident is similar to a case in which a black man was going around Crown Heights and senselessly breaking windows of Jewish cars in particular, the Police have arrested him once but let him go due to the fact that they had nothing on him. So we request all residents to keep an eye out and if you do see something please make sure to call Shomrim at (718) 774-3333.

Yahrtzeit Observances for the 10th of Shevat

Editor’s note: The following is a free translation of a public letter written by the Rebbe shortly before the first yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of his father-in-law and predecessor, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch, in which the Rebbe directs the chassidim on how to observe the yahrtzeit. The letter is dated Rosh Chodesh Shevat, 5711 [January 8, 1951].

By the Grace of G-d
Rosh Chodesh Shevat, 5711
Brooklyn, N.Y.

To the members of our community, the Temimim(1), and to all who are bound or in any way connected with my revered father-in-law, the saintly Rebbe, of blessed memory,

G-d bless you all.

Greeting and Blessings:

In response to the many requests for a detailed schedule for the upcoming Tenth of Shevat, yahrtzeit of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hareini kaparat mishkavo(2), I hereby suggest the following(3):

Building on condo boom

How hot is Brooklyn these days? So hot that condo developers are seeking building sites even in Prospect Lefferts Gardens — where single-family homes are the only thing that’s allowed in a big section of the neighborhood, because of deed covenants that date back to the 1890s.

And other parts of the nabe are included in a city landmark district, which also limits new construction.

Builders are heading to this area despite the relatively low supply of available sites because of the continued strong demand for housing in one of the hottest boroughs.

Rebbe’s ‘770’ to be on Israeli stamp

As we have reported, now the major Israeli Media is picking this up.

A new Israeli stamp depicting the red-brick Brooklyn house of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, will be released soon by the Israel Postal Authority’s Philatelic Service. The New York house – known widely by its address, 770 Eastern Parkway – is accompanied on the face of the stamp by two Jewish symbols – Shabbat candles and tefillin.

Many Orthodox and haredi groups have opposed dedicating postage stamps to the memory of great rabbis and sages because the glue on the back is licked to affix them to envelopes – an act of disrespect. But showing “770” avoids the problem that would exist if the Rebbe’s face were shown on the stamp. In addition, the “messianic” faction of Lubavitch hassidism refuses to admit that Schneerson, the seventh Chabad Rebbe, died nearly 12 years ago.