Survivor of the Gulag

By Dvora Lakein for Lubavitch.com

Top right, Reb Mottel performs a bris in Moscow. Top right, Workers in the Gulag. Bottom left, Official KGB photo of Lifshitz from the KGB archives. Bottom left, Lifshitz performs a wedding in Moscow.

In a small apartment on a busy Crown Heights intersection you can find 92-year-old Reb Mottel Lifshitz. Affectionately known as “Reb Mottel the Shochet,” he spends his days quietly studying, writing, and … still enjoying herring. Born during the final years of Czar Nicholas II’s reign, Lifshitz not only survived two world wars, the Russian gulag, and Communist rule, but also lived to see his enemies perish.

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Picture of the Rebbe! – 770 Farbrengen in 1963!

CrownHeights.info and the Avner Institute present a weekly first-time released photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The Rebbe is seen here vigorously encouraging the singing of Chassidic melodies at a 1963 Farbrengen in 770. To learn more about the Rebbe Visit: www.Portraitofaleader.org

Indian Ambassador Visists the Holtzbergs & Chabad Officials

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — As part of a series of meetings regarding the aftermath of November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, Indian Ambassador to the United Nations Nirupam Sen visited Rabbi Nachman and Freida Holtzberg at their Brooklyn home on Wednesday. The ambassador extended his country’s condolences to the Holtzbergs, whose son and daughter-in-law, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, perished along with four others at the Chabad-Lubavitch center they operated in the city.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Wounded IDF Veterans Go Skiing

ASPEN, CO — A group from the Tzerei Chabad of Israel has arranged a skiing trip for wounded veterans of the IDF in Aspen, Colorado. The group is presently flying from Israel to Aspen as guests of the local Chabad House, which is run by Rabbi Mendel Mintz.

Gov. Paterson Orders Nealy 9000 Layoffs

ALBANY, NY [AP] — Gov. David Paterson on Tuesday ordered layoffs that could total more than 4 percent of state workers after unions refused concessions amid a staggering economic downturn that was projected to push the state’s deficit to $16 billion in the next year.

Budget Director Laura Anglin told The Associated Press that the layoffs of nearly 9,000 employees would be the first since the late 1990s after unions refused to even provide counterproposals.

Devorah Benjamin To Be Honored By Senator Eric Adams

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Crown Heights community activist Devorah Benjamin will be among a group of women being honored this Thursday, March 26 by State Senator Eric Adams as part of Women’s History Month.

The event will be held tomorrow, Thursday March 26, at the T-Building Auditorium of Kings County Hospital, 451 Clarkson Avenue, 2nd floor (at New York Ave). The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a reception at which kosher food will be served. The awards presentation will be held at 8:00 p.m.

New Shluchim to Florida!

Rabbi Yossi and his wife Chanie Hecht of Crown Heights, will IYH be moving on Shlichus to Ocala, FL where they will establish Chabad-Lubavitch of Marion County, FL. The new center will serve the Ocala, Crystal River, Inverness, The Villages, Dunnellon, Belleview, Leesburg and outlying Jewish communities.

The new Shluchim were appointed by Florida’s Head Shliach Rabbi Avrohom Korf and with close cooperation of Lubavitch-Chabad Alachua County, Rabbi Berl Goldman. The new Shluchim would like to thank Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Rabbi Avrohom Korf and Rabbi Mendel Kotlarsky for their guidance and support and to everyone who helped make this possible.

CrownHeights.info would like to wish the new Shluchim Hatzlocha Rabba on their new Shlichus!

If anyone has any contacts or know any Jews in the areas being served by the new Shluchim please e-mail: ChabadOcala@gmail.com

Jewish Music World Mourns Passing of Izzy Taubenfeld OBM

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Izzy in his small cluttered office, which was the passing ground for hundreds of records. Photo by Sruly Meyer.

Tuesday morning came the sad news of the very untimely passing of Izzy (Itzchak Moshe) Taubenfeld OBM, owner and president of the Jewish music production company ‘Sameach Music’.

Recently, Izzy suffered from Yenem Machalah, which today claimed his life at the young age of 55 leaving behind a family, hundreds of friends and tens of thousands that he inspirited and made happy through the music he produced and promoted. Izzy was described as a man who stopped at nothing to help others and make sure they were happy, and a bright smile never left his face.

Welcome Captain Cappello, 71st’s new Executive Officer

Captain John Cappello (L) with Captain Jose Frias the current XO’s in the 71st Precinct.

The 71st Precinct recently added an additional Executive Officer to its ranks. Captain John E. Cappello transferred from the 60th Precinct in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn and has 12 years on the force.

FJCR outraged by Stavropol court ruling expelling Rabbi

MOSCOW, Russia [INTERFAX] — The Stavropol Territory Court has upheld the verdict by a Stavropol district court, ordering the administrative expulsion of the Stavropol chief rabbi, Canadian citizen Tzvi Hershkowitz, from Russia.

The territory court has thus rejected the rabbi’s appeal against the Stavropol district court ruling. The judgment was issued on March 24.

The local FSB (Federal Security Service) branch accused Hershkowitz of “breaching the residence registration regulations” by failing to notify the migration authorities of his new residence address within three days, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR) told Interfax-Religion on Wednesday.