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Chabad at the Winter Olympics

The festivities of this past Shabbos in the hosting village of the Winter Games – Whistler, British Columbia – were memorable. Tens of Jews convened at the exclusive Pan Pacific Hotel located at the base of Whistler Mountain. People flocked to the hotel from communities in Hong Kong, Colorado, California, Kitchner, Ontario and more. Mike Flint, movie producer and participant of the past twelve Olympics, said, “Chabad has never had such a prime spot in the Olympics.”

Bochurim farbrenged with Michael Budman, CEO of Roots Athletics – the Canadian version of Gap – who was visiting from Toronto. The events and programs at Chabad of Whistler were sponsored by Rabbi Yitzchok Wineberg, director of Lubavitch of British Columbia. “Chabad does great work,” said Mr Budman. “I support many of Chabad’s projects, and it is great to see them at the games.” Following the farbrengen, he distributed a handful of gift certificates to the rabbis. Also in attendance was Shai Cohen from Toronto, representing Coca Cola. Rachel Goldberg from Reuters news agency participated in the Chabad events, as well.

The Chabad rabbis met with various Jewish locals. “It was beautiful to see a Shabbat dinner here,” said Moshe Blank, a restaurant chain owner in Whistler. “We should fly you guys here weekly, to make Shabbat services!” There are approximately sixty Jewish families living in Whistler, many of whom opened their doors to the visiting rabbis. A primary tourist attraction in Whistler is Whistler Blackcomb, rated as the best ski resort in North America. Blackcomb has the most skiable acres in North America and the longest free standing gondola in the world. Thousands of Jewish tourists travel through the village every year.

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14 Comments

  • a disgusted chossid

    If the Rebbe told to Raichick not to do any mivtzoim by the olympics in CA, why is it OK to do mivtzoim in CANADA?!
    It has already been established that the olympics are founded in AVODA ZARA – isn’t that why the Rebbe instructed Raichick not to have anything to do with it!?
    Why are the Rebbe’s words not relevant anymore?
    Is money more important to you than listening to the Rebbe?
    Would you SHEMAD for a dollar?
    Do you think that HASHEM will appreciate MORE – your “efforts” while at the same time disregarding the holy words of a tzaddick?

  • gedalya california

    listen or read to the sichos of 1972 (lamed beies)(munich olympics)what the rebbe said about??????????

  • Ruth

    Kol HaKavod!! You will never know how many Jewish neshamas you save from darkness just by being in places where there are not a lot of Yidden, and the few who are there may be wandering around completely lost–not knowing who they are or what they are here for. Just by making Shabbos, helping someone with tefillin for the first time, listening and welcoming a fellow Jew and trying to help him or her take the next step without judging where they are now, you are working miracles every day.

    Chazak v’amatz!!

  • Elozor Reitchik

    Olympics: The Rebbe’s Perspective
    by Rabbi Elozor Reitchik
    10 Adar 5770 (24.02.2010)
    Millions of people are closely following the Olympic Games, the biggest sports event in the world. The athletic competitions, are the focus of worldwide attention, as athletes representing hundreds of countries, compete in the games. 56 millions viewers are estimated to have watched the Opening Ceremonies which.

    Unfortunately, Chabad has joined in the celebration and there have been articles about the games in Chabad publications. Naturally, they are written from the Chabad perspective so many of you must be wondering — what could be wrong? Thousands of Jews who are in Athens for the games are able to benefit from the local Chabad house! Is this the first time Chabad has gotten involved in outreach work at sporting events?

    These questions prove that most Lubavitchers are unaware of the Rebbe’s opinion on this issue, and so they assume that outreach at such an event is a wonderful opportunity to reach huge numbers of Jews. Before presenting a compilation of statements from the Rebbe about this, let us examine some historical facts:

    – The Olympic Games began over 2700 years ago and was a religious event in honor of one of the many Greek gods.

    – The original Olympic Games took place in Olympia, where temples for idolatry were situated. The modern-day Olympics, which resumed in the year 1896, are directly connected to the ancient games since they begin with the lighting of the Olympic Torch. The Torch is ignited by the sun’s rays in the temple on Olympia, and from there it makes its way to the country where the Games are held.

    – Even the fact that the Games take place every four years, as well as the Olympic symbol of five interlocking rings, are connected to idol worship. The five intertwined circles represent Venus, which traces a perfect pentacle across the sky every 8 years. To the ancient Greeks, Venus became the symbol of perfection and beauty, qualities prized in athletes’ bodies. As a tribute to Venus, the Greeks used “her” 8-year cycle to organize their Olympic Games. The 4-year schedule follows Venus’ half cycle.

    SOURCED IN IDOLOTRY

    The Olympic Games took place in Munich, Germany in 1972. The Rebbe referred to this in a sicha on Shabbos parshas Vayeishev, Shabbos Chanuka, 5733, and said that this was an inyan of avoda zara. Free translation follows:

    The entire concept of the Olympic Games is connected with idol worship. These games began with the Greeks, who had a custom of going to a certain place and running there, jumping on stones and bones, dancing, fighting, and killing, etc. The modern version is the Olympic Games, but the source is idol worship.

    In those days, the Greeks attained very high levels of wisdom, even the wisdom of mathematics and astronomy. After reaching very high levels of wisdom, they began to think — what about faith?

    There was a mountain near the city, and it wasn’t a high mountain, but a mountain that goats and sheep, cows and oxen, and people too, could climb. This mountain wasn’t in some forsaken place in the mountains of darkness, but right near the city. So the wise men of Greece declared that their two idols were there, that one had hit the other and killed him, and they did all sorts of evil things there. Including every possible bad trait, and even those you can only think of, and they said that these idols were their gods, and were omnipotent — the name of this mountain was Olympia.

    Then they decided, that once every few years they would gather there, and each one would take his cat, etc., with him, and one would strike another, and jump, and celebrate a holiday there.

    All this was in the time of the Greeks. In recent years, this became the Olympic Games, which take place every four years. Therefore, the Olympic Games that take place in our generation are sourced in idol worship.

  • elozor Reitchik

    part 2
    CHABAD OUTREACH AT OLYMPIC GAMES

    I remember that in 5736 (1976), when the Olympic Games took place in Montreal, the Chabad Chassidim there did not go to do mivtzaim or any Jewish activities in the area.

    This week I spoke with Lubavitchers in Montreal and they all remembered that they did not participate in any outreach efforts at all in connection with the Olympic Games, even though the Games took place at a time when the Rebbe was “storming” about the importance of the mivtzaim that began in the summer of 5734.

    Eight years later, in 5740, the Olympic Games took place in Los Angeles. Lubavitchers wanted to open a kosher restaurant in the area of the Games in order to reach the thousands of Jewish spectators, and to speak to them about Judaism. There was also a plan to advertise the mitzva campaigns.

    They were sure that this outreach would garner them terrific publicity, and would be a kiddush Hashem, for they would be disseminating Judaism within the hamona shel Romi (lit. multitudes of Rome).

    But the Rebbe thought otherwise, and I remember the Rebbe’s clear and sharp answer, not to participate in any manner, shape, or form, and since they knew the Rebbe’s opinion that this was an matter of idol worship, how could they have considered such a plan?!

    I don’t have the Rebbe’s answer in writing, but all the Lubavitch activists in Los Angeles with whom I spoke this week, remember that after receiving this scathing answer from the Rebbe, no Chabad outreach was done in connection with the Olympic Games.

    The bottom line is: the Rebbe completely negated any Chabad activity in connection with the Olympic Games, since they are sourced in idol worship. And the Games today are connected and associated with the symbols of Greek idol worship.

    Just as no Chassid would consider setting up a stand near the big churches in Manhattan which attract many tourists, so too, no Chabad outreach should take place near the Olympic Games. When newspapers write up Chabad activities taking place at the Olympic Games, it seems as though Chabad approves of the Games. Innocent people are likely to think that if Chabad is there, then the Games are “kosher,” and there is no religious objection to participating in them.

    Since the Games are still ongoing, at least from now on, Chabad activities there should cease, and should certainly not be publicized any longer.

    In the merit of fulfilling the Rebbe’s directives, we will merit to eradicate all avoda zara in the world, with the true and complete Geula, now!

  • Merir P

    I dont understand, mivtzoim by the Olympics? Why dont we do mivtzoim by movie theaters? There many yidden there too

  • Shmulik

    The Rebbe never said anything about mivtzoim at tbe olympics. Elozor raichik is a chasidisher yid, but he has no clue how to rule lemaase, so he should leave it to Rabbonim with experience.

  • OIS TRACTOR

    There is a time and place for everything – and doing mivtzoim, teffilin, mezzuzh, kashrus, etc. etc. Has no place at the olympics.
    Just like you wouldn’t put a jew on teffilin in a church or while he is sitting in a movie theater – so too, you don’t do mitzvos in a place of tumah and avoda zara.
    This is just another one of many times that the corporate chabad deviates from the directives of the Rebbe.