Over 500 at the Seder in Chabad of Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai, Thailand — Over 500 Jews from all walks of life attended the Chabad Seder in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The Seder was held at the Central Duang Hotel in the center of the hotel and guest house district and was led by the Shliach to Chiang Mai, Rabbi Moshe Chadad, with the assistance of Talmidei Hashluchim Pinny Mendelsohn and Danny Drukman from Eretz Yisroel.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

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Burning Chometz Outside 770

The one designated place to burn Chometz this year was in front of 770. The burning trash cans were manned by police officers from our Community Patrol Unit who maintained a safe environment for burning Chometz.

Lines backed up quite a bit and in response the NYPD decided that next year they will use a dumpster instead of the trash cans, this way it will alleviate the long lines and the area will stay clean.

Many more pictures in the Extended Article.

COP’S TIX BLITZ HITS 9 CARS IN 5 MINUTES

By C.J. SULLIVAN – The New York Post

Brooklyn, NY — Residents of a quiet Brooklyn block were up in arms yesterday after a cop plastered their cars with nine parking tickets in five minutes.

A quick-handed officer from the 70th Precinct unleashed his ticket-writing fury between 8:10 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Saturday on East 23rd Street between Farragut Road and Foster Avenue in Flatbush.

All the parking citations claimed that motorists were in violation of Code 74, improper display of license plates. The nine cars all had car-dealership license-plate holders, but the holders didn’t appear to obscure the numbers on inspection by a Post reporter.

Children Learn to Make Matzah

Post-Tribune

Munster, IN — As Jews around the world prepare to celebrate Passover, local rabbis demonstrated the Model Matzah Bakery to Jewish youth who filled a meeting hall at the Jewish Federation Community Building.

The preholiday lessons, sponsored by Chabad of Northwest Indiana, were presentations especially for children to keep the traditional precept of matzah — unleavened bread — fresh, according to Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov, the director.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Pesach Cleaning for the Soul

By Israel Krasnianski
You’ve cleaned out the chometz from the attic; now its time to clean your spiritual chometz.

Those of you who are regular readers of my articles know that I try to find a lot of meaning in the holidays and the change of the seasons. While we all (especially the unwilling children) probably feel some measure of the rejuvenation and inspiration associated with Pesach-cleaning, I am also committed to putting that feeling into action in the form of Pesach-cleaning for the soul.

Yud Alef Nissan Tank Parade in South Florida

Miami Beach, FL — On Thursday, in honor of the Rebbe’s 105th birthday, and the holiday of Pesach, the birthday of the Jewish people, the local Miami Bochurim who are currently learning in the Yeshivah Lubavitch Toronto organized an impressive parade.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

OK Kashrus Administrator is Special Guest on Zev Brenner Show

Dina Fraenkel, OK Kosher Certification

On Monday evening, March 26, Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, CEO and Kashrus Administrator of OK Kosher Certification, along with OK Rabbinic Coordinator, Rabbi Yitzchak Hanoka, appeared as special guests on the Zev Brenner show.

Brenner spoke with Rabbi Levy and Rabbi Hanoka about various kashrus concerns and current events in the kashrus world. One of the main kashrus issues covered by Rabbi Levy is the use of “Kosher Books” for Passover. These “Kosher Books” list household products and food products that do not have a Passover designation on the label, but are permissible for Passover. The “Kosher Books” also discuss cosmetics and medications that are, or are not, acceptable for use during Passover. Rabbi Levy explained the OK’s position on “Kosher Books,” saying he is not in favor of their use. He spoke about his father, Rabbi Berel Levy (ob”m), who was the first Kashrus Administrator to visit factories in the Far East, because he insisted on personally checking out every detail of the facility’s operations, including double-checking all of their ingredients.

Halacha Newsletter by Rabbi Yosef Shusterman

Rabbi Yosef Shusterman of Chabad of Northern Beverly Hills published the following Halacha Newsletter which covers the Halachos of Pesach and the days they are specific too.

It’s available in PDF format which you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available fore free from Adobes website Acrobat.com.

Click Here to view the Newsletter!

Hundreds at Central Yud Aleph Nissan Farbrengen

Hundreds took part in the central Yud Aleph Nissan Farbrengen that took place in Bais Rivka, Campus Chomesh in Crown Heights where the Rebbe’s 105th birthday was celebrated in the presence of Rabbis, Shluchim, Anash and Bochurim.

Among the speakers were R. Yoel Kahan, R. Yisroel Freedman, R. Moshe Bogomilsky, R. Chaim Shaul Bruk and R. Avrohom Shemtov. The ‘Baal Menagen’ Rabbi Sholom Brochshtadt introduced the Niggun he composed in honor of Yud Aleph Nissan this year. Another farbrengen was held in 770.

Click Here to listen to a full audio recording of the Farbrengen! [WMA, STREAM, 27MB, 1:50:00]

More pictures in the Extended Article!

2 Yidden Involved in a Bad Accident

On the corner of Carroll and Troy two cars collided, a black Infinity G35 sedan and a silver Oldsmobile Silhouette Minivan, both driven by members of Anash. One of the cars took a red but from witness statements no one was sure who did.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Demystifying the Mitzvah of Mechiras Chometz

by Rabbi Yosef Dovid Chanawitz – KosherSpirit.com

The weeks preceding Pesach are very hectic throughout the Jewish community. It is the time when many people clean their homes from top to bottom in an effort to remove every trace of chometz (leavened bread). In addition, it is common practice to give a rabbi power of attorney to sell our chometz to a non-Jew. This practice has become a standard in all Jewish communities, in both the private and the public sectors.

Brazen Burglary Shabbos Afternoon

Brooklyn, NY — This past Shabbos a very professional and brazen burglary took place on Montgomery St between Brooklyn and New York mid afternoon. The family came home after a routine visit they do on Shabbos afternoon between 1:00pm and 3:00pm to find their house ransacked, cash, jewelry and electronics were taken.

The incident was reported to the police and an investigator was immediately assigned to the case. Evidence Collection Team that responded in order to gather evidence such as fingerprints and the likes quickly noted that the burglar or burglars used gloves. The investigator commented that this was a very professional burglary, one that they haven’t seen in quite some time in the neighborhood.

Pesach 5737 (1977) by Rabbi Michoel A. Seligson

The Rebbe had a custom on the first night of Pesach of visiting the sedorim of the various mosdos; the Yeshiva kitchen at 1414 President St., FREE, Machon Chana and at times Hadar Hatorah. The Rebbe would come in to see how everyone was ready for the seder with their Kaara (Seder plate). This custom went for many years.

In 5737 (1977) when visiting Machon Chana, the Rebbe asked who would be conducting the seder for the girls. The Rebbe was told that it would be Rabbi Moshe Feller (head shliach of the upper Midwest in MN). The Rebbe then asked who would be asking the four kashes. When the Rebbe was told that it would be (the then young boy) Mendel Feller (today Rabbi Feller, Shliach in MN), the Rebbe turned to the child and pointing to his father Rabbi Moshe Feller, asked “Does he know the answers”? Everyone in the room laughed, perceiving the Rebbe’s comment as a humorous one. The Rebbe gave his blessing and left.