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My Rabbi, Reb Avram – by A Grateful Student

I’m not sure my Rabbi would approve of this honor. You see, my Rabbi, I’ll just refer to him as Reb Avram, is a very humble man. As a matter of fact, he probably doesn’t think that he has done anything so extraordinary. In fact, all that Reb Avram has done is provide sweet and delicious Torah education to young children for over half a century. Imagine – today there are gray bearded men who were taught by Reb Avram fifty years ago and this very morning, Reb Avram was still teaching, still caring, still reaching out to that ‘pintele Yid’ – that divine spark within each child that sometimes only he can see.

Reb Avram, you see is a different kind of teacher who believes that every child can learn. When I first arrived at the Yeshiva, I needed some remedial tutoring. Reb Avram spent his lunch hours catching me up. When I advanced to higher grades, he would always pass me in the hallways and offer his words of encouragement along with his radiant smile. When I began to teach, he was a primary role model. He offered practical, sage advice along with hand written teaching materials that he had created and perfected over the years. Need a Halachic decision? A blessing for a sick child or expectant mother? Want to hear a practical and meaningful gem of Torah about this week’s Parsha? Reb Avram has always been there – just a phone call or a visit with him lifts the spirit and the soul.

Israel Needs Ethical Soul Search: Sacks

As several senior Israeli government officials are mired in controversy, the Jewish State is in serious need of ethical soul-searching, Commonwealth Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks said this week.

“The way I see it is this: Zionism has achieved its first great objective – creating a Jewish state it is time now to achieve the second great objective – which is a Jewish society, and that is something quite different.”

First Public Sukkah in Australia

Chabad of Melbourne CBD hosted the first Public Succah in Australia.
A Succah was erected in the City Square, the centre of Melbourne’s Business District.

Rabbi Chaim Herzog the Director of Chabad of Melbourne CBD organized a Luncheon for the business people who work in the city. The Luncheon was attended by professional business- men and women working in the city, amongst them were lawyers, accountants, stockbrokers, and engineers, etc.

Jewish Mystery Machine Comes to Auraria

Auraria, CO — If you were on campus Oct. 12 between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. you may have passed by the sukkah van parked near the P.E. building and thought, “What’s a sukkah van?”

The Chabad of Auraria, a campus Jewish student organization affiliated with the Chabad of Colorado, set up the van in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which means “booths” in Hebrew.

Sukkot celebrates the beginning of fall and the Biblical wandering of the Jews during the Exodus. The holiday started Friday night.

Rabbi Yisrael-Moshe Ort, who is a member of the Chabad of Colorado, said it is a mitzvah, or Jewish commandment, to live in a sukkah for a week.

Rabbi Ort and his family observe the holiday by eating, drinking and spending time in the sukkah, but do not sleep in it.

Analysis: Playing Politics in Moscow

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert waded deep into the divisive Russian political scene during his recent trip to Moscow, attending two different affairs sponsored by two different Jewish organizations supporting two different chief rabbis and funded by two different Jewish billionaires.

On Wednesday night he went to an event under the patronage of Arkadi Gaydamak at Moscow’s central synagogue, and on Thursday he attended a similar affair sponsored by Lev Leviev.