NAPLES, FL — There are all kinds of summer camps: sports camp, space camp, sleep-away camp, boy scouts camp… Well Chabad International proudly hosts one of the fastest growing networks of summer day camps for children, and this one takes a new spin on two age-old traditions, summer camp and Judaism.
YSP Bochurim spent yesterday, Sunday taking a trip to the Ohel then Mincha in 770 and a tour of the Rebbes Library, followed by a trip to a New Jersey Chabad House.
NEW YORK, NY — These bums are costing you a fortune.
Ricky Alardo, a homeless alcoholic nicknamed Ricky Ricardo, swigs cheap vodka by day at his favorite corner in Washington Heights, then calls an ambulance to chauffeur him to the hospital for a free meal and a warm place to sleep, courtesy of taxpayers who fund his Medicaid benefits.
This video is a 5 minute clip of the ongoing events at Camp Gan Israel Detroit Boys division.
Visiting day for the first trip at Camp Gan Israel, Parksville New York.
CATSKILL MOUNTAINS, NY [CHI] — The Flu has spread to multiple sleep-away camps and bungalow colonies in upstate New York. Being that today, June 12th, is visiting day for many camps, certain precautions have been taken.
“We have isolated the remaining flu cases in our infirmary,” said the nurse at Camp Emunah, a Jewish sleep-away camp for girls. “We suggest that flu patients take Tamiflu, but that only shortens the duration of the flu. We are not distributing it to the entire camp… There is no preventative [measure to be taken].”
Please join the Friendship Circle of Brooklyn 4ourth annual Summer Package Party benefit. Bring a wrapped item of up to $20.00 in value to be auctioned off by the entertaining Mrs Bassie Kalmenson.
SPOKANE, WA — An hour before the newspaper interview, Rabbi Mendy Singer and Rabbi Mendel Dalfin e-mail the protocol for shaking hands: They do not shake the hand of any woman, even if the woman doing the interview is old enough to be their mother.
They meet for the interview at a Starbucks on Spokane’s South Hill. They have been in town for two weeks as part of the Chabad Rabbinical Visitation Program, a program designed to introduce “unaffiliated” Jews with the history and rituals of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a branch of Hasidic Judaism.
S. MONICA, CA [CHI] — Marking Six years to the accident in Farmers Market in Simcha Monica, where an elderly man plowed through the barricades with his car, and sent the Mivtzoim table flying, Yisroel Yosef Levitansky, the director of ‘Mitzvos On the Spot’ for people on the Go, under the auspices of Chabad in Simcha Monica, organized a Seudas Hodaah and Kinus Hakhel.
Personal Reflections on the passing of a friend ob”m and the Purpose of Life
A Journey, Without a Destination
“As for me… life has been a living hell… but along the way, it’s been a journey.” I was told that the ink of these words was still fresh when they were found. Mark Shuster, my dear friend and congregant of blessed memory, had written them, in all probability, just moments before his shocking death.
Mark had a gentle soul. Perhaps it was too gentle for his afflicted body. Mark also had a very big heart. And beyond his self-described “living hell”, lay a flickering flame of warmth and kindness that shone luminously. At times, I was even blinded by its gleaming light that constantly yearned to help and give. He wanted to be a “philanthropist”, he once told me quietly, with his characteristic humility. Indeed, he wanted to change the world. And although I have heard many a visionary uttering this dream, I believed Mark. For Mark was authentic and real. A true, straightforward New-Yorker, that resented fabrications and lies. But above all, it was Mark’s voracious thirst that touched me. He was always thirsty for meaning, for growth, for understanding. We would sometimes talk for hours about the meaning of life, his past, our present, and the world’s future, which he sadly did not live to see. I doubt Mark was ever satisfied with life in general. His thirst was unquenchable, his quest – insatiable. Mark was right: “it’s been a journey.” Indeed, a journey, alas with no destination.
MELBOURNE, Australia [AJN] — There are many dates during the year when we commemorate the passing of great leaders.
For Chabad, Gimmel Tammuz -– Tammuz 3 -– is particularly significant, as it marks the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson in 5754 (1994).
For Australian Jewry, that date has additional meaning, as it is the date of the passing in 1991 of Reb Zalman Serebryanski, fondly recalled as one of the founders of Chabad and the yeshivah community in Australia.
A cow once stumbled upon a wounded bird lying on the ground in pain and discomfort. Doing what cows do best, the bird was left covered in a heap of animal refuse. Suddenly she felt warm and cozy. So happy was the bird with her newfound comfort, she began to sing.
Spurred by the sweet twittering, a farmer working in a nearby field followed the sound, only to discover the little creature lying submerged in manure.
The farmer immediately removed the animal from her wretched surroundings. Painstakingly he cleaned her and carefully placed her down. However, to his great disappointment the little bird would no longer sing. She was, in fact, noticeably withdrawn.
Realizing that he had upset her by removing her from her comfortable and cozy surroundings, the kind farmer looked at the bird and said: Little bird, little bird, let me teach you some very important lessons in life:
First of all: Not everyone that makes you feel comfortable is necessarily your friend.
Secondly: Not everyone that makes you feel uncomfortable is necessarily your enemy.
Finally dear birdie: When you are wallowing in manure, try not to sing.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Do not look at the vessel, but rather at what it contains; there may be a new vessel filled with aged wine, or an old vessel in which there is not even new wine. (Pirkei Avot 4:20)
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A cow once stumbled upon a wounded bird lying on the ground in pain and discomfort. Doing what cows do best, the bird was left covered in a heap of animal refuse. Suddenly she felt warm and cozy. So happy was the bird with her newfound comfort, she began to sing.
Spurred by the sweet twittering, a farmer working in a nearby field followed the sound, only to discover the little creature lying submerged in manure.
The farmer immediately removed the animal from her wretched surroundings. Painstakingly he cleaned her and carefully placed her down. However, to his great disappointment the little bird would no longer sing. She was, in fact, noticeably withdrawn.
Realizing that he had upset her by removing her from her comfortable and cozy surroundings, the kind farmer looked at the bird and said: Little bird, little bird, let me teach you some very important lessons in life:
First of all: Not everyone that makes you feel comfortable is necessarily your friend.
Secondly: Not everyone that makes you feel uncomfortable is necessarily your enemy.
Finally dear birdie: When you are wallowing in manure, try not to sing.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Do not look at the vessel, but rather at what it contains; there may be a new vessel filled with aged wine, or an old vessel in which there is not even new wine. (Pirkei Avot 4:20)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
MELBOURNE, Australia [AJN] — Izzy Ezaqui’s dream was to join the Israeli army. So when the American-born student turned 18, he packed his bags, kissed his parents goodbye, left the comforts of Miami behind and made aliyah.
Months later, he was serving on Israel’s frontline in Gaza as part of Operation Cast Lead on January 8 this year, his life took an unexpected turn. A rocket fired by Hamas landed less than a meter above his left shoulder, sending shrapnel flying. Ezaqui lost his left arm above the elbow in the attack.
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Early Thursday morning, July 08th 2007 at 2:30am, Officers Herman Yan and Russel Timoshenko came under a hail of gunfire as the two stopped a stolen SUV on the streets of Crown Heights. Both officers where hit and injured, one of them gravely. Two days later Officer Russel Timoshenko succumbed to his wounds.
This video is a 5 minute clip of the ongoing events at Camp Gan Israel Detroit Boys division.
MINEOLA, NY — Authorities are offering a $6,000 reward to catch whoever spray-painted swastikas on a Long Island synagogue.
The swastikas were left last week on the front doors of the Congregation Beth Shalom Chabad in Mineola.
The Rebbe says:
1. This week’s Torah portion tells us the famous story regarding Pinchas (Phinehas) and how he killed Zimri the prince of the tribe of Shimon (Simeon), thereby pleasing Hashem greatly Who declared that Pinchas deserves a reward for, “zealously avenging My vengeance”.
2. Our Sages tell us regarding the Oral Law (Torah Shebal Peh) that “it is impossible for scholars of the Study Hall to conduct a session without expounding a novel teaching”. If this is the case regarding the Oral Law, surely regarding the Written Law (Torah Shebichsav), from which our Sages learn numerous laws from even one letter, there must be a novelty in the story of Pinchas.
(3. Here is a summary of the story about Pinchas which is told at the end of last week’s Torah portion (Parshas Balak):
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