New Song from Avraham Fried

5 new songs were compiled and recorded for the organization ‘Oorah’, from the performers; Avraham Fried, Shloime Daskal, Boruch Levin, Yisroel Williger and Dovid Gabay.

You can listen to the song by clicking them or you can download them by right clicking on them and saving it.

1. Galeh – Avraham Fried
2. Boneh – Shloime Daskal
3. Hatov – Dovid Gabay
4. Ma Ashiv- Yisroel Williger
5. Dovid Melech – Boruch Levin

To listen to a demo of all the songs click the link below
Demo of the CD

A Community of Successful Malcontents

Passover is one of the most involved, consuming holidays on the Jewish calendar. The list of don’ts is long, preparations are arduous, and it’s eight days long. A challenge for any individual, and yet it seems to be one of the most widely observed holidays. What gives?

Some time ago, a group of people appeared in our Chabad Center on a Friday night; they were new faces, always a nice surprise. Together with a friend—one of our regulars—I approached to welcome them.

University Refuses to Grant Chabad Chaplaincy

Princeton, NJ — Following the University’s denial of a request from the Jewish organization Chabad for a chaplaincy position in the Office of Religious Life, a group of students has started a petition asking President Tilghman to reconsider the decision.

“Chabad will continue to be on campus, regardless of what the University decides,” Chabad student board president Arthur Ewenczyk ’09 said. The University cited its policy to recognize only one Jewish chaplain under the Center for Jewish Life (CJL).

Passover Makes Rabbi into Kosher Cop

Bradenton, FL — Rabbi Shalom Adler slips a thin net over his short red hair and black yarmulke. Another over his bushy beard. He pops in bright orange earplugs. A pair of bulky protective goggles cover his wire-framed spectacles.

Inspector Rabbi is now in service.

For the past several weeks, Adler, co-director of the Chabad of Pinellas County, has brought his rabbinical knowledge of Jewish dietary law to the Tropicana plant in Bradenton.

Adler, who works for the Organized Kosher certification company, inspects the production of a special run of kosher-for-Passover orange juice.

Is the Lubavitcher Rebbe the Messiah?

A few months ago I was walking in Times Square in New York City and there were two Chabadniks handing out literature proclaiming that the Rebbe, Menachem Schneerson, was the Messiah (Moshiach). They were in competition with a guy up the street with a sign proclaiming the end of the world and that Jesus will save us if we believe in him.

Being a curious person, or maybe just a contentious one, I approached the Chabad-Lubavitchers and asked how the Rebbe could be the Messiah since he died in 1994 and was buried in Queens? They responded that he really wasn’t dead and that the person buried in the grave in Queens was his father-in-law. I walked away amused and a little irritated that these jokers were there in the name of Judaism. Last month my wife, Lynne, and I were in the subterranean 42nd Street subway station and another Chabad Chasid was distributing literature. Not to offend him, heaven forbid, I took what he was offering. It is this handout that I want to discuss. Hold on to your seats, because this stuff is amazing (that’s a polite adjective for ludicrous).

Post office launches “forever” stamp in May

Washington, DC — Beginning in May, U.S. consumers will be able to buy a “forever” stamp for 41 cents that remains valid regardless of a future increase, and the price of a first-class stamp will rise to 41 cents from 39 cents, the board of the U.S. Postal Service decided on Monday.

The “forever” stamp is designed as a convenience for consumers, said Board of Governors Chairman James Miller, because they will not have to buy additional stamps on the next price increase.

The changes take effect on May 14 [2007].

Winners of this Years Chidon!

CrownHeights.info is proud to present the list of winners of this years Chidon. An article, Video and a full gallery of pictures will soon follow!

Darga Aleph (5th & 6th Grade):
1st Place
1 Mendel Friedman, Pittsburgh, PA, Yeshivah Schools
2 Schneur Zalman Glaser, Chicago, IL, Cheder Lubavitch
3 Meir Simchah Itzinger, London England, Lubavitch Boys School
4 Menachem Korn, Crown Heights, Oholei Torah

Darga Beis (7th & 8th Grade):
1st Place
1 Shloime Schwei, London England, Lubavitch Boys School
2 Ohad Pinchas Einav, Pittsburgh, PA, Yeshivah Schools
3 Sender Labkowski, Los Angeles, CA, Cheder Menachem
4 Mendel Cyprys, London England, Lubavitch Boys School
5 Yosef Zirkind, Crown Heights, United Lubavitcher Yeshivas

The complete list of the winners can be seen in the Extended Article!

Nevertheless, We Have Not Forgotten You

I first met Shaindel several years ago when she knocked on my door with a request. “Hello,” she said with a smile. “I have two children who need special education, and I’m collecting money for them.”

Something about the honest, straightforward way she said it touched my heart, and I was happy to help out in any way I could.

Over the next few years Shaindel would reappear at my door approximately once a year, always with the same smile.

13 Years to the Murder of Ari Halberstam HY”D

On March 1, 1994, Rashid Baz a Lebanese national opened fire on a van carrying more than a dozen Hasidic students as it began to cross the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, one of those passengers was Ari. He sustained a mortal injury to his head which resulted in his very untimely death five days later, on Chof Gimmel Adar, at the age of 16.

A chronicle of the events that had taken place can be read in the Extended Article. (Taken from the ‘Ari Halberstam Memorial Website’).

CGI Montreal Announces Head Staff for Summer of 2007!

Camp Gan Yisroel Montreal is pleased to announce their wonderful head staff for the upcoming summer season, summer 2007.

Head Counselors: Levi Levertov, Levi Wolvovsky and Shalom Ber Kesselman

Learning Directors: Shmuelly Gurary and Mendy Rabin
Section C Directors: Avremel Matusof and Avremy Zaltzman
Masmidim Directors: Shimon Tzillerman and Levi Itkin

SUFFERING: THE ULTIMATE MYSTERY

When I Wanted You Did Not – By Simon Jacobson

Today I attended a tragic funeral. All funerals are tragic, but some appear worse than others. Especially when a beautiful man, 61 years old, is killed by a drunken driver, leaving a grieving wife, ten children and countless relatives and friends traumatized.

Every tragic death reminds us (or should remind us) of all other senseless losses – and unbearable pain – beknownst or unbeknownst to us. How many broken hearts are crying around the world at this very moment? How do we respond to the millions of tears shed and the piercing screams echoing through the corridors of history?

The timeless question – why? why do terrible things happen to good people? – resurfaces its naked head in these timely moments of agony.