It’s Not the Holiday Without the 9-Footer!

Encino, Calif. — On the third night of Chanukah, at 6 p.m., a parade of 40 cars topped with electric menorahs will wend its way about six miles under police escort from southwest Houston to the Galleria, where several thousand people will gather for the lighting of a giant, 7-foot menorah carved out of ice.

“Jews are thrilled to see a menorah. It brings them Jewish pride,” assured Rabbi Moishe Traxler, director of outreach at Chabad of Houston, who co-designed the $1,000, 4-foot, metallic-painted menorahs atop the cars based on a 12th-century design by the Rambam. He also oversees the lighting of the ice menorah’s oversize candles.

Fight or Light? -Controversy and Irony at SeaTac Airport

One thing I’ve come to realize is that many of us have an innate, enduring loyalty to our preconceptions. We’ll stick with them through thick and thin, no matter what reality sends our way.

I first realized this some twenty years ago when a friend and I, as two young Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical students, spent our summers canvassing the state of Montana looking for Jews. We’d drive from town to town–some of which only had one or two Jewish families–and try to do our bit to encourage Jewish identity and observance.

We were quite a curiosity, and were often featured in the local newspaper. The publicity proved useful in both drawing local Jews out of the woodwork and gaining us a welcome response when we called on people.

Jews Celebrate The “Festival Of Lights” At Sundown

Click Here for a newscast of this event! (RealPlayer)

Jews all over the world begin the celebration of Hanukkah Friday night at sundown. At the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights, the story of the holiday is being told in a new interactive musical show. NY1’s Stephane Simon filed the following report.

The Macabee Show tells the story of Judah Macabee and the small Jewish army that defeated the mighty Syrian Greek forces 2,000 years ago in a fight for religious freedom. Visitors travel back in time, and even hide in the caves, before finding their way to the destroyed temple.

More in the Extended Article!

Presidential Message: Hanukkah 2006

I send greetings to all those celebrating Hanukkah, the festival of lights.

During Hanukkah, Jewish people everywhere honor the liberation of Jerusalem and the great miracle witnessed in the Holy Temple more than 2,000 years ago. After Jerusalem was conquered by an oppressive king and the Jews lost their right to worship in freedom, Judah Maccabee and his followers courageously set out to reclaim Jerusalem from foreign rule. Though their numbers were small, the Maccabees’ dedication to their faith was strong, and they emerged victorious. When they returned to their Holy Temple for its rededication, the Maccabees discovered enough oil to burn for only one day. Yet the oil lit the Holy Temple for eight days, and the light of hope still shines bright in Jewish homes and synagogues throughout the world.

Rabbi Itkin ‘kindled light of soul in others’

The rabbi was walking to the synagogue from his Westdale home, holding the hands of his two tiny children and singing joyously all the way.

Some passing teenagers laughed mockingly. The rabbi persisted, bringing yet more joy to his song.

FREE Publishing House Distributes Chanukah Guides in Russian

FREE Publishing House, the publishing arm of Friends of Refugees of Eastern E urope, has completed its worldwide distribution of the new Chanukah Guide in the Russian language for 5767.

The guides have been distributed to tens of thousands of Russian Jews worldwide through Chabad Houses and other Jewish organizations throughout North America, Canada, Europe and Australia–working with Jews from the Former Soviet Union.

More in the Extended Article.

Conservative School Principal Weighs in on Chabad

Here is a beautiful testimonial from the principal of the Solomon Schechter School in Montreal. The school is conservative and the person writing the newsletter doesn’t have a great love for Chabad.

From our principal – Dr. Shimshon Hamerman

I was never a supporter of Lubavitch as a movement or as an ideology. However, when I opened the newspaper and read that the movement sends 4000 emissaries around the world to bring Jews closer to Judaism, I could not help but juxtapose Hizballah that sent out 4000 Katyushas, war, destruction and suffering while Chabbad disseminates Torah, love and brotherhood.

This Chassidic group sends its emissaries to wherever Jews might be around the globe to help Jews stay close to their traditions. While our teachers were in Venice, Italy we really had nowhere to make Shabbat but for a tiny Lubavitch Kosher restaurant that had room for possibly 30 people and welcomed over 200 guests to help them make Shabbat.

Continued in the Extended Article!

Aliya Closes On Properties This Month

ALIYA (Alternative Learning Institute for Young Adults), under the banner of Chabad Inreach, will IY”H be closing on its new headquarters at 525-527 East New York Ave. this month.

These buildings will provide a base out of which we will continue to cater to the needs of our youth who aren’t being serviced by the Yeshiva system.

Myth: There Are Many Chabad Emissaries

CrownHeights.info is proud to present the first in the Myth-Busting series of young Lubavitch author Mimi Notik.

The world knows by now to expect from their Lubavitch friends to hear the impressive account of how many Shluchim there are worldwide.

We speak about numbers a lot.

“Shluchim all over the world!”

It is a source of true pride.

Shiur in Inyonai Geuala U’Moshiach with R. Seligson

As we reported last week about the new initiative by Bochurim in Kvutseh to have a Shiur in Inyonai Geuala U’Moshiach in 770, Tuesday Night marked the successful completion of the second such Shiur which had a larger attendance. The Shiur was given by R. Michoel Seligson.