Bad For Democracy, But Good For The Jews?

Russian Jewish leaders downplay Putin’s recent anti-U.S. remarks and praise him for cracking down on anti-Semitism.

Does the return of Cold War rhetoric between the United States and Russia and an ongoing rollback of democratic rights in Russia mean that the Jewish community of Russia is facing the scepter of a return to the bad old days of the Soviet Union?

According to an assortment of Russian Jewish leaders spanning the religious and ideological gamut from the Chabad Lubavitch-affiliated chief rabbi of Russia, Berel Lazar, to leaders of more secular bodies like the Russian Jewish Congress, the answer is an emphatic “No.” Russia is not, they say, again becoming an uncomfortable and dangerous place for Jewish to live and work.

Florida Seminary Graduates Visiting Israel

Last Monday, local Rabbis, teachers and members of the community gathered at the Broward CHAI Center to celebrate an evening in honor of the Chaya Aydel Seminary graduating class. Students and community members shared their thoughts and thanks with the girls.

One Seminary graduate related her happy experience in Sunny Florida, “The weather matched the community perfectly, warm and friendly. This year has really incorporated so many invaluable components. A truly stimulating, challenging learning program, a warm and caring staff, opportunities to be involved in the South Florida community, lots of fun in the sun and of course lasting friendships.”

The Rebbe’s Children: Does Anyone Care?

The other day a woman called my office to tell me that she had a problem with registering her children in Yeshiva. The administration was pressuring her for more tuition and she simply couldn’t afford it. Her husband learned in Kollel full time and she was working and had a limited income and she couldn’t afford the astronomical tuition for her sons.

She told me that as she continued talking to the administrator, who was only pushing her because he desperately needed the money, she was hit by inspiration.

She then told the Menahel, “I went through your Bais Yaakov system. I am a product of the Chinuch that you are selling. I was taught that the most important thing is to support a husband learning Torah. Therefore I got a profession and I am the breadwinner and homemaker and my husband is sitting and learning. Now you are denying my children entrance into your Yeshiva because I can’t afford the tuition? I epitomize what you are teaching, yet you are not letting my children into your Yeshivah.”

How the Rebbe understood the Holocaust

In his op-ed in Haaretz on June 1 (“God as surgeon”), Prof. Yehuda Bauer refers to the opinion of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe regarding the Holocaust.

Without responding to his unwarranted, unacademic, personal attacks against the Rebbe, I think that Bauer gravely misunderstood the nuances and delicate concepts that the Rebbe was conveying in his 1980 letter to Knesset member Chaika Grossman.

Lubavitcher Yeshiva Bochurim and Teacher Rescued Overnight From Bear Mountain

Stony Point, NY — A teacher and three 16-year-old Lubavitcher Yeshiva Mesivta (Ocean Pkwy) students wandered off a Bear Mountain climbing trail and had to be plucked from a 200-foot-high ledge by rappelling rescuers while hovering police helicopters lit the face of the cliff.

The climbers “felt they couldn’t go up safely and they couldn’t go down safely once they realized where they were,” Lt. David Herrick of the New York state park police said Friday. “Basically they froze and didn’t want to move.”

They were stuck on the rocky outcropping for more than five hours on Thursday night and early Friday.

Lessons In Emunah, Waiting For Shabbat Candles

New York, NY — Every Sunday for the past 13 years, I have been visiting the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Cambria Heights, Queens.

One Thursday, recently, I was in the Chabad Lubavitch Mitzvah Tank on Broadway near 38th Street in Manhattan. It is a very warm and friendly place, where Jews from all over come to talk, pray, connect with their yiddishkeit and meet friends.

An Israeli woman came in and asked the rabbi in the Mitzvah Tank if he had any Shabbat candles. The rabbi thought for a moment and said, “I just gave out the last set of candles.”

Semicha Institute Visit Meat Processing Plant

Vineland, NJ — Students of the ‘Beis Medrash Menachem’ Semicha Institute of Morristown, New Jersey, headed by Rabbi Chaim Schapiro, took a trip to a slaughterhouse in Vineland, New Jersey.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

A Special Evening for Special Children!

Crown Heights, Brooklyn — Last week Thursday a special event took place for very special children. In the home of Rabbi Yaacov and Mrs Chana Pinson boys and girls gathered for some food and live musical entertainment and a magic show.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Shluchim Center to be Inaugurated

Crown Heights, Brooklyn — After several years of extensive construction, Chabad rabbis the world over have a new address they can turn to for all things outreach-related: 816 Eastern Parkway, the home of the brand-new Shluchim Center.

The Six Day War

In the spring of 1967, following close to a decade of relative calm, Israel found itself poised for war against four of its Arab neighbors. In a matter of six short days, a nation managed to utterly rout not one, but four powerful enemies and triple its size! The world called it a miracle, see here an interactive gallery of the great miracles that happened during the Six Day War:

Click Here to enter the site!

Nosh World Reopens

Crown Heights, Brooklyn – After being forced to shut down over a week ago, the Health Department gave Nosh World their approval to reopen for business since 3:00pm this past Friday.

More in the Extended Article.