Meet Rapper “’White Mike’”

It’s hip-hop with a Jewish beat, and it’s straight out of Baltimore. Well, it’s actually out of a beit midrash, or study hall, in Morristown, N.J., but Menachem Shapiro — aka “White Mike” — is your typical American homeboy graduate of Franklin High School in Reisterstown. He went to Adat Chaim Synagogue and wore a chai around his neck, but never got into the Jewish thing.

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.

Two Confess Involvement in Attack on Orthodox Jew

Melbourne, Australia — Two men accused of an alleged antisemitic attack on an Orthodox Jew earlier this month have confessed their part in the incident, the AJN has learned.

The men, who are both players with Ocean Grove Football Club, last week told club officials they participated in the attack on Menachem Vorchheimer after an end-of-season trip to Caulfield Racecourse on October 14.

Hollywood Temple’s Neighbors File Federal Appeal of Settlement

Hollywood, FL — City officials made their peace with Chabad Lubavitch earlier this year, but a turf battle between the Orthodox Jewish synagogue and its Hollywood Hills neighbors is not over yet.

Six neighbors have taken their dispute to a federal appeals court, complaining that the synagogue, City Hall and a federal judge each cut them out of the picture when Hollywood in July settled a discrimination case filed by Chabad.

In their appeals brief filed last month, neighbors argued the settlement created a “zoning change” that affects their enjoyment of their homes.

Spielberg Urges Jews: “Return to Roots.”

Kiev, Ukraine — If you want to ensure continuity of Ukrainian Jewry, Stephen Spielberg told an audience of 2,000, a majority among them Jewish, you must “return to your roots.” Spielberg shared these thoughts last week when he made his debut in his ancestral home, to attend the screening of his documentary film, Spell Your Name. Ukraine’s President, Viktor Yuschenko, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and heads of Parliament turned out to preview the film.

Groups hope new U.N. Secretary General will be fairer toward Israel than Kofi Annan

Jewish officials are greeting the selection of Ban Ki-moon as the next U.N. secretary-general with cautious optimism, hopeful that the South Korean foreign minister will use the office to push for fairer treatment of Israel and more equitable application of international human rights standards.

Giving Sukkah On Four Wheels

London, England – A Buckhurst Hill Rabbi has been touring the area in his Sukkah Mobile to bring home the message of a Jewish festival.

This week the Jewish community has been celebrating the festival of Tabernacles, which commemorates the Jewish Exodus from Egypt.

The exiled Jews built huts in the desert and Jewish people all over the world build their own replica huts to remember the occasion.

Because not all Jewish people are able to build their own huts Rabbi Odom Brandman, of the Chabad centre, Russell Road, has been touring schools and Jewish families in the area with his Sukkah Mobile – a hut on the back of a pick-up truck.

From White Suburban Teenager to Chassidic Reggae Star

Matthew Miller, a self-described “white suburban teenager,” grew up in White Plains, New York, to Reconstructionist Jewish parents. He describes his teenage years as being filled with drugs and treif, (non-kosher food) and listening to hip-hop and reggae.

Today, Matthew Miller is Matisyahu Miller, an observant Chassidic Jew and top-selling artist on the Sony-BMG label. He performs across the country to Jews and non-Jews alike. His most popular song, “King Without a Crown,” made it to number seven in the Billboard charts.

Club Sorry for Attack on Jewish Man

Melbourne, Australia — An Australian Rules football club has apologised for an alleged assault on a Jewish man by players who removed his traditional headwear then punched him.

Menachem Vorchheimer, 33, said he was walking with his young children in Melbourne on Saturday when men from the Ocean Grove Football Club who had been at the nearby Caulfield Guineas race meeting yelled taunts including “F… off Jews” and “Go the Nazis”.

Two of the players grabbed his hats before he was punched in the face.

Ocean Grove Football Club president Michael Vines said he did not know the circumstances of the attack but apologised and said the club took the allegations seriously.

Simchat Torah turns sour for assault victim

An ultra-Orthodox man spent Simchat Torah night in a Melbourne hospital after being physically and verbally assaulted in an allegedly antisemitic attack.

Menachem Vorchheimer was walking to Yeshivah shul with two of his children at around 6.30pm last Saturday when he claims he was confronted by a group of young men in a minibus shouting antisemitic slogans, including “F**king Jews” and “Go the Nazis”, and motioning at him as if they were firing machine guns.

When the bus stopped at the lights at the corner of Balaclava Road and Hotham Street, Vorchheimer, 33, approached the driver to inquire about the group.

Maimonides’ parent seeks Makeover for school

Whether through slow and steady fund-raising or by “winning the lottery” of getting an Extreme Makeover, Heidi Holmes is on a mission to help Chabad of Oregon rebuild their Jewish day school and to help people understand that the school is an open, welcoming place to experience Jewish traditions.

Sukkot festival is a family affair

Doral, FL – Worshipers joined Rabbi Avrohom Brashevitzky and his family at the Chabad Jewish Center of Doral last week to celebrate the first day of the weeklong festival of Sukkot.

Brashevitzky hopes that celebrating Sukkot, the festival of booths, will help build solidarity among Doral’s growing Jewish community.

Brashevitzky, 35, his wife, Zeldie, and their five children aged 6 months to 9 years, started the festivities with 35 guests on the Friday evening that started the festival.