Israeli girl becomes Jewish woman, but grew up early

ROCKAWAY TWP., NJ — Sabbath at the Chabad Center of Northwestern New Jersey marked Yardena Twito’s ascension to womanhood. But the 12-year-old from Israel, who celebrated her bat mitzvah on Saturday in Rockaway Township, was forced to grow up suddenly four years ago.

On June 20, 2002, a gunman entered Itamar, an Israeli settlement south of Nablus in the Palestinian West Bank. He broke into the home of one of Yardena’s neighbors and began shooting. Yosef Twito, 31, Yardena’s father, a first-grade yeshiva teacher, went to help the neighbors, Rachel Shabo and her three sons.

All were killed — victims of terrorism.

Attorney Nathan Lewin lectures for the Institute of American and Talmudic Law @ Chabad of Midtown Manhattan

Nathan Lewin, distinguished Supreme Court Litigator, who represented the Rebbe in the Seforim case, spoke at the Institute of American and Talmudic Law (IAT LAW) about Judicial Appointments, from the perspective of American Jurisprudence, alongside IAT Law’s Dean of Talmudic studies Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe.

The Institute of American and Talmudic Law (IAT LAW) seeks to analyze contemporary legal issues from the perspective of American jurisprudence and Talmudic law.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Jewish Children’s Museum Nabs Top Honors in Brooklyn Architectural Awards

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce presented the Jewish Children’s Museum with the Building Brooklyn Award a presentation ceremony on July 18th at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The JCM won in the Arts and Culture category. The award honors recently completed construction projects that possess a unique architectural appearance, among many other criteria, that have a positive effect on the borough’s economy and quality of life.

At the ceremony attended by over 550 of friends and supporters of the awardees, BCoC President Ken Adams spoke about the great impact the JCM has had, and continues to have, on Brooklyn. He said he was excited about all of the winning projects and their distinctive designs, but that the museum is unique in that it combines an attractive façade with six stories of important educational tools that are bridging a cultural gap in the community.

New Meishiv at the Miami Semicha Program

The Miami Semicha Program is proud to announce the addition of Rabbi Yossi Shtern to its staff as a Meishiv. Rabbi Shtern comes with a great depth and breadth of knowledge of all the halochos related to Smicha. Rabbi Shtern is also well know for his great ability to relate to bochurim.

With this addition, the Miami Semicha Program marks another step in the tremendous growth it has experienced.

Rabbis visit Jewish community in GB

Freeport, Bahamas – it is unlikely for one to witness two Jewish rabbis strolling down the streets of Grand Bahama, but in their week-long visit to help cultivate the local Jewish community, that is just what one might encounter.

Rabbis Yosef Zaklos and Mendy Lesker, whose goal is to minister to Jews around the world, arrived on the island Sunday after a Caribbean crusade.

The duo are a part of a special visitation programme of the Chabad Lubavitch, an organization featuring some 200 rabbis ministering all over the world.

Making special efforts to visit communities that lack traditional Jewish facilities, rabbi Zaklos said the groups’ intentions are that of appreciation.

“We are trying to bring happy regards from Judaism abroad,” he explained.

Tzfat on Target

In my first three decades, I never heard a real explosion up close…or lived in a war zone. That was until last Thursday, July 13, 2006.

Bombing was faint as I made my way to work after running errands. The Hezbollah was busy – again – attacking northern border towns. It was “old news” and sadly did little to faze most. Surprisingly, smoke from missile fire rising off nearby Mt. Meron raised little alarm.

Around 2 p.m., my co-Tzfatians and I were shocked to discover that our small town of 20,000 was next on the terrorist target list. Two distinct booms were followed by an even louder whoosh and explosion from extremely close proximity. Shaking in fear, I tried to find my bearings, unsure what to do next.

A New Generation of Israeli Soldiers Confronts the Unknown Across the Lebanon Border

ISRAEL’S NORTHERN BORDER — Ohad, 22, is a narrow-faced warrior who has spent four years in the Israeli Army and operated tanks in the Palestinian territories, tough duty for any soldier. But going across the Lebanese border brought a new set of anxieties.

Having worked on the border before, he was familiar with the Hezbollah fighters he would be facing. Hezbollah positions and Israeli positions had been close enough for soldiers on each side to recognize the faces on the other, he said. But southern Lebanon itself was a forbidding place, known only from the hearsay of past wars.

Jews For J On New Mission In NYC

Click Here here for a news cast of this event

Those evangelical Christians of Jewish heritage are back in town setting out to convert Jews. The Jews for J are fanning out around New York during the month of July at the end of a five-year program to visit every city in North America with more than 25,000 Jews living in it. New York is the finale.

CBS 2 caught up with one group recently in the Diamond District; two women and one man moving among the Jewish owned businesses there trying to attract coverts. It’s not an easy sell.

“Who do you think J is?” they ask? Most people don’t even look up. Those who do, seem less than thrilled.

Picture of the Night – Monticello

Children in the Mountain Lodge Bungalow Colony, Monticello stand around a late night bon fire and roast marshmallows.

Visiting Day in YSP – Morristown

More pictures in the Extended Article!

New Shluchim To Canada

Rabbi & Mrs. Menachem Gansburg will IYH be moving on Shlichus to Toronto, Canada, where they will be establishing a new Chabad House on Avenue Road.

The Gansburgs were appointed by Ontario’s Head Shliach Rabbi Z. A. Grossbaum.

Hatzlacha Rabba!

The Gansburgs’ can be reached via e-mail at Menachem@myJLI.com.

Cornerstone for New Synagogue in Ukraine

Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine -– The cornerstone has been laid for the foundation of the future Synagogue and Community Center at a festive ceremony in Dneprodzerzhinsk.

The synagogue and Community Center building will be completed in one year and will constitute an exact copy of the famous Synagogue 770 in New York, the headquarters of the World Lubavitcher Movement. The Synagogue will be called Beit Baruch in honor of Boris Bogoliubov, the father of the main donor of this project and Chairman of the Jewish Community of Dnepropetrovsk Gennady Bogoliubov. The Community Center will be called “Beit Reuven” in memory of Rabbi Reuven Kaminetsky, the father of Chief Rabbi of Dnepropetrovsk and its region Shmuel Kaminetsky.

To Be a Body

If you’re a single-celled creature, you basically need to do everything on your own

To be a body is for each part to do things for the others. For example: every cell in our body requires oxygen, but it is the mouth and lungs that inhale it and process it. Similarly, every part of the body needs or wants to eat, drink, think, talk, sing, walk, dance, toss a ball, plant a garden and watch a sunset. Certain tissues, organs and limbs assume the task and do it for everyone else.