True blue and right

Forget everything you thought you knew about immigrants from the Confederation of Independent States (CIS – the former Soviet Union). Forget the assumption that they are utterly secular, forget the assumption that although they are rightist, they are pragmatic. Start thinking in terms of characters from a telenovela: A beauty queen, an immigrant from Ukraine, who married a nephew of the Baba Sali; a lawyer whose father was a general in the Red Army in Stalin’s day and he, the lawyer, is an ultra-Orthodox Jew who takes his every step as instructed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Igrot Kodesh, and a singer who became a politician and is married to a prisoner who was sentenced to death for an attempt to hijack a plane in Leningrad in order to fly to Israel.

These characters are not imaginary, but rather flesh and blood people who have assembled in the Herut Party, headed by former MK Michael Kleiner. This is the second time that Kleiner, who for four terms was a Likud MK, is attempting to get elected at the head of the Herut list. In the 2003 elections, in which he ran on a joint list with Baruch Marzel, he received more than 40,000 votes, slightly under the electoral threshold.

Megillat Esther now in its ninth edition and revised

FREE Publishing House, has released a new revised edition of the Megillat Esther, featuring the original Hebrew text with the accompanying Russian translation, it has been enhanced in several ways: the whole volume, both Hebrew and Russian, has been reset in a clear, crisp typeface. The Russian translation, while still based on the original edition, has been amended to read more smoothly.

Following the Megillah, there is an additional 30 plus pages that contain the chapter on Purim of FREE’s yet-to-be-published book titled “Jewish Holiday and Festivals”. This chapter includes the story of Purim; the holiday’s background, its history and laws as well as its practical lessons and relevance now, 2300 years later, based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson.

Chabad VS. Hillel

Now hear this: There is no rivalry between Chabad House and Hillel.

At least that’s the party line here at Harvard. At many other universities, including fellow Ivy Princeton, Chabaders and Hillelians have duked it out in relationships at times openly hostile. At Harvard, however, the atmosphere is rather congenial.

Head to Head

So, what’s the difference between Chabad and Hillel? In the words of Peretz Professor of Yiddish Literature Ruth R. Wisse, who is both a Chabad adviser and a Hillel faculty fellow, “Chabad is a religious organization that also functions on campus. Hillel is an organization specifically designed to provide Jewish college students with a chance to be Jews.”

Arsons Fan Flames of Speculation

In the last three months, there have been at least eight suspicious fires in Prospect and Crown Heights, and five resulting deaths.

Four of those deaths occurred two Fridays ago at 5:30 a.m., and those terrible human tragedies have spurred several local politicians and activists to demand serious reform of the way New York City currently investigates arson.

“In 1986,” recalled Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James, “there were about 400 fire marshals and 50 supervisors. By 2001, when Bloomberg entered office, there were about 200 marshals and supervisors. Now, through attrition and head count reduction, there are only about 80 marshals and 20 supervisors. This is not acceptable.”

Purim Festivities for Children With Special Needs

Autism, cerebral palsy, Asperger’s syndrome, Down syndrome, and ADHD are no longer obstacles to Purim fun as Friendship Circle programs, offered at 20 Chabad-Lubavitch centers around the world, sponsor events for children with special needs for the upcoming holiday.

Celebrated this year March 13-15, Purim marks the salvation of the Jewish people in 365 B.C.E. from certain annihilation at the hands of Haman, a prime minister whose evil ways were trumped only by the righteousness of Mordechai, the valiance of Queen Esther and the prayers of Jewish children. Creativity and thoughtful planning are required to ensure that children with special needs are included, but not overwhelmed, by the festivities of the lively holiday of Purim.

OK Kosher Filled to Capacity for Restaurant Mashgichim Conference

On Wednesday, March 8, 2006, the OK held a massive mashgiach training session at its headquarters in Brooklyn. Led by Restaurant and Catering Rabbinic Coordinator, Rabbi Naftali Marrus, the session focused on familiarizing new mashgichim with OK policies and procedures. The OK conference room was filled beyond capacity, with dozens mashgichim who were ready to learn the ropes of the OK.

Rabbi Chaim Fogleman, the Rabbinic Coordinator who oversees Restaurants and Catering Facilities, began the conference with a D’Var Torah that connected Parshas Tetzaveh and kashrus. He explained that Moshe Rabbeinu has a connection and responsibility for every Jew and that is why Hashem spoke through Moshe. Even Hashem’s instructions to Aharon HaCohen came through Moshe. In a similar way, the OK has a responsibility for the kashrus of every Jew who eats in one of its many certified restaurants. Since the OK is responsible for what every Jew eats in its restaurants, its certification must be up to the highest standard of Cholov Yisroel, Pas Yisroel, Bishul Yisroel and Chassidishe Shechita.

Forgetting Terror

Of the many New York Times readers who made their way through this week’s three-part series, “An Imam in America,” one was paying especially close attention.

The series, which ran at the top of Page One on Sunday and Tuesday, focused on the political tightrope walked by Sheik Reda Shata, imam of Brooklyn’s Islamic Society of Bay Ridge, as he tries to reconcile the often conflicting values of America and Islam.

Devorah Halberstam knows full well about the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge. On March 1, 1994, a Lebanese-born man who had just listened to a hate-filled anti-Jewish sermon at that mosque filled his car with deadly weapons and attacked a van filled with Hasidic Jewish children on the Brooklyn Bridge.

For Ari Halberstam

No sooner had the New York Times launched its series on the Imam of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge than the phone rang at The New York Sun. It was Devorah Halberstam, the mother of Aaron “Ari” Halberstam, a 16-year-old rabbinical student gunned down on the Brooklyn Bridge on March 1, 1994. She was calling to say that Monday would be the 12th anniversary of the murder of her son and that the mosque the Times was extolling as a seat of peaceable Islam was the place from which Rashid Baz set out on the shooting spree that claimed her son.

As the Times ran out its series, we waited for some mention of this fact. We were interested to read that the Imam at the center of the reporter’s story, Sheik Reda Shata, “is,” as the Times reporter wrote, “neither a firebrand nor a ready advocate of progressive Islam. Some of his views would offend conservative Muslims; other beliefs would repel American liberals. He is in many ways a work in progress, mapping his own middle ground between two different worlds.”

A journey of 304,805 steps begins with one letter

For those who live by the torah, there is plenty to keep them on their toes. Within the pages of Judaism’s sacred text there are no fewer than 304,805 letters assembled into words which make up some 613 commandments, ending with the daunting requirement that every believer must write his or her own torah.

Lest any Jew simply grab a legal pad and begin scribbling, be forewarned that producing a torah fit for use in the eyes of God is a bit more grueling task than it might seem on the surface. A kosher torah must be written on rolls of parchment flayed from the back of a cow or calf, for example, and if any one letter touches another or the ink within a letter cracks, theentire torah is no longer kosher.

Post-Mark-It’s New Awning

Stores all around Crown Heights have recently been updating their facades, and where new stores have been opening up off Kingston Ave. we have been seeing nice shiny new signs pop up on Troy, Albany and East New York. The latest is what used to be known as “Doar” for the longest time and now is Post Mark It has finally put up their sign.

So now it’s a competition of who can make it bigger and more creative!

Dancehall With a Different Accent

On Monday night, America’s most popular reggae singer took the stage wearing a black hat and a long black coat, but it wasn’t a costume. The singer is Matisyahu, a former hippie from White Plains. Once he followed Phish. Now he follows the teachings of Hasidic Judaism. And tons of fans follow him.

Monday’s concert was the first of two sold-out shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom. And yesterday he released his major-label debut album, “Youth” (JDub/Or/Epic), which is all but certain to enter the pop charts near the top. The record is dull, and the concert was often worse.

150 Girls to Showcase Knowledge of Mitzvos at New York Competition Finals and Concert

After spending the better part of this school year’s first semester studying a select portion of Maimonides’ “Sefer Hamitzvos”, more than 4,000 boys and girls participated in a series of tests to determine the extent of their knowledge.

This Motzoei Shabbos, March 11, the one-hundred-and-fifty finalists of the girls’ division – from 7 international countries and 16 states in the US – will gather at the Brooklyn School of Music and Theatre for the “Chidon Sefer Hamitzvos” Championship Finals.

The evening promises to be filled with excitement. Beginning at 8pm, the program will include the popular “Jewpardy” gameshow, sure to keep audience members at the edge of their seats. Finalists are seated on the stage in groups of 4 and “ring in” when they think they know the correct answers. The crowd, meanwhile, can view the questions on huge screens throughout the auditorium.

Picture of the day

One of our readers captured this picture of Avraham Fried filling up gas next to 770.

Philadelphia Gemach Lent $300,000

180 members of the Jewish community, Anash and their supporters, participated in a festive Melave Malka to benefit the Gemach-Lubavitch of Philadelphia that had managed to lend out no less than $300,000, as testified by the Shliach, Rabbi Zalman Lipsker. The main donor Dan Rosen was called to the microphone and told the crowd about his first encounter with Lubavitch, which included the tale of a stubborn Bochur and two Shluchim who didn’t give up on him.

“This is one of the most important economical organizations in the city”, said one of the participants. Rabbi Dov Brisman of Philadelphia mentioned the importance of connecting business with religion and expressed his wish that donations keep coming in to the Gemach.

More Pictures in the Extended Article.

Chabad site helps organize personal calendars

A new Chabad on-line function helps people manage their personal lives and Jewish calendars.

MyChabad.org, a feature of Chabad.org, lets people keep track of upcoming Bar Mitzvahs, remember yahrtzeit dates, see what time Shabbat begins and block out time for next year’s holidays. Because Jewish dates shift with the lunar calendar, this function enables users to update important holidays and anniversaries years in advance.