On Sunday evening, the eve of the 9th of Elul, a gathering was held at the Sinai Educational Institute in Paris, France, to commemorate the first Yahrtzeit of Hatomim Shneur Zalman Pevzner, who passed away at the young age of 22 after a yearlong battle with a difficult illness.
In a simple, yet impressive, ceremony last week, a beautiful new shul was dedicated in Moscow’s international airport for the benefit of the many Jewish travelers arriving in Russia or just passing through.
Heritage Quest, CTeen’s groundbreaking summer trip through Poland and Israel, recently concluded its first annual trip, offering a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Jewish teens from around the world to explore the roots of their Jewish heritage at the source. Teens traveled in time, through the tragic history of Poland, leading all the way to visiting and learning about Jewish life in Israel. The effect of Heritage Quest is one that will go down in history.
It has been an exciting couple of weeks for the Cheder Chabad community in Baltimore. As the summer started winding down, children and parents were looking forward to the new school year in anticipation of another year of educational excellence. During the summer months the Cheder made many changes, updates and additions; in the building and infrastructure.
At Lubavitcher Yeshiva of Crown Heights, the students not only learn halochos and Minhagim, they live it! As part of the Minhagim for Chodesh Elul, expert sofer Rabbi Levi Ladaev came down to the Yeshiva to check the Mezuzos of the 7th grade classes and to demonstrate to the talmidim what it takes to check a mezuzah.
On Monday, over 7,000 Jewish students across the Former Soviet Union (FSU) started the new learning year in FJC’s Or Avner schools and kindergartens. Even though some have already had the “First Bell” openings on Thursday, for most the festive ceremony, customary in the post-Soviet education system, took place on Monday. And in a unique Or Avner tradition, the ringing of the first bell came alongside the blowing of the Shofar, highlighting the Jewish character of the schools and underlining the idea of an education aimed at excellence in both general subjects and Jewish heritage.
Israeli miniaturist Nava Steinmetz has crafted a miniature model of the Rebbe’s office in 770. The model was built at a scale of 1:15, measuring 55 cm x 38.5 cm x 30.5 cm.
This is the story of how a handful of young Chassidim set out to build a global communications network in the era before Periscope, Skype, VoIP, or even satellite or Cable TV. Their actions would sow the seeds for dozens of future Chabad-led forays into digital communications.
A special, pre-Rosh Hashana conference was held this week in Kazan, the capital of the Muslim Autonomous Republic of Tatarstan in Russia.
Smiling Talmidim with their proud parents filled the halls at United Lubavitcher Yeshiva, excited for their first day of Shnas Halimudim 5777.
In an effort to inspire and strengthen Jewish leadership and involvement on university campuses throughout North America, Sinai Scholars Society, a project of Chabad on Campus International and the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, gathered 150 students to hear from prominent Jewish thinkers, address topics of Jewish identity, and facilitate increased commitment in their lives.
Mr. Chaim Hirsch (Hermann) Kahn, one of the oldest Jews in Oslo, rubbed his eyes in disbelief last week. “I have been living here for the last 70 years and never believed that in my lifetime I would witness what I saw today.”
Like their counterparts in the West, most Jewish campers in the former Soviet Union receive the most extensive, joyous and impactful encounters with their heritage and traditions during the summer months. What makes some of the 5,000 campers in the 61 Chabad-Lubavitch Gan Israel camps in the FSU so different than others, though, is that many of them have suffered through the trauma of war, displacement and even witnessing death, while many others come from families whose connection with their Jewish roots was severed during decades of Soviet oppression.
While their Talmidim get ready for the new Shnas Halimudim, United Lubavitcher Yeshiva is preparing their Yeshiva building for another great year.
On Sunday August 21st the Congress of Shluchim and Lay leader partners of Chabad Argentina was held in the city of Tucuman. To honor the Bicentennial of the Argentine Independence and the Jewish year of Hakhel, a year of gathering for the Jewish people, more than 70 Rabbis representing 40 national institutions of Chabad Lubavitch along with their partners took part in this congress.
These days there are many artists and art-lovers flocking to the exhibition center of Moscow’s municipality to view the paintings of Rabbi Ovadya Isakov, Chabad Shliach and Rabbi of Derbent, capital of Russia’s Dagestan region.
Hundreds gathered in front of 770 to partake in the Levaya of HaBochur Avrohom Chaim Feldman OBM, the young 13-year-old who suddenly passed away.
