Annual Toy Distribution for Children of Absent Parents Begins in Time for Chanukah

With little more than a month to go before the start of Chanukah, the Aleph Institute is gearing up for its annual toy distribution to benefit the children of parents who are either serving the U.S. armed forces abroad or in prison.

Jewish Community United Through Music, Food

STATE COLLEGE, PA — Kosher pizza was on the menu last night for students at a free party sponsored by the Jewish organization Chabad.

In Ukraine, Chuppa Unites Three Jewish Communities

KIEV, Ukraine – In Kiev, a wonderful union has taken place that owes its beginning to the Jewish website ‘Mazl Tov’. This internet project, which is dedicated to making acquaintances and finding prospective dating partners, was introduced by the Jewish community of Dnepropetrovsk.

In this particular instance, the lucky young couple is Chaim Grinshtein of Zaparozhye and his new wife Miryam from Shostka. Both recently relocated to live in Kiev, where Chaim opened his own company and upon a friend’s advice, registered with the ‘Mazel Tov’ website. Miryam is an artist and student in the ‘STARS’ youth educational program. She learned about the site at a related seminar in Moscow and signed up in hopes of forming a genuine Jewish family.

In the Spirit: A deeper Insight into Common Life

MONROE, NY — Rabbi Pesach Burston was driving on Route 17M a few weeks ago with his 5-year-old son when they passed a cement truck. “Why is it turning?” his son asked about the rotating drum.

Burston told him that the cement has to keep mixing so it can remain moist.

Pilot takes Jewish insurance to Antarctica

SYDNEY, Australia — When David Wakil departs for Antarctica this weekend, he will be leaving behind his girlfriend, his family and his home — but not his Judaism.

The 39-year-old Australian pilot will live in subzero temperatures for the next six months flying scientists around bases in the South Pole as they research the effects of global warming.

Volgograd Jewish Community Shines at Multi-ethnic Festival

VOLGOGRAD, Russia –- This week, the Jewish community of Volgograd has been busy taking part in the Fourth National Cultural Festival ‘Volgograd’s Mutual Friendship’. The highlight of this event was a gala concert that took place at the city’s Musical Theater. Along with presentations by a number of Jewish performing arts groups, the show also featured lively and touching routines from the other ethnic groups and diasporas represented in Volgograd, as well as ethnic songs and dances performed by local ensembles having a much broader repertoire.

Chabad Opens Student Center At Vanderbilt University

NASHVILLE, TN — Of the top 20 American universities still without a Chabad-Lubavitch Campu center, only two remained. One was the private Catholic university Notre Dame.

S Petersburg Jewish Community Aids the Homeless

S PETERSBURG, Russia — In honor of the ‘Day of the Homeless’, the Jewish community of S. Petersburg has carried out an initiative jointly with one other non-governmental organization ‘New Social Resolution’. Very active locally in working with the homeless, this non-commercial organization also publishes a journal entitled “The Way Home”. On this occasion, the two forces joined efforts in a project aimed at distributing fruit among the homeless of Russia’s northern capital.

TLC Breaks Ground for New Addition

OVERLAND PARK, KS — It’s been a long time coming, but now that construction has actually begun, the Torah Learning Center has set a ceremonial groundbreaking for its $1.2 million addition on Sunday, Oct. 28.

No Matzah Ball Soup Here

SEATTLE, WA — Chabad on Campus at University of Washington has a new home, room for seventy guests on Shabbat dinner, a library and a joint project with a Jewish fraternity on campus coming up, but no matzah ball soup.

Largest Jewish Welfare and Medical Center in Russia Opens in Moscow

MOSCOW, Russia — The Jewish Charity Center ‘Shaarei Tsedek’ held its grand opening. Located in the Marina Roscha neighborhood, not far from the Moscow Jewish Community Center, this new thirteen million dollar institution is the largest Jewish Charity center in Russia.

The new building will serve over 1500 elderly hot meals a day in addition to another 1,000 meals that will be delivered by refrigerated trucks to homebound elderly from its kitchen. The center is also a fully equipped day medical clinic serving over 7,000 patients a month with over thirty doctors on staff. It also is a day center of activities for elderly.

Chabad Links Jewish Worshippers to Roots

Questions of faith (answered by Rabbi Gurary Shliach to Simi Valley, CA)

What is the purpose of life?

The Creator has given every one of us a specific purpose that leads to the universal goal of making the world a perfect and godly place.

What must humankind do to get into heaven?

Rabbi Begins 15th Year of leading Bible Studies at Chabad

CONEJO, CA — Rabbi Moshe Bryski began his 15th year of teaching the Bible this week at the Conejo Jewish Academy, 30345 Canwood St., Agoura Hills.

The academy’s Wednesday study group started with two people and has now grown into several groups with hundreds of participants.