Chief Rabbi of Israel Visits Chaya Aydel Seminary

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL [CHI] — The Chief Rabbi of Israel, the Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Shlomo Amar, visited the Chaya Aydel Seminary in Hallandale Beach, on Thursday, January 21st, the 6th of Shevat, and spoke to the students for close to a half hour. The Chief Rabbi also visited the new Mei Menachem- Mikvah Israel, and slowly toured the Elana Leah Womens’ Mikvah, the Yoseph Mordechai Mens’ Mikvah, and the Kelim Mikvah, which all were built to be accessible to the physically challenged community. After the tours of the Mikvaos, the Chief Rabbi visited the Chai Tots Preschool, and blessed the seventy children and fifteen teachers of the school.

The Chief Rabbi was accompanied by Rabbi Yosef Galamidi, the host of the Chief Rabbi’s five day visit to Florida , and the spiritual leader of the Safra Synagogue in Turnberry. Translating the Chief Rabbi’s speech was Rabbi Yossy Lebovics, principal of the Chaya Aydel Seminary. The Chief Rabbi spoke of how formative the year in Seminary is to the future of the students, as well as to their children. He also spoke to learn compassion from Batya, the daughter of Pharaoh who saved Moshe Rabbeinu, who in turn taught Moshe Rabbeinu compassion. He also compared the pursuit of spiritual growth to the manner that an athlete trains in sports, and by training to be more spiritual, it becomes “second nature”. He concluded that this is similar to what the Alter Rebbe says in Tanya about the Beinoni, that by practicing and repeating good behavior , one can train to be a Beinoni. The Chief Rabbi then blessed the students and teachers to grow in everything material and spiritual, and that the girls should all successfully go to their Chupahs.

The Chief Rabbi was most impressed with the Seminary. It was the second time that Chief Rabbi Amar spoke to the Chaya Aydel Seminary as he spoke to the students of the Chaya Aydel Seminary several years ago at the Westin Diplomat Hotel. This was the fourth visit of a Chief Rabbi from Israel to Chabad of South Broward. The Chaya Aydel Seminary also had the privilege to be spoken to and visited by Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, seven years ago, and Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger also spoke several years ago at a Chabad of South Broward Dinner.

The Chief Rabbi was overwhelmed with the beauty of the Mikvaos, and told Rabbi Raphael Tennenhaus, Chabad’s executive vice president, that today, “making a Mikvah beautiful is not a Hidur Mitzvah, it is the Mitzvah itself of Mikvah to nowadays have a beautiful Mikvah. It is a must.”