Daily Archives: December 28, 2005

Gov. Of Illinois Celebrates Chanukah With Chabad

CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich joined Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz of the Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois and other members of Chicago’s Jewish community tonight in a celebration of the third night of Chanukah at the Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center in Chicago. Governor Blagojevich lit the menorah to mark the third night of the Jewish Festival of Lights, which continues through January 1st. The program also included performances by musician Ruby Harris and the Cheder Lubavitch Boys Choir.

“Chanukah is a celebration of light, optimism, and hope,” the Governor said. “In the victory of the Jewish people, the rededicating of the Temple and the burning of the oil, Chanukah represents victory against great odds. During this holiday season, we can take the themes and lessons of Chanukah to add hope to our lives.”

Police say menorah desecration was one of many criminal acts

The large menorah that was on display at the corner of Blooming Grove Turnpike and Quassaick Avenue in the Town of New Windsor was not the only item to be destroyed over the weekend.

The large candelabra, which was provided by the Chabad group of the Hudson Valley for the eight day Hanukkah holiday, was destroyed by vandals overnight between December 23 and 24.

That same night there were other acts of criminal mischief to mailboxes located in nearby housing developments.

Chanukah candles lit at the Eiffel Tower

More than 3,000 Jews participated in the lighting of the first Chanukah candle in Paris on Sunday night.

A crowd of mostly children, teenagers and young parents cheered and danced to the loud Hassidic music during the event organised yearly by the French Beit Loubavitch, an organisation attached to the Chabad movement. A film on the organisation’s accomplishments in 2005 was shown by segments throughout the night on a giant screen and young Orthodox men distributed leaflets and newsletters to secular participants.

Through satellite the assembly shared the lighting ceremony with Jewish communities throughout the world in Moscow, New York and Jerusalem.

Prime Minister of Canada Celebrates Chanukah with Chabad

Click Here to watch a Newscast of this event!

Canadian Jews would not have anticipated such a wide scale “Pirsumei Nisa” on Chanukah. Prime Minister, Paul Martin, a friend of Israel and member of the Jewish community decided that his first destination on his election campaign would be the Yeshiva of Tomchei Temimim in Montreal. Broadcasting vehicles of the local television and a busload of journalists filled Westbury Street that was blocked off by the police. “His first stop was in Lubavitch”, mentioned Rabbi Simcha Zirkind, who arranged the event with the help of his son, Mendy Zirkind, Shliach to the government in Ottawa – Canada’s Capitol.

“What Chanukah represents is the continuous struggle of the Jewish nation to preserve and observe Judaism freely”, said the Prime Minister in his speech, while denouncing the contemptuous graffiti sprayed on the wall of local Shul this week. The Prime Minister was honored with lighting the Shamash and he received, as a gift, yarmulkes with his name embroidered on it and was blessed by the Rabbis and Dayans of the city and the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kaplan. Jewish Justice Minister of Canada, Irwin Kotler told the crowd that he Davens on a regular basis in the central Chabad Shul in Montreal. “Since I am on the first year of ‘Aveilus’ after my mother, OBM, I know that I could always find a Minyan in the Lubavitcher Shul”, he said. The prime minister stayed to hear the traditional singing of “Haneiros Halalu” by Anash and the Yeshiva Bochurim that were present.

Chabad Gives Chanukah 2005 Greatest Exposure Ever

A blue Lego piece clutched in his chubby fingers, Zhak Goldemberg-Levy, just 21 months old, built a menorah with a little help from his grandfather Liviu Goldemberg at Chabad of Hawaii’s Chanukah celebration. Later, Hawaii’s Jewish Governor Linda Lingle lit a ten-foot-tall, 5,000-piece Lego menorah at Waikiki’s Gateway Park.

Chabad of Hawaii’s recipe of child-friendly activities, a creative jumbo menorah, and a public figure to light it typified this year’s framework for Chabad-Lubavitch Chanukah celebrations. Spin a globe, plant a finger on a random spot, and there’s likely to be one of Chabad’s 11,000 public menorahs within reach.

Chabad lights up ‘Lego Menorah’ for Hanukkah

What would Hanukkah be without a 12-foot-tall menorah made of Legos? On Monday, Chabad of Santa Barbara continued what has become its tradition of constructing a giant menorah, the candelabrum used to celebrate the Festival of Lights, out of the toy pieces. The finished “Lego Menorah,” towering at La Cumbre Plaza, is composed of more than 4,000 Lego pieces.

At left, Rabbi Mendel Loschak secures the menorah. Top right, Madav Katz lights candles on the menorah on the second night of Hanukkah. At right, sister and brother Jaslyn, 2, and Eric Van Lenten, 5, help with the building, as do Jeff Holden, from left below, Dina Loschak and Jim Stevenson.

Car Brake-in Blitz In Crown Heights

Yesterday [Tuesday] there were 7 reports that came into the Shomrim Hotline of people complaining that they had their car broken into. Most reported that the stuff that was in the car were just rummaged thru but hardly anything taken, while others had the window broken and nothing even touched.

All this takes place the very night that our known car thief Derrick [Terrence] Nelson was released from police custody, now we aren’t sure this was all his doing but it’s interesting this all happens the very night of his release. The cars that were broken into were scattered across Crown Heights, on Montgomery & Nostrand, Eastern Pkwy & Brooklyn, President & Albany and on Carroll & Albany. Police reports have been filed (much help they would be…) but you must remember a crime not reported is a crime that didn’t happen.

A number of things we want to recommend, is that you should not leave anything visible in your car, move the stuff over to the trunk if it must stay in your car. And if you see something make sure to call Shomrim at (718) 774-3333 any time of day and any day of the week.