BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Two young rabbis have flown into Belfast to help revitalise the north’s Jewish community. Rabbis Pinny Raitman and Baruch Davidson have travelled from New York on a mission to bring the north’s unaffiliated Jews back to the community.
New York rabbis begin Jewish mission in north
BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Two young rabbis have flown into Belfast to help revitalise the north’s Jewish community. Rabbis Pinny Raitman and Baruch Davidson have travelled from New York on a mission to bring the north’s unaffiliated Jews back to the community.
Chosen for their rabbinic proficiency and people skills, they are spending this week tracing and visiting Irish Jews as well as Jewish immigrants to the north.
Heavily laden with suitcases of videos, brochures, books, Shabbat candles, and mezuzahs, they will study the Torah and celebrate Shabbat – the Jewish sabbath – with the north’s unaffiliated Jews.
Not knowing what would be before them in the north, the pair have come with enough kosher food to last their entire trip.
The Hassidic duo are part of the Lubavitch Summer Peace Corps.
As part of the worldwide programme 250 young rabbis and senior rabbinical students visit thousands of locations.
Belfast is just the first stop on their trip, which will see them travel to other places in Ireland and Spain this summer.
It is estimated that there are more than 300 Jews living in the north, 200 of whom are members of the Belfast synagogue.
Jewish immigrants from Israel, South Africa, North America and eastern Europe have contributed substantially to the growth of the north’s Jewish community since the 1990s.
Despite the growing numbers of Jews, Rabbi Davidson said it could be challenging to find them.
“Sometimes the only way to locate Jews is by guesswork in the local telephone book,” he said.
“We just start looking up Jewish names, calling them and asking them if we can visit them. We do get a very good response.
“There are many Jews in Northern Ireland but they are spread out in towns and villages – some in small groups and others living completely independently.
“We want to strengthen and enhance the faith of Northern Ireland’s Jewish community.
“This means going out and finding the community wherever they are in the world, whether in the big cities or in remote villages.”
Despite being in the north for less than a week the pair say they have received a warm welcome from the Jewish community.
“Many people approach us seeking advice on how to maintain or bolster their Jewish identity, especially where the Jewish infrastructure is small,” Rabbi Davidson said.
“This is our mission in life. No Jew should ever feel they are alone.
“It is our mission to go to them and leave them feeling that they are valued and are part of something special.”
Rabbi Menachem Brackman of the Belfast synagogue welcomed the pair, saying they were helping to unify the north’s Jewish community.
“There is only one synagogue in Northern Ireland and I am the only rabbi but there are Jewish people throughout the north,” Rabbi Brackman said.
“There are many native Northern Irish Jews but also immigrants from Israel and eastern Europe.
“They don’t even realise Northern Ireland has a synagogue.”
former 770 bench mate
Great Photo!
should help to get you into kolel:)
Avraham Yehudah
Every year a pair of young rabbis fly in and fly out without making much difference. What follow up is there? What on-going connection with the people they meet? What a shame when the resources spent could be used more wisely on an on-going outreach programme with a resident Chabad rabbi already in place in Northern Ireland. It does make a nice feature for the local newspaper though.
anon
how ignorant!! there are many jews in ireland. there are many synagogues as well as chabad houses!! kosher products are available in the local supermarket too!! you make as if ireland is in the middle of nowhere!! its also not so far away from wales, englad or scotland where copius ammounts of kosher products are available!!!
Table Mate.
Thank you Mr. Russel for bringing these two young gentlemen’s righteous quest to light, may the L. grant you many pints of the finest Irish whiskey and luck on the golf course.
Baruch and Pinny, thumbs up for the flawless tie knot and pose. May Hashem grant you both with Smirnoff “Ad Bli Dai” complimented with the finest Farbaisen.
L.
A guy with a good voice
The models of Suville, the models of Suville, hi ho the mereo the models of Suville…
summer friend
wachtila!
Present 770 bentch mates (window)
Regards
Tzaddikel
Why are they holding a map yet looking the other way? We hope they find a minyan 3x a day. Can’t imagine them visiting a place where they daven mincha beyechidus.
sbg
Regards from 694 M.
Great to see you , keep up the great work of Rebbe shlichus
where is your brother ?
With Love SBG
Chabad of Darfur YKNY
Does Chabad send any of their summer peace corps messengers do Darfur? now that would be a contribution to humanity…
chaver
B”h
Guys your are the best keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hudge
great shot sholly and pinny .
i think the only thing missing was a fan to blow your beards back
Scotch Irish American.
An article I saw a few years ago in The Belfast Telegraph but the figure at around 4000 Jews in Greater Belfast, these fellows gotts do better research!
Margaret
Scotch Irish sees 10 Jews where others only see one, there are only 365 Yidlich in the whole of the North (according to the 2001 census)so they probably took a bit of tracking down. Was reb Pinny so ginger BEFORE he went to Ireland?
love chabad rabbis - need more of them
we want young rabbis like these to come teach our children in ireland, there is no jewish learning programmes for frum kids here, even once a month, maybe from the uk young rabbis could come.