Saskatchewan, Canada — When Shmuli Raitman and Yisrael Kugel found out they were being sent to Saskatchewan for the summer, they didn't have any idea what to expect.
“I had to figure out how to spell it in order to Google it to find out what it was,” said Kugel, who hails from Manhattan.
Students on Mission to Jews in Sask
Saskatchewan, Canada — When Shmuli Raitman and Yisrael Kugel found out they were being sent to Saskatchewan for the summer, they didn’t have any idea what to expect.
“I had to figure out how to spell it in order to Google it to find out what it was,” said Kugel, who hails from Manhattan.
Dressed in black suits and traditional Jewish hats, the pair are an unusual sight on Regina’s city streets. They’ve come from the rabbinical school in New York in order to visit and enrich the Jewish community in Saskatchewan, they explained.
As part of the Chabad Lubavitch community enrichment program, 300 pairs like them spend the summers between studies going out to smaller Jewish communities “trying to bring in a fresh burst of Judaism,” said Raitman, who’s originally from Australia.
The young men — both are 22 years old — arrived in Regina on Monday. They’ll spend three weeks in Saskatchewan meeting with members of Jewish communities around the province.
Both are passionate and well-informed in talking about their task here, which, fuelled by a belief in each soul as equal, involves explaining, encouraging and helping with traditional Jewish observances.
“We’re like missionaries,” Kugel said. “The difference between us and Christian missionaries is we only focus on Jews. We’re not interested in spreading Judaism to non-Jews.”
Technically, the pair belong to an ultra-orthodox Hasidic branch of Judaism that strictly observes Jewish laws — the men brought suitcases full of vacuum-sealed meat in order to observe kosher.
“But we don’t like these titles — ultra-orthodox, conservative, reform, modern orthodox, all that stuff,” Kugel explained. “We boil it down to the grassroots, and that is the soul … Every single person is a person with feelings, and that’s how we try to act to another person.”
Brooklyn-based Chabad Lubavitch is one of the largest Jewish movements in the world, with centres in many countries that provide educational and outreach activities for all Jews.
Raitman and Kugel have had opportunities to travel all over the globe, as they’ve been sent to smaller communities to help with the observance of Jewish holidays. The countries they’ve collectively visited include Nigeria, Japan, Thailand, Israel, Azerbaijan, Germany, Puerto Rico, and Ukraine.
Although obviously religious and traditional, a dry New York sense of humour definitely comes through, especially talking about less-serious subjects such as their culture shock in Saskatchewan, a place they already say they’ll miss when they leave.
“I thought they were still going around on horseback over here,” Kugel said. “That’s what I was expecting. But when I saw online there’s a rental car place, that was a good sign.”
“He comes from Manhattan, and Manhattan in 10 blocks there’s more people than the whole of Saskatchewan,” Raitman countered.
“From Australia, Melbourne is more built up than this. But the people over here are very nice and relaxed, so that reminded me a bit of home in Australia. New York’s hectic.”
“You ask someone for directions here, they stop,” Kugel said, picking up the conversation. “Let’s say you’re at a red light. The guy opens up his window and he starts telling you the best way to get there. Meanwhile the light turns green, and there’s a whole bunch of cars behind you, and no one’s honking!”
The pair will spend a week and a half in southern Saskatchewan — including a visit to “the last Jew in Estevan,” before finishing their trip in Saskatoon.
Eli
“We’re like missionaries,” Kugel said. “The difference between us and Christian missionaries is we only focus on Jews. We’re not interested in spreading Judaism to non-Jews.”
and your like them in what way???! not a very smart thing to say.
mendy
will, please do tell us: what are missionaries? what is thier mission statement? then tell us how we differ from them, instead of just saying “not smart”
Fishkl
Go Kugel GO!!!
MOshiach now
Bored on empoire
to Eli,
Oh come on, these young bochurim are fresh and new, thats all you have to say – about a comment that he either made or not? – I wonder if you have ever been interviewd by the press
Kol HaKavod to these wonderfulo good bochurim,. its refreshing to see that Lubavitch is Chai V’Ka’yam
Chanan
looking good shmuelie!
Eli
K,
although the comparison CAN be made, we are “like missionaries going only after jews” more or less, still using such a ‘shprach’ is NOT SMART for a number of reasons, including: 1. using the comparison is lowering, why even bring them up?? 2. what could come up in a persons mind.. so are you for yashke or not?? JforJ? that might be a bit extreme, but other things come up..
3. IS that really the image we want in peopls minds?? when a person thinks of a Shliach, to have the comparison to a missionarie LE’HAVDEL
-Eli- fan
just scrolled down to another article from two bochurim on merkus shlichus
“We’re not missionaries,” Zimmerman said. “It’s the first thing I want to tell people.”
Thats the way!
OK
“We’re not interested in spreading Judaism to non-Jews.”
I think I get what he’s trying to say, but the way it was worded doesn’t sound too good; kinda bigoted.
Good point eli
ya, it was very stupid to say they are like missionaries but only for jews. A missionary is there to recruit and convert. They arent there to convert anyone, jews dont need conversion. so to say that their missionaries for jews is an oximoron.
the power of youth
poor kid becomes a korban on crownheights.info…
so where is he safe?
you’d think a bochur going on merkos shlichus would get some respect out of his fellow lubavitchers…
guess not…
a bochurs thought
to eli even if its true and WAS not smart its disgusting of you to make a big deal out of it, no use of crying over spilt milk and making him feel bad for not being experienced with the press
and lepoiel hes out there on shlichus eating vacuum packed meat while your siting at home writing comments on crownheights.info
GET A LIFE
yarskel
yisroel,
Now that everyone finished dissecting the issue that got my attention as well, I will wish you good luck and with the Koach of the Meshaleach you and your buddy will surely be very successful- l’maalah min hameshuar.
yisroel
In fact many christian missionaries do not target people of other religions.
one of the chevre
yisroel, we love you hab zai ale in bud arein. ker a velt haint
Eli
well, MR. ‘a bochurs thought ‘
I really don’t consider commecting on a aritcle on crownheights.info SHEYICHYA is making a ‘BIG DEAL’ out of it. Its just bringing something up, which i feel as do many others was something not very ‘smart’ as well as inappropriate. as to your title ‘ a BOCHERS thoughts’ just want to let you know that ussaly the term ‘bocher’ goes to a 1. MALE 2. at least over 13
ussaly someone fitting that description can handle a little critisizim! everybody makes mistakes and poiting it out is only a helpful thing! so stop crying! and just for your info ‘home’ is not the only place with an internet connection. welcome to the 21st century and to manhood.
As for ‘yisroel’
Bored.
Why can’t Merkos give some pointers to the Bochurim in how to talk to the press?
Dovi
B”H
Check it out! Saskatchewan is getting its first ever Chabad House!
Hopefully but spring of 5771 the shluchim will be moving in and we will have our first Orthodox Jewish presence in the province in over 55 years. Thanks to all the Roving Rabbis that helped bring yiddishkeit over the years.