Distance is No Obstacle for S.F. Minyan-Maker

By Dan Pine for the JWeekly

To Moshe Langer, cross-country distances mean nothing. From Brooklyn, N.Y., where the San Francisco–born Chabad rabbi has been living since November, Langer rounds up 10 Jewish men daily for a San Francisco minyan he helped launch.

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JabMedia Video – The ‘Shavuot Pass’ Project

JabMedia has worked with several producers on this unique project. Each producer created 2 clips of the Torah being passed (using their own style). Many Shluchim are creating their own clips to include themselves, community and/or students in this viral promo.

Lag BaOmer Celebrated in Luxembourg!

In the smallest country in the world with a Chabad presence, Lag Baomer was celebrated like never before! Luxembourg is a European country and is the smallest in the world in which Lubavitch has an official presence, celebrated together with neighboring countries and cities.

Chabad Student Brutally Murdered in Ukraine

A Chabad student was murdered two weeks ago in the Ukraine and his body was cut up into pieces, according to reports released to the media on Saturday night. Police were reportedly investigating whether the murder was an act of anti-Semitism.

Op-Ed: Nosson, My Little Brother

by Yosef Katzman

Sitting Shiva at the Deitsch’s.

I’m hurt, I’m shocked; I’m devastated, I have a new hole in my heart

As I’m struggling with my anger and sadness of Nossons tragic passing, I reflect on life’s journey alongside the Deitsches.

It starts with my very youth, in 1963. We moved onto Crown Street, right across the street of the Deitsches. With Reb Sholom and his wife Mirel, and their wonderful six children.

I remember being somewhat envious of the Deitsches. Reb Sholom was a man in his forties, and he had both his parents. Something that we, the first post holocaust generation, were mostly not privileged to have. My father A”h lost both his parents to famine in Samarkand in the early forties, and by the time he was Bar-Mitzvah, he was fully orphaned. I had no paternal grandparents.

Released Time at the Lag BaOmer Parade

On Lag B’Omer, over 1200 Jewish children from 93 public schools in New York participated in the Great Lag B’omer Parade. Their attendance was organized by Released Time, an educational outreach program for public school children under the auspices of NCFJE.

PSA: Shabbos Times Mistake in CrownHeights.info Calendar

There is a minor typo in the CrownHeights.info 5770 calendar Shabbos Parshas Behar-Bechukotai candle lighting time. The calendar lists this week candle lighting for 7:04, when in fact it’s 7:40 this week; 36 minutes before the actual candle lighting time.

Sicha of the Rebbe – Parshas Behar-Bechukotai

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem (G-d) commands us to take care of our brethren in need and loan them interest free money . Hashem finishes off this commandment by saying, “I am Hashem, your G-d, Who took you out of the land of Egypt…” .

Our Sages learn from this verse that, “Anyone who accepts the yoke of the commandment regarding not taking or giving interest, accepts the yoke of Heaven; and anyone who throws off the yoke of this commandment, throws off the yoke of Heaven. This is because anyone who complies with the Mitzvah (commandment) of “Ribbis” (not taking or giving interest) also admits to the fundamental principal of our exodus from Egypt; and anyone who denies the Mitzvah of Ribbis also denies our exodus from Egypt” .

In other words, there is something unique about the Mitzvah of Ribbis which has a special connection to accepting the yoke of Heaven and our exodus from Egypt more than any other Mitzvah. We must try to understand this.

Op-Ed: Man, Interrupted

Until today I didn’t cry. Until today my eyes did not water nor shed a tear. Until today my heart did not skip a single beat. Until today I did not lose a moment’s sleep. I am not a friend or relative of the Rubashkin family and I’ve never met Sholom Rubashkin.

Until today I read the mainstream news and followed the blogs. Until today I analyzed the facts and debated the case. Did Sholom Rubashkin commit a crime? If he did, was it intentional? Is he a vicious felon or a misguided fool? Was he actively involved in the crimes that were committed or was he simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? If he is a criminal, does he deserve prison time? If so, how many years? Should they be served in a minimum, medium or maximum security facility? Was the raid on Agriprocessors instigated by PETA and the unions? Is the prosecution being overzealous? Is there an anti-Semitic element to the prosecution?

This Weeks Sholom Zochors

This Weeks Sholom Zochors!

Mendel and Chanie Wolowik
560 Montgomery St [between Brooklyn and New York Ave]

Sholly and Rivky (nee Losh) Levy
644 Montgomery St [between Kingston and Albany Ave]

Yerachmiel and Rivka (nee Entler) Altizio
536 Crown St [between Kingston and Albany Ave]

Levi Yitzchok and Chanie Kessler
736 Lefferts Ave, 3rd Flr [between Troy and Schnectady Ave]

Yochonon and Mushky Gordon
750 Eastern Pkwy [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave]

Avremel and Rivka Hershkovich
9242 Aspen Dr, Des Plaines, IL 60016