The Once-in-a-Generation Video is Here!

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — JEM is pleased to announce the release of a much-anticipated new DVD, The Blessing of the Sun, about Birchas Hachama – the special once in 28 years Mitzva which is upcoming shortly.

The new 90-minute disc includes:

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Christian Haggadahs Pass as Authentic Jewish Texts

The Passover Family Pack inset. The cover looks Jewish. The content is Christianity.

NEW YORK, NY [INN] — A Jewish outreach organization has called on mainstream booksellers, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon, to remove a Christian missionary version of the traditional Passover Hagaddah from the Judaism sections of online and conventional bookstores.

U.S. Births Break Baby Boom Record

By Erik Eckholm for The New York Times

NEW YORK, NY — More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than in any other year in American history, according to preliminary data reported Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Merkos L’inyone Chinuch Launches the Shlichus Academy

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — The Shlichus Academy will be presenting online classes geared toward the practical side of Shlichus. The classes will feature presentations and demonstrations from experts in many fields – from fund raising and office management to hands-on cooking and party planning.

Where Were You 28 Years Ago?

Maximize your appreciation for this glorious mitzvah. A series of special shiurim will be given covering the Halachos and meanings of Birchas HaChama on Thursday evenings at 9:30 at Kolel Menachem. The first Shiur, on 23 Adar, will cover the background and sources of the Mitzvah, the place of the sun on the day of the Bracha according to different opinions. The second Shiur will cover relevant questions including what is to be done on a cloudy day, what come first – Birchas hachama or Sreifas Chometz, and if you are allowed to look at the sun before making the Bracha. The Shiurim will be delivered by Rabbi Zalman Moshe Abrahams. View the flyer by clicking here. To receive a reminder SMS or email, contact Yagdil Torah.

Obama Wants to Disarm U.S. Pilots

By David A. Patten for Newsmax

WASHINGTON, DC — The Obama administration is taking steps quietly to shut down the program that qualifies commercial airline pilots to carry firearms in jetliner cockpits in order to ward off another 9/11-type attack.

Tonight – Are you Ready for a Disaster?

The CHJCC, the Fire Department and the Red Cross invites you to a lecture on “Disaster Preparedness”. Do you know what to do in the event of a natural (or unnatural) disaster Chv”s? 7:00 PM Tonight, Thursday, March 19 at 935 Eastern Pkwy [between Albany and Troy Ave]. Come and receive a First Aid ready kit.

More Information in Full Flyer in the Extended Article!

Tonight – Come and Be Heard – Precinct Council Meeting

Dear concerned residents of Crown Heights, the monthly meeting of the 71st Precinct Community board will take place today, Thursday, the 19th of March at 8:00pm, in the public school across the street from the 71st Precinct.

We all used the comments to vent our anger at police and we all criticized each other for talking and not doing. So here is your chance to do something! It is imperative that you make every effort to attend! Your attendance will show our care and support for our community!

CrownHeights.info has received word from a Precinct Council representative that the top cop in New York city, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly will be at the meeting.

Mazal Tov! – 3 Thursday Night L’Chaims!

Sruly Baitelman (Crown Heights) and Kiki Deitsch (New Haven, CT) .
IYH at Bais Rivkah, 310 Crown St [between New York and Nostrand Ave].

Zalmy Katz (Johannesburg, South Africa) and Esty Goldstein (Crown Heights) .
IYH at Lubavitcher Yeshiva, 570 Crown St [hall entrance on Albany Ave].

Shnaz Laufer (Providence, RI) and Devorah Weinman (Manchester, UK) .
IYH at Beis Levi Yitzchock, 556 Crown St [entrance ramp on Albany Ave].

Email your Simcha or Mazal Tov to MazalTov@CrownHeights.info !!

Excerpts of Terrorists Conversations at Chabad of Mumbai

Stock Photo – The scene inside the Chabad House after the siege.

The following are excerpts written by journalist Ashish Khetan on how handlers in Pakistan directed the terrorists at the Mumbai Chabad House.

The Weekly Sicha of the Rebbe – Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei

The Rebbe says:

1. This year the Parshios (Torah portions) of Vayakhel and Pekudei are read together on one Shabbos.

2. We know that generally the name of something hints at what the thing is all about. This is especially so with regards to the name of a Parshah (Torah portion) because everything in the Torah is perfectly exact.

Let us examine our two portions of this Shabbos and see if their names fit with their content:

A Little Drink May Be Good for Your Bones

By Steven Reinberg for Your Health Daily

Stock Photo – L’Chaim

Older men and postmenopausal women who have one or two glasses of beer or wine a day appear to have stronger bones than both nondrinkers and heavy drinkers, a new study suggests.

Moderate drinking has been associated with decreasing the risk for heart disease, but it also has been linked to increasing the risk for some cancers. And though their study found that beer and wine could be beneficial to bone strength, the researchers cautioned that people need to balance the risks and benefits of alcohol with their individual health concerns.

Interest-Free Loans Steeped in Jewish Tradition

By Kristin E. Holmes for the Philadelphia Inquirer
<%image(20090318-zalman-lipsker.jpg|525|232|Rabbi Zalman Lipsker)%>

PHILADELPHIA, PA — In tough economic times, a centuries-old financial lifeline might be one of the best-kept secrets in the Jewish community.

It is a secret whose roots go back to the Torah, where it is called an act of “loving kindness.”