Once in a Rare Sun: Birkat Hachamah

By Miriam Davids for Lubavitch.com

BROOKYN, NY — The waxing and waning of the moon is regularly celebrated in Jewish life. The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle, familiar to Jewish children even as preschoolers who learn to welcome the new moon with regular Rosh Chodesh celebrations. In a popular depiction by Jewish painters, a minyan of men stand outside the shtetl shul and bless the new moon under a dark sky.

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Head Shliach Inaugurated as New Chief Rabbi of Holland

By Kobi Nahshoni for Y Net News

HOLLAND — Twenty-two years after Holland’s last chief rabbi Eliezer Berlinger passed away, the country’s Jewish public is finally getting a new spiritual leader. Representatives of Holland’s Jewish communities assembled last week and picked Rabbi Binyamin Jacobs to serve as the chief rabbi of 11 of the 12 provinces in the country.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Darchai Menachem Trip to Sotheby’s NY

By Levi Aronov and Levi Gourarie

NEW YORK, NY [CHI] — Last Wednesday, February 18, our class went to Manhattan to see ancient Seforim from all around the world. Jack Lunzer has been acquiring Jewish manuscripts for a long time, and now Sotheby’s is auctioning the collection off. The collection consists of Gemaras, Chumashim, Sidurim, Tehillim, old newspapers, Shulchan Aruch, Benchers, invitations, Haggadahs, Megillos and other assorted Seforim.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Attention Shluchos! Roundtable Discussion Coming Up This Wednesday!

Don’t miss the second installment of “Personal Productivity for the 24/7 Shlucha” by Mrs. Rivka Caroline, Key Biscayne, Florida , this Wednesday, February 25th.

A sampling of areas to be discussed are:

Taking Care of #1, Learn the Skill of Breaking Tasks Down to Smaller Parts, Prime Time System Revisited, By Passing Decision Making, Magic Numbers-less is more, more or less, E-mailing Tips, Child Friendly Systems, Innovative Car Time, 8 Must Do’s- 4x a Week.

L Train Goes Fully Computerized Today

Pete Donohue for the NY Daily News

NEW YORK, NY — Robo train is finally pulling into the station next week [today].

Starting Tuesday [today], L line trains will be fully controlled by a computerized signal system, officials said Friday.

5,360 Inmates in Federal Prisons in the U.S. Request Kosher Meals

By Raffi Rosenzweig for Kosher Today

According to data provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP), a record 5,360 inmates in federal prisons are receiving kosher meals in all of the FBOP’s 114 facilities across the United States. Of those, 3,268 identify themselves as Jewish. While there have been several challenges to kosher by some state prison officials, the FBOP guides itself by a number of court decisions that mandate the kosher food.

Coming Back for Seconds: Friday Nights with Chabad on Campus

By Dvora Lakein for Lubavitch.com

Students with Chabad at Shabbos in the Rockies

They come for the free food. And they come back for everything else.

Students on 340 college campuses worldwide say that a highlight of their (stressful) week is Friday night at the local Chabad. While the current economic crisis is causing some Jewish campus organizations to cut back and charge for their meals, Chabad is continuing to provide the same service, at the same price: free.

Community Aids Needy Kids

OMSK, Russia — In relation to the current economic crisis and gradually deteriorating standards of living for a good segment of the population, the Jewish community of Omsk has decided to carry out a campaign aimed at contributing a shipment of new children’s clothing and shoes to needy children. Namely, this donation was directed towards the ‘Penatiy’ Social Service Center for the city’s central administrative district. This organization deals with the poorest people among local residents on a daily basis and its representatives are in a perfect situation to be able to identify those children who are in greatest need of such assistance.