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Picture of the Day! – Photo of the Rebbe from 1978

In honor of Yud Tes Kislev, The Avner Institute and CrownHeights.info is happy to present a unique picture of the Rebbe from the Year 1978, released for the first time. Special thanks to the RebbeArchive@Gmail.com. to learn more about the Rebbe visit: inspiringageneration.org

Full size photo in the Extended Article!

Yud Tes Kislev Farbrengen at ALIYA

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — ALIYA hosted a Yud Tes Kislev Farbrengen with Rabbi Laibel Groner, one of the Rebbes secretaries, who Farbrenged with the Bochurim and Yungerliet into the night. Another separate Farbrengen took place for girls.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

A Torah for Southwest Florida

Leslie Williams – Naples News

NAPLES, FL — The year came full circle for the Naples Jewish community Sunday night.

At the Ritz-Carlton Naples, a Torah hand-written specifically for the Naples community, was inscribed with its final letters 11 months after it was begun at the same place.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

JLI Concludes Largest Course Ever with 15,000 in Attendance

This week, as we celebrate Yud Tes Kislev, Rosh HaShana L’Chasidus, over 15,000 students will complete JLI’s course, Soul Maps at 300 chapters worldwide. The course, an overview of Tanya, was the largest simultaneous class on Tanya since the Alter Rebbe published it more than 200 years ago.

In the spirit of Hakhel, a short video was produced by JLI Central demonstrating Jewish unity through the global Torah learning of our recent course.

Let There be Light – A Response to the Mumbai Massacre

by Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov Shliach to Jacksonville, FL

The funerals are over and the bodies are buried, but I’m still shaken by the Mumbai Massacre. So many innocents lives have been so violently snuffed out, so many families were so senselessly destroyed.

While the number of people murdered hovers the 200 mark, numbers essentially belie the true catastrophe; they tend to coalesce the crime and blur the dreadfulness of the calamity. Each victim is in reality an entire world. Each is a loss that shattered the hearts of many.

On one hand I find myself in the company of billions of civilized members of the human race whose heart aches for fellow humans who were violently massacred and wounded in a far off land. On the other hand, as a Jew, this catastrophe is for me far more personal. Leibish Teitelbaum, Yocheved Orpaz, Bentzion Chroman, Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich are my Jewish brothers and sisters. Rabbi and Mrs. Holtzberg, the Chabad team who settled in Mumbai to create a Jewish oasis for locals and tourists, are my own, colloquially speaking, flesh and blood.

Picture of the Day! – Shluchim Kasher White House Kitchen!

Mrs. Laura Bush poses Monday, Dec. 15, 2008, in the White House kitchen with the rabbis who supervised the kitchen’s koshering for the annual Chanukkah party. From left are Rabbi Mendel Minkowitz, Rabbi Binyomin Steinmetz and Rabbi Levi Shemtov.

Tonight: Farbrengen in honor Yud Tes Kislev at the Kolel

All Anash and Temimim are invited to a Farbrengen, tonight, Tuesday at the Kolel Avreichim on Kingston Ave and Union St. The Volovor Rov, Rabbi Gaviriel Holtzbergs HYD father, Rabbi Nachman. There will be a special video presentation, followed by a Chasidishe Hisvaadus and Siyum Hashas V’Tanya.

Full flyer with more info the Extended Article!

Jewish Gift to Library

TOMSK, Russia [FJC] — An event recently occurred that will make a series of Jewish books available to readers of the Tomsk Region in western Siberia – Jews and non-Jews alike. The ‘Pushkin’ Tomsk Regional Library has benefited from a gift it has received, which consists of a number of useful Jewish books. The donation took place within the framework of a forum of religious organizations active in the region, which was held on December 12 in the Tomsk Regional Library.

The Jewish community of Tomsk prepared and manned an exhibition of Jewish books and periodicals especially for this congress, which was met with enthusiasm and genuine interest. Upon the completion of the meeting, the Jewish community donated to all of these respective publications to the library. Now these valuable and resourceful Jewish books will also be available to everyone at the network of libraries administered under the ‘Pushkin’ Tomsk Regional Library who wish to access them.

Governor Paterson Proposes Soda ‘Obesity Tax’

ALBANY, NY — New York state could impose a 15 per cent ‘obesity tax’ on high-calorie soft drinks as the governor tries to pay off a crippling $15 billion budget deficit.

Non-diet versions of popular drinks including Coke and Pepsi could be targeted, taking political advantage of fears over obesity and ill-health.

Mumbai Memorial in South Jersey

MARGATE, NJ — The Jewish community has come together to remember those who were killed in the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India two weeks ago. Jennifer Husko takes us to a memorial service held at Chabad at the Shore in Margate where they hope to rebuild what was lost.