The Rebbe Pointed At Me: Here Is G-D

The following is a part two of the encounter that took place in the front of 770 where a group of Bachurim (yeshiva students) saw a young man in long hair and boots approach the Rebbe, who waved his finger around and then pointed at this man’s chest. What happened there? What did the Rebbe say? The encounter is retold by the former “young man” himself. Note The picture of the Rebbe is a First time released picture, to learn more about the Rebbe Visit: www.inspiringageneration.org

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Mazal Tov! – Its A Girl!

We would like to wish Mazal Tov to Eytan and Chana Feige (nee Engel) Abrahams (Crown Heights) on the birth of their firstborn daughter.

May the newborn be a source of Nachas to her parents, grandparents, relatives and Klal Yisroel.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayishlach

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem (G-d) tells Yakov Avinu (Jacob our Forefather) that his name would no longer be called “Yakov” (Jacob), it would now be called “Yisroel” (Israel).

2. As the preface to a question, the Rebbe now quotes the Talmud which discusses this verse:

The Talmud tells us that whoever calls our Forefather Avraham “Avram” (which was his original name), transgresses on the verse, “And your name shall no longer be called ‘Avram’; it shall henceforth be called ‘Avraham’ ”.

A Home at Chabad

Yonat Shimron – News Observer

Rabbi Pinchas Herman listens to Rabbi Zalman Bluming reflect on his time with the Chabad House of Mumbai during a community memorial.

RALEIGH, NC — Like medics, firefighters or police officers, Rabbis Aaron and Pinchas Herman can be considered first responders. When a Jew needs immediate assistance, people turn to them.

Last week, Aaron Herman helped a company in Research Triangle Park find kosher meals for two Orthodox Jewish financial analysts who had flown in for a two-day visit.

Chabad’s Tremendous Response to Terror

By Yonit Tanenbaum – The YU Observer

Stunned, lamenting, action. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy that struck Mumbai, India, last week, Chabad took action. In tremendous ways, the ultra-orthodox Hassidic Jews redirected their grief into positive action in order to combat the evil that quaked their world.

“This week, no one is celebrating,” said Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz, editor and publisher of the weekly newspaper, Yated Neeman. “But they are more united than ever before. After the atrocities in India, all of us are more united.”

Among the hostages who were killed by terrorists at Mumbai’s Nariman House were two Chabad Shluchim (emissaries) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his pregnant wife, Rivka.

No Charges Against Author of Suspicious Letter to Chabad

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The man who sent a suspicious letter to Chabad of Scottsdale with references to the Mumbai bombings will not be charged, Scottsdale police said Thursday.

Scottsdale investigators did not release the name of the Scottsdale resident, but said he is a former Chabad student.

Mazal Tov! – 11 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Baruch and Soshie (nee Weingarten) Meer.
IYH at 1465 President St, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

Chaim Yisroel and Mussie (nee Gurary) Wilhelm
IYH at 25 Balfour Place, [between Empire Blvd and Lefferts Ave, MAP].

Tzion and Adina Yakubov.
IYH at FREE, 1383 President St, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Sholly and Chama (nee Heber) Weiser.
IYH at 568 Montgomery St, [between Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Mendel and Rochel (nee Malka) Druk (Shluchim to Cancun, Mexico) .
IYH at 440 Brooklyn Ave, Apt 2G, [between Empire Blvd and Sterling St].

Nochum and Nurit Sarychev.
IYH at 935 Eastern Parkwy, Apt 5C, [between Albany and Troy Ave].

Yoni and Chana Esther (nee Landa) Mizrachi
IYH at 715 Empire Blvd, [between Albany and Troy Ave].

Sruly and Adina (nee Friedman) Lazerson (Crown Heights) .

Chalom and Mairav Boudjnah (Shluchim to S Diego) .
IYH at 6524 Roxy Ln, S Diego, CA 92115.

Yisroel and Chaya Sarah (nee Andrusier) Hahn (Shluchim to Spokane, WA) .

Chaim Yisroel and Dina (nee Flood) Schneider.
IYH at 12 Main Street, Rouxville, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Emigre Spearheaded Jewish Education in North America

By Dovid Zaklikowski

Rabbi Tzvi Yosef Kotlarsky, who was known by his Yiddish name Hirschel, stands with a class of his at the Lubavitch yeshiva in Montreal in the early 1940s.

BROOKLYN, NY — Rabbi Tzvi Yosef Kotlarsky, a Polish-born Chasid who escaped war-torn Europe via Japan and China to ultimately participating in the building of the Chabad-Lubavitch school systems in Montreal and Brooklyn, N.Y., passed away Monday at the age of 91. Known by his Yiddish name Hirschel, the rabbi served as chief administrator of the United Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights section for decades.

Jewish Puppet Theater Debuts

DONETSK, Ukraine [FJC] — In the east Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the Jewish Community Center hosted its very first presentation of the newly-established Jewish Puppet Theater.

Members of the young audience had the pleasant opportunity to see a puppet show, called “The Magic Pitcher”, which is based on a traditional Jewish tale. The children very much enjoyed the adventure involved in the story and they also learned an important moral of the story, which their parents were also happy to see as part of this folk story.

Crown Heights Community Council Presents

Good news for Crown Heights residents: The Crown Heights Community Council is initiating a new project to help all Anash families help themselves financially. The Shalom Center is the place to be on Sunday, 17th of Kislev, at 12:30, for a comprehensive economics course designed to help one and all to float above water, and have financial peace of mind.

This is a Crown Heights Community Project to help Anash. This is a great opportunity for Anash to find out that they can help themselves even when in a lot of trouble. It will help a lot of people if they come and listen to what they can do. It may help individuals deal with maxed out credit cards and some who may be loosing their homes.

More info and full flyer in the Extended Article!

Video of the Day! – The Meaning of Love!

This weeks Living Torah, titled “The Meaning of Love” (Volume 56, Episode 222)

Living Torah is a member supported project Become a member today at LivingTorah.org

Also available with Hebrew, French, Russian and Spanish subtitles in the Extended Article.

Mazal Tov! – Its A Boy!

We would like to wish Mazal Tov to Yisroel and Chaya Sarah (nee Andrusier) Hahn (Shluchim to Spokane, WA) on the birth of their son.

May the newborns be a source of Nachas to his parents, grandparents, relatives and Klal Yisroel

Outpouring of Emotion Seeks to Make Sense of Mumbai Tragedy

By Naftali Silberberg

An editor with Chabad.org goes through a log of reader comments posted in response to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

BROOKLYN, NY — Perusing the more than 600 reflections submitted by readers to Chabad.org in the days after India’s worst terrorist attack, one thing becomes clear: In the course of their short lives, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg – the directors of the Chabad-Lubavitch center in Mumbai whose bodies and those of four other victims were recovered the night of Nov. 28 – managed to touch many lives.

Lessons for Bryansk Community

BRYANSK, Russia [FJC] — The Jewish community of Bryansk is now offering a new initiative to its members. The “Express Course on Jewish Tradition” is the name of this new program, which was just launched and will run for six weeks, allowing adult learners to quickly and effectively learn the main information about the history of the Jewish people, Jewish traditions, and Judaism.

“During the Congress of Chabad Lubavitch envoys held recently in New York, I coincidentally referred to our program in a conversation with the Chief Rabbi of Bryansk, Menachem Mendel Zaklas. He just grew alight over this concept,” commented Rabbi Dani Ashe, the Coordinator of the “Express Course on Jewish Tradition” in S. Petersburg. Rabbi Zaklas asked his S. Petersburg colleague about the details of this program. That is the story of how this special educational opportunity also came to be offered in Bryansk.