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by Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov Shliach to Jacksonville, FL
The unmistakable echo of hulking boots pounding the pavement was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the small band of Chassidim gathered in a dimly lit basement in the Russian city of Samarkand.

The purpose of the gathering was a “Farbrengen,” a Chassidic get-together meant to encourage and inspire one another in the pursuit of spirituality and Divine service. Such gatherings were obviously utterly outlawed in communist Russia and punishable by unthinkable penalty.

As the Farbrengen lingered into the wee hours of the night the discussion was heightened and the atmosphere intense. A number of younger Chassidim were weeping bitterly as they poured out their hearts to the presiding Mashpia (spiritual mentor) regarding their deficient spiritual state.

Vayigash: Tears to and End – A Time to Cry, A Time to Act

by Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov Shliach to Jacksonville, FL

The unmistakable echo of hulking boots pounding the pavement was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the small band of Chassidim gathered in a dimly lit basement in the Russian city of Samarkand.

The purpose of the gathering was a “Farbrengen,” a Chassidic get-together meant to encourage and inspire one another in the pursuit of spirituality and Divine service. Such gatherings were obviously utterly outlawed in communist Russia and punishable by unthinkable penalty.

As the Farbrengen lingered into the wee hours of the night the discussion was heightened and the atmosphere intense. A number of younger Chassidim were weeping bitterly as they poured out their hearts to the presiding Mashpia (spiritual mentor) regarding their deficient spiritual state.

Something Jewish
1
Mazal Tov's View More
New Engagement!

Avremel Rapoport(Clarks Summit, PA) to Faigy Liberow (London, UK) L’Chaim: Tonight, Tuesday, 8:00pm at Lubavitcher Yeshiva Crown Street
New Engagement!

Menny Leitner (Monsey, NY) to Bracha Goldberg (Monsey, NY) L’Chaim: Sunday, July 20th, 7:30pm at Bais Yosef Meir Simcha Hall 19 Olympia Ln, Monsey
New Engagement!

Mendy Sulami (Los Angeles, CA) to Aidel Spielman (Crown Heights)
New Engagement!

Tsvi Feygin  (Teaneck, NJ) to Faigy Kahn (London, UK)
New Engagement!

Shmuel Gurary (Buffalo, NY) to Esther Leeba Eidelman (Manchester, UK) L’Chaim: Tonight, Thursday, 8:00pm at Rubashkin’s Downstairs
Baby Boy!

Sendy and Mali (nee New) Labkowsky from Crown Heights had a baby boy!
Baby Boy!

Yehuda and Raizel Marrus from Davie, FL, had a baby boy!
New Engagement!

Shalom Alon (Kfar Gidon, EY) to Bluma Potash (Noe Valley, SF, CA)
New Engagement!

Jack Abramson (NW4, London, UK) to Shayna Ash (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Baby Boy!

Mendel and Soro (nee Brennan) Manne from Penn Wynne, PA had a baby boy!
New Engagement!

Yisrolik Chein (Toulouse, France) to Chanale Greenberg (Shanghai, China) L’Chaim: Tonight, Thursday, 8:00pm at 695 East New York Ave
New Engagement!

Schneur Motchkin (Crown Heights) to Sarah Schmukler (Crown Heights) L’Chaim: Tonight, Thursday, 8:00pm at Lubavitcher Yeshiva
New Engagement!

Shmayah Schechter (Miami Beach, FL) to Bella Kimball (West Hartford, CT) L’Chaim: Tonight, Wednesday, 7:30pm at Chabad of Greater Hartford 2352 Albany Ave, West Hartford, CT, 06117
Baby Girl!

Shneur and Sara (nee Heber) polter from Crown Heights had a baby girl!
New Engagement!

Yonah Galili (Toronto, Canada) to Ora Zuckerman (Crown Heights) L’Chaim: Monday, July 7th, 8:00pm at Bais Avraham Yitzchak 305 Remsen Ave
Baby Boy!

Dovid and Baila (nee Spielman) Vogel from Crown Heights had a baby boy!
New Engagement!

Yechezkel Markovitch (Kiev, Ukraine) to Layah Carlbach (Montreal, Canada)

Teachers Training Course Kicks Off

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — A larger than expected group of prospective teachers attended the orientation for the Teacher Training Program which was held at Beis Eliezer Yitzchok. This launched the 5769 semester of Teacher Training Program run by the Menachem Education Foundation (M.E.F.). The M.E.F. was created in order to “raise the bar of Jewish education by professionally training teachers”

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Chabad News
3

Chabad Chanukah Fun In Denmark

COPENHAGEN, Denmark [CHI] — Chanukah began with a family Talmud Torah party for children and their parents, at the Chabad house, enjoying a myriad of Chanukah activities. On the second night of Chanukah, a grand Menorah lighting celebration was held, with the Israeli ambassador and other local dignitarie participating. Despite the high wind and cold weather, a few hundred people showed up to participate. It was covered extensively in the local media. A Chanukah celebration was also held in the legislative chamber of Copenhagen City council, which was open for the general public. For many people it was the first time inside this historic room, and definitely the first time it hosted a Chanukah celebration, including delicious food and entertainment for the children.

Some more pictures in the Extended Article!

Shlichus
4

City Will Slash That Parking Fine, if You Ask

NEW YORK, NY — In a city of markdowns, where bargains are prized, New York officials have been offering sharply reduced fines on parking tickets for almost three years and, remarkably, the deep discounts have gone largely unnoticed.

Any driver who challenges a parking ticket — in person, in writing or online — is offered a substantial, guaranteed reduction for most fines, under a program the city quietly introduced in 2005.

NYC News
2

Time Stops At Nightlife – Girls Get Together for Illusions and a Memorable Chanukah Party

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — A dazzling display of illusions highlighted Nightlife’s Chanukah event on the third night of Chanukah where Marc’s side-splitting performance included mind reading, bending silverware and controlling time on a watch. For many young ladies living in, or visiting Crown Heights, Nightlife is an oasis in time where all the pressures, struggles and even boredom are checked at the door. Forget about schoolwork or dealing with problems. Nightlife is the place to relax. Or learn. Or talk. Or play games. Or dance. Or get inspired. Or sing. Or meet people.

Crown Heights News

ODENSE, Denmark [CHI] — Rabbi Yitzi Lowenthal Shliach to Denmark, visited the two Israelis wounded in Wednesdays shooting in a mall in Odense, about 160 km from Copenhagen. Despite shooting 5 or more shots fired, the two Israelis were only wounded in the leg and arm. The one wounded in the arm, had surgery, and will require surgery again soon. He managed to throw a chair at the shooter, thereby confusing his aim. The shooter has been apprehended by Danish police

Continued in the Extended Article

Shliach Visits Israelis Wounded in Denmark Shooting

ODENSE, Denmark [CHI] — Rabbi Yitzi Lowenthal Shliach to Denmark, visited the two Israelis wounded in Wednesdays shooting in a mall in Odense, about 160 km from Copenhagen. Despite shooting 5 or more shots fired, the two Israelis were only wounded in the leg and arm. The one wounded in the arm, had surgery, and will require surgery again soon. He managed to throw a chair at the shooter, thereby confusing his aim. The shooter has been apprehended by Danish police

Continued in the Extended Article

Shlichus

Hei Teves Farbrengen at Bais Shmuel

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — Bais Shmuel held a Farbrengen in honor of Hei Teves, with Rabbi Dovid Dubov Shliach to Princeton. He farbrenged with the assembled and inspired them regarding pertinent issues. When Rabbi Dubov left, Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, Rov of the Shul took over the Farbrengen and they Farbrengened with mispalalim and other Yungerlite until late in the night.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Farbrengens
by Rabbi Shalom Goldberg
The Rebbe says:

1. Towards the end of this week’s Torah portion the Torah tells us that Yakov Avinu (Jacob our forefather) traveled down to Egypt to see his son Yoseph Hatzadik (Joseph the righteous one).

The Torah tells us that before Yakov Avinu went down to Egypt he sent his son Yehuda ahead of him to set up a Yeshiva (a Jewish institution for Torah study) there first because Yakov Avinu did not want to go to a land that did not have a Yeshiva ready.

2. The Rebbe now stresses how important it was for Yakov Avinu to have a Yeshiva ready for him in Egypt:

The fact that Yakov Avinu did not want to go down to Egypt unless there was a Yeshiva there ready for him is especially significant because Hashem (G-d) had already promised Yakov Avinu that He would go down to Egypt with him. In other words, even though Hashem had told Yakov Avinu that He would be with him in Egypt, Yakov Avinu did not rely on this alone and he still needed to set up a Yeshiva there before he even got there.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Vayigash

by Rabbi Shalom Goldberg

The Rebbe says:

1. Towards the end of this week’s Torah portion the Torah tells us that Yakov Avinu (Jacob our forefather) traveled down to Egypt to see his son Yoseph Hatzadik (Joseph the righteous one).

The Torah tells us that before Yakov Avinu went down to Egypt he sent his son Yehuda ahead of him to set up a Yeshiva (a Jewish institution for Torah study) there first because Yakov Avinu did not want to go to a land that did not have a Yeshiva ready.

2. The Rebbe now stresses how important it was for Yakov Avinu to have a Yeshiva ready for him in Egypt:

The fact that Yakov Avinu did not want to go down to Egypt unless there was a Yeshiva there ready for him is especially significant because Hashem (G-d) had already promised Yakov Avinu that He would go down to Egypt with him. In other words, even though Hashem had told Yakov Avinu that He would be with him in Egypt, Yakov Avinu did not rely on this alone and he still needed to set up a Yeshiva there before he even got there.

Something Jewish

Young Chevra Members Attended Memorial Event

LOS ANGELES, CA [CHI] — Tuesday, December 30th, 8:00pm, over one hundred young Lubavitchers throughout Southern California came together at the Loews S. Monica Hotel to commemorate the 30th day following the untimely deaths of Rabbi Gabrielle and Rivka Holtzberg; the Chabad emissaries who were killed during the Mumbai terror attacks.

Chabad News
1
By Yonason Gordon

Illustration Photo - A baby playing next to a bookshelf full of Seforim

Much is being said about the state of book buying and learning. But if we are going to discuss seforim, we should really look back to Hei Teves—the victory of the seforim. Put simply, the message the Rebbe conveyed at that time was that we should do more:

“In recent years great and wonderful things in the area of spreading Yiddishkeit have been accomplished … If so, the question is raised, why was it necessary that in this era and in this area there should be a problem?”

Op-Ed: Bayis Molei Seforim

By Yonason Gordon

Illustration Photo – A baby playing next to a bookshelf full of Seforim

Much is being said about the state of book buying and learning. But if we are going to discuss seforim, we should really look back to Hei Teves—the victory of the seforim. Put simply, the message the Rebbe conveyed at that time was that we should do more:

“In recent years great and wonderful things in the area of spreading Yiddishkeit have been accomplished … If so, the question is raised, why was it necessary that in this era and in this area there should be a problem?”

General
3

For more than 40 hours, we held our breaths. Who could breathe, who could function, with our very own ‒ Jews, Lubavitchers, shluchim ‒ hostage?

Sifrei kodesh bullet ridden; a Chabad House full of blood and bodies. We all davened, pleading with Hashem, each in our own way . . . and then we heard the terrible fatal news.

The shock, the pain, the tears we cried, the denials we threw up to Hashem. But it’s easy to forget, distracted by the very normalcy of our lives.

Neshei U’bnos Chabad – iNow, The World is Ready!

For more than 40 hours, we held our breaths. Who could breathe, who could function, with our very own ‒ Jews, Lubavitchers, shluchim ‒ hostage?

Sifrei kodesh bullet ridden; a Chabad House full of blood and bodies. We all davened, pleading with Hashem, each in our own way . . . and then we heard the terrible fatal news.

The shock, the pain, the tears we cried, the denials we threw up to Hashem. But it’s easy to forget, distracted by the very normalcy of our lives.

PSA