New Zealand Welcomes Record Number of New Shluchim

CANTERBURY, New Zealand [CHI] — This week Chabad of New Zealand has welcomed it’s largest group of Shluchim ever! Seven young Yeshivah graduates, who will be spending the year in the Country’s South Island, where they will be running the Chabad House in the regional Capital of CHCH. They will be under the directorship of Hatomim Berri Spitetzki who was recently appointed to oversee the development of Chabad’s activities in the region.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

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Moshe Rubashkin Sentenced to 16 Months Prison and $450,000 in Fines and Restitutions

R. Moshe in 770 earlier this week. Photo: col.org.il

ALLENTOWN, PA [CHI] — Court reconvened this morning in Allentown, Pennsylvania and the judge handed down his verdict. Reb Moshe was sentenced to 16 months in prison with the possibility of parole after a third of that, along with a fine of $450,000.

Once again many Crown Heightsers turned out in show of support, a bus and many private cars showed up, all leaving as early as 6:30 in the morning.

Faith Goes Wireless

NY Post

Tech-savvy Orthodox Jews can now reach out for the handset of God.

Two entrepreneurs who attended Yeshiva University have written software that turns the BlackBerry from a device to check e-mail and stocks into a pray phone.

Mazal Tov! – Its A Boy!

We would like to wish Mazal Tov to Levi and Layla (nee Shpigelman) Zirkind (Los Angeles, CA) on the birth of their firstborn son.

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

Come Show Your Support Once Again!

Dear Anash:

We want to thank everyone that came and participated in this very important case of Pidyon Shevuim to help the Rubashkin family. The sentencing phase of this trial was supposed to last for two hours, and it lasted for almost eight hours, the judge postponed the final few minutes of the proceedings to tomorrow morning at 9:30am.

We feel that overwhelming support from the community will have a positive impact on the outcome. We are begging everybody and anybody to please come tomorrow. Plus, if you can, please join Moishe Rubashkin tonight by the Ohel at: 11:00pm.

Again unlike today, we believe that tomorrow’s proceeding will be very short, because all relevant testimony was heard today.

Mazal Tov! – Its A Girl!

We would like to wish Mazal Tov to Yossi and Rivky (nee Lerman) Pelman (Crown Heights) on their firstborn daughter- Chaya Mushka.

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


Yet another Accident

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — A few minutes after the drag racing accident another incident occurred at around 12:40am in the intersection of Troy and President. A silver Honda Accord driven by a Bochur collided with a white Ford Van sending it careening into 3 parked cars.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Drag Racing Leaves Vehicle on its Roof

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Two cars ‘drag racing’ at high speeds up Troy Avenue ended in disaster with two damaged parked cars and itself on its roof. The incident took place on Troy between Eastern Parkway and Lincoln Place at around 12:30am.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Mezuzas Stolen From Doorposts

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Many Mezuzas were stolen from an apartment building in Crown Heights early Sunday morning. Jewish residents living at 350 Lefferts Ave, between New York and Nostrand Ave, were shocked Sunday, when they found out that Mezuzahs from six floors of the building were ripped off and stolen.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Third Kosher Slaughterhouse Halts Production, Heightening Worries About Meat Shortage

Forward

Fire at Minnesota Plant Follows Shutdowns of Two Agriprocessors Facilities

BUFFALOW LAKE, MN — In developments that are likely to cripple the availability of kosher beef in large parts of America, three of the five largest slaughterhouses producing kosher beef have halted production this week.

All eyes have been on the nation’s largest kosher slaughterhouse, in Postville, Iowa, which stopped producing beef last week due to a series of legal problems and arrests at its parent company, Agriprocessors. That company also owns a slaughterhouse in Gordon, Neb., which is thought to be the nation’s fifth-largest plant producing kosher meat. While little attention has been paid to the Gordon plant, local officials told the Forward that it stopped operating in October.

Campus Jewish Groups Highlight Cancer Awareness by Going Pink

by Chana Kroll – Chabad.edu

Joined by Chabad-Lubavitch emissary Raizy Rubin, center, students at the University at Albany prepare desserts for the Shabbos House’s first-ever Pink Shabbat, which highlighted the fight against breast cancer.

The pink tablecloths and plates at the local party supplies store had never particularly caught her eye before, but by the time Raizy Rubin noticed the donations from a local party supply store, the color had acquired a new significance.

Alternate Side and Garbage Collection Suspended Tuesday

Alternate side parking (street cleaning) regulations will be suspended on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, for Election Day. All other regulations, including parking meters, remain in effect.

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) today reminded New Yorkers that in observance of Election Day, there will be no garbage or recycling collection, or street cleaning on Tuesday, November 4th. In addition, all Sanitation Department administrative offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 4th in observance of the holiday.

Residents who normally receive Tuesday garbage collection should place their trash out at curbside Tuesday after 4 P.M. for pickup. Those receiving Tuesday recycling collection will not have their recycling picked up until the following Wednesday, November 12th.

Click here for the 2008 Alternate Side Parking Regulations Suspension Calendar

Update on the Proceedings with the Rubashkin Sentencing

photo: col.org.il

Update: 7:18pm The case was adjourned to tomorrow morning in a courthouse in Allentown, PA at 9:30. The judge was quoted saying that this was due to the “nature of the late hour.”

PHILADELPHIA, PA [CHI] — Lots of Crown Heights residents made their way to Pennsylvania District Court in order to show support of Reb Moshe and his son Sholom Rubashkin who were indicted on charges of illegal storage of hazardous waste in their Montex Textiles company, formerly located in Allentown, PA, without a permit, and one count of making a materially false statement.

A bus packed with people, in addition to many private cars left Crown Heights as early as 6:30am, and filled the small courtroom well beyond capacity leaving many in the hallways and outside the courtroom just saying Tehillim and curiously awaiting updates.

A Brooklyn Mitzvah: Converting the Hipsters

The New York Observer

The gentrifying core of Bushwick occupies only a few blocks, and for Rabbi Menachem Heller, 29, herein lies the problem.

As an emissary of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a branch of Hasidic Judaism that emphasizes outreach to less observant Jews, Rabbi Heller wants good access to the hipster arrivistes. Unfortunately, his current spot is too far away from the few hangouts – a health food store, a coffee shop, an artists’ studio space, a bar or two – to get noticed.

Video of the Day! – Yeshivas Meorot Chabad

The Hanalah of Meorot Chabad in Yerushalayem, a project of the Shluchim office, have prepared a new video. The new video, produced by Shmuel Hoffman Productions, displays the success and uniqueness in the Yeshiva. For more information, visit www.meorotchabad.org

Op-Ed: The Rubashkins and you

An open letter to the community. By: Hirshy Minkowicz – Alpharetta, Georgia

A moment of truth has descended on the Jewish community in which we stand to define to the world, to our children, and to our selves whether we are a people of real action or just empty words.

Whether we are able to put into practice the lofty things we learn and talk about or we simply know how to “talk the talk” but not very good at “walking the walk”

A prestigious Jewish family, known throughout the world for tremendous acts of kindness, care, and love for fellow Jews, in ways that are unparalleled, has fallen on hard times and now faces the loss of their entire company and enterprise to the banks that are foreclosing on them.