Ceremonial Haircut – Celebration Introduces Sons to Jewish Faith

Melanie M. Sidwell – Longmont Times-Call

Meir Borenstein has no qualms as friends and family take turns cutting his hair during his and Elan Barkenbus’ upshernish celebration at the D-Barn in Longmont on June 12. The upshernish, which literally means “to shear,” is a ceremony marking the formal introduction to Jewish education for 3-year-old boys. Until this point in their lives, neither boy had a formal haircut. Joshua Buck/Times-Call

LONGMONT, CO — As far as Meir Borenstein and Elan Barkenbus knew, the party meant sweet treats, gifts and loved ones.

But the June 12 community gathering at the D-Barn Reception Hall on South Main Street was more than a child’s birthday party. The celebration marked the boys’ third birthday earlier this month and symbolized their introduction to the Jewish faith through a custom known as an upshernish.

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Israeli Public School Students Celebrate Bar Mitzvahs as a Class

By Tamar Runyan

Middle school students from Be’er Sheva, Israel, take part in a joint bar mitzvah organized by the city’s Chabad-Lubavitch Center.

Be’er Sheva, Israel‘s ornate Pyramid Synagogue hosted a joint bar mitzvah ceremony for dozens of public school students, replete with a choral performance setting the tone.

Youth Seminar Unites Russian Far East, Urals & Siberia

FJC.ru

OMSK, Russia — Just outside of Omsk, a youth seminar for over 50 Jewish youth has concluded. The event, which ran from June 11th through 15th, involved representatives from youth clubs run by Jewish communities across Siberia, the Urals Region, and the Russian Far East.

The program featured lectures with various guest speakers on the history of Israel and the Jewish people, Shabbat, and prayers, as well as faith and feelings from the perspective of Judaism. Chief Rabbi of Omsk Osher Krichevsky led a session on the first chapter of ‘Perkei Avot’ and Rachel Krichevsky baked Chala with the girls for Shabbat. The seminar also involved Yevgeniy Fishman, the Head of the Youth Department of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, which organized this event.

Video of the Day – The Rebbe in the Early Years

This week at the Nemenov-Laufer wedding in Crown Heights, a special souvenir was handed out to guests, a disc with rare video clips of the Rebbe never seen before.

The video is blurry, but you can see the Rebbe in the early 1960’s davening in the small “zal” upstairs in 770, distributing kos shel bracha Motzoei Shavuos 1960 and distributing at the entrance to his room.

More videos in the Extended Article!

Russian Jewish Community Celebrates Decade of Rejuvenation

By Tamar Runyan

Jewish community members in Saratov, Russia, fill an auditorium for a celebration marking Rabbi Yaakov Meir and Leah Kubitshek’s 10th year as Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries.

SARATOV, Russia — A crowd of 550 Jewish community members, businesspeople and government officials packed a Saratov, Russia, municipal hall to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Volga River port’s Chabad-Lubavitch center.

Info to be Menachem Avel Shoshana Capland

Shoshana Capland will be sitting shiva after the passing of her mother Chaya Sara OBM.

At 686 Montgomery St, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

She will be there till Tuesday.

Condolences can be called in, at (718) 467-6035.

Hamokom Yenachem Eschem Besoch Shaar Avaylay Tzion VeYerushalayim.

Solon: Council lets Chabad Jewish Center Build Ceremonial Bath

Bob Sandrick – Solon Sun

Stock Photo – The Chabad Jewish Center of Solon

SOLON, OH — A plan by the Chabad Jewish Center of Solon, 5570 Harper Road, to build a mikvah (ceremonial bath) was approved Monday (June 16) by City Council.

The mikvah, in the form of a house, will be located in a residential area on Cannon Road just north of the Chabad center.

Young Talent in Crown Heights

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — They are 18 boys, all local, from different schools, but mainly from ‘Darchei Menachem’, they are “The Sparks”. Lately, aside from their singing and voice coaching, they are also learning to play various musical instruments as part of their act on stage.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Shelach

The Rebbe says:

1. In this week’s Torah portion Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) sends twelve spies (twelve “Miraglim”) to examine the Land of Canaan (which would later be called the Land of Israel).

When the twelve spies returned from inspecting the land, ten of the spies reported to Moshe Rabbeinu and the entire assembly of the Jewish people that the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan were too strong for the Jewish people to conquer. The Talmud tells us that these spies were even saying that the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan are stronger then Hashem (G-d) and “even the householder (Hashem) cannot remove his utensils from there (because the Canaanites are stronger then He)”!

The Jewish people got very frightened by this report and complained by saying, “We should have stayed in Egypt; even if we would have died there our wives and children would not have been taken captive! Let us return to Egypt!”.

Oholei Torah Bochurim Tested on Gemara

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Thursday, Bochurim from Oholei Torah Mesivtah went with their Rosh Yishivah Rabbi Zushe Willhelm to get tested by Reb Gavriel Tziner, the famous author of the sefer ‘Nitei Gavriel’. The bucrim were tested on the entire Mesechta Bava Basra, which they were learning through the year by heart.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

First Jewish Wedding for Russian Border Town

FJC.ru

BRYANSK, Russia — For the first time ever since the onset of Soviet power in the USSR, a traditional Jewish wedding is taking place in the Russian border city of Bryansk. This event is not only a life-altering moment for Nachum and Ilana, but also a joyous occasion for the entire Jewish community of Bryansk.

The big event took place in one of the city’s best restaurants, where a Chuppa and more than 100 guests met the young couple. The ceremony was led by chief Rabbi of Bryansk Menachem Mendel Zaklos, as the crowd looked on with great interest and heartfelt emotion.

Cheder Menachem’s Annual “Chayolei Tzivos Hashem Grand Expo”

LOS ANGELES, CA [CHI] — Tuesday, the 29th of Iyar, saw the entire Anash of Los Angeles, CA gather at Cheder Menachem, the Chabad Elementary boys school for the annual Chayolei Tzivos Hashem Grand Expo.

When establishing Tzivos Hashem in 5741 (1980), the Rebbe mapped out an action plan how one is to conquer the Yetzer Horah; by learning from our Avos (our forefathers; Avraham Yitzchok, Ya’akov & Dovid HaMelech). It was therefore decided that the theme of this year’s Expo would focus on some of the many traits that they exemplified.

Business School Taps Canadian Television Producer to Head Leadership Program

By Tamar Runyan – Chabad.edu

Rabbi Michael Kigel, center, is the new Rohr Chair of Jewish Studies at the Lauder Jewish Business School in Vienna, Austria.

A Canadian television producer with a Ph.D. in Jewish philosophy is developing a curriculum for the Jewish Leadership Program at the Lauder Business School in Vienna, Austria, following his appointment as the school’s Rohr Chair of Jewish Studies.

Mazal Tov! – 10 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Sholom Ber and Rivkie (nee Heller) Perlstein.
IYH at 600 Empire Blvd, [bet Kingston and Albany Ave].

Zalman and Altie Heller,
IYH at 600 Empire Blvd, [bet Kingston and Albany Ave].

Yechiel and Miriam (nee Sirota) Goldstein.
IYH at 425 Brooklyn Ave, [bet Montgomery St and Empire Blvd].

Mendel and Fraidy Sufrin.
IYH at 1339 Union St, Apt 4L, [bet New York and Brooklyn Ave].

Avremel and Sema (nee Yarmush) Sirota.
IYH at 350 Lefferts Ave, Apt 4F, [bet New York and Nostrand Ave].

Yitzchok and Chana Rivka (nee Lewis) Wiener.
IYH at Hatzalah Headquarters, 621 Beach 9th St, Far Rockaway, NY.

Ari and Vanessa (nee Spring) Propis.
IYH at Chabad of Coconut Grove, 4137 Main Hwy, Miami, FL 33133.

Zvi and Chayale Hershcovich (Shluchim to Stavropol, Russia) .
IYH at 6730 Avenue Coolbrook, Montreal, Canada.

Sholom Ber and Elie (nee Hoffman) Estrin.
IYH at 1005 Hunting Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615.

Chaim and Sara (nee Rudolph) Bronstein (Johannesburg, South Africa) .

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.