Serbia Welcomes First-Ever Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries

By Tamar Runyan

Israeli singer Boaz Mauda, right, a competitor in this week’s Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia, put on tefillin with newly-arrived Chabad-Lubavitch emissary Rabbi Yehoshua Kaminetzky, second from left.

BELGRADE, Serbia — When he first heard about Serbia from his study partner, Rabbi Yehoshua Kaminetzky conjured up images of the war-torn Balkan republic most people remember from news reports: bombed-out buildings and economic stagnation.

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Chief Rabbi of Vladivostok Meets Governor

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia [CHI] — Chief Rabbi of Primorsky Krai, Yisroel Silberstein, held a meeting with the region’s governor, Sergei Darkin. They discussed various historical and practical issues for the Jewish community in this Far East region. The main concern was the restoration of the Synagogue, a historical and cultural monument dating back to the early 1900s, which was transferred to the community’s ownership in 2004.

Jewish community criticizes sentence against man who stabbed rabbi in Frankfurt

European Jewish Press

FRANKFURT, Germany — A 23 year-old German man of Afghan origin was sentenced to three-and-half years in prison on Tuesday for attacking a rabbi with a knife in the centre of Frankfurt in September 2007.

Prosecutors had sought four years prison.

Sajed Aziz stabbed Rabbi Zalman Gurevitch, co-director of the Chabad-Lubavitch community in Frankfurt, in the lower abdomen while he was walking home from his synagogue with two friends. Witnesses said the attacker shouted “Bloody Jew, I’m going to kill you.”

Mazal Tov! – New Engagement!

We would like to wish Mazal Tov to Moshe Loebenstein (Melbourne, Australia) and Shira (bas Yidi) Gniwisch (Montreal, Canada) on their engagement.

The L’Chaim will IYH be tonight, Tuesday at the Jewish Children’s Museum, 792 Eastern Pkwy, Lower Level, [corner Kingston Ave].

VIdeo of the Day – JLI, Talmudic Ethics

With JLI’s spring semester, Talmudic Ethics, now underway we are pleased to bring you the weekly video produced to open this week’s class. Over 250 shluchim around the world are teaching Lesson Two this week to almost 13,000 students in what’s being described as JLI’s largest attendance ever. The course is CLE and CME accredited, attracting scores of attorneys and doctors around the country.

Mazal Tov! – Its A Girl!

We would like to wish Mazal Tov to Zalmy and Sterna (nee Serraf) Samama (Crown Heights) on the birth of their daughter.

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

Rabbi’s Brand of Jewish Outreach Demands Constant Innovation

By Joshua Runyan

Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Menachem Schmidt, center, makes his way through an opening-night crowd at the Old City Jewish Art Center he helped launch.

The year 1983 was a turning point of sorts for Rabbi Menachem Schmidt. That was the year that the Chabad-Lubavitch emissary almost cancelled Passover Seders at Lubavitch House at the University of Pennsylvania.

TODAY: Bnos Menachem Event! (A)

Please join us today, May 20th for a spectacular evening of Art and Entertainment featuring famous comedian Reuven Russell.

Come win fabulous prizes at our mini Chinese Auction. Prizes include exquisite Jewelry, a beautiful Shaitel, Ipod, Digital Camera, GPS System, The Gutnick Collection and much more…

Tuesday – Rally at the Ohel

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Tuesday, May 20th, the 15th of Iyar there will be a rally at the Ohel for all children ages 5-12. Busses will be leaving from 770 at 5:00pm, $3.00.

More info in full flyer in the Extended Article!

Op-Ed: Would Everyone Just Shut Up and Unite!!

by Ben Abrahamson

It is times like these that we need unity. Unity doesn’t just refer to us Jews, we need unity among ALL the residents of the Crown Heights community–blacks and Jews.

A number of years back when Mayor David Dinkins passed before the Rebbe during the distribution of dollars, he said to the Rebbe that he hoped that “our two communities” can live together in peace. The Rebbe responded that it is one community where we all live together.

Most attacks against Jews in our community are perpetrated by black youth. (I challenge anyone to point out the last time a Jewish resident of Crown Heights cornered anyone and asked him to hand over his wallet.). However, that does not mean that the crime in our community is a Jewish issue. It is a community crisis that affects black and white residents alike.

Shochet Still Incarcerated – Tehillim Needed

The Shochet, Tal Ginter with his family.

POSTVILLE, IA [CHI] — Tal Ginter was incarcerated during the Agriprocessors raid and unfortunately has had to spend Shabbos behind bars. Some Shluchim from Postville visited him Friday to bring him food and lift his spirits. We are asking that in the spirit of Ahavas Yisroel that people should please say Tehillim as well as do some extra deeds of goodness and kindness, so that we can speed up his release.

More in the Extended Article!

Police Investigate Second Attack On Crown Heights Jews

NY1

Click Here for video newscast

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — Just days after an Hasidic teen was attacked in Crown Heights, police investigated Sunday another alleged attack on a group of Jews in the neighborhood.

The incident took place Saturday afternoon near a temple on Eastern Parkway.

Its Pesach Sheni Today – Its Never Too Late

Chabad.org

A year after the Exodus, G-d instructed the people of Israel to bring the Passover offering on the afternoon of Nissan 14, and to eat it that evening, roasted over the fire, together with matzah and bitter herbs, as they had done on the previous year just before they left Egypt. “There were, however, certain persons who had become ritually impure through contact with a dead body, and could not, therefore, prepare the Passover offering on that day. They approached Moses and Aaron … and they said: ‘…Why should we be deprived, and not be able to present G-d’s offering in its time, amongst the children of Israel?’” (Numbers 9).