Chabad Rabbi Driven to Stop Delinquency, Awarded

EDGWARE, UK — On Thursday, February 21, Chabad’s Rabbi Leivi Sudak received a public award in recognition of his “outstanding citizenship.” Barnett borough councilor Brian Gordon, a lawyer and personal friend of the Rabbi, nominated him for the honor.

Sochi Jewish Community Prepares for 2014 Olympics with Plans for a New Synagogue

SOCHI, Russia — This week, the southern Russian resort city of Sochi hosted a meeting between the region’s Chief Rabbi and Chabad Lubavitch emissary Arie Edelkopf and Semyon Veinshtok, the Head of the State Corporation for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

To set the context of the Jewish community’s role in this major event, Chief Rabbi Edelkopf provided the top official with some background on Jewish life in the region. Today, the local Jewish community is comprised of an estimated 3,000 Jews. While not very large, the local Synagogue hosts prayers and various adult learning opportunities. But the community also provides outreach to Jewish visitors to this Black Sea destination, inviting them to communal gatherings and holidays and making kosher food available to them.

Chassidic Rabbi First Ever Jewish Chaplain to Georgia’s State Defense Force

MIAMI, FL — Sunday, March 2nd, Rabbi Zalman Lipskier, Director of Chabad at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, will be formally commissioned as the first Jewish Chaplain in Georgia’s military history to serve in the Georgia State Defense Force and Army, Air and National Guard.

This is the second appointment of a Chassidic Rabbi to one of the country’s 25 volunteer State Defense Forces. “I’ve wanted Jewish representation in the Georgia State Defense Force and National Guard for a long time,” said Commanding General Michael McGuinn, “and I was absolutely thrilled when a friend of mine told me that a Chassidic Rabbi had joined the Maryland State Defense Force. He put me in touch with The Aleph Institute who is appointed by the U.S. Department of Defense as an Ecclesiastical Endorsing Agency and serves the Jewish military population worldwide. They sent out a request and Rabbi Lipskier answered the call.” The Aleph Institute endorsed the Rabbi into chaplaincy service and provided the financial assistance to procure his military uniforms and equipment.