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$5.5M Goal Set for New Lubavitch Center

Jasmine Salters – Daily Pennsylvanian

The temporary location of the Chabad-Lubavitch House, at 40th and Pine streets. The new center will hold up to 150 students for ceremonies. Media Credit: Jim Liu

Philadelphia, PA — The spiritual influence of Penn’s Lubavitch leaders will soon translate into something tangible: a new home for over 100 students.

The Perelman Center for Jewish Life will house the Lubavitch House at Penn, as well as the Steinhardt/Cayne Jewish Heritage Programs.

Mazal Tov! – Its A Boy!

We would like to wish Mazal Tov to Shlomie and Gruni (nee Lipskar) Diamond (Miami, FL) on the birth of their firstborn son.

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

CJC Honors TTC Bus Driver for Heroism

Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf – CJ News

The CJC’s Fredelle Brief and MPP Monte Kwinter flank award recipient Geovanny Hidalgo last week at a reception in his honour. [Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf photo]

TORONTO, Canada — Geovanny Hidalgo never expected an award. But at a ceremony last week at the Wilson Station bus depot, the 40-year-old Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus driver was presented with the Canadian Jewish Congress’ (CJC) Louis Lenkinski Memorial Award, which is named for the late labour and Jewish community official and given to individuals who demonstrate “excellence and dedication in the area of human rights, community service and social justice.”

Re: The Good and Bad of Chabad

Eric H Yoffie – Reform Judaism Online

Eric H Yoffie

In last Winter’s column, (here) I reflected on Chabad’s admirable hospitality. Indeed, throughout the world, in virtually every city where a Jewish community of even modest size is to be found, Chabad shelichim (emissaries) conduct religious services, visit hospitals, teach children, organize Jewish holiday celebrations, and offer Shabbat meals to lonely Jewish students and travelers. No other Jewish movement—Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform—has been able to produce a corps of similarly devoted young men and women who are prepared to serve the Jewish people with such personal sacrifice.

Unfortunately, other Chabad practices are less admirable. Here are two examples.

Theft allows Yeshiva Students to get a hands-on Lesson

South Washington County Bulletin

TWIN CITIES, MN — One month after a handwritten Torah was stolen from Yeshiva High School of the Twin Cities in Cottage Grove, a scribe is working on writing a new one.

Under a trained and experienced scribe’s watchful eye, on Sunday, the school’s students, rabbis and other members of the Jewish community had a chance to write the first few words of the Jewish holy book, which will contain more than 350,000 handwritten letters when it’s complete.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Siberian Jewish Community Gets New School building

FJC.ru

OMSK, Russia –- The West Siberian city of Omsk this week celberated the recently renovated Synagogue and completion and opening of the Ohr Avner Chabad Day School.

Following morning prayers in the Synagogue, which involved more than 100 congregants – an especially large number for a weekday – Visiting Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar affixed a mezuzah to the entrance of the building. The visiting Jewish leaders were joined by Chief Rabbi of Omsk Osher Krichevsky for a discussion with Governor Leonid Polezhaev, who personally assisted the community at every stage of construction.

Young Readers, Jewish Day Schools Gear Up for Kehot’s 2007 Book-A-Thon

N. Margolis – Lubavitch.com

BROOKLYN, NY — The 21 days from November 4-25 promise to be quiet ones for Jewish children around the world who have signed up for the Kehot Book-A-Thon. With TV set turned off, thousands of children enrolled from over 250 schools and library may find that reading is an experience that can rival even the excitement of the PlayStation.

Cosmetics Magnate Inaugurates Vienna’s Only Jewish University

Shmulik Laster -Chabad.org

Businessman Ronald S. Lauder gets help holding a Torah scroll he donated from Rabbi Jacob Biderman, chairman of Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Austria.

VIENNA, Austria — A host of Austrian politicians joined international businessman and philanthropist Ronald S. Lauder last Wednesday to inaugurate Vienna’s only Jewish university. The fete in honor of the Lauder Business School coincided with a series of other events in the country’s capital celebrating the 20th anniversary of Lauder’s foundation, whose first project was the Lauder Chabad elementary and high schools in the city.

Hundreds of College Students Leave Unity Weekend Inspired, Enlightened

Reuvena Leah Weiss – Chabad.edu

BROOKLYN, NY — More than 700 students from 101 college campuses spanning five countries made a weekend home in the Chasidic neighborhood of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the sixth annual International Student Shabbaton & Conference. By all accounts, the venture, a project of the Chabad on Campus International Foundation, closed as a rising success in energizing students’ Jewish involvement and showing them the human face of an observant Jewish community.