West Coast Jewish Leaders Gather For Chabad Convention

More than 170 Chabad representatives from across the West Coast came together for the group`s annual convention in 2006. Photo: Osher Litzman

Los Angeles, CA — Hundreds of local Chabad representatives and Jewish community leaders from across California and Nevada will gather on February 18 and 19 to participate in the 2007 West Coast Chabad convention. The event at the Glendale Hilton will feature nationally syndicated radio host and best-selling author Michael Medved as its keynote speaker.

Chabad’s convention, or Kinus, is the largest annual gathering of West Coast Jewish leaders, drawing representatives from every major Jewish community in the region. The Kinus brings Chabad emissaries together to attend workshops, hear speakers, and share ideas on serving their local communities.

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Mazal Tov! – 2 Sunday L’Chaim’s!

Tzvi Yaacov (ben Reb Shimon) Sherr (Crown Heights) and Susan Berger (Huntington Beach, CA) .
IY“H at Rayim Ahuvim, 1614 Carroll St, [corner Schenectady Ave]

Shuie Metal (Crown Heights) and Leah Tatarka (Melbourne, Australia)
IY”H at Lubavitcher Yeshiva [corner Crown St and Albany Ave]

Clergy Put their Faith in YouTube

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

West Palm Beach, FL – South Florida clergy are turning to technology to broaden their audiences, putting cyber-sermons and virtual religious lessons alongside the blooper reels and video blogs on YouTube.

Bigger Digs for the Largest West Coast Population

Lee Kaplan – Chabad.edu

Santa Cruz, CA — So maybe you became a Bar Mitzvah when you were thirteen, but in time the synagogue became the last place you considered going to on a Saturday. After all there’s so many other fun things to do at college. Or is there?

Challenging the generational assumption that in America, being Jewish isn’t really that important, for decades Chabad families have been giving Jewish college students opportunities to grow through education, self-fulfillment and Torah – and to have fun doing so.

Mazal Tov! – 5 Sholom Zochors This Week!

Yossi and Chaya Blachman.
IY“H at 682 Lefferts Ave, [between Albany and Troy Aves]

Melly and Eidel Pinson
IY”H at 1328 President St, [between Brooklyn and New York Aves].

Nachi and Na’ami Eisenberg
IY“H at 76 Clove Road [map this]

Meir and Sarale Shur
IY”H at 2214 Shady Ave. Pittsburgh, PA

Pesach and Faigy (nee Turner) Wellerstein (Philadelphia, PA) .

Unfortunately we could not get the locations for all the Sholom Zochors this week. If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Rabbi Yaakov Orimland spends shabbos in YHST

Tucson, AZ — Shabbos Parshas Yisro was a very special one for the students of the Yeshiva High School of Tucson, Rabbi Yaakov Orimland Affectionately known as Rabbi “O” Rosh Yeshiva of YNS in Tzfas Ir Hakodesh and director of the ever successful Camp Hamidbar spent an awe inspiring weekend together with the Bochurim and Shluchim of the YHST.

Rabbi “O” well known for his humor and dedicated attitude towards Bochurim did not disappoint.

Friday afternoon he spent time schmoozing with the Shluchim and got a feel for the yeshiva.

More pictures and a video clip in the Extended Article!

Farbrengen in honor of R. Shlomo Zarchi’s Birthday!

photos by: Shturem.net

Crown Heights, Brooklyn — Thursday night the 60th birthday of R. Shlomo Zarchi, Mashpia in the Central Tomchei Temimim, was marked by a Farbrengen in the Shul at 770 Montgomery St with the attendance of tens of residents and Bochurim.

Heading the Farbrengen was the ‘Chozer’ Reb Yoel Kahan along with R. Dovid Feldman, R. Moshe Kotlarsky, R. Hilel Dovid Krinsky, R. Yisroel Shimon Kalmenson, R. Chaim Shaul Brook and many more.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Kiev Synagogue Attacker Released, Threatens Further Violence

FSU Monitor

Kiev, Ukraine — The man who entered a Kiev synagogue last year with a large knife and declared that he meant to kill the country’s chief rabbi has been released from custody, according to a February 13, 2007.

Georgi Dobryansky was never charged with a hate crime, despite his confession that he blamed Jews for “genocide” against Ukrainians, and ultimately served his one year sentence, which expired this month. Shortly after leaving prison, he allegedly called the offices of a Ukrainian Jewish newspaper (Evreysky Obozrevatel) and threatened violence. Vadim Rabinovich, head of the Ukrainian Jewish Congress, was quoted in the report saying that the Congress has asked for help from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He added that if Mr. Dobryansky commits another hate crime, “responsibility will rest upon those who set him free.”

3 Car Accident on Albany Ave

Crown Heights, Brooklyn — Yesterday at about midnight a car driven by a Jewish woman was rear ended by a shuttle van on Albany Ave, between Crown and Montgomery St. The woman was driving a Mercury Sable down Albany Ave, when a Lincoln Town car made a short stop when somebody suddenly opened the door of a parked car. The woman tried slowing down, but a Shuttle van rear ended her and sent her skidding into the Town car.

Baruch Hashem there was no serious injuries. The Jewish woman was taken to the hospital by Hatzala as a precaution.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

No Snow Day for Boys at Yeshiva Schools

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Yaacov Dlinn, 14, center, recites afternoon prayers at the Meyer Sivitz Boys High School in Squirrel Hill yesterday. The city’s Yeshiva Schools canceled classes for younger children, who carpool or ride a bus to get to classes, but most of the high school students live in the neighborhood and could walk to class.

Outside, on the streets of Squirrel Hill, giggling, scarf-swathed children were slogging by, dragging wooden sleds, plastic saucers or inflatable tubes on their way to slide down the hills of Schenley Park.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Mishpatim – Church and State

Rabbi Yossi Kahanov Shliach to Jacksonville, FL

The highlight of last week’s Torah portion was the Ten Commandments. Our portion – Mishpatim – opens with the statement: And these are the ordinances.”

Rashi comments that the juxtaposition of this portion- which deals primarily with civil and tort law – and the Ten Commandments discussed last week, teaches us that just as the holy Ten Commandments originated at Sinai and are thus imbued with G-dly meaning, so too the seemingly mundane civil laws discussed in this week’s portion are from Sinai and possess the same spiritual and G-dly eminence.

While Everyone is Preparing for Purim Merkos Prepares for Pesach

Yesterday interviews began for potential Merkos Shluchim to Russia for Pesach. Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, who oversees this project, conducted the interviews. He took a personal interest in each group and sat for some time interviewing them.

Last year hundreds of Bochurim traveled around the world from Bulgaria to Bloivia and from Africa to Nepal in order to conduct Sedorim and spread the message of Pesach. The Bochurim are sent to small towns and villages where there is no Shliach or Rabbi and the only exposure they get to Yiddishkeit is these visits.

More in the Extended Article!