The rebbe’s new soldier: Chabad to open in Old Tappan

Old Tappan, NJ – Chabad-Lubavitch will extend its New Jersey outreach later this summer when it opens a post in Old Tappan that will also serve Northvale, Rockleigh, and Harrington Park.

Once the Old Tappan outpost is up and running, Chabad will have six centers in Bergen County and one in Hudson County, in Hoboken, but the new center was needed, according to Rabbi Mordechai Shain, the director of Lubavitch on the Palisades in Tenafly.

At present, Shain’s Tenafly Chabad house covers the Old Tappan region, which ranges from Tenafly to Route 9W, but that area is too large and has too many Jewish families for one center alone, he said.

“We have around 4,000 families in the area,” he said. “How am I ever going to have close relationships with 4,000 families? It’s impossible. In order to be successful, you have to be able to divide the area. Think of it like an army. You have to be able to divide certain locations. One general goes here, the other there.”

General “Pan” Reading

At 12 PM today Gimmel Tammuz, the General “pidyon nefesh” on behalf of Anash and temimim all over the world was read at the Ohel.

Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov, chairman of the international Agudas Chasidei Chabad in an emotional tone read the “Pan” as members of Aguch, heads of shluchim, mashpiim and rabbis and the mass crowd that was there stood by.

Long after his death, rebbe’s words resound among Washington’s elite

WASHINGTON — Twelve years after Menachem Mendel Schneerson died, his followers and admirers in Chabad-Lubavitch delivered his message to Washington’s highest echelons.

The timeless themes of education, security for Israel and reaching out to other faiths still resound, organizers said.

Speakers including Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Talmudic scholar Adin Steinsaltz and radio host Dennis Prager interacted with top Bush administration officials at the Tuesday-Wednesday event marking the Lubavitcher rebbe’s yahrzeit.

A Mystical Covenant

Tonight marks the 12th yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. The last 12 years have produced prolific narratives offering personal testimony to the imprint of a leader.

Following the passing of the Rebbe in 1994, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, Jonathan Sacks, presented the inaugural lecture of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Memorial Lectures, republished here.

On this momentous occasion, I could not do other than begin with one of the most moving scenes in the whole of scriptures, the scene in the second book of Kings which describes the last days of that great, passionate, visionary leader of Israel, the prophet Elijah.

UPDATE: Hollywood rejects Chabad offer

Hollywood, FL – After rejecting a proposal that would’ve ended a federal lawsuit accusing them of discriminating against a synagogue, city commissioners Wednesday night said they planned to keep negotiating to avoid a trial that could come next week.

The settlement rejection came after more than a dozen Hollywood Hills residents took turns urging city leaders to continue their efforts to oust the Hollywood Community Synagogue Chabad Lubavitch from a residential neighborhood.

Commissioners then announced they would reconvene today at 1 p.m. for negotiations with Chabad officials.

The Rebbe Whose Staff Continues to Blossom

A Jewish man is shipwrecked on a desert island. After 10 years he’s finally rescued by a passing ship. When the rescuers embark on the island, they are surprised to find the man has built himself an entire civilization: golf course, restaurant, and two synagogues. “But since you’re here all alone on the island,” they asked, “why do you have TWO synagogues?” “Because,” replied the man, pointing to the buildings, “that’s the one I go to, and that’s the one I don’t!”

The truth behind an old Russian joke

An old Russian joke tells the story of a peasant with one cow who hates his neighbor because he has two. A sorcerer offers to grant the envious farmer a single wish. “Kill one of my neighbor’s cows!” he demands.

Getting ready for Gimmel Tammuz with Rabbi Seligson

Pittsburgh, PA — On Monday night the Jewish community in Pittsburgh gathered for a fabreng with Rabbi Michoel Seligson, who spoke to the community until the wee hours of the morning, prior to the busses leaving to NY for the Gimmel Tammuz pilgrimage to the Ohel of the Rebbe.