Can A Jewish Community Fly In Dumbo?

Early one Friday evening about a year ago, while in the middle of our family Shabbat dinner, there was a knock at the front door.

I opened it to find one familiar face — an observant guy from the neighborhood who has taught my son piano – and a new one.

The new guy was Rabbi Ari Kirschenbaum, a young Lubavitcher who had recently decamped to our corner of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. They were holding Shabbat evening services in an apartment over the local greasy spoon across the street and needed a 10th man to make the minyan. Could my husband come?

Lubavitcher Arrested for Not Participating in Gaza Disengagement

A resident of Shaarei Tikvah, in Samaria, was arrested Monday night for an act of conscientious objection he made nearly one year ago, on the eve of Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and northern Samaria. At the time, Reuven Weissblich, a father of three and a Lubavitcher Chassid, refused to report for reserve duty, writing to his commanders that he “does not want to be a part of the crime of expulsion” and that the Torah forbids relinquishing parts of the Land of Israel.

Police officers turned up at Weissblich’s home Monday with no prior warning or summons. Ever since his arrest, he has been unable to speak with his family.

Hundreds Attend the Levaya of Reb Sholom Morozov OB”M

Under pouring rain, hundreds of Anash and Tmimim joined the Levaya of Reb Sholom Marozov, A”H, Mashpia and Mashgiach of the central Tomchei Temimim and member of the International Agudas Chassidei Chabad who passed away Sunday morning in Crown Heights. The Levaya started out from the ‘Shomrei Hachomos’ chapel and passed 770 on its way to the Montefiore Cemetery in Queens where he was buried near the Ohel.

More pictures in the Extended Article.

Hollywood to pay synagogue $2 million

Click Here for a Newscast of this event!

Hollywood, FL — The city and an Orthodox Jewish synagogue reached a deal Monday in a dispute that will allow the group to continue holding services in two buildings located in a residential area.

The Hollywood Community Synagogue Chabad Lubavitch sued the city after it ordered the group to shut down in October 2003. The Justice Department sided with the synagogue, noting the city was violating the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act enacted in 2000.

The city claimed the group was violating its zoning laws by operating without a permit in a residential neighborhood.

Crown Heights Politics Takes A Drastic Turn For The Worse

Crown Heights politics took another decided turn for the horrible last week, as Jewish Community Council/Vaad HaKahal chairman Moshe Rubashkin and Netzigim chairman—according to some—Yisroel Best were arrested following a violent incident Monday night.

The violence, which occurred at a N’tzigim meeting Mr. Rubashkin had convened in his home, took place against the backdrop of ongoing contention and strife that has plagued the Rubashkin administration from the outset. Rooted in the controversy involving the Beis Din (sad to say, it must now be clarified that the controversy referred to is the original one, not the more recent controversy involving elections), the continuing struggle heated up after the N’tzigim’s annual election in September, when that body’s Executive Board, then chaired by Reuven Lipkind, was ousted by a slate critical of Mr. Rubashkin’s policies. The winning slate was chaired by Mr. Best. Subsequently, in April, Mr. Rubashkin called a meeting of N’tzigim in his home, at which the Vaad chairman’s supporters purported to hold a special election to replace the Best administration with a new Executive Committee—favorable to Mr. Rubashkin—chaired by Yankel Wice. Since that time, the Best slate and the Wice slate have each claimed to be the sole legitimate Executive Committee of the N’tzigim.

The Easy Way to Finding a Perfect Match

Once upon a time, a Lubavitcher bochur or girl trying to find a summer camp job, a Tishrei or Pesach shlichus assistance post, or a teaching position for the year, found it complicated to achieve.

A little over ten years ago, the Shluchim Office—the leading international shlichus resource center—began compiling lists of shluchim needing temporary and longer-range assistance. They also assembled lists of young men and women seeking to temporarily assist, at peak seasons such as pre-summer and before all major holidays. “Shidduchim” were made between shluchim and applicants at these times, as well as for longer-term commitments. It was rudimentary, but it worked.