Post-Mark-It’s New Awning

Stores all around Crown Heights have recently been updating their facades, and where new stores have been opening up off Kingston Ave. we have been seeing nice shiny new signs pop up on Troy, Albany and East New York. The latest is what used to be known as “Doar” for the longest time and now is Post Mark It has finally put up their sign.

So now it’s a competition of who can make it bigger and more creative!

Dancehall With a Different Accent

On Monday night, America’s most popular reggae singer took the stage wearing a black hat and a long black coat, but it wasn’t a costume. The singer is Matisyahu, a former hippie from White Plains. Once he followed Phish. Now he follows the teachings of Hasidic Judaism. And tons of fans follow him.

Monday’s concert was the first of two sold-out shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom. And yesterday he released his major-label debut album, “Youth” (JDub/Or/Epic), which is all but certain to enter the pop charts near the top. The record is dull, and the concert was often worse.

150 Girls to Showcase Knowledge of Mitzvos at New York Competition Finals and Concert

After spending the better part of this school year’s first semester studying a select portion of Maimonides’ “Sefer Hamitzvos”, more than 4,000 boys and girls participated in a series of tests to determine the extent of their knowledge.

This Motzoei Shabbos, March 11, the one-hundred-and-fifty finalists of the girls’ division – from 7 international countries and 16 states in the US – will gather at the Brooklyn School of Music and Theatre for the “Chidon Sefer Hamitzvos” Championship Finals.

The evening promises to be filled with excitement. Beginning at 8pm, the program will include the popular “Jewpardy” gameshow, sure to keep audience members at the edge of their seats. Finalists are seated on the stage in groups of 4 and “ring in” when they think they know the correct answers. The crowd, meanwhile, can view the questions on huge screens throughout the auditorium.

Picture of the day

One of our readers captured this picture of Avraham Fried filling up gas next to 770.

Philadelphia Gemach Lent $300,000

180 members of the Jewish community, Anash and their supporters, participated in a festive Melave Malka to benefit the Gemach-Lubavitch of Philadelphia that had managed to lend out no less than $300,000, as testified by the Shliach, Rabbi Zalman Lipsker. The main donor Dan Rosen was called to the microphone and told the crowd about his first encounter with Lubavitch, which included the tale of a stubborn Bochur and two Shluchim who didn’t give up on him.

“This is one of the most important economical organizations in the city”, said one of the participants. Rabbi Dov Brisman of Philadelphia mentioned the importance of connecting business with religion and expressed his wish that donations keep coming in to the Gemach.

More Pictures in the Extended Article.

Chabad site helps organize personal calendars

A new Chabad on-line function helps people manage their personal lives and Jewish calendars.

MyChabad.org, a feature of Chabad.org, lets people keep track of upcoming Bar Mitzvahs, remember yahrtzeit dates, see what time Shabbat begins and block out time for next year’s holidays. Because Jewish dates shift with the lunar calendar, this function enables users to update important holidays and anniversaries years in advance.

Carnival attendees celebrate Purim

More than 100 people got a jump start on their Purim festivities Sunday during a carnival at Congregation Agudas Achim.

Groups of youngsters could be seen running around the synagogue during the first Purim Carnival, which was sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of Ulster County. The event featured games, food and a petting zoo.

“I went to the petting zoo and rode a pony,” 8-year-old Jordana Maidenbaum said. “I really liked getting my face painted. My favorite was when I gave my mom a candygram.”

First Torah Comes to Hollywood

For thousands of years, the Torah has been an important part of the spirituality of the Jewish culture. According to the online website Wikipedia, Torah is a Hebrew word meaning “teaching,” “instruction,” or “law.” It is the central and most important document of Judaism revered by Jews through the ages. It is also called the Law of Moses (Torat Moshe). Torah primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, but the term is sometimes also used in the general sense to also include both of Judaism’s written law and oral law, encompassing the entire spectrum of authoritative Jewish religious teachings throughout history. Those five books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Trio Of Temples Targeted In Bomb Threat

Click here to watch a Newscast of this event

Weston, Florida – The all clear has been given at three Weston synagogues following bomb threats at each temple.

The BSO is investigating the threats, called in by an unidentified woman, just after 9:00 a.m. this morning.

The caller stated there were bombs at Temple Chabad Lubavitch, 18501 Tequest Trace Park Lane, Temple B’Nai Aviv, 1410 Indian Trace, and Temple Dor Dorim, 2360 Glades Circle.

A Silver Anniversary for Chabad of Palo Alto

Back in September, Phil Deutsch began thinking about Rabbi Yosef and Dena Levin’s 25th anniversary as Chabad representatives in Palo Alto, CA, which would coincide with the rabbi’s fiftieth birthday. The approaching milestone anniversary came up in conversation, and Deutsch told the rabbi, “I think it is time someone did something for you – special.”

At first, Rabbi Levin said no. “I pushed him,” Deutsch recalled. Finally, the Levins gave in. On one condition: the event was not to be in their honor, but a celebration of the entire Jewish community. Turns out there was much to celebrate.

No anti-Semitism in Jew’s death, Uzbekistan says

The death of a prominent member of Tashkent’s Jewish community last week was strictly accidental and it was “dangerous” to suggest that it was motivated by anti-Semitism, religious authorities said.

“Any attempt to give this tragic accident a political slant is dangerous,” Shoazim Minovarov, chairman of the Uzbek government’s religious affairs committee, told reporters.

His comments came after Avraham Hakohen Yagudayev, 33, died Saturday in hospital of injuries sustained after apparently being hit by a car whose driver fled the scene.

Synagogue Attack Accused Pleads Innocence, Rails at Court

MOSCOW, Russia – A man accused of a knife-wielding attack on a central Moscow synagogue pleaded not guilty Tuesday in an outspoken attack on the Russian judicial system.

“The Criminal Code has been written by Jews and the Jewish mafia, therefore, I plead not guilty,” Alexander Koptsev told the Moscow City Court.

On January 11, 2006, Koptsev, 20, allegedly stabbed nine people in the synagogue with a hunting knife that he had taken from his father.