New CD: Expression of the Soul

Click Here to listen to a demo of this CD

Infinity Productions announces the release, G-d willing, of its new CD album introducing the baal menagen – vocalist of Chasidic melodies – Mayer Simcha Rivkin, in his debut performance on a CD. Singing the Rebbe’s 14 niggunim, “EXPRESSIONS OF THE SOUL,” he performs these beautiful, reflective, mystical melodies in a sweet, heartfelt voice, sure to inspire listeners to sing along, rejoice and shed a tear of joy.

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Courting Black Voters’ Support, a Candidate Hits a Hurdle

The New York Times

In setting Brooklyn politics astir as a white man trying to take a Congressional seat traditionally held by black politicians, Councilman David Yassky has faced one huge challenge: capturing the support of black voters, who are the majority in the central Brooklyn district.

As part of his effort to attract these voters, Mr. Yassky’s campaign sent out fliers over the last month that discussed his passion for gun control laws, an issue that resonates among many minorities. One flier featured an endorsement by Thelma Davis, the mother of James E. Davis, a black city councilman who was killed by a gunman in City Hall three years ago.

Fatal bus accident boy ordered to foster care

7 Online

The 8-year-old boy accused of causing the bus to run over a little girl has been ordered placed in foster care. The girl, Amber Sadiq, was run over and killed Monday by a school bus in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Police say the troubled boy fiddled with the controls and caused the bus to roll backwards over Amber.

There were two major developments here this afternoon. First the child’s father has been stripped of custody of the child. He will be placed in foster care for at least the next eight months.

Charge of Negligent Homicide for Boy, 8, in School Bus Death

The New York Times
EMT’s, Paramedics and Fire Fighters huddled over Amber in attempt to save her life.

An 8-year-old boy who climbed into a parked school bus, released the emergency brake and sent 26,000 pounds of steel rolling through Crown Heights, Brooklyn, on Monday was charged yesterday with criminally negligent homicide in the death of Amber Sadiq, 8, who was crushed between the bus’s right undercarriage and a street pole.

The boy, Tafari James, had been suspended from second grade on Friday for climbing onto another unattended bus, officials said yesterday in Family Court in Downtown Brooklyn.

Investigators said it was unclear whether he released the brake on Monday intentionally. Witnesses saw him board the bus alone, on Nostrand Avenue near Crown Street, around 3:15 p.m. He rode the bus as it gathered speed down a slight incline and jump off as it thudded to a halt after traveling 100 feet, the police said.

Va’ad HaKohol Responds To Comments

After many readers commented on the letter issued by Moshe Rubashkin in the name of the Va’ad HaKohol, we received a response from the Va’ad addressing issues raised by individual’s comments.

Presented in the extended article are the responses to the comments along with letters from Rubashkin in response to; R. Mangel, Nash and Sprelin. Update: Letter From Nuchie Gross.

Torahs ‘R’ Us

Shahar Smooha – Haaretz
An exhibit at the Jewish Children’s Museum,
which recently celebrated its first anniversary.
‘High-tech and cool.’

About 50 pairs of confused eyes tried to identify the source of the sonorous and authoritative voice addressing them from state-of-the-art loudspeakers hung on the walls of the dimly lit auditorium. Colorful scenery – balconies, a stage, podia with electronic buttons and a giant screen – imparted to the auditorium in the Jewish Children’s Museum in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights the look of a television game-show studio. “Boys and girls, welcome to the game show you’ve been waiting for!” the voice thundered. “Welcome to ‘Torah Concentration!’”

A small, hidden door in the stage slowly opened opposite the seats packed with children (all of Korean heritage) and dozens of excited faces fixed on it, eager for a first glimpse of the master of ceremonies of this game with the mysterious name. A few seconds later, the mystery man burst into the studio. He was a short, young, bearded fellow with a purple skullcap and a Madonna-style microphone attached to his head, wearing black jeans and a white shirt with his long tzitzit (fringes) sticking out. He stood center-stage, taking in all the dropped jaws and wide-eyed faces. He smiled. The audience was his.

The Weekly Sedra – Shemini

This week’s section is called “Eighth” referring to the eighth and final day of the preparations for the opening of the Tabernacle in the desert.

In the writings of Kabbalah and Chassidut the number ‘eight’ signifies ‘above nature’. When we consider that this implies being above even the spiritual worlds this section must have some very high lessons.

And sure enough we find near the end:

“I am G-d your L-rd; Make yourselves Holy and you will be Holy because I am Holy…” (11:45)

Holy doesn’t mean just spiritual. Spiritual is part of the creation. Gentiles can be spiritual; all the religions of the world are spiritual. Holy means ‘part’ of the Creator… and only Jews can be Holy.

An ‘exodus’ at B’klyn museum

Newsday

Even as frogs began falling from the ceiling, a group of fifth-graders visiting the new Jewish Children’s Museum in Brooklyn didn’t miss a beat.

They knew what to expect as dozens of the toy amphibians, suspended on strings, stopped short of their heads.

They were experiencing – vicariously – one of the biblical 10 plagues depicted in “The Exodus,” an unusual interactive show at the $35 million, one-of-a-kind museum in the borough’s Crown Heights section.

Timed to coincide with Passover, which begins April 13, the story of the Jews’ enslavement in ancient Egypt and their miraculous escape is brought to life in an educational and entertaining voyage through history that is being presented through April 17.

The Weekly Sedra – Tetzaveh

This Shabbat the Torah portion deals with the garments worn by the Kohanim (priests) in the Holy Temple and this coming week will be Purim, the holiday celebrating the salvation of the Jews from their enemies some 2,400 years ago.

At first glance it’s not hard to see the deeper meaning and connection between them; the Torah portion deals with holy garments and on Purim it is customary to wear funny ones (Aruch Chiam 696:8).

But this itself is not understood. Why did the priests dress so uniquely in the Temple and why the costumes on Purim?

To understand, here is a Purim story.

NY Metro On The Tzivos Hashem Exodus Show

CROWN HEIGHTS — Water turns to blood, frogs fall from the ceiling, and the Red Sea parts.

This is an interactive “exodus from Egypt experience” taking over the fourth floor of the Jewish Children’s Museum on Eastern Parkway. It was scheduled to open yesterday, but was postponed as volunteers — mostly yeshiva students from this Lubavitch community — rushed to finish construction.

They expect to be ready this morning for a scheduled tour by girls from a local school, according to Gershon Emmer, a rabbinical student overseeing the installation.

The Wrong Whistle In The Wrong Mouth

This in from the Inbox

There has been much ado sparked from the tragic murder of R’ Efraim Klein, may G-D avenge his blood. I do not claim to know Efraim well, although i have spoken to him on a few occasions. He was a nice man and a figure of 770 that will not be forgotten.

But these following words will not be masked and enclothed in false “Love” and “Care” about the community, or Efraim; rather they will depict the cold, hard facts that many chose to ignore. This community has been getting more dangerous in the past eighteen months; no longer can one walk on the street without thinking “what if”, and “crown and Schenectady” considered “Safe”. Many mothers worry in horror about their children walking at night in the streets of crown heights, which were once considered safe. Residents of crown heights are growing and scared and worried – and for valid reasons. Crime.

The crime in this community is escalating; the holy puritan neighborhood of Crown Heights is becoming a safe haven for criminals. But many people refuse to recognize these facts, and instead, turn to their self righteousness and political agendas to speak for themselves; as a resident of crown heights, I was interested in hearing the words of the political leaders of the community and region. I was unpleasant(ly surprised) to hear more praise for the police and the reverse race-card. This was something that made me sick. Is this what people think about after someone gets killed? It hasn’t been less than twenty four hours since the ‘Retziche’, and i’m hearing words about racial tension (or the lack of). Excuse my French, but who the hell said anything about racial tension? Who said anything about a hate crime? Is every murder in this community due to a lack of “tolerance”? Yes, certainly crime is done out of the lack of tolerance of self control, but does every crime have to be traced to Nazi Germany or the 1991 pogroms?

Blizzard 2006 sets new records

We got 26.9 inches of snow on the ground (in central park), in a blizzard to remember, with the largest snowfall in a single storm in New York City history (The previous record was set in 1947 with 26.4 inches of snow).

Kids as well as adults went out in the streets having fun in the snow whilst others were not having so much fun digging their cars out of the snow.

People took advantage of these harsh weather conditions for snow boarding of the back of cars, and others were seen skiing down Kingston Ave.!!

As of yet schools seem to be operation on normal schedule for tomorrow, if you know of any closings, please email us at webmaster@crownheights.info.

A Gallery of Crown Heights in the snow with over 70 Pictures in the Extended Article!

Rebbe’s ‘770’ to be on Israeli stamp

Jerusalem Post

As we have reported, now the major Israeli Media is picking this up.

A new Israeli stamp depicting the red-brick Brooklyn house of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, will be released soon by the Israel Postal Authority’s Philatelic Service. The New York house – known widely by its address, 770 Eastern Parkway – is accompanied on the face of the stamp by two Jewish symbols – Shabbat candles and tefillin.

Many Orthodox and haredi groups have opposed dedicating postage stamps to the memory of great rabbis and sages because the glue on the back is licked to affix them to envelopes – an act of disrespect. But showing “770” avoids the problem that would exist if the Rebbe’s face were shown on the stamp. In addition, the “messianic” faction of Lubavitch hassidism refuses to admit that Schneerson, the seventh Chabad Rebbe, died nearly 12 years ago.

24 Hours of Bossi LeGanni in Ottawa

For the first time in the History of “Yeshivas Ateres Menachem” of Ottawa, established in 1997, in honor of Yud Shvat, the Shluchim of the Yeshiva decided to organize something that was never done, its goal was to have “24 Hours of Bossi LeGanni”, its idea was to Learn any Bossi leGanni Mammor, with Shiurim and One-on One classes offered by their Shluchim of the Yeshiva. The Bochurim spent every free moment learning Bossi Legani and getting tested by their Shluchim, and if you were to walk in at 4am, you saw the “Zal” rocking with “Bossi LeGanni” as if it was in mittle of the day. “What a great Idea, Kol HaKavod to the Bochurim” said Rabbi Berger, the Rosh Yeshiva, during his address following Mincha to the Bochurim. Hundreds of Oissios were going through out the entire Twenty-four Hour Period, a real success was seen in everyone eyes.

For each Oiss of the Maamor learned Baal Peh, the Bochur together with another four Bochurim will receive a chance in a gorel and spend Yud Shvat in NY and go to the Ohel. The Hanhala were overwhelmed with the success of the program and would like to thank the Shluchim for their dedication to the program and learning and testing the Bochurim.

Israeli Postal Service to Issue Stamp Honoring Chabad

Click on the image to enlarge it.

In the near future this stamp will be issued, on it there will be a drawing of 770 on the background of the world with the words Chochma Bina Daas printed on it, as well as a pair of Tefillin and Shabbos Candles.

This stamp celebrates the major impact the Rebbe and Chabad have had in Israel and their social and religious contributions to Judaism globally. It is a major step for the secular Israeli government to acknowledge the enormous efforts of Lubavitch.

Shaping the Future

R. Shea Hecht

Many students question the need to learn history. We can’t undo the past anyway, why waste time learning about it? The obvious answer is that through the study of history we can educate ourselves about our own country and other countries, as well as learn from past mistakes as history tends to repeat itself.

What happens, though, when history books misinform or mislead? The damage that is done when children are fed misinformation and lies is immeasurable. Yet according to two articles I read recently it seems that there are Western democracies that are feeding their students material that is clearly undermining other Western democracies.

in other words

A paragrapgh by paragrapgh refutation of the op-ed by Marvin Schick in JPost.
by: Yosef Lewis

Chabad-lubavitch is one and entirely the same thing for starters. Its not the wal-mart of Jewish life, yet it is a mega phenomenon that keeps growing at a remarkable rate, by entering the underserved areas, and by assessing the lack of basic services by certain well-funded organizations, and in turn providing, the all important services.

Growth provides the impetus and resources for additional growth. Wal-Mart provides better pricing by employing cost saving techniques such as outsourced product labor, wholesale, and the like. And Wal-mart provides long overdue relief for all those not in the first income bracket, so-so much for wal-mart.