Chabad’s Tremendous Response to Terror

By Yonit Tanenbaum – The YU Observer

Stunned, lamenting, action. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy that struck Mumbai, India, last week, Chabad took action. In tremendous ways, the ultra-orthodox Hassidic Jews redirected their grief into positive action in order to combat the evil that quaked their world.

“This week, no one is celebrating,” said Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz, editor and publisher of the weekly newspaper, Yated Neeman. “But they are more united than ever before. After the atrocities in India, all of us are more united.”

Among the hostages who were killed by terrorists at Mumbai’s Nariman House were two Chabad Shluchim (emissaries) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his pregnant wife, Rivka.

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Mazal Tov! – 11 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Baruch and Soshie (nee Weingarten) Meer.
IYH at 1465 President St, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

Chaim Yisroel and Mussie (nee Gurary) Wilhelm
IYH at 25 Balfour Place, [between Empire Blvd and Lefferts Ave, MAP].

Tzion and Adina Yakubov.
IYH at FREE, 1383 President St, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Sholly and Chama (nee Heber) Weiser.
IYH at 568 Montgomery St, [between Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Mendel and Rochel (nee Malka) Druk (Shluchim to Cancun, Mexico) .
IYH at 440 Brooklyn Ave, Apt 2G, [between Empire Blvd and Sterling St].

Nochum and Nurit Sarychev.
IYH at 935 Eastern Parkwy, Apt 5C, [between Albany and Troy Ave].

Yoni and Chana Esther (nee Landa) Mizrachi
IYH at 715 Empire Blvd, [between Albany and Troy Ave].

Sruly and Adina (nee Friedman) Lazerson (Crown Heights) .

Chalom and Mairav Boudjnah (Shluchim to S Diego) .
IYH at 6524 Roxy Ln, S Diego, CA 92115.

Yisroel and Chaya Sarah (nee Andrusier) Hahn (Shluchim to Spokane, WA) .

Chaim Yisroel and Dina (nee Flood) Schneider.
IYH at 12 Main Street, Rouxville, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Bomb Scare at Chabad of Scottsdale Arizona

A member of the Mesa Police Department bomb squad heads into Chabad of Scottsdale on Thursday.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ [CHI] — At about 3:30pm today, Thursday, we received a report that there is an ongoing bomb scare at Chabad of Scottsdale. The Chabad House, including the three nearby business were evacuated. Police are investigating what they are calling a “suspicious item.” CrownHeights.info has learned thats it’s a large envelope containing written threats and other suspicious items.

The bomb squad from the Mesa Police Department was called to the Chabad House, which is near Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, after a bomb-sniffing dog alerted police to the potential danger. Customers at nearby businesses were among the evacuees and there were no reported injuries.

UPDATE: 5:50pm The threat is over. The large envelope was found in a public mail area and had threats written on the outside of it with references to the terror attacks in Mumbai, India. Police did not yet know how the envelope got into the establishment.

Mazal Tov! – 9 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Shalomke and Nuchie (nee Hecht) Zirkind.
IYH at 475 Crown St, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Binyomin and Golda Schapiro.
IYH at 466 Crown St, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Yisrolik and Devorie Liberow.
IYH at 559 Empire Blvd, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Avraham and Dina (nee Katz) Lehr (Shluchim to Dix Hill, NY)

Meir and Rivky (nee Rivkin) Borenstein.
IYH at 12 N Church St, Goshen, NY 10924.

Dovid and Becky (nee Stein) Brownstein.
IYH at 75 1st Ave, Kingston, PA 18704.

Pinny and Frumie Levitin.
IYH at 75 1st Ave, Kingston, PA 18704.

Yossi and Naomi (Nee Goldstein) Winner (Shluchim to Tucson, AZ) .
IYH at 1025 N Euclid Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719.

Avremi and Golda Kievman.
IYH at 76 Beech Ln, Liverpool L18, UK.

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Op-Ed: The Mumbai Massacre – A Torah Reflection

by Naftali Salomon

The tragedies that unfolded this past week have left us all with sadness, sorrow and mourning; with more questions than answers.

Yet none is greater than the question asked of Hashem by our forefather Avraham in the book of B’reishis. When Hashem informed Avraham of His intent to destroy Sodom for their wicked ways, Avraham asked:

האף תספה, צדיק עם-רשע…חללה לך מעשת כדבר הזה, להמית צדיק עם-רשע, והיה כצדיק, כרשע; חללה לך–השפט כל-הארץ, לא יעשה משפט.

Chief Rabbinate Urges Israel to Secure Chabad Houses

Kobi Nahshoni – YNet News

Stock photo – Mumbai Chabad House

JERUSALEM, Israel — Chabad houses serve as a kind of Israeli embassies throughout the world and the government should allocate a budget for them accordingly and take responsibility for securing them, the Chief Rabbinate Council declared on Monday in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Council members meeting for the first time since being sworn in about a month ago, adopted the proposal of Rabbi Shimon Elitov of the Binyamin Regional Council who is associated with the Chabad movement, and urged the government to act on this matter.

Remembering Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg

By Benjamin Holtzman – Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Just minutes ago I heard the terrible news that five Israeli hostages were found dead inside the Chabad center at Nariman house in Mumbai. Although the media hasn’t officially confirmed their identities yet, it seems quite certain that they are Chabad Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, his wife Rivka, an Israeli couple and another Israeli.

After having been glued to the news for two days straight, relentlessly combing through twitter updates, news reports, and blogs, I am totally exhausted, yet feel compelled to write something about these great people I knew.

I lived in Mumbai for six months last year, and would go to the Beit Chabad with friends for a Shabbat meal about every second week. Over the course of six months, we got to know the rabbi and his wife quite well.

Mazal Tov! – 11 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Shaul and Rosie (nee Duchman) Perlstein.
IYH at 595 Lefferts Ave, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

Yisroel and Sima Leah (nee Fleishman) Duato.
IYH at 701 Empire Blvd, Apt 1H, [between Albany and Troy Ave].

Adam and Miriam (nee Oster) Brooker.
IYH at 711 Eastern Pkwy, Apt 1 [between Kingston and Ave].

Levi and Rivky (nee Rosenberg) Wilhelm.
IYH at 807 Montgomery St, [between Albany and Troy Ave].

Yaacov and Devora (nee Holtzberg) Young.
IYH at 1419 President St, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

Sruly and Devorah Leah Salek.
IYH at 26 Balfour Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11225 (MAP).

Dovi and Chani Meyers.
IYH at 1448 President St, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

Pinchus and Chaya (nee Abramowitz) Morozow.
IYH at 479 Viola Rd, Spring Valley, NY 10977.

Shmuly and Toby (nee Tenenbaum) Lewis
IYH at 261 Glen Rd, NJ 07871.

Dov Ber and Devora Leah (nee Laufer) Thaler (Shluchim in Alpharetta, GA) .
IYH at 10115 Lauren Hall Ct, Alpharetta, GA 30022

Aharon (AJ) and Mimi Fehler.
IYH at 24 Frontenac Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

NSG Commandos Currently Operating in the Chabad House

What appears to be Tzitis being waved in one of the Chabad House window.

MUMBAI, India [CHI] — A short hour ago a helicopter air dropped a number of NSG commandos on the roof of the Chabad House, Nariman House, and are still operating within, there is believed to be 1 or 2 terrorists still inside the building.

Grim reports as to the fate of the Shluchim and other Jews that are being held are surfacing but a spokesman at Chabad.org is saying that nothing is confirmed and that we are still hoping for good news.

UPDATE: There are reports of Tzitis being seen waved in one of the windows of the Chabad House, the significance of this are not clear, we will update as soon as we get more information.

The condition of the Shluchim is still unknown. Please continue saying Tehillim for Gavriel Noach ben Freida Bluma, and his wife Rivka bas Yehudis.

Click the Extended Article to say Tehilim

Report: 7 Hostages released from Nariman House

MUMBAI, India [CHI] — NDTV is reporting that 7 people were confirmed to have been released from the Chabad house, also known as the Nariman House, and the identities of those that were released were not immediately known. NDTV is further reporting that there is a single terrorist left in the Taj Hotel and security forces are engaged in attempt to neutralize him.

Update: A fresh report from the front of Nariman House is saying that the people that made it out were speaking a language native to the neighborhood and it is not clear if they were rescued, released or managed to escape, but they were escorted out of the building by NSG commandos. There are more people being held on the 2nd and 4th floor and the Shliach and his wife are believed to be among them, and their condition still unknown.

The condition of the Shluchim is still unknown. Please continue saying Tehillim for Gavriel Noach ben Freida Bluma, and his wife Rivka bas Yehudis.

Click the Extended Article to say Tehilim

Mazal Tov! – 8 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Yoel and Bat-Sheva (nee Blank) Belinitzky.
IYH at 888 Montgomery St, Apt A7, [between Troy and Schenectady Ave].

Mendy and Miriam (nee Truzman) Klein.
IYH at 554 Montgomery St, [between Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Dovid and Zeesy Kolshitzky.
IYH at Frankel Shul, 1699 President St, [between Utica and Rochester Ave].

Yisroel Meir and Bassi (nee Werde) Odze.
IYH at Aliyah, 527 East New York Ave, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Dovid Leib and Dina (nee Weiser) Perlstein.
IYH at 468 Malbone St, (Map This).

Yankel and Rochie (nee Lebovic) Korolitzky).
IYH at 718 Empire Blvd, [between Albany and Troy Ave].

Aryeh and Channy Citron.
IYH at 8910 Carlyle Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33154.

Zalman and Shterna (nee Engel) Lewis (Shluchim to Sussex and Brighton, UK) .
IYH at 186 Kyverdale Rd, Hackney, London N16, UK.

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Mazal Tov! – 10 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Eli and Chanie (nee Bronchtain) Rosenbluh.
IYH at 1592 Carroll St, [between Troy and Schenectady Ave].

Mendy and Hindy (nee Werde) Greenberg.
IYH at 1414 Carroll St, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

Leibel and Sara (nee Dechter) Krinsky.
IYH at 585 Montgomery St, [between Brooklyn and Kingston Ave].

Herschel and Nechamie (nee Kaminsky) Kessler.
IYH at 431 Sterling St, [between Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Yehuda and Shaina Rivka (nee Serwitz) Kamman.
IYH at 672 Eastern Pkwy, [between Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Ayal and Goldie (nee Lakein) Bension.
IYH at 546 Montgomery St, [between Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Assi Shalom and Devorah Esther (nee Kaplan) Harel.

Aryeh and Ora Malka (nee Ginsberg) Goodman (East Brunswick, NJ) .
IYH at 1317 Carroll St, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Levi and Rivky (nee Steinmetz) Kaplan (Detroit, MI) .

Avrumi and Gitty Neuwirth
IYH at 6705 Avenue Mountain Sights, Montreal, Canada.

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Local Jews find Education and Friendship at Chabad

Rabbi Nochum Light and his wife, Hindy, talk about Chabad of
Anne Arundel County, while glancing at a scrapbook filled with
pictures of past activities. Another page of the scrapbook is
shown at right. (Nancy Royden — The Capital)

Alex Birman was looking for a little more knowledge. He found a community.

The Annapolis resident goes to classes and religious services offered by Chabad of Anne Arundel County, an outreach and educational center for Jews run by Rabbi Nochum Light and his wife, Hindy.

“I feel there’s something communal about it,” Mr. Birman said. “It’s important we have these types of opportunities to get together and do things.”

He’s been attending classes at Chabad for about two years and has studied everything from portions of the Bible to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). The atmosphere at Chabad, he said, is always friendly and open to everyone.

Mazal Tov! – 10 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Sruli and Toby (nee Miller) Menkes (Crown Heights) .

Zalman and Dina (nee Lisker) Friedman.
IYH at 701 Montgomery St, [between Kingston and Albany Ave].

Mendel and Faigy (nee Liberow) Bell
IYH at 665 Crown St, [between Troy and Schenectady Ave].

Meir and Nechama (nee Drizin) Berenshtein.
IYH at Agudas Yisroel, 456 Crown St, [between Kingston and Brooklyn Ave].

Dovie and Sabrina (nee Harari) Lozenik
IYH at 340 W 46th St, Miami Beach, FL 33140.

Shea and Shevy (nee Cohen) Ebert.
IYH at 6639 N Richmond St, Chicago, IL.

Levi and Layla (nee Shpigelman) Zirkind.
IYH at Congregation Levi Yitzchok, 356 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Dov and Lelach (nee Ben-Tor) Winterfeld.
IYH at 4905 Avenue Kent, Montréal, QC, Canada.

Nesanel and Efrat (nee Vigler) Schochet.
IYH at 765 Steeles Ave W, Apt 108, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Aron Meir and Rosy Nechama (nee Michaan) Shloush (S. Paolo, Brazil).

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Mazal Tov! – 10 Sholom Zochors this Week!

Zevi and Rochie (nee Riesenberg) Katz.
IYH at 1338 President St, [bet Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Zalman and Rochel Chein.
IYH at 727 Empire Blvd, [bet Albany and Troy Ave].

Yonasan and Hila Gordon.
IYH at 1651 President St, 2nd Floor [bet Schenectady and Utica Ave].

Zvi and Miriam (nee Israilev) Lipchik.
IYH at 1056 Lincoln Pl, [bet Kingston and Albany Ave].

Moshe and Tziporah Rubinson
IYH at 439 Sterling St, [bet Brooklyn and New York Ave].

Yisroel and Batsheva (nee Tobin) Yarmush
IYH at 6275 Trans Island, Montreal, Canada.

Levi and Michal (nee Saul) Mendelow
IYH at 38 Wood Ridge Dr, Stamford, CT.

Yossi and Sara Mintz
IYH at 2108 Vail Ave, Redondo Beach, CA.

Shneur Zalman and Hindy (nee Rosenfeld) Gurevitz (Shluchim to Morgantown, WV)

Schneor and Estie (nee Galperin) Greenberg (Shluchim to Commerce Twp., MI)

Please stay tuned as we update this list as information becomes available. However, in an unfortunate event that we do not get all the Sholom Zochors this week, we are sorry. But you can help! If you know of any Sholom Zochors or Mazal Tovs you can email it to us at mazaltov@crownheights.info! Thank You.

Sholom Rubashkin, Arrested

Iowa Independent

R. Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin (L) sitting next to his father R. Aaron Rubashkin at a Colel Chabad Dinner.

POSTVILLE, IA — Federal prosecutors have arrested Sholom Rubashkin, former chief executive officer and vice president at Agriprocessors and son of company founder Aaron Rubashkin, on a criminal complaint that alleges the man conspired in immigration-related offenses.

Gasoline prices below $2/gallon in parts of US

HOUSTON [AP] — Gasoline prices have fallen below $2 a gallon in some parts of the U.S. as the impact of plunging oil prices and reduced driving are finally taking hold.

In Ohio, the Web site GasBuddy.com, where consumers post prices they spot, said a few stations in the Cincinnati suburbs were now charging $1.99 for regular.