Posted to Shlichus on

History made at A Rose Bowl First!

PASADENA, CA [CHI] — Chabad of Pasadena had a Mivtzoim stand at both the Rose bowl game on January 1st on at the BCS championship game on January 7th. This was a major accomplishment as many obstacles had to be overcome to be granted the permission for this.

Rabbi Chaim Hanoka Director of Chabad of Pasadena said “this was a major Kiddush Hashem and a Kiddush Shem Lubavitch as close to 100,000 attended each game and the Mivtzoim booth was right outside the main gate with literally tens of thousands of people passing by”.

Many dozens of teffilin were put on and in quite a few cases it was a first time experience for the gentleman putting it on. Hanoka said “that many comments were gotten from passersby like wow; I can’t believe that Chabad is here, or do you know my Chabad Rabbi from Ohio, Oregon, Alabama or Texas, (the states that the teams were from).”

As the mivtzoim stand was being put away, one last gentleman stopped by and asked Rabbi Hanoka if he knows Rabbi Levi Shemtov from Washington to which Hanoka replied of course, he was my classmate. He then asked this gentleman and what is your name? He replied Ari. Ari who? He answered Ari Fleisher.

The Rabbi then asked him “the one who was the White House press secretary for President Bush? He answered in the affirmative. After telling Rabbi Hanoka about his connection with Chabad and a few personal tidbits about his stint in the White House he too put on Teffilin and was visibly moved by the experience.

The Bochurim who helped with the Mivtzoim did a fantastic job and a big yaasher koach goes to Hatmimim Zalmy Klyne, Moishe Lipshitz, Moishe Pape, Yehuda Slonim, Laibel Hanoka, Sroli Friedman and of course the rally Rabbi – Rabbi Yosef Langer from Chabad of S. Francisco who flew down for the BCS.

Related Articles

7 Comments

  • Yehudis (Katz) Cohen

    Hurray for Chabad of Pasadena! Yasher Koach Rabbi Hanoka and Leibel!

  • Tovarish

    Rabbi Hanoka is the bomb!! You’d probably also do quite well on the field… the only one missing is Avraham from the Telethon!!!

  • yanki

    Great to see Shluchim dressed respectably, as true Shlucho shel Odom kemeisei. Moshiach Now! Keep these nachas news reports coming!

  • Just Sayin-

    A post about an outcast group casuing a chillul HaShem gets over 100 comments (to date). A post about a mentally ill panhandler gets 60 (again, to date). A post about a huge kiddush HaShem gets 4. This should go as a reminder to all you self-rightous people out there yelling Ahavas Yisroel and denouncing sinas chinam. You are your own worst enemy.

    On the brighter side, Chabad has yet again found a way to reached untapped Yiddishe resources! Yasher Koach to all involved!!

  • Yitzchok Issac B.T.N.Halevi

    Just Sayin- wrote: nobodys response etc…
    well truth and good rarely makes a wave…why? lots of reasons…to long to elaborate…
    “a national enquirer”style etc stuff, even in chabad sites gets it going.
    anyway dont sweat it.
    Chaim Hanoka is takeh a great shaliach and I respect him greatly.Him and his rebitzen together with the pinsons have made his area kiddush ahshem central!