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Ribbon Cut to Pomegranate Suites for Shluchim

On Sunday, Daled Tammuz, The Shluchim Office unveiled its latest in service and support to Shluchim visiting Crown Heights: a brand new hotel for visiting shluchim called ‘the Pomegranate Suites.’

Mr. Avraham Yehudah Banda, owner of the well-known Pomegranate Supermarket in Flatbush, was present together with his extended family for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. He and several other special guests were given an exclusive tour of the new suites even as staff and designers put the finishing touches on the furnishings before the event.

In the case of the Pomegranate Suites for Shluchim, Mr. Banda had taken a step rarely seen among donors and contributed the entire construction and furnishing cost of the Pomegranate Suites – including the elegant buffet, direct from his own supermarket, for the ribbon-cutting event. Calling this, “the Pomegranate way” of going about business, Mr. Banda thanked Rabbi Gedalya Shemtov, Rabbi Moshe Pinson and Mr. David Farkash for bringing him the opportunity to return the hospitality that Shluchim offer to travelers throughout the world.

Rabbi Shemtov and Rabbi Pinson presented Mr. Banda with an exquisite art rendition of the new hotel’s logo and engraved glass awards to his brother, Yaakov Yoel Banda, and Mr. David Farkash “for their contribution in bringing this effort to full fruition.”

Immediately following the awards, the three of the Banda brothers cut the ribbon together with their father, officially opening the Pomegranate Suites for Shluchim. Mr. Banda was also the first of five special guests to affix one of the mezuzos. Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, head of the O-K Kashrus Laboratory and long-time contributor to the Shluchim Camp in Arizona, affixed the second mezuzah. Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff and Rabbi Sholom B. Levitin from The Shluchim Office committee each affixed one mezuzah, and Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, affixed the fifth mezuzah. The new hotel was then opened to the public for a grand open house tour.

Other honored guests attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony include Rabbi Yehudah Krinsky, chairman of Merkos L’inyanei Chinuch; members of The Shluchim Office advisory committee Rabbi Yossi Groner, regional shliach of the Carolinas, Rabbi Yossi Kessler, shliach in Montreal, and Rabbi Hershel Spalter, regional shliach of Costa Rica; as well as Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov whose father, Reb Mendel Shemtov, OBM, built the first Shluchim House at 715 Eastern Parkway and opened the way for this concept.

The Pomegranate Suites for Shluchim is intended to serve visiting Shluchim and their younger children for short stays of 2 or 3 nights. B’ezras Hashem reservations will be opened on the 26th of Tammuz (July 16th).

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52 Comments

  • Moishie

    such amazing achdus will surely hasten the geula! The pictures brought tears to my eyes!

  • Very nice!

    Very nice! Both to have such a wonderful hotel for Shluchim, kol hakovod to the shluchim office for all they do. Also it is wonderful to see ppl giving back! All over the world Jews of all backgrounds, Chassideshe, litvish etc enjoy Chabad wen they travel on buisness. There are no Misnagdim in “the foxholes”. When you need to travel on buisness you are always grateful for chbad. Thanks for the “hakoros htov”

  • Son Of A Shliach

    BEAUTIFUL.

    As a young boy, my father and i would sleep in the old shluchim office on eastern pkwy near the kastirer mikvah when we would come for shabbos, these new facilities are light years from those accommodation’s.

    Thank you Gidalya & to all those who made this possible

  • Floridian

    Is this a complimentary suite or do shluchim have to pay? Also is it first come first serve or you have to registar? How does this work and will be fairness be taken into consideration when booking reservations or is it based upon “who you know?”

  • charity begins at home

    from all the discounts to the freebies to free camps and schools, most shluchim are better off then the average joe in lubavitch or crown heights

    crown heights residents gave millions of dollars and hours to the shluchim in the past who will help crown heights residents and their schools in time of need? the shluchim? merkos? will anyone send a donor to help the teachers get paid? obviously not since crown heights residents in the shluchim’s words are farmers!

    its about time crown heights residents start helping their fellow crown heights residents and schools before giving out their money to the shluchim

    this is in no way to knock the work shluchim are doing or anyone that is helping them, just remember charity begins at home and its time we help our own before helping others

  • To #7

    #1 Shluchim are OUR OWN.

    #2 I agree that our moisdois here in CH need a lot of financial help as i am a witness to that.

    #3 sorry to bust your bubble, but it has happened in the past that shluchim have used their BALEI BATIM to help CH Moisdois.

    #4 What have you done to help our CH Moisdois

  • to # 8

    # 1 – our own begins with the ones that live closest to us

    # 3 & 4 i work for a moisad and give everything i can for the moisdas in CH, i am very aware of what goes on in all of the moisdes of CH and at least for the past 5 years not one shliach has helped out financially any of the schools, in fact the one school that is run by a top shliach is about to be closed and the teachers did not get one pay check in 2012

    PS there are plenty of poor people in CH who open their homes for shluchim and their guests throughout the year but when it comes a time like the Kinus where the local stores offer discounts for the shluchim our own local CH residents who support those stores all year round paying full price cannot get those discounts! and the same goes for schools and overnight camps and the list goes on and on.

  • Grateful Shliach

    Thanks to all the shluchim office staff for the wonders you do for us.

  • to #7

    As it’s name implies merkoz linyunei chinuch is there to help with chinuch matters. that is why only members of aguch were at this event. the people running merkoz wereworking hard to make sure teachers are paid and our children get the best possible currículum and michanchim.

  • 40 yr in the hood

    to # 7 you are out of line totaly …..u r a very hurt person , get help quick . refua shliama

  • Chanoch

    Free camps and schools? You wish. We don’t get free camps nor free schools for our kids on shlichus.

  • KiddushHashem!

    Hinei ma tov umah na’im sheves achim gam yachad!

    OT, OT, kumt moshiach, hinei zeh bu!

  • what about messichits

    this is so good now shluchim wont have 2 sleep on the floor of 770

  • yaya

    to number 7,
    COULD NOT AGREE MORE or said it better.
    i dont give to shluchim, never will! they manage far better than anyone! they have every excuse to shnor all day and all night, and the more they shnor and make, the more respectable they are, additionally, they have the whole world worried for them, pathetic.

  • Farmer

    To #7
    “obviously not since crown heights residents in the shluchim’s words are farmers! ”
    If you see how TRAMPY the people in CH dress you can see the farmers yourself. You don’t need shluchim or anyone else calling them anything.
    If they had a little self respect they would cover them selves up and not be the laughing stock of all frum people worldwide. You can be TRENDY and Tznuis. But I guess it’s hard when you are working the fields.

  • Wow!

    To #7: Shocked! All the discounts?! Clearly you have little to no understanding as to “most” Shluchim’s financial situation. “Most” Shluchim are not paid reliable or reasonable salaries for families of their size and do not have “big baalei batim” lining their pockets – not to mention the tremendous stresses and heartaches that are undertaken round the clock 24/7. The discounts that are given to Shluchim by generous Crown Heights institutions are truly appreciated but are also a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the financial challenges they deal with on a daily basis…

    Yasher Koach for this beautiful hotel!!

  • Also to #7

    And what makes you think that shluchim get free camps and schools ???
    Especially with large families, when half the kids are away in out of town yeshivas and schools, and the other half sitting at computers doing school on line. AND THEY PAY GOOD PRICES FOR EVERYTHING, AND THEY DON’T GET TOO MUCH IN THE WAY OF DISCOUNTS FOR CAMPS EITHER.
    PLUS THEY ALSO HAVE AIR FARES FOR THE KIDS TO FLY TO AND FROM SCHOOL/CAMP/HOME.

  • High end boutique hotel!

    I was there, and the place is just luxurious: Marble, fine woods, crazy deluxe linens and towels, incredible design, every detail, wow!!! Amazing!! The shluchim really deserve it.

  • A Crown Heights Dad

    A Crown Heights Dad
    I am tired that every time anything is done for the Shluchim someone has to pipe up and compare the Shluchim VS Crown Heights and create an imaginary battle between the two
    Look at the USA -they treat their Army Vets very differently than their regular citizens giving them health care, paying for student loans etc etc- That doesn’t mean that the vets work harder- they just have dedicated their life to one of sacrifice and we didn’t -Not better or worse the fact
    The fact is the Rebbe gave unique attention, funds, Kinus Farbrengen to the Shluchim as they are his ambassadors- so if a Yid wants to continue in that way and support them
    we should say Bravo!
    I dont hear Shluchim complaining why the CH Community Council doesn’t support them and send them benefits -Its kinda ridiculous these foolish complaints
    One last point -You like it or not the Shluchim respect their leaders ( yes there are squabbles yet nothing compare to what goes on here)-who would want to organize and create and lend a heart here when EVERY single leader who even tries is torn down
    I Love the Shluchim and Love the Shchuna

  • abe montreal

    to # 8
    you are Dreaming
    shluchim build 6 million/ 18/ million chabad houses and here in CH teachers are not being paid for the past 6 months?????!!!!!

  • to 27

    You are dreaming. If the 2500 Chabad Houses worldwide were $6,000,000 buildings, then Chabad collectively would have $15,000,000,000 in real estate. How I wish you weren’t dreaming. There are perhaps like fifty $6,000,000 Chabad houses in the world. That’s two percent of Chabad Houses. And those shluchim work like mad to not fall into foreclosure, and it’s not that hot having such a mortgage on your head. It’s actually very stress inducing.

    Even Lazar and Kaminetsky that used to have Balei Baatim that gave them money freely, have seen the checks become more infrequent and in smaller amounts. So this illusion of shluchim swimming in money is laughable, yet I wish you were saying the truth. You kind of sound like the goyim who paint pictures of yidden holding bags of money because all Jews are rich like Rothchild… How I wish we were!

  • Go-ds right hand man

    Eh so how you say room service in Jewish ?
    Tzimmer avodah or heck this room is a holy of holies and the tables look very good ! Heck let’s call the tables bamahs for shins !
    Have you got a priestly waiter or to many presidents !
    Hachnossoss orchim is great and it is better to give than receive !
    Go-d bless the bandas and their endeavors !
    Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

  • digusted

    this is so gross how dare you say shluchim have it better i have beeen on shlichus for many years and we cant aford to send our kids away from home cos its just to expensive!! we hold up lubavitch if not for us there would be no crown heights!!!

  • anon

    huh?shluchim living the high life?most shluchim use their money to feed others,take kids for free to their camps and schools,get discounts on meat at the butcher because their family eats one chicken in comarison to the tens that they make for their guest.shluchim live for a higher purpose,stop being so jealous and start working hard

  • To # 26 &27

    To #26
    Very beautiful analogy. & To #27 I am not dreaming you are just confused, building big moisdois and our teachers not being paid have nothing to do with each other, it is not as if they are building those moisdois on the same money that would pay our teachers, how about looking in the pockets of the administrators of our moisdois, that’s where you will find the money belonging to our teachers.

    With hope to see our schools and the shluchim succeed with much hatzlocha

  • to 7 and 27 and every chochom in between

    If CH suported their moisdos, (by giving cash, as well as support and not oppening other schools..) then the mosdos would look better, pay the teachers, stay open and the school “a top Shliach” is supporting, without local help, will continue to flourish as it has since the Frierdiker Rebbe started it and passed it on to the Rebbe.
    Its up to us to join in and be a part of the Rebbe’s vision, for CH and for the whole world, or be a side watcher/admirer/complainer/…./….
    Maisei yedei Moshe nitzvhiyim heimo.. not maise yedei odom.

  • THANK YOU!

    YASHERKOACH TO GEDALYA AND THE SHLUCHIM OFFICE!!
    MAMOSH BEAUTIFULL! BEGASHMIYUS UBERUCHNIYUS..

  • a friend of the shluchim and the shcuna

    mazel tov. b”h der rebbe hot asach nachas

  • shliach

    Many people living in CH have absolutely no clue what it’s like to be on shlichus.
    I spend $5,000 a year on gas alone, primarily to get my kids to school who sit in the car for 45 minutes each way.
    Shabbos in the summer is torture, with no friends to play with, and no afternoon minyan, we sit at home waiting for Shabbos to end at 9:30pm.
    My kids HAVE to go to camp, because there are no frum kids for them to pay with, and no the discounts I get are minimal, plus the transportation.
    If you can’t fargin the discounts we get in stores in CH, well in the city nearby, the misnagid judaica store and the bakery gives me a mosad discount every time I walk through the door.
    We buy in volume from Judaica stores in CH. I probably buy more mezuzos per year than the average CH person buys in his lifetime, and when I buy siddurim and chumashim I buy them in bulk.

  • bottom line

    people in CH should first pay FULL tuition for their kids before giving a penny to any other org or shliach.

    then the schools would have enough money

  • I know that

    A different topic is shleechus and it’s responsibilities !
    Well if it is a viability study we want reports of how you are being rewarded for your completion of Torah and mitzvoth per orthodoxy and chasidism !
    Where I was there wasn’t a minyan for all of the high holiday services !
    It isn’t quanity, it is quality !
    The amount if chabad houses isn’t as significant as the amount of what go-d counts !
    So what does g-d count !
    Self sacrifice must be justified, don’t sacrifice your or your children’s ……………. For places that don’t appreciate you and the Torah !
    I was a child of shlichum during the seventies & eighties and it is hard to understand the cause of chabad sometimes !

  • a (non- official) Shlucha

    Dear # 7,
    Sure there are the top 5 percent of Shluchim who “made it”. But think of all the rest of us:
    We had to mortgage our house so we can keep our shul and Mikavahs going. It is not easy. We do NOT get any discounts. Those who do- probably deserve it. Hashem thought they need it more then me and you so go argue with him. You have NO idea what a Mesiras nefesh it takes to be a Shaliach, the mental, emotional, and physical DAILY pressure. Please think before you post such things.
    Obviously you need a vacation so I’d like to invite you to spend some time with us in L.A. FREE. Yes. You may bring the entire family. And no. You do not have to be a Shaliach. We would love to have you over.

  • Ch resident

    #30
    if not for you, CH will be ain Vefes
    your are such a ANAV (h u m b l e ) Moshe Rabenu should have learnt from you!!

  • Ch resident

    to #8
    i never saw shluchim that bring gevirim to help ch mosdos

    if it so how come are they are closing and teachers are not getting paid?
    to# 28
    1) there are more than 50 CH in the 6M
    and what difference that WE are worth 15 B
    that’s a accumulative # which you don’t make sense
    we talking about B Batim helping CH schools
    ?

  • Broke shliach

    Hilarious. The shluchim office charges shluchim more for online school than the average CH resident pays for he local schools… And his conversation comes up concerning a shluchim office project… Oh, the irony.

  • to # 44

    I would love to bring down my family from CH to spend a shabbos with you please post a email so i can send you one

    I would love to see the mesiras nefesh of a shlucha and why its more mesiras nefesh then a father working 50+ hours trying pay his rent (because he cant even afford a mortgage like most shluchim) and pay for his kids to go to day camp (because he cannot afford overnight camp like most shluchim) or if he owns a business he does not know where he will get or how many customers he will get the next week to pay his workers and he needs to remortgage his house so he can keep his offices open another week……

    what ever you say about shluchos you can say about the people that are not on shlichus

  • you got it

    #39 hit it on the head. The most worthy cause is the education of our future. Even the building of the third beis hamikdosh that every chosid is involved with does not stop chinuch.

  • To all the negative comments:

    to quote the article ‘bringing him the opportunity to return the hospitality that Shluchim offer to travelers throughout the world.’.
    are you, sitting in your houses in crown heights helping travelers around the world?! NO!
    True, your bust trying to save money to raise your kids, but the Shluchim are doing that to-and so much more!
    Are you doing anything to help people like Banda, or other Satamr Chassidim, any other Jew in fact?! I don’t think so! These Shluchim work day and night to fulfill the Rebbe’s horaos, and help fellow Yidden everywhere, wherever they may be. They work a 24-7 shift! Let them reap the benefit of their hard work! Let them truly appreciate what they deserve!

  • abe CH

    to# 50 you are so NAIVE
    helping travelers? I HAVE different guest Every shabbes
    shluchim send us guest we have open house in tishrei sometime 10 people sleeping in our house so why do you say “NO”
    helping people how do you know how many jews i help give them food for shabbes lend them money ETC.ETC. everyone helps according his capacity
    REBBE horaos: We do mivtzoim and help people as much as we can

    you are NAIVE!!!!!!

  • To # 40

    Tzivia Leher did the interior decor (and the beautiful front yard). She did my house too and I am thrilled with the results. She is a talented and down to earth designer.