In the city where almost 70 years ago, Nazi forces committed the biggest single atrocity associated with the Holocaust in Russia, the local Jewish community is building programming models aimed at uniting Jewish youth across the country. Read More »
970 posts
Chabad Lubavitch 
Ulyanovsk Jews Launch Weekday Public Prayer Group
A group of elderly Jews in Ulyanovsk, Russia, launched a new twice-weekly prayer group. Called “Club Torah !” the group of men gathers on Mondays and Thursdays, midweek days when the Torah is read publicly, to don the prayer boxes known as tefillin and worship together. Read More »
Jewish Students Turn Eyes to A&M and Upcoming Weekend Bash
This week, Jewish college students from all over Texas and beyond are gearing up for a weekend of fun, friendship, and some old-fashioned southern hospitality. Read More »
Spiritual Revival Underway as Jewish Centers Pop Up Across Quebec
For 25 years, Jeff Sousana didn’t know anyone else on Montreal’s South Shore who kept the Sabbath . When he wanted kosher food and a place to spend the 25-hour stint, he’d find himself having to leave the suburbs and stay over in the city, about half an hour away by car. Then Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Zalman Samama moved to the island. Read More »
Children’s Book Tells Story of Holocaust-era Ship’s Ill-Fated Voyage
When eight-year-old Klara, standing beside her father on the German MS S. Louis ocean-liner, sees Miami with her bare eyes, her father sighs and says, “So near, and yet so far.” So became the title of the new So Near, and Yet So Far: Klara’s Voyage on the MS S. Read More »
Jewish Communities Unite in Worldwide Sabbath Program
Jewish communities across the globe united to strengthen observance of the Sabbath this weekend, with Chabad-Lubavitch centers experiencing larger-than-normal crowds for what had been dubbed “One Shabbat , One World. Read More »
Celebrating Trees – Tu B’Shevat: Kabbalistic Tu B’Shevat By Yerachmiel Tilles
The Meaning of Tu B’Shevat The 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat is the official “birthday” for trees in Israel . Read More »
Celebrating Trees – Tu B’Shevat: Tu B’Shevat in a Minute
When’s the last time you wished a tree Happy New Year? The 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is a great opportunity. It’s known as Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for Trees. Why do trees celebrate their New Year so much later than ours ? It has to do with the rainy season in Israel , which commences with the festival of Sukkot . Read More »
Celebrating Trees – Tu B’Shevat: Tu B’Shevat Homepage
Tu B’Shevat , the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar—celebrated this year on Wednesday, February 8, 2012—is the day that marks the beginning of a “New Year for Trees.” This is the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. Read More »
Celebrating Marriage: Finding Balance by Chana Slavaticki
A husband and wife came to the rabbi for guidance on resolving their different parenting styles. The wife began: “Isn’t it important to establish rules and regulations, so that kids will know what is expected of them?” “That’s true,” said the rabbi. Read More »
Celebrating Families: The Third Month Family By Chana Weisberg
“My children are constantly fighting with each other,” laments Susan, a mother of three young children. “They bicker about the size of their dinner portions. They argue over whose turn it is to do a chore. They quarrel over who plays with which toy, and they fight over who is smarter or friendlier. “I’m tired of being a referee. Read More »
Celebrating Marriage: Convert to Marry? Answered by Sara Esther Crispe
Dear Rachel, I am going through the process of an Orthodox conversion in order to marry the man I love, whose family wishes us to be married in an Orthodox synagogue. However, I have found that the process is something I would have eventually done on my own. I have always gravitated towards this life prior to meeting him. Read More »
Yitro: We Get the Big 10: Yitro in a Nutshell
Moses ‘ father-in-law, Jethro , hears of the great miracles which G-d performed for the people of Israel , and comes from Midian to the Israelite camp, bringing with him Moses’ wife and two sons. Jethro advises Moses to appoint a hierarchy of magistrates and judges to assist him in the task of governing and administrating justice to the people. Read More »
The Torah Reality: Reality and Its Shadow By Yaakov Brawer
The great Torah genius Rabbi Yosef Rozin (known as the “Rogachover Gaon “) once received a letter from the Russian government billing him for two types of taxes. He examined the bill and the detailed assessments and concluded that one type of tax was legitimate and must be paid in accordance with the Torah ruling that “The law of the land is law. Read More »
Celebrating Trees – Tu B’Shevat: The Best Is Yet to Come By Elisha Greenbaum
Today was all right, but tomorrow will be better. I worked hard at certain projects, but neglected others. I’ve accomplished a bit in my life to date, but I truly hope that the best is yet to come. I’m a work in progress, unfinished business. I’m willing to learn and dedicated to growth, but I’m not there yet. Read More »
Celebrating Families: Planting a Family Tree By Rucheli Manville
I have two weeks left. That isn’t a lot of time to plant a tree and make it grow fifty different branches. I’m planting it for the woman sitting next to me . . . She asked to borrow my fondness for the digital arts for a family project, and I agreed, of course. Read More »
Celebrating Humility: Feivel’s Depression (video) By Tzvi Freeman
There’s an old saying that goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, lower your standards.” Well, not exactly, but there’s some truth there. I’m not talking about clinical depression, bipolar disorder, PYTT (post– yom tov trauma) or even KTW (KabbalaToon withdrawal). Read More »
Yitro: We Get the Big 10: A Need for Speed By Elisha Greenbaum
A session on fiscal responsibility I attended at the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries was addressed first by two rabbis from New York, and then by a courtly banker from some Southern state of the USA. Read More »
Transformational Visits: The Master Craftsman By Mina Gordon
“This is the house,” Rafaela told me, as she balanced three or four containers of food still warm from the stove. We entered and, after putting the food in the kitchen, we joined other visitors who had come to visit Ludmilla during her week of mourning. I did not know Ludmilla well, and had never met her father, who had just passed away. Read More »
Celebrating Humility: How to Agree to Disagree (video) By Chana Weisberg
Related Parshah Studies: The Third Month Family Is There Anything Wrong with Arguing? Related Video: My Eye and I When Breaking Is Fixing Spokes and Souls Related Article: Moments of Connection Do You Love? Mind Your Business Read More »
Celebrating Humility: King Solomon’s Harpist By Gershon Kranzler
In the time of King Solomon there lived a young shepherd by the name of Barzilai. He was a dreamer who spend long hours listening to the murmur of the brook and gazing into the blue of the sky where he saw the glory and splendor of higher spheres. He dreamed of strange adventures as his eyes followed silvery clouds to the distant horizon. Read More »
The Torah Reality: Torah Business Inc. By Yitschak Meir Kagan
Over three thousand years ago, the thunder crashed, the mountain smoked and the sound of the Shofar rose higher and higher as we received the Torah at Sinai. Read More »
Transformational Visits: The Laws of Visiting the Sick By Eliezer Wenger
The commandment of visiting the sick (bikkur cholim) is a very great good deed. Concerning this mitzvah , the Mishnah states that this is one of those actions of which one “eats of its fruits” in this world, and retains the “principal” in the next world. Read More »
Celebrating Trees – Tu B’Shevat: Blossoms in the Winter By Gershon Kranzler
Once upon a time there lived a poor melamed , a Hebrew teacher, in a small village in Poland. He had his daily troubles with the hardheaded farmer boys who were his students. For they would rather roam the countryside than learn the alef-bet , the difference between the daled and the resh , or the hei and the chet . Read More »
Yitro: We Get the Big 10: The Custom That Refused to Die By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
There’s an enthralling story about the Ten Commandments and the role they played in Jewish worship and the synagogue. It begins with a little-known fact. There was a time when there were not three paragraphs in the prayer we call the Shema , but four. Read More »
Thousands Come to Queens Resting Place to Pray on Special Day
It’s 5: 30 a.m. and faxes and e-mails are coming in nonstop. A maintenance worker hauls fresh chocolate cookies off a truck while another stacks endless pairs of non-leather shoes into a wooden shelf. Read More »
Indianapolis Rabbi Has Kosher Super Bowl Fans Covered
After his son’s Bar Mitzvah this Saturday, Avi Esses will get ready for Super Bowl XLVI. The New York resident and ardent Giants fan is headed to Indianapolis Sunday morning with his sons, Nafti, 16, Leo, 15, and Eli , 13, for the big game. Read More »
Lego Robotics Engage Israeli Students
Girls from the Nes Tsiyona Chabad public day school in central Israel are competing in the international FIRST LEGO League contest by building robots and learning about food safety and food preservation techniques. Read More »
Chicago Group Marks Sixth Rebbe’s Historic Visit of 1942
Danny Altschul went down to Union Station in Chicago yesterday to commemorate an historic event that took place 70 years ago. When the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe , Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn , of righteous memory, stepped onto the platform on Jan. Read More »
Israeli Girls Examine Kosher Laws in International Lego Competition
Tzivi Heber, Hadas Orlev and their friends aren’t just playing with Lego building blocks after school. They’re doing it in the name of science. Read More »
Online Yeshiva Gains Spanish-Speaking Following
Pablo K. of Montevideo likes to learn. One evening, he attended a class that looked at a chapter from the Mishneh Torah , Maimonides ‘ massive compilation of Jewish law, without ever leaving his house. As a participant in a new Spanish-language online venture, the businessman can fit the demands of a yeshiva into an already-hectic schedule. Read More »
Canadian Foreign Minister Reiterates Country’s Strong Support of Israel
Declaring unequivocally that “Israel has no greater friend in the world” than the globe’s second-largest nation, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird took the opportunity presented by his third visit to Israel to denounce Palestinian terrorism and further cement his country’s strong ties to the government in Jerusalem . Read More »
Young Women Trade-Up Winter Breaks for Florida Jewish Experience
For the past four years, graduate student Kelly Scovone has vacationed in Key Largo, Fla., during her mid-winter break. She settles in an oceanfront condo with full amenities, a 15-minute drive to a deep water marina that features snorkeling, scuba diving, and water skiing. Read More »
European Campus Rabbis Convene in Manchester
European campus rabbis and their families gathered in Manchester, England, to discuss issues surrounding Jewish student life and coordinate programming against a backdrop of rising anti-Semitism and threats to religious life across the continent. Read More »
As Night Falls: Minchah—Afternoon Prayer—In 500 Words
It’s a hectic world out there, and you don’t want to go it alone. First thing in the day, talk with The Boss. When it’s done at night, debrief again. Read More »
G-d Provides Daily Manna From Heaven…: The Secret of Getting Free By Shifra Hendrie
“The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.” —Anonymous So Much to Do—So Little Time Cell phones. E‑mail. Video conferencing. The World Wide Web. A couple of decades ago, who could have imagined the world we take for granted today? With such instantaneous access to information and communication, we can do lots of things at once. Read More »
10th of Shevat: The Rebbe’s Reach
Mr. Max Cohen from Manchester received a call from a business associate in Bangladesh. “Mr. Cohen, we’ve prepared a large shipment of merchandise for you. We are eagerly awaiting your arrival, so we can close the deal.” Mr. Cohen was equally keen on the deal. Read More »
Attack on Israel: Amalek Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
The people of Israel journeyed . . . and they camped in Rephidim . . . named the place “Challenge and Strife,” because of the strife of the people of Israel and their challenging of G‑d , saying, “Is G‑d amongst us or not?” Then came Amalek and attacked Israel in Rephidim . . . Read More »
Beshalach: Out of Exile: Is the Messiah a Descendant of King Solomon? By Yehuda Shurpin
Dear Rabbi, I read that the Messiah will not only be a descendant of King David , but also of his son, Solomon . What is the source for this? Answer: Let’s start with King David . Read More »
…Except for Shabbat: Shabbat: An Island in Time
Tranquility. Awareness. Jewish identity. Family. Truly restful sleep and the best food on earth . . . We’re told that no such thing exists, but Shabbat may well be the panacea to modern life. Imagine: a day on which the world stands still. Imagine: a time when the search for your spiritual center ceases—because you now are at your spiritual center. Read More »
G-d Provides Daily Manna From Heaven…: A Different Form of Manna By Yerachmiel Tilles
It was the custom of Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli to recite his morning prayers at length. After he concluded, he would retire to his room next to the synagogue. Read More »
Beshalach: Out of Exile: Parshah in a Nutshell
Soon after allowing the Children of Israel to depart from Egypt , Pharaoh chases after them to force their return, and the Israelites find themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s armies and the sea. G-d tells Moses to raise his staff over the water; the sea splits to allow the Israelites to pass through, and then closes over the pursuing Egyptians. Read More »
Beshalach: Out of Exile: The Circle of Faith By Lazer Gurkow
Panic in Times of Crisis A story is told of a man who was driving about, desperate to find a parking spot. With no spots available, he called out, “Dear G‑d , give me a parking spot and I will pledge a thousand dollars to charity.” Instantaneously a spot became available, and he quickly amended, “Never mind, dear G‑d, I found one on my own . . . Read More »
10th of Shevat: I Have Come to My Garden By Naftali Silberberg
The sixth Lubavitcher rebbe , Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn , arrived on the shores of America in March 1940, after a miraculous escape from Nazi-occupied Poland. Arriving in New York, he set for himself the task of building a Jewish infrastructure to replace the one going up in flames in Eastern Europe. Read More »
Wisdom for Life: Helping the Rabbi Work Out By Levi Avtzon
Russell spends seven hours a day exercising. He earns his livelihood from overweight millionaires and parents who need a babysitter for their five-year-old children. He is a taekwondo trainer. I spend seven hours a day praying, learning, teaching and writing. My livelihood is still waiting for its sponsors. I am a rabbi. Read More »
Relationships: When Separation Is Protection By Miriam Adahan
Noah did it. So did our foreparents, Abraham and Sarah and Jacob . They all had to separate from “toxic” people. G‑d told Noah to build an ark and separate from the degenerate people around him. After Abraham destroyed his father’s idols and left his birthplace, he also had to separate from his nephew, Lot. Read More »
G-d Provides Daily Manna From Heaven…: Free Food By Elisha Greenbaum
Whoever said that there’s no such thing as a free lunch clearly wasn’t planning on attracting a crowd. We learned long ago that any synagogue function where food consumption is part of the featured entertainment would have a turnout approximately double that of a non-dining experience. Read More »
Wisdom for Life: For All He Made in Wisdom Translated by Tzvi Freeman
The following is translated from the 16th-century Jewish classic, Shnei Luchot Ha-Brit (Two Tablets of the Covenant), by Rabbi Yeshayah Horowitz, one of the most influential books of ethics, custom, law and Jewish thought: 1 Examine all of the cosmos and meditate upon them as much as is possible. Read More »
Attack on Israel: Dealing with the Seeds of Doubt (video) By Chana Weisberg
Related Parshah Studies: Moses’ Heavy Hands Amalek Related Video: Your Cell Phone is Ringing A Widow’s Story Free Lunch, Anyone? Related Article: Will the Real Superman Please Stand Up? Religion is Not a Quick Fix Spiritual Security Blankets A Read More »
As Night Falls: Good Evening! By Yaakov Paley
What does G‑d do each day, very late in the afternoon? Well, according to my prayerbook, He “brings the night,” “causes night to descend” or “darkens the evenings,” depending on how one wishes to unlock the prayer’s bothersome phrase ma’ariv aravim , Read More »
…Except for Shabbat: Why Do We Cover the Challah? By Menachem Posner
There are a number of reasons for this tradition. 1. When our ancestors traveled in the desert for forty years, they subsisted on the manna that miraculously fell from heaven every day. The challah we eat on Shabbat is actually in place of that manna. Read More »
Wisdom for Life: Sifting Gold By Tzvi Freeman
This episode is dedicated to all the people who write to me to kvetch about everything that’s wrong in the world and who’s doing it and just how bad it really is that even the rabbis and the teachers and the kabbalists fall into the pits along with everyone else. In other words, the whole world is full of dirt. Read More »
Relationships: Not Taking Revenge By Anonymous
When my ex-husband told me that he wanted to ask me a favor, right after we divorced, my first inclination was to just say no, without even hearing what he had to say. This man had chosen gambling over me and our baby. This man had stolen money set aside for diapers and childcare. Read More »
Beshalach: Out of Exile: Music, Language of the Soul By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
For the first time since their departure from Egypt, the Israelites do something together. They sing. “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel . Read More »
Wisdom for Life: Why Don’t I Know My Life Mission? By Chaya Sarah Silberberg
Hi, I understand that we each have our own set of talents, our own specific mission and our own “puzzle piece” of the world. We are all on this earth to add and contribute our parts. But if that is what G‑d wants, why is it so hard to figure out how to accomplish our mission? Some people go through their entire lives just searching. Read More »
10th of Shevat: A Day of Two Rebbes
The 10th day of the Jewish month of Shevat ( Yud Shevat in Hebrew) is a most significant date on the chassidic calendar. It is the anniversary of passing (yahrtzeit ) of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe , Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880–1950), of righteous memory. Read More »
Wisdom for Life: The Kabbalah of Dips, Downs and Transformations By Tzvi Freeman
They say life has its ups and downs. It’s not true. Life is ups and downs. Let’s start with breathing. Pretty central to life, right? All the major classes of structural molecules in living organisms need oxygen, so you gotta breathe. So here’s Breathing 101 : Start by creating a vacuum inside. At that point, you become weaker, somewhat helpless. Read More »
Azerbaijan Community Presses On Following Reports of Plot
Following a report in local and international media regarding the arrest of two Azerbaijani citizens who were allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate two Jewish educators and the Israeli ambassador in Baku, the Federation of Jewish Communities of the Former Soviet Union announced that educational activities were continuing in the capital. Read More »
Couple Marks Half Century of Jewish Service in Minnesota
Before he became a U.S. senator, Rudy Boschwitz moved to Minnesota and opened a family business in 1963. By that time, Rabbi Moshe and Mindy Feller were already there. Their first interactions happened by chance. Read More »
Odessa Inaugurates New Orphanage and Synagogue
The Jewish community of Odessa had a lot to celebrate when, under the protection of a police guard and a parade route closed to traffic, it marked the concurrent dedications of a new synagogue, Torah scroll and orphanage. Read More »
Leave a reply:
