By COLlive reporter

Rabbi Avrohom Lipskier, a beloved educator who was the longtime Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivas Tiferes Bachurim in Morristown and later Yeshivas Tiferes Menachem in Sea Gate, and who introduced generations of Jewish students to Yiddishkeit and Chassidus, passed away on Thursday, 28 Elul, 5786.

He was 86.

R’ Avremel was born on 15 Adar 1, 5700, in Kutaisi, Georgia, to his parents R’ Yankel and Taibel Lipskier. He arrived in America with his family in 5708 and was zoche to be in Yechidus with the Frierdiker Rebbe. As a bochur he learned in 770, was sent by the Rebbe to Brunoy, France as part of the first kvutza of Shluchim in 5722.

Upon his return in 5723, in the early 1960s, while still a bochur, Rabbi Lipskier noticed the many young college students and “hippies” who came to 770 Eastern Parkway in search of meaning and inspiration. He took many of them under his wing, teaching them Torah and Chassidus and helping them discover their Jewish heritage.

He later joined the staff of the newly established Yeshiva Hadar Hatorah for Baalei Teshuva bochurim in Crown Heights.

He married Cirel (nee Baumgarten) on 11 Tishrei, 5726. In 5727, the couple was sent by the Rebbe on Shlichus to Milan, Italy.

In 1972, at the Rebbe’s instruction, Rabbi Lipskier and his wife moved to Morristown, New Jersey, where he was involved in the establishment of Yeshivas Tiferes Bachurim for young college students at the Rabbinical College of America, and where he guided thousands of students back to Yiddishkeit and the ways of Chassidus.

The Rebbe was personally invested in the development and growth of yeshivos for baalei teshuvah. When someone once referred to Hadar HaTorah, the Rebbe responded, “Ich hob gemacht der yeshiva,” meaning, “I founded that yeshiva.” The Rebbe also referred to baalei teshuvah as “meiner,” “my own.”

Through his warmth, patience and deep commitment to every student, Rabbi Lipskier helped countless young men build lives rooted in Torah and Chassidus.

In 1999, he established Yeshivas Tiferes Menachem in Sea Gate, Brooklyn, where he continued his lifelong mission of bringing the light of Yiddishkeit to those raised in secular environments.

Hundreds of Rabbi Lipskier’s students went on to become rabbonim and shluchim, while many hundreds more established vibrant Jewish families and became pillars of communities around the world.

Rabbi Lipskier was a revered figure in thousands of Chabad homes around the world, including those of the many students whom he taught, guided and inspired throughout a lifetime devoted to Jewish education and outreach.

He is survived by his wife Cirel and children, Chanie Kaminezki (Dnipro, Ukraine), Mendel Lipskier (Sherman Oaks, CA), Dinie Mangel (Cherry Hill, NJ), Shternie Backman (Glendale, CA), Chaya Mushka Silberberg (Crown Heights, NY) and Berel Lipskier (Crown Heights, NY), grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by siblings, Tzivia Jacobson, Esther Raskin, Leah Marmulstein, Berel Lipskier, Zalman Lipskier and Shmuel Lipskier.

He was pre-deceased by his brother Fitzi Lipskier obm.

The Levaya will take place today, Thursday, passing by 770 at 3 PM and burial at Old Montefiore Cemetery at 4 PM.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

By Rabbi Shais Taub

I want to tell you the story of how a complete stranger finished off our campaign for us last year. But first, a little background.

My first Charidy campaign was in 2019—a relatively modest campaign with a goal of $120,000. Little did I know at the time that this campaign would make it possible for SoulWords to continue producing content during the COVID lockdown, when all of my speaking fees, which had until then been SoulWords’ primary source of income, disappeared overnight.

Since then, we have held a Charidy campaign every year, setting a higher goal each time. Eventually, this enabled us to purchase the property that is now the SoulWords House, just half a block from the Ohel, where we have our full video-production studios and host events, classes, farbrengens, and groups visiting the Ohel.

Last year’s campaign was by far our biggest ever because it had to cover not only the operating costs of our staff and video production for the year but also the extensive renovations needed to make the house fit for visitors. The campaign was set to run for two and a half days.

At the end of those two and a half days, we were still only at 50 percent.

People told me, “Campaigns are rough. Move on and try again next time.”

I said no. I was not going to stop.

I knew how much love there was for SoulWords and how many people genuinely valued what we were doing. I also knew that people are busy and that a fundraising campaign can easily get lost in the barrage of constant information that we are all subjected to these days. Someone may feel that they receive real value from SoulWords and genuinely want to support it, but unless the campaign gets in front of that person at just the right moment, he or she may never act. So I knew the support was out there, but we had to get people’s attention.

I decided that I did not care how long it took. We were not stopping the campaign until we reached our goal.

And so I spent the next two months calling and texting people, doing livestreams, going on other people’s podcasts, and promoting the campaign wherever I could. I did not stop, and the money kept trickling in. It was slow but steady. It never stopped.

Little by little, we got closer and closer to the goal each day.

Then, one Friday last August, I went into Shabbos having just calculated how much we still needed. We were $6,414 short in actual donations, since every dollar was being matched. If we could raise that final $6,414, the campaign would be over.

After Shabbos, I made Havdalah and prepared to get right back to the grind. But first, I opened the campaign page to remind myself exactly how much we still needed.

And there it was—the iconic Charidy confetti screen celebrating a completed campaign. We had reached our goal.

But how?
A single donor had made a gift of $6,414, the exact amount we needed to the dollar.

The donor’s name was unfamiliar to me. I checked the records and discovered that he had already contributed once a few days earlier. Now he had returned and donated again—this time giving the exact amount needed to finish the campaign.

Who was this person? How had he found us? And what would make someone I had never met decide that he wanted to be the one to carry SoulWords across the finish line?

I reached out to thank him and learned his story.

First of all, he was not Jewish. He lived in Texas and grew up in a town where there were only two Jewish kids in his entire school. Recently, however, he had begun a spiritual journey and discovered SoulWords online. He started watching our classes and was deeply moved by the way we spoke about spiritual ideas in language that felt relevant and accessible to him. He said it lifted him up at a very dark time in his life.

When he saw that the campaign was nearing its goal, he decided that he wanted to have the honor of being the one to finish it.

I found the entire experience astonishing, but it also clarified something for me.

The world is enormous. And yet it is also remarkably small. Especially with this tool called technology, we have the ability to affect each other’s lives in ways we never could have imagined before.

Like every powerful tool, technology can be used for many purposes. But perhaps its greatest purpose is to bring the light of Chassidus to people who, for whatever reason, would never otherwise encounter it.

The SoulWords “virtual community,” as I like to call it, has brought truth and light to people who would never walk into a Chassidus shiur. Maybe it’s because of where they live. Maybe it’s because they are afraid or have past experiences that hold them back. Baruch Hashem, the SoulWords platform has allowed me to break down these barriers to entry. My greatest “nachas,” of course, is when I receive messages from Jews who had been estranged from Yiddishkeit and something we put out online gave them the feeling that it was safe to start coming back.

We live in a world where people are searching. Most do not even know that the ideas for which they are searching exist. Yet they are looking for clarity. They want language with which to understand their inner lives and the purpose for which they were created. Baruch Hashem, Chassidus gives us that. And today, we can reach these people wherever they may be. There are very few limits anymore to whom and where we can reach.

In some months, SoulWords content reaches as many as 10 million people. Our community now includes 146,000 YouTube subscribers, 711,000 Instagram followers, and hundreds of thousands more across other platforms. We also have a small physical center half a block from the Ohel, where people gather for classes, farbrengens, programs, and meaningful conversations.

Behind all of this is a staff that helps us produce and distribute an enormous amount of content, the vast majority of which remains available completely free.

That model is possible because the virtual SoulWords community basically supports itself, meaning that those who receive value help us continue providing it to others.

This year, our annual campaign has passed 90% of its $400,000 goal and is once again approaching the finish line. Every contribution is currently being matched dollar-for-dollar.

I do not know who will bring us across the finish line this time, if it will be one big donation or a bunch of little ones. But last year reminded me that you never know who is listening or where in the world the final act of partnership will come from.

If you have received value from SoulWords, please help complete this year’s campaign and continue bringing that light to people everywhere.

Every donation is matched 2x: https://www.charidy.com/RST

Sample 354, the company behind the popular American Dream Modest Clothing Warehouse Sale, is returning to Crown Heights!

Get ready to shop thousands of Fall and Winter styles from your favorite tznius brands — all at incredible warehouse sale prices, right in your own neighborhood.

Whether you’re refreshing your wardrobe, shopping for Yom Tov, or just looking for a great deal, this is your chance to find beautiful, top-quality tznius clothing at tremendous savings.

One Day Only!
Monday, Tzom Gedalya
Bais Rivkah
4–9 PM

Don’t miss it — we can’t wait to see you there!

On Rosh Hashanah, there is a special custom to make a big effort to recite Tehillim and refrain from unnecessary chatter.

Additionally, the tradition is to eat the head of a fish, and as during many Yomim Tovim, in many Chabad homes, the festive holiday table will be graced by traditional gefilte fish.

​As a gesture of encouragement and strengthening for the families of Crown Heights, a community activist, in collaboration with COLlive, will offer every family commits (bli neder) to completing the entire Book of Tehillim at least once over the course of the holiday, a package of gefilte fish made from carp and salmon.

The fish is prepared using a special Austrian recipe passed down from generation to generation, this recipe even survived the horrors of the Holocaust.

One package per family. A family may recite the Tehillim collectively together.

​To make your commitment and place your fish order, please contact the following email address no later than Thursday, 28 Elul / September 10, at 9:00 PM.

[email protected]

At this year’s Gala Chinuch Banquet at the Kinus Mechanchos Chabad, hundreds of educators gathered to celebrate a milestone: 50 Years of Changing the World Through Chinuch.

One of the highlights of the evening brought that message to life through the voices of five mechanchos. Each educator represented one of the five decades since Shnas Chinuch, sharing a message that reflected the opportunities, challenges, and impact of Chinuch during that era.

Together, their messages told the story of how the Rebbe’s call for Chinuch continues to unfold — reaching more children, responding to new realities, and inspiring new generations of educators to dedicate themselves to Chinuch.

Five speakers. Five decades. Five different perspectives — and one continuous mission.

Together, the presentations offered a moving look at 50 years of Chinuch changing the world, while providing marching orders to today’s educators carrying that mission forward. 

The five presentations from the Gala Chinuch Banquet are now available to watch below.

https://mymef.org/kinus-5786-banquet-mrs-malka-katz/

Decade One: Reaching Every Jewish ChildMrs. Malka Katz of Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy spoke about the responsibility to reach every Jewish child and ensure that each one has access to a meaningful Jewish education.

Decade Two: Chinuch Infused with Moshiach and Geulah****Mrs. Sterna Krinsky of Bais Rivkah High School in Crown Heights represented the next decade, focusing Moshiach and Geulah within Chinuch.

https://mymef.org/kinus-5786-banquet-mrs-sterna-krinsky/

Decade Three: Chinuch After Gimmel Tammuz****Mrs. Zlatie Binyominson of Cheder Lubavitch Preschool in Morristown reflected on Chinuch before and after Gimmel Tammuz, and the shift in the teacher’s role to bring the Rebbe’s messages to our students. https://mymef.org/kinus-5786-banquet-mrs-zlatie-binyominson/

Decade Four: Chinuch Meets Contemporary Challenges****Mrs. Chana Friedman of Bader Hillel High School in Milwaukee addressed the contemporary challenges facing today’s students and educators, and the enduring power of authentic Chinuch in meeting a changing world.

https://mymef.org/kinus-5786-banquet-mrs-chana-friedman/

 Decade Five: New Teachers Choosing ChinuchBringing the presentation into the present and future, Mrs. Ahava Glaskie of Bais Chaya Mushka in Los Angeles represented a new generation of teachers choosing to dedicate themselves to the Shlichus of Chinuch.

https://mymef.org/kinus-5786-banquet-mrs-ahava-glaskie/

Additional highlights of the Kinus Mechanchos Chabad can be viewed on mymef.org/videos, and the full recordings of the Gala Chinuch Banquet and dozens of workshops and sessions can be purchased for download mymef.org/shop. Mechanchos are already counting down to their next Chinuch boost to take place on י”ד-ט”ו תמוז תשפ”ז, July 19-20, 2027. May it be in Yerushalyim with the Rebbe at our head, where Mechanchim and Mechanchos everywhere can proudly say – “ראו גדולים שגדלנו – see these students whom we have taught!”

“Mommy, if I beat cancer once, why did it come back?” 💔

Chaim Rubin is only 7 years old.

A year ago, after more than a year of difficult treatments, his parents finally heard the words they had been praying for: Chaim had beaten cancer.

He went back to school, back to his friends, and back to simply being a child.

But at the beginning of Av, everything changed again.

The seizures returned, and then came the devastating news:

The medulloblastoma was back.

Chaim has already started treatment to help control the disease, but to give him the chance he desperately needs, his family must now get him to the United States for advanced treatment.

The hospital requires a significant deposit upfront, and after already using their savings and everything they had available, the family simply cannot do this alone.

They need our help now.

Every donation can bring Chaim one step closer to the treatment he needs and another chance to fight.

🙏 Please open your heart for Chaim ben Yael.

Donate today!

New partners have joined Biarritz Pizza and Wine Bar, the upscale dairy restaurant on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights, as the CHK, the Crown Heights Beis Din’s kashrus division, has announced that it will be granting it kosher certification.

Joining longtime owner and manager Clara Perez are brothers Yossi and Mica Soffer (co-owners of the COLlive Media Group) and Shmulik and Aidy Soffer, who have become partners in the popular restaurant.

Perez is well known from her years as one of the owners of the original Basil Pizza and Wine Bar, the groundbreaking restaurant that operated at the same Kingston Avenue location beginning in 2010.

Basil developed a reputation as a destination for upscale kosher dining throughout the Tri-State area, drawing diners from across New York and around the world. At its height, customers would wait in lines stretching around the block for its artisanal pizzas, fresh fish dishes, dairy cuisine, and distinctive atmosphere.

After Basil closed in 2023, plans were made to revive the location, returning to its most popular dishes and beloved ambience. Biarritz opened its doors in February 2025. Named for the seaside resort town on France’s southwestern Basque coast, the restaurant sought to carry forward the location’s reputation as a destination restaurant while introducing a new menu and updated dining experience.

Like its predecessor, Biarritz has become a destination for local diners and visitors from around the world, offering an updated interior and a menu centered around artisanal pizza, fresh fish, pasta, salads, coffee, beer, and wine.

Biarritz initially opened under CHK certification. Recently, they have been under Vaad Kashrus Mehadrin of Lakewood, while remaining Cholov Yisroel and Pas Yisroel and maintaining full-time mashgichim.

Now, with the new partnership, Biarritz will once again be certified by Crown Heights Kosher (CHK), led by Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba and Rabbi Yosef Braun. It will make the restaurant accessible to Crown Heights residents and visitors who specifically rely on the local certification.

Building on her experience as an owner of Basil, Perez continues in her role at Biarritz. She is joined by the Soffer couples, who bring new excitement, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit to the business, and they look forward to bringing many new and exciting updates and additions to Biarritz.

The new team is already working on updates to the menu, along with additional changes to further enhance the food, service, and overall dining experience. More details on the changes are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The new partnership marks another chapter in a story closely tied to the evolution of kosher dining in Crown Heights. From the early years of Basil to Biarritz and now its new partnership, the Kingston Avenue location continues its tradition as one of the neighborhood’s most popular dining destinations.

Biarritz Pizza and Wine Bar is located at 268 Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights.

Dear Friend ,

After serving the Crown Heights community as a doctor for 40 years, he is weighing in on why supporting Aliya is so critical to the future of our teenagers as they enter adulthood.

Please watch this powerful video—and please give now. There are only THREE HOURS LEFT, and every donation is being TRIPLED!

Don’t wait until the end: charidy.com/aliya

Wishing you a Ksiva V’chasima Tova!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE HUG, DONATE, AND WATCH Dr ROSEN’S VIDEO. THE VIDEO IS THE TOP SECTION OF THE CAMPAIGN PAGE!

With tremendous gratitude,

Your Aliya Family

Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2001, America awoke to a day that would change the world as we knew it.

That morning, it was unmistakable that a certain darkness was descending on the world.

Three miles from the World Trade Center, however, at the very moment the towers were struck, something very different was taking place: the first edition of a new JEM “video magazine,” named Living Torah, was being mastered for the very first time.

As the world was suddenly confronted with tremendous darkness, fear, and uncertainty, a new vehicle was taking shape to bring the Rebbe’s clear and steady voice—a voice of clarity and hope—to the world.

The timing was impossible to overlook.

That first Living Torah would mark the beginning of an extraordinary journey. From the program’s launch later that month until today, not a single week has passed without a new edition of Living Torah reaching audiences around the world.

Twenty-five years later, that mission has become ever more vital. In a world facing growing challenges, darkness, and confusion, the Rebbe’s words continue to reach millions with ever-greater relevance and clarity. Today, the Rebbe’s voice is further amplified through JEM’s social media platforms, reaching a vast audience from varied backgrounds around the world.

To mark the beginning of Living Torah’s 25th year, JEM has released a short film going behind the scenes of that first Living Torah****—exploring the story of its creation, the remarkable timing of its beginnings, and the Rebbe’s timeless message of confronting darkness with light.

As Cheder Menachem began preparing for the new school year, a new space was needed. A new location within the building became available, but it required major renovations to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for the talmidim.

Over the summer, the space underwent extensive renovations, including the construction of beautiful, state-of-the-art classrooms with central air conditioning, spacious layouts, and large windows overlooking the park. The renovations also included a large and comfortable teachers’ room, as well as improvements to the game room, including new games for the boys to enjoy.

Making this transformation possible was truly a team effort. With the help of Mr. Yisroel Kanar & Family from IK Management and Mr. & Mrs. Yosef Yitzchok & Penina Batsheva Popack, the project came together over the summer, ready for the talmidim as they returned for the new Shnas Halimudim.

BH, the boys are already enjoying their refreshed and beautiful school. The new classrooms provide a comfortable environment, and the familiar sounds of davening and the chayus of the talmidim once again fill the halls.

While the renovations have been completed, there are still significant construction expenses remaining. The Cheder is asking for your support to help meet these remaining costs and continue investing in the growth of Cheder Menachem.

CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE

This new space provides a strong foundation for another year of growth, learning, and hatzlacha for all the talmidim of Cheder Menachem.

For the average child growing up in a large frum community, having Chassidishe friends, regular learning opportunities and a full calendar of activities can feel like a natural part of childhood.

But for a child growing up on Shlichus, that isn’t always the case.

“There are thousands of Yaldei Hashluchim living in cities around the world, often far from other Chabad families and without a regular group of Chassidishe friends their age,” shared Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of MyShliach at Merkos 302. “Our goal is to create that sense of community, so they know they are part of something greater”.

For almost two decades, MyShliach has been the global community where Yaldei Hashluchim can connect with other children who understand their unique experience, learn with dedicated teachers and mentors, and grow with pride in their Shlichus.

Now, as the new year begins, the MyShliach team at Merkos 302 is preparing for another year of programs designed to meet Young Shluchim and Shluchos wherever they are and whatever their needs may be.

Registration is now open for a full lineup of MyShliach programs beginning throughout the coming months.

Ach Sheli and Achos Sheli give boys and girls the opportunity to build a personal connection with an older Chassidishe mentor through a weekly chavrusa. Beyond the learning, the goal is to create a genuine relationship, a person who knows the child, looks forward to speaking with them each week and can become a friend and role model.

Yeshivas Erev gives boys in grades 4–8 a meaningful way to spend their evenings, with live Torah learning, chavrusas, interactive programming, prizes and the opportunity to learn and connect with Young Shluchim from around the world.

For girls, Shiur-It offers live, interactive learning twice a week, with dedicated teachers, age-based classes, chavrusa review and guided lesson journals, all from the comfort of home.

Chassidus Club brings Young Shluchim and Shluchos together every Sunday for an engaging Chassidishe experience filled with learning, friendship, activities and the spirit of a farbrengen.

And for girls, MyShliach Extreme brings something special every month, combining hands-on activities, creativity, Chassidishe content, friendship and exciting packages delivered to their homes.
Together, these programs provide children with something that can be difficult to find when growing up on Shlichus: a regular connection to a worldwide community of children just like them.

“Every Young Shliach and Shlucha deserves to know that they are not alone,” says Rabbi Mendy Shanowitz, Director of MyShliach. “Wherever they live, there are other children who understand their life, their Shlichus and the unique experience of growing up as a Shliach’s child. Our goal is to give them those friendships, those connections and the Chassidishe experiences that help them grow with pride and joy.”

Behind the thousands of children participating in MyShliach programs is a growing team dedicated to making sure every program is meaningful, engaging and accessible to Yaldei Hashluchim around the world.

Leading the organization is Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of MyShliach, Rabbi Mendy Shanowitz, Director of MyShliach, together with Rabbi Moshe Weiss, program director.
The team includes:
Rabbi Shmuli Andrusier, Tzivos Hashem & Chidon Coordinator
Rabbi Avrohom Goldberg, MBP
Rabbi Avremi Wolvovsky, Ach Sheli Coordinator
Ms. Malka Resnik, Achos Sheli
Ms. Tzivia Osdoba, Tzivos Hashem / MyShliach Extreme
Rabbi Dudi Ashkenazi, Chassidus Club
Rabbi Mendy Hirsch, Regional Shabbatons & Shabbos Tzuzamen
Ms. Esti Kamman, Girls Coordinator
Mrs. Elky Venkert, Girls Hebrew Coordinator
Rabbi Shneur Naftolin, Hebrew Department
Mrs. Nechama Bluming, Yaldei Hashluchim Book Library

Together, the team works throughout the year to create opportunities for Yaldei Hashluchim to learn, connect, make friends and experience the warmth of a Chassidishe community.
As the 5787 school year gets underway, thousands of Young Shluchim and Shluchos will once again be learning, connecting, laughing, and growing together, from communities around the world.
The year is just beginning. There’s a lot more to come.

For more information and to register for MyShliach programs, visit MyShliach.com.

Every year, shluchim search for ways to make the Yomim Nora’im meaningful for both the member who comes once a year and the regular who stays for the whole service. JLI’s host of High Holiday offerings provides the perfect resources to meet that need, and shluchim across the globe are utilizing them for the upcoming Yomim Tovim.

The High Holiday Handbook

This Tishrei, more than 60,000 copies of the High Holiday Handbook reached over 100 communities, and the count keeps climbing. The full-color handbook works as a Tishrei roadmap, guiding members through the season’s holidays, mitzvos, minhagim, and central themes so that nobody gets lost in the rush of back-to-back Yomim Tovim.

Shluchim can customize the handbook for their own crowd, which turns a shared resource into something personal.

The Yizkor Booklet

This year, 5,000 Yizkor booklets have reached communities across the United States, Australia, and even South Africa. The 60-page, full-color booklet carries the complete Yizkor service in a design that matches the weight of the moment, so congregants can hold something worthy of the memories they honor.

Many communities have taken it a step further by customizing the booklet to their kehillah. The result is a Yizkor service where every attendee follows along from a booklet that speaks directly to them.

The Yom Kippur Mid-Service Machzor

The Yom Kippur Mid-Service Machzor solves a problem that every shul knows well. Congregants who want to follow along often end up juggling a standard machzor and a separate booklet, flipping back and forth and missing what’s happening in front of them.

The Mid-Service Machzor puts everything in one volume. From the moment that the aron kodesh opens for kriyas haTorah through the close of Yizkor, it carries the Hebrew liturgy, translation, and transliteration where needed, plus commentary, background, and meditations that open the service up. It covers the stretch of Yom Kippur when a once-a-year visitor is most likely to feel adrift, and it holds up year after year, so that a community buys it once and uses it for years to come.

For many years, Sofer, Coach, and Mohel Rabbi Fitz Rabin has been a familiar voice behind the amud in Crown Heights. A seasoned baal tefillah, Rabbi Rabin has developed an approach to davening that combines the traditional nusach with niggunim and melodies that give unique expression to the words and spirit of the tefillos.

Adding to a growing collection of recordings he has produced over the years, Rabin this year released a new recording of one of his favorite piyutim, “אדר והוד” from Rosh Hashanah Shacharis, set to the soulful and heartfelt melody of Niggun Shin Alef in Sefer Hanigunim.

Niggun Shin Alef is unique in that it opens in a major key, with a sense of celebration and openheartedness, before transitioning into a minor key, taking on a more intense and prayerful yearning.

For Rabin, that progression closely mirrors the movement of the piyut itself. אדר והוד begins with praises of Hashem — His greatness and might, and the joy of the Jewish people as His chosen nation — before moving into an impassioned prayer for the time when the Jewish people will be redeemed and the entire world, indeed the entire universe, will recognize the fullness of Hashem’s glory.

For the first time, Rabin’s recordings have now been brought together into a single playlist. “I was talking with my brother Shlomie Rabin of Jplacing.com about what could be created to support Baalei tefillah and this is one of the ideas that came up” says Rabin. Baalei Tefilla are always looking for great tunes and melodies to help make the Davening more uplifting and this playlist is designed as a resource to help chazanim and baalei tefillah prepare for the Yamim Noraim and spark creativity of their own. 

For Rabin, preparing to lead the davening is about more than assembling a collection of melodies.

“What I’m looking for,” says Rabin, “is a niggun that extracts the emotion the words hold, while at the same time making sure that the movement of the melody matches the rhythm of the prose.”

Asked for his number-one tip for baalei tefillah, his answer is simple: “Pirush hamilos — understanding the meaning of the words.”

“When the chazzan understands the meaning of the words he’s reciting, the people listening automatically hear something more stirring and personally relevant than they otherwise would. It allows the words to come alive in a way that leaves people moved and inspired.”

This year’s new recording comes with an interesting twist. The piyut “אדר והוד” is recited during Shacharis on both days of Rosh Hashanah. However, when the first day of Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, as it does this year, the section referring to the blowing of the Shofar is omitted. The melody Rabin chose is structured in a way that makes it particularly suited to this year’s first day of Rosh Hashanah.

Those in Crown Heights who would like to hear Rabin lead the davening live will have the opportunity to do so this Rosh Hashanah. Rabbi Rabin will serve as baal tefillah for Shacharis at Anshei Lubavitch and Mussaf at Beis Shmuel.

The full playlist of Rabbi Rabin’s Yamim Noraim recordings is available on YouTube here.

The stark contrast between the years of Communist persecution and the flourishing Jewish life of today was vividly displayed during renovations at the Jewish educational center in Kostroma, Russia.

While carrying out exterior work on the building, workers made a remarkable discovery: siddurim and other sacred books that had been concealed inside its walls. One volume had even been hidden within the cover of a secular book, a silent testament to the fear of the time and the lengths Jews took to conceal any connection to Judaism.

The book was found open to Pirkei Avos, offering a powerful symbol of the Jewish pride and learning that now fill the building.

The historic structure was built in 1880 and purchased in 1892 for the city’s rabbi at the time, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Schneiderman. In 1903, the city’s central synagogue was constructed in its courtyard.

In a remarkable connection to the building’s past, Rabbi Schneiderman’s granddaughter, who lives near the mother of Kostroma’s Mara D’asra and Chabad Shliach Rabbi Nissan Rupo, recently symbolically transferred the spiritual rights to the property to the Shluchim, who continue her grandfather’s legacy.

Returning the buildings to the Jewish community required years of perseverance. Twenty-four years ago, in a leap year that began on Shabbos, as the coming year will, Rabbi Rupo arrived in Kostroma and received the synagogue building. The former rabbi’s residence, however, remained under government control.

Following extensive efforts, the property was gradually returned. With the generous assistance of philanthropist David Aminov, it was ultimately granted to the Jewish community free of charge for 40 years.

The building’s interior was previously renovated, and the dedication of its mikvah and kindergarten was attended by Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar.

These developments continued the work of the renowned Chossid Rabbi Michoel Dvorkin OBM, who came to Kostroma, renovated its mikvah and established a cheder for Jewish children. His work helped prepare the city for the arrival of the Frierdiker Rebbe, who was exiled to Kostroma following his miraculous release from imprisonment in Leningrad.

Now, as exterior renovations are underway to preserve the building’s deteriorating walls, another historic circle is being completed.

On Erev Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech, when the Torah reading includes the words “And Moshe wrote this Torah,” a ceremony marking the beginning of a new Sefer Torah was held near the holy Ohel.

The writing was initiated by Rabbi Lazar and attended by guests of the Torah and Education Fund of Russia who had traveled to Kostroma for the annual “Shabbos Selichos with the Rebbe” journey.

The new Sefer Torah is scheduled to be completed and welcomed on the Festival of Liberation, Yud-Beis–Yud-Gimmel Tammuz 5787, marking 100 years since the Frierdiker Rebbe was informed of his release.

The Torah was donated by Netanel Berkowitz, president of the community’s supporters committee, in loving memory of his mother, Margarita bas Yisrael OBM.

The project’s supporters are connected to the city through remarkable instances of Divine Providence. One donor is the son of a Jew who was circumcised by the Chassidic shochet Reb Yerachmiel Kugel, in whose home the Frierdiker Rebbe stayed. Another supporter, a bank manager and Kohen who offered assistance after seeing a photograph of Birchas Kohanim, was introduced to the community through a professional connection with Berkowitz.

With the opening of the Sunday school’s new academic year under the dedicated leadership of Shlucha Mrs. Rupo, Kostroma’s Jewish community continues to move forward with growing momentum.

Soon restored to its full exterior beauty, the historic building will house the new Sefer Torah and resound with the voices of Jewish children learning Torah, serving as a powerful testament to the enduring strength and continued revival of Jewish life in Kostroma.

Photos: Mendy Mor Yosef

Long after the CTeen Extreme activities, sightseeing, and adventures wear off, the lessons, friendships, and personal growth the teens gained are traveling with them into the school year.

They landed in Denver in the early afternoon, met their counselors, learned each other’s names on the bus, and were in the water at Idaho Springs before dinner.

That was day one. Over the next two weeks, the girls on the CTeen Xtreme summer trip climbed a ropes course in Boulder, rappelled off the sandstone of the Colorado National Monument, biked the trails at Glenwood Springs, walked the arches at Moab, hiked the Narrows in Zion, rode horses through Utah canyon country, slept in cabins under the stars in Salina, and finished the trip surfing at Santa Monica Beach. In between, they spent two Shabbosim that most of them now describe as the best part of the whole thing.

“White water rafting on night one, our first Shabbos, pretty much the whole day, and tubing,” said Annabel Studley of Lake Placid NY, when asked to name her three favorite moments.

CTeen Xtreme is one of several summer programs CTeen ran this year: Fourteen days of American wilderness and a group of Jewish teenage girls, most of whom arrived not knowing anyone.

“The real impact of the summer begins once the summer is over,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of CTeen International. “The Rebbe taught to think long-term. A teen who spends two weeks discovering what her Judaism actually feels like will be joining her teen club in high school, her Chabad in college, and building a Jewish home around it years from now; that is the return we are after.”

Ask the girls what they expected before they left and almost none of them mention the destinations. Hailey Peykarian of Great Neck, NY said she never imagined she would meet so many people. Raya Rubinstein of Surfside, FL listed her favorite moments as making friends, new memories and new experiences.

“The counselors and the people I’ve met were so nice and welcoming,” said Leah Weinberg of North Palm Beach, FL. “It really was an amazing community.”

Every girl was asked about the all-girls format and said some version of the same thing. It made the trip easier, not harder. Shayla Ferraro of Roslyn, NY said it was special and easier to bond with everyone. Mijal Kempe who travelled all the way from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico said the format created a comfortable environment where the group could be themselves and grow together in Torah and Mitzvot. Annabel Studley said it let her concentrate on what she came for. “It made it easier to focus on Judaism and work on my relationship with G-d,” she said.

The first Shabbos was hosted by Rabbi Mendel and Estee Popack at Chabad of Denver North, after a Friday spent on a ropes course and a candlestick workshop. The girls led the Kiddush themselves with presentations they had put together. The second was hosted at Chabad of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, where the group came from a morning of water sports at Sand Hollow State Park and joined the local Jewish community for davening, a brunch, skits, and a Havdalah and kumzitz that ran late into the night.

Something shifted for a lot of the girls over those two Shabbats.

“Judaism is also fun,” Weinberg said. “Throughout this trip Judaism wasn’t just a serious thing that adults do, but something that we can bring into our own lives.”

Mijal Kempe described a shift in scale. “Judaism”, she said, “turned out to be more than a religion. It’s a family, a way of life, and a source of joy. And also not about being perfect, but about growing one step at a time.”

The clearest measure of the trip is what the girls said they planned to do when they got back, because most of them had a specific answer ready. Kali Heiken and Nava Evans of Peachtree Corners, GA both named Modeh Ani every morning. Shayla Ferraro said she’d begin saying Shema at night and washing before bread. Leah Weinberg, who said she had not done much tzedakah before the trip, came home planning to give every day. Annabel Studley was going to give tzedakah daily instead of only before Shabbos, and make a chart of the brachos for different foods to put on the fridge.
“Our teens went home from the trip with a love for mitzvot and a confidence to be more openly Jewish,” said one of the trip leaders, Mushka Osdoba.

Parents noticed. Lana Studley said her daughter came home with a deeper understanding of herself and her abilities. “The opportunity to travel to the West Coast of the USA and connect more deeply with her religion was truly a once-in-a-lifetime journey,” she told CTeen.

Liat Mosker of Orange County, NY, said her daughter Yasmine had a blast, made lifetime friendships, and could not wait to go back. Yasmine has since become seriously involved in her local CTeen chapter, which is the pattern CTeen organizers watch for. Teens who show up for one summer tend to reappear at a Shabbaton in February, and then at more local events, and so on.
The last night was a farewell banquet at Chabad of Brentwood, after a day of sightseeing in Los Angeles and a walk down Hollywood Boulevard. By then the group had been together for two weeks, and the goodbyes took a while.

Asked what she would tell a friend considering the trip, Mijal Kempe said, “Don’t think twice. You’ll laugh, grow, challenge yourself, meet incredible people, and create memories you’ll never forget.”

Alongside the Xtreme road trips, CTeen ran separate Israel Journeys for boys and girls, the Heritage Quest program through Poland and Israel, and separate boys and girls programs for French teens in Vietnam.

Registration for summer 2027 is now open at cteensummer.com

Mrs. Chaya Laine, a longtime educator who served as the devoted general studies principal in Bais Rivkah High School for many years, passed away on Tuesday night, 27 Elul, 5786.

She was 80.

Mrs. Laine was a dedicated educator for more than half a century and served for many years as principal of Bais Rivkah High School. She was a beloved mentor to thousands of students, showing concern for their progress and helping them to succeed. She was a dynamic and enthusiastic teacher and had a great impact on her students, many of whom went on to become educators and shluchos serving communities around the world.

Mrs. Laine was the daughter of Rabbi Gutman Baras, who lived in Rokiškis, Lithuania, where Rabbi Shmuel Levitin, a shliach of the Rebbe Rashab, played an influential role in drawing many local Jews closer to Lubavitch.

During World War II, her parents fled to Russia and eventually arrived at a displaced persons camp, where she was born. Following a series of remarkable miracles, the family was rescued and arrived in Brooklyn in the 1950s.

The family settled in Crown Heights, and her father worked in Hashgacha on Long Island. After seeking guidance from the Rebbe, the family became involved in Rabbanus and established a Jewish community in West Hempstead.

Mrs. Laine initially attended Bais Rivkah but, because of the difficulty of commuting, later transferred to Beth Jacob Teachers Seminary on South 8th Street in Williamsburg, where she completed her formal education.

After briefly teaching in West Hempstead, she sought the Rebbe’s guidance about pursuing a degree in education. The Rebbe advised her to attend a local college, and she went on to earn degrees in education from Queens College.

In 1971, she married Rabbi Eliezer Laine. Soon afterward, she began teaching at the Beis Yaakov high school in Williamsburg, where she remained until 1979. That year, Morah Chana Gorovitz, then dean of Bais Rivkah, invited her to join the school’s teaching staff.

Mrs. Laine taught at Bais Rivkah until 1987, when she became the high school’s English principal. She held the position for 33 years.

During her tenure, the school’s Regents passing rate rose from approximately 45 percent to nearly 90 percent, enabling the majority of students to earn a state diploma. When questions arose about the emphasis placed on English studies, the matter was brought to the Rebbe, who instructed that the students should strive for the highest level of achievement needed to receive a state diploma.

She is survived by her husband, Rabbi Eliezer Laine; and children, Sara Jacks of Johannesburg, South Africa; Rabbi Sholom Laine of Lauderhill, Florida, Rabbi Levi Laine of Crown Heights and Rabbi Mendel Laine of Crown Heights.

She was predeceased by her beloved son, Rabbi Peretz Laine obm.

The Levaya will take place on Thursday, passing by Bais Rivkah at 1:20
1:45 770
2:45 cemetery

Shiva will take place at 1395 Carroll St
Thursday:
* Mincha: 6:45 PM — 3 minyanim needed
* Maariv: Bizmano

Friday:
Shachris:
* 7:45 AM — Selichos followed by Shachris
* 8:30 AM — Selichos followed by Shachris
* 9:30 AM — Selichos followed by Shachris

Mincha: 1:35 PM — 2 minyanim needed

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

By COLlive reporter

For some of the children beginning the new school year at the Ohr Avner Chabad Jewish school in Odessa, Ukraine, there has never been a single day of life without war.

Among the 127 children from the Mishpacha orphanage who attend the school are youngsters born shortly before the war began, children whose earliest memories have been shaped by air raid sirens, bomb shelters and the fear that has become part of daily life in Ukraine.

But as the new school year opened, for one moment, the fear gave way to something else.

Instead of rushing to a shelter, the children arrived with new schoolbags on their backs. Instead of the sounds of explosions, there were songs, dancing and smiles as the school marked its traditional first-day celebration.

“Who would have believed that the war would continue for so many years,” members of the educational staff said. “But life is stronger than everything, and these children are the most beautiful proof of that.”

Rebbetzin Chaya Wolff, who runs the Mishpacha orphanage together with her husband, Rabbi Avraham Wolff, Chief Rabbi of Odessa and Southern Ukraine, said the occasion carried particular emotional weight.

“These are children who grew up in a reality that no child in the world should have to know,” she said. “And this week, despite everything, they took a tremendous step forward, toward their future, toward life.”

The children gathered beneath a large sign declaring, “We are all one family,” singing, dancing and embracing the educators whom they call “Abba” and “Ima.”

For the children and the Chabad staff caring for them, the opening of another school year was more than an annual milestone. It was a declaration that Jewish life and education in Odessa are continuing despite the war surrounding them.

“Every child who enters first grade today is a victory of life over those who are trying to extinguish our light and our hope,” Rabbi Wolff said.

“We are here to make sure these children receive what every child in the world deserves: education, security and, above all, a childhood, joy, laughter, hope and faith that tomorrow will be a better day.”

VIDEO:

By COLlive reporter

Nassau County Executive and Republican candidate for New York governor Bruce Blakeman visited the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens Tuesday, just days before Rosh Hashanah.

Blakeman, who is Jewish, was accompanied by Five Towns Shliach Rabbi Zalman Wolowik and a group of visitors at the holy site.

Blakeman, who is challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in this year’s gubernatorial election, used the visit to deliver a Rosh Hashanah message emphasizing faith, personal responsibility and the importance of using one’s abilities to improve the world.

“I want to wish everybody a Shana Tovah, that you have a healthy, happy, beautiful New Year,” he said.

Blakeman then spoke about the source of the blessings people receive.

“Remember, everything we get, all the blessings we get, are from above, from Hashem,” he said. “But He gives us the strength to make decisions and to take action.”

“We need to use that strength in a positive way to make a better world,” he added.

Blakeman concluded by wishing success to the community “in all of your endeavors, personally and collectively.”

Blakeman also visited the gravesite of Ari Halberstam HYD, the Chabad boy who was murdered in the 1994 terror attack.

The Ohel visit comes as Blakeman campaigns statewide for governor, seeking to unseat Hochul in the November election. Blakeman launched his gubernatorial campaign in December 2025 and is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

The race has recently drawn increased attention, with a poll released by Blakeman’s campaign showing him within four points of Hochul among likely voters, although other recent polling has shown Hochul with a larger lead.

Blakeman has made affordability, crime and retaining families in New York central themes of his campaign. His visit to the Ohel places the Republican candidate in a familiar setting for many Jewish voters in the New York region, just as the Jewish community prepares to enter the new year.

By Chaya Laine-Samuels

Nine days after my daughter was born, I was booked for a newborn photo shoot. Wig, makeup, a dress, a smile, running on maybe two hours of broken sleep and a body that still didn’t feel like mine. That week a steady stream of visitors came through to see the baby, and to every one of them I said, “BH, we’re doing fine.” Nobody knew how far “fine” felt from the truth. I didn’t tell them. I don’t think I had the words yet.

I had done everything you’re “supposed” to do. Birth plan in place, hospital bag packed, halachos of childbirth and niddah reviewed. By every measure I knew of, I was ready for birth.

Nobody had prepared me for what came after it.

Our community does the first two weeks better than almost anyone. The meal train ran like clockwork, the freezer filled faster than I could empty it. I don’t know how I would have survived those weeks without it. But once they passed and the visitors went back to their lives, I was standing in the kitchen at 2am holding a baby who would not stop crying, wondering why I felt like a stranger in my own body and my own home. Everyone else seemed to be back to normal. I loved my baby completely. I also felt like I was drowning, and ashamed that I felt that way, because wasn’t this supposed to be the happiest time of my life?

It took years, a second baby, and studying for a psychology degree, to name what I didn’t understand yet: the fourth trimester isn’t an afterthought to birth, it’s its own season, with its own recovery, its own hormonal free fall, its own nervous system trying to recalibrate. We treat birth like the finish line, the same way we treat a wedding like the finish line of a shidduch, when really it’s the starting line for the marriage that follows. What comes after is the part nobody hands you a checklist for.

This isn’t unique to us. Ask a mother anywhere and you’ll hear some version of the same story. Everyone shows up for the birth, almost nobody helps you plan for after it. Not because anyone is failing anyone, but because we’ve built enormous preparation around the day of the birth and almost none around the months that follow, and every mother inherits that gap. She needs someone to tell her what’s normal. Help protect her marriage while she and her husband are both running on fumes. Permission to reach for support once the Bris ends without calling it a failure. Humans are built to need each other, Hashem made us that way, and what is the point of community, if not that?

So why didn’t I ask for help, when I clearly needed it? Part pride, nobody wants to be the one who “can’t handle it” when everyone else in that stage looks like she’s managing fine (key word here: looks). Part gratitude turned inside out, you davened for this baby, maybe for years, and admitting the thing you prayed for is also breaking you a little feels almost ungrateful. And part of it is that nobody tells you what asking for help is even supposed to sound like. It doesn’t look like an emergency. It looks like tears you can’t explain, an uncharacteristically short fuse, a heaviness that doesn’t lift even when the baby finally sleeps, none of it dramatic enough to justify calling someone. So you say “BH, we’re doing ok,” and mean it, while also drowning.

I found the language for this later, finishing my psychology degree, sitting with expecting and postpartum mothers instead of just being one of them. I heard my own 2am kitchen story back to me more times than I can count, from women with full freezers and no plan, because nobody had ever helped them build one, the way a Kallah teacher helps build a plan for before and after a wedding.

I kept thinking about the version of me at that kitchen counter, too proud and too grateful to ask anyone for help. Not another “let me know if you need anything,” which never quite becomes an actual phone call. She needed the plan built before the exhaustion hit, while she could still think in full sentences. That’s the idea behind what I built.

I got to test it sooner than expected. I found out I was pregnant with my second when my first was fifteen months old, and this time I built the plan while I was pregnant and could still think clearly, and handpicked my village instead of accepting whoever showed up. The difference was significant, physically and emotionally. I wasn’t recovering from the recovery on top of learning how to care for a newborn and a toddler.

The Gentle Postpartum Program.

It’s built for expecting mothers in their third trimester, roughly 27 to 33 weeks along when the program begins, so if you’re reading this around 22 to 30 weeks, this is your time. It’s not therapy, and it doesn’t replace your OB, your doula, or your rabbi. It’s a structured way to sit down while you’re still pregnant and build your own plan across what matters most: physical recovery, real support, nourishment, mental health, marriage, community. Groups stay small and matched by due date, and I lead every one of the live calls myself, before you give birth, with support continuing once the baby’s here, past the point where everyone assumes you’re fine.

Wanting more than what falls into your lap by default doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It means you deserve a real plan, not just for the birth, but for everything after it.

Our October cohort is open for enrollment. Waitlist at https://stan.store/inmymotheraura, message me on WhatsApp 718-640-6111, or find me on Instagram at @inmymotheraura.

I prepared for birth. I wish someone prepared me for what happened next. I’m here to be that for you.

—Chaya Laine-Samuels is a postpartum educator and founder of In My Mother Aura and IMMA Foundation, where she helps expecting mothers build a plan for recovery, support, and mental health before the fourth trimester begins.

—

Two more things I’m building through IMMA Foundation, if you want to be part of them:

Be the Village, a volunteer initiative matching new mothers with women who want to help hands-on: holding the baby while she showers, taking the older kids to the park, the dishes, the laundry, whatever’s actually useful at the moment. 

One hour, when you’re available. No long term commitment required. 

Volunteers: Apply to volunteer at https://stan.store/inmymotheraura  

New and Expecting moms: Reach out for support on WhatsApp at 718-640-6111, and write “I need a Village.”

IMMA House, a physical space for pregnant and postpartum women to rest, connect, and find support in person, still in early research. If this is something you’d use, I’d be grateful if you took a few minutes to fill out this survey. 

https://forms.gle/thLXXHAHEDX8EhAs5 

To join our email list to stay in touch and receive updates, click here. https://stan.store/inmymotheraura  

This year, Benny & Friends 2: Whee Are Homeward Bound will put Benny Friedman center stage, joined throughout the show by a star-studded lineup of surprise guest performers.

Last year’s Benny & Friends brought together an exciting mix of artists, memorable collaborations, and plenty of unexpected moments, all built around the unmistakable energy Benny brings to the stage. The response spoke for itself, with the show selling out and leaving audiences ready for another round.

“Last year was just so much fun,” says Benny Friedman. “There was an amazing energy in the room, and getting to share the stage with so many friends made it really special. I’ve been looking forward to doing it again ever since, and I can’t wait to be back this Chol Hamoed!”

And the surprises don’t stop with the friends!

“Part of what makes Benny & Friends so much fun is that the audience never quite knows what’s coming next,” says show director Chaim Zippel. “It’s not only about who the guests will be, but the unexpected moments throughout the show, like when Benny joined the Miami Boys Choir alumni dressed in full uniform!”

The show arrives on the heels of Benny’s latest release, Homeward Bound, bringing its fresh sound, powerful message, and chart-topping hits to the Chol Hamoed stage.

It all comes together at The Ritz Theater at 3:00 PM, with incredible music, family fun, and the top-tier production audiences have come to expect from SING Entertainment.

With last year’s show selling out, be sure to get your tickets early and join us for another special Chol Hamoed afternoon!

Tickets are available here.
Brought to you by WHEE | a product of SR Play

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a record $70 million in security funding for nonprofit organizations vulnerable to hate crimes, alongside increased police patrols at synagogues and Jewish institutions during the High Holidays.

The funding will be distributed to 290 nonprofit organizations across the state through the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program. Synagogues, yeshivas, community centers and other eligible institutions can receive grants of up to $250,000 for security improvements.

The grants can be used to install surveillance cameras, alarms, panic buttons, reinforced doors, fencing, access-control systems, shatter-resistant glass and other protective measures. Funding can also cover cybersecurity upgrades and security training.

“As Jewish New Yorkers prepare for the High Holidays, we’re continuing our record investments to protect sensitive sites and surging State Police resources to keep communities safe across our state,” Hochul said.

State Police will conduct high-visibility patrols near synagogues and other Jewish institutions from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. Troopers have also begun contacting religious leaders and will coordinate with local and federal law enforcement agencies and Jewish security organizations.

New York City institutions received the largest portion of the newly announced funding, with 147 grants totaling nearly $35.8 million.

The enhanced security comes amid a continued rise in antisemitic incidents across New York City. According to NYPD data, 425 hate crimes were reported through August 30, a 16 percent increase over the same period last year.

Of those incidents, 229 were classified as anti-Jewish, accounting for nearly 54 percent of all confirmed hate crimes in the city. Anti-Jewish incidents increased by 8 percent compared with the same period in 2025.

“There has been more antisemitism and overt hatred levied against the people of Jewish faith than we can remember in recent history,” Hochul said. “We shouldn’t have to be thinking that these places of worship and places where children have to go to school have to be fortified against hate.”

The governor said the stepped-up patrols are intended to allow Jewish families to attend davening and High Holiday programs without fear.

“That means when a grandfather walks into a shul, he’ll have the peace of mind to know he’ll be protected,” she said.

Yeshivas Kayitz Tzeirei Hashluchim (YKTH) recently completed another unforgettable six-week summer program in Tzfas, bringing together 120 bochurim for a summer filled with learning, Chassidishkeit, friendship, and exciting experiences.

Led by Rabbis Chaim and Zalman Kaplan and directed by Rabbi Eli Rosenfeld, the program offered a strong learning schedule alongside trips, recreation, and special programs, creating a summer that left a lasting impression on every participant.

One of YKTH’s defining features is its creative and engaging approach to learning. In addition to regular Sedarim in Chassidus and Gemara, the bochurim participated in Aliba D’Hilchasa, a curriculum developed by JLI specifically for YKTH. Each week opened with a video introducing a practical, modern-day scenario. The bochurim then explored the relevant Gemara and Halacha, gaining a deeper appreciation for how Torah provides guidance in every area of life.

The learning experience was further enhanced by several unique programs. L’Orca U’Lirochba introduced the bochurim to the history and significance of cities throughout Eretz Yisrael, many of which they later had the opportunity to visit. Through the Electives program, each bochur was able to select areas of learning that personally interested him. Seder Erev also featured a rotating schedule of guest speakers and interactive programs, keeping the evening learning fresh and engaging.

Mivtza Essentials was one of the summer’s most successful initiatives. The program encouraged each bochur to make meaningful personal Hachlatos in Darchei Hachassidus and work consistently toward achieving them. Those who excelled earned access to exclusive events, limited-edition merchandise, and additional prizes.

The Maamar for Shmuel Mivtza was held in memory of Shmuel A”H ben R’ Osher Karnowsky, a beloved former participant in YKTH. Each Shabbos, many bochurim committed a Maamar of the Rebbe to memory. As a reward for their efforts, they enjoyed horseback riding through the beautiful forests surrounding Tzfas.

Another popular learning initiative was Mitzvah Torah, which encouraged the bochurim to use their free time to study two additional Perakim of Gemara. Those who completed the challenge were rewarded with an exhilarating paragliding experience from the cliffs of Netanya.

Beyond the Zal, the bochurim enjoyed a full schedule of trips and activities throughout Eretz Yisrael. They walked through the ancient streets of Yerushalayim’s Old City, rode ATVs, made their way through Chizkiyahu’s water tunnels, hiked the cliffs of Har Arbel, and visited the shores of Eilat. Each trip combined adventure with opportunities to learn about the history, holiness, and beauty of Eretz Yisrael.

The summer also included a powerful mission of solidarity with the victims of the Simchas Torah massacre and the soldiers defending Eretz Yisrael. The bochurim visited Sderot, Re’im, and other affected areas, where they witnessed firsthand the strength and resilience of the people living there. They also hosted a lively barbecue for soldiers near the Lebanon border, bringing them encouragement, appreciation, and Chassidishe Simcha.

The program concluded with an exciting four-day grand trip. One of its most meaningful highlights was an inspiring Shabbos in Chevron, where the bochurim walked in the footsteps of the Avos and experienced the unique Kedusha of the city. The trip continued to Eilat, where scuba diving in the Red Sea was among the many unforgettable activities.

The success of the summer was made possible by the dedicated staff, led by Mendy Hirsch, Levi Spalter, Arik Deren, and Yossi Zaltzman. Their tireless efforts, energy, and personal devotion ensured that every bochur enjoyed an extraordinary and meaningful experience.

As the bochurim return to their respective Yeshivos, they take with them much more than wonderful memories. They return with renewed energy, stronger friendships, greater enthusiasm for learning, and the inspiration gained from a summer filled with Torah, Chassidishkeit, and unforgettable adventures.

As the new year approaches, the Oholei Torah Mechanchim gathered on Motzei Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim Vayeilech for its annual Selichos Farbrengen, bringing together the Yeshiva’s dedicated mechanchim and staff for an evening of inspiration, achdus, and preparation for the Yomim Noraim.

This year’s farbrengen was dedicated in connection with the conclusion of Shiva for Reb Yehoshua “Shea” Safrin, zt’l, known as the Komarna Rebbe of Manhattan, a longtime supporter of Oholei Torah and a dear friend of the Yeshiva’s founders, Reb Michoel Teitelbaum and Rabbi Yosef Rosenfeld.

Over the years, Reb Shea generously supported Oholei Torah in many ways. He attended the Yeshiva’s Annual Dinners and dedicated the Rosler Beis Medrash at Oholei Torah’s Yeshivas Kayitz in Lakewood, Pennsylvania. More recently, he took a particular interest in the continued growth of the Beis Medrash, regularly asking how many talmidim were learning there, what they were learning, and following its development with great pride. He was proud to be associated with a moisad that brought such kovod to Lubavitch.

In his memory, the 447 talmidim of the Raitport Beis Medrash divided and learned Mishnayos, culminating in a siyum held during the farbrengen.

Rabbi Nosson Blumes, Director of Donor Relations, who maintained a close connection with the Safrin family, shared heartfelt words about Reb Shea and his longstanding relationship with Oholei Torah. He also announced that the Shabbos minyan will dedicate its activities throughout the entire month of Tishrei l’ilui nishmas Reb Shea Safrin.

The gathering took place at 10:30 PM in the Michelashvili Beis Medrash at 667 Eastern Parkway, shortly before Selichos.

The featured speaker was Rabbi Sholom Dovid Geisinsky, a Mechanech in Oholei Torah Mechina, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Queens, and a longtime Nosei V’nosein in Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim at 770. Rabbi Geisinsky shared words of hisorerus and practical inspiration, encouraging the mechanchim to approach the new year and their vital responsibility in chinuch with renewed chayus and purpose.

The gathering brought together members of the Oholei Torah family from across the Yeshiva’s many divisions and departments, providing an opportunity to spend meaningful time together and reflect on their shared mission of educating and caring for the Yeshiva’s talmidim. Shalom Osdoba, a bochur in Beis Medrash, also made a Siyum Mishnayos at the farbrengen, adding to the evening’s atmosphere of Torah and inspiration. As Selichos began, the staff entered the final stretch before Rosh Hashanah strengthened by an evening of achdus, Chassidishe inspiration, and renewed appreciation for the tremendous zechus and responsibility of chinuch.

For the first time, the Tishrei Tent at 770 will offer a limited number of designated seats for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos.

Until now, seating in the Tent has largely operated on a first-come, first-served basis, often making it difficult for mispallelim to step away during davening without losing their place.

This year, set minyanim and designated seating are being introduced to better accommodate local families and the thousands of guests spending Tishrei in Crown Heights.

A team of baalei tefillah has been hired, led by Rabbi Chaim Levilov, while Tent gabbai Rabbi Zalman Simon will oversee the minyanim throughout Tishrei.

Only a limited number of designated seats are being made available.

Reserve your seat here.

There will be a Chamah distribution today, Tuesday, September 8, of very nice food boxes, with chicken, tuna, eggs, nice produce and grocery items.

Pickup times will be as follows: 4 pm

The distribution will take place at 435 Montgomery St (at Beis Rivkah parking lot on Montgomery)

Special thanks to the Met council and CHJCC

All women and girls are invited to join Nshei Ubnos Chabad in 770 Bais Moshiach downstairs to commemorate the time when the Rebbe would address the women and girls on erev Rosh Hashana with a message and many brochos for the new year.

Tuesday כו אלול תשפ”ו September 8, 2026
Ushering in the new year תשפ”ז

Registration 6:15
Program promptly 6:45
Guest Speaker Rabbi Yossi Paltiel
M.C. Goldie Blank
Rebbe video presentation
We will have the Zchus to enter the Rebbe’s room after the program.

Nshei Chabad wishes everyone
כחיבה וחתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה

May we celebrate this farbrengen in the Bais Hamikdash Hashlishi.
Moshiach now

It was 27 Elul 5744, just before the start of a new year, when the Rebbe addressed a gathering of Jewish women and girls.

Among the subjects the Rebbe spoke about was Keren Hashana—and a remarkably simple idea.

Give once before the new year. Keren Hashana then distributes tzedaka on your behalf throughout the entire year—not once a day, but twice, before Shacharis and Mincha.

And the Rebbe didn’t want the idea to stop with the people in the room.

He encouraged those listening to tell others about Keren Hashana and inspire them to participate too, giving more Jews the opportunity to have tzedaka given on their behalf each day.

Today, 73 years after the Rebbe established Keren Hashana under Machne Israel, that same system continues today.

Every morning. Every afternoon. Every day of the year.

Now, as another Rosh Hashana approaches, the Rebbe’s words offer a timely reminder of an opportunity available to each of us.

The coming year, 5787, contains 385 days.

One contribution can make every one of them a day of giving.

Participate for 5787 at MyKerenHashana.com

WATCH:

By Anonymous

Picture a shul on Rosh Hashanah. The men are davening. The women are inside too, trying to catch Mussaf between babies and bathroom trips and finding someone’s missing machzor.

And the kids? They’re everywhere. Downstairs. Upstairs. Outside. Back inside. Running to the kiddush room. Looking for candy. Playing hide-and-seek. Walking through hallways that twist and turn into rooms and coatrooms and stairwells and corners nobody can see. It’s all part of the sweetness of shul.

And I don’t think we can afford to be casual about it anymore. And with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos coming; hours and hours and hours of shul time, I need to say something that perhaps should have been obvious all along: We need adults in the hallways.

Maybe women need to sit in the hallways at shul. Maybe communities need designated hallway monitors. Maybe shuls need to actually create child-safety plans instead of assuming that because there are 300 adults somewhere in the building, our children are being supervised. Because 300 adults in a building is not the same thing as one adult watching the hallway.

We understand this concept when the threat comes from the outside. We hire security guards. We lock doors. We install cameras. We worry about antisemitic violence. We teach our children not to run into parking lots. We make plans for emergencies. We know which doors should remain locked and who is allowed into the building. But security also means protecting children from what can happen inside our buildings.

And that kind of danger doesn’t necessarily look dangerous. People who abuse children are often people children know and trust. They can be relatives, family friends, older community members, and other familiar people. They can be teenagers and they can be peers. Most of the time, they don’t look like predators at all.

Sometimes danger looks completely normal. Which is precisely why our systems have to be better than our instincts. This isn’t about becoming paranoid. It’s about becoming awake.
Before Shul, Have the Conversation. Put body safety into the same category as every other safety conversation.

We can tell our children:
“Before we go to shul, let’s remember our safety rules. We don’t run into the parking lot because of cars. We don’t leave the building without Mommy/Ima or Tatty/Abba knowing. We don’t go somewhere private or hidden with another person without checking with a parent first. If someone offers you something and asks you to come somewhere with them, you come ask us first. Always.”

And then:
“If anybody ever asks you to keep something about touching, your body, or something that made you uncomfortable a secret from us, you can always tell us. Even if it’s a grown-up. Even if it’s a kid. Even if it’s someone you really like. Even if they told you you’d get in trouble.”

And perhaps most importantly:
“You will never, ever be in trouble for telling us.”

These shouldn’t be conversations we have once after hearing a horrifying story. They should be boring. Normal and repeated. Like looking both ways before crossing the street.

And Girls Sticking Together Isn’t a Safety Plan.
I hear this one a lot: The girls are together.

But children supervising children is not adult supervision. Neither is “there are always people around.” There are people around until there aren’t. There is a group until one child needs the bathroom. There are four girls until someone says, “Come, I want to show you something.” There are children playing together until two disappear around a corner.

And this isn’t only about girls. Boys need these conversations and protections too. We cannot put the responsibility for preventing sexual abuse onto children. We can teach them boundaries. We can give them language. We can tell them to stick together. The adults are responsible for creating the safe environment.

So maybe this Yom Tov, somebody misses a little davening. Maybe shuls make a rotation. Twenty minutes in the hallway. Twenty minutes near the bathrooms. Twenty minutes walking the stairs and checking the quieter spaces. The corners everyone misses.

Not because we suspect everyone, but because children deserve to be in spaces created with their safety in mind.

If your child ever tells you that somebody touched them, showed them something, asked them to do something, or behaved toward them in a way that felt wrong: Try to keep your body calm. Even if internally you are absolutely not calm. Don’t interrogate them.

Don’t ask the same question fifteen different ways because your own brain is desperately trying to understand what happened. Just listen and let them use their own words.

Tell them: “I believe you. I’m so glad you told me. You are not in trouble. This is not your fault.” Tell them you’re going to help keep them safe.

Then get professional guidance. Guidance for responding to a child’s admission specifically recommends remaining calm, taking the child seriously, avoiding leading or pressuring questions, and allowing trained professionals to conduct the detailed interviewing that may be necessary. Parents are supposed to be parents in that moment.

Contact an appropriate professional: your pediatrician, an organization specializing in this, a clinician trained specifically in child sexual abuse, child protective services or law enforcement when appropriate. Reporting requirements differ by jurisdiction and by a person’s role, so don’t rely on communal rumor to decide what the law requires.

Most importantly, protecting an adult’s reputation cannot be part of the calculation of whether we protect a child.

It is 2026. We have to be finished with the reflex that asks first: But who was it? What will happen to their family? Are we sure? Do we really want this getting out? Maybe there was a misunderstanding? Come on, it can’t be.

A child’s safety is not less sacred than an adult’s name. And believing a child enough to protect them and involve the appropriate professionals is not the same thing as conducting a public trial in the shul lobby.

We’re about to spend an extraordinary number of hours inside our shuls. We will ask Hashem for another year of life. We will ask Him to protect us.We will stand before the Aron Kodesh and say Avinu Malkeinu.

Our Father. Our King. Protect us, guard us. Have mercy on us. Maybe part of asking Hashem to protect our children is being willing to become part of the protection. Maybe teshuvah sometimes looks less mystical than we’d like.

Maybe sometimes it looks like a mother sitting on a folding chair in a hallway while everyone else is saying Tehillim. Maybe it looks like a father getting up in the middle of Mussaf to check where his kids actually are.

Maybe it looks like a shul board saying: Whose responsibility are the children in this building for the next four hours?

Maybe it looks like having one uncomfortable conversation at breakfast before leaving for shul.

We don’t need to make our children afraid of the world. I desperately don’t want that. I want our children running through shul hallways. I want them stealing candy and making up games and finding their friends and growing up remembering Yom Tov as noisy and fun and safe.

I just want us in the hallways with them. Watching, knowing, and protecting.

Because if we can put someone at the front door to protect our children from the dangers outside, we can put someone in the hallway to protect them from the dangers within them.

With Rosh Hashanah falling on Shabbos this year, COLlive presents a special letter from the Rebbe from 5732 addressing the unique significance and lessons of Rosh Hashanah when it coincides with Shabbos.

The letter is available in three languages for convenient reading and downloading.

English
Hebrew
Yiddish

Dear friend,

My name is Yaakov Gross. I am a sofer stam over 30 years ago, and a father of eight wonderful children who depend on me for everything.

For the past seven years, I been battling a severe heart condition that has completely changed my life.

During these years, I have suffered five heart attacks, undergone countless catheterizations, and recently endured a major heart surgery meant to save my life. My body is weak, and every day is a struggle to breathe, to stand, to continue being a father to my children.

The illness didn’t only stop my heart ! it stopped my livelihood !!!

Because of my medical condition, I can no longer work as a sofer stam as I have my entire life. The medical expenses, hospital stays, medications, and constant travel to treatments have added up to overwhelming amounts.

Slowly, large debts have accumulated debts I simply cannot handle, And with a heart as fragile as mine, the constant pressure and fear from these debts is itself dangerous stress is not just painful, it is life threatening.

I was always the one who worked, who supported the home, who managed everything on my own. Today, I no longer can.

I am reaching out to you from the depths of my heart

I am asking for your help so I can cover the debts created by my treatments, purchase essential medications, and support my family through this difficult period until, with G-d’s help, I can stand on my feet again

Every donation, big or small, is a breath of air for me.

For my children it is hope.

Wishing You a Blessed Shana tova

May this Rosh Hashanah bring you and your loved ones health, peace, and abundance.

May your kindness be returned to you many times over, and may you be inscribed and sealed for a year of goodness and blessing.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any help

Yaakov Gross

Donate now

A new mikvah currently under construction in New Jersey will be named Crown Mikvah, perpetuating the memory and quiet legacy of Mrs. Rivka Rubashkin a”h.

“Crown” was the shorthand label for the place where Mrs. Rubashkin quietly performed the extraordinary chessed with which her name is synonymous. Those who were hungry and struggling knew that Crown was an address where they would be warmly welcomed and cared for with dignity. Her chessed was done without publicity or recognition, just because she was an eved Hashem and that was Hashem’s will – and it was done with the simplicity, dignity, and generosity that defined her life.

Crown Mikvah will carry that name—and continue that legacy in a deeply fitting way.

This growing Jewish community currently has no local mikvah. The nearest one is 20 minutes away, leaving women with no accessible option on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Crown Mikvah will provide an address for those who presently have nowhere else to turn.

Like the chessed performed at Crown Restaurant, the important work of a mikvah takes place quietly. Without fanfare, it strengthens the foundations of Torah, taharah, and Jewish family life. Its impact will be felt in homes and families for generations to come.

Construction is already underway, and $126,000 has been raised, which is 50% of the funds needed to complete the Mikvah.

Additional funding is urgently needed to complete the fixtures, heating systems, and final interior work so that Crown Mikvah can open its doors as soon as possible.

We invite you to partner with us in building Crown Mikvah, dedicated לעילוי נשמת רבקה בת ר׳ עוזיאל, and help complete a mikvah taharah in a community that desperately needs one.

Sarah from Nebraska, Jacob from South Korea, and Hannah from Texas joined 300 children from around the world as they were welcomed on the first day of the Nigri Jewish Online School of the Shluchim Office.

The first day of school looked a little different than it does for most children. Thanks to the Nigri Jewish Online School, they were able to begin their school year from thousands of miles away, learning alongside Jewish children from around the world.

The Jewish Online School, sister-school of the Shluchim Online School is for all Jewish children from all walks of life. Whether already Frum or just starting to learn about Yiddishkeit, they can choose between day school, evening school, Hebrew school, conversational Hebrew, Bar/Bas Mitzvah lessons or private tutoring options.

“It’s so beautiful to see children from Norway, Germany, Dubai and Japan learning together in one classroom,” said Principal Mrs. Chanie Hertzel. “We are so grateful to our incredible teachers and staff, with special thanks to our Day School Education director, Morah Rochel Abrams and our After School & Hebrew school coordinator, Morah Noa Miriam Truxton.”

For families like the Sarah’s, Jacob’s and Hannah’s, living far from a Jewish school does not have to mean being far from a Jewish education. The first day of school marks the beginning of a year full of learning, growth and friendships for the hundreds of students who live all across the globe.

“Although they learn online, the real connections fostered amongst classmates and teachers are so impactful and inspiring.” shared Yeshiva Coordinator Rabbi Yitzchok Jacobs. “The staff’s dedication, care and commitment to every child’s education and personal success has made our year start on such an incredible note.”

The Nigri Jewish Online School is a project of the Shluchim Office.

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Shawn Levin

There was a buzz in the air on Monday morning, Chai Elul, as months of discussions, announcements and a formal launch finally became a reality with the first morning of learning at the Kollel Tiferes Zkeinim Levi Yitzchok at Chabad of the West Coast in Blouberg, Cape Town, South Africa.

It began at the Chof Av Farbrengen, when the first announcement was made that, in response to the Rebbe’s call 46 years earlier at the 1980 Farbrengen marking his father’s yahrzeit, a Kollel Tiferes Zkeinim, “the Glory of the Elders,” would be established for senior members of the community committed to serious daily Torah study, developing and enriching both their knowledge and their skills in Torah learning.

In recent years, a network of Kollel Tiferes Zkeinim Levi Yitzchok programs has been established in Israel in partnership with Colel Chabad, and the Cape Town Kollel is proud to be among the first branches joining the initiative from the diaspora.

Central to the announcement was the appointment of Rabbi Hillel Bernstein as Rosh Chaburah. Rabbi Bernstein, who has many years of experience as a rabbi and teacher and serves as a Maggid Shiur at the Yeshiva Gedolah in Johannesburg, is beloved by those who have been privileged to learn from him.

Last Thursday night, on the fifteenth of Elul, Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein; Rabbi Avigdor Blumenau, Rav and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Meshech Chochma Milnerton; Rabbi Yitzi Tanzer, Associate Rabbi of the Milnerton Shul; and Rabbi Avrumi Katz, Rosh Kollel of the Cape Town Kollel, joined the Blouberg Jewish community and members of the Kollel for its formal launch.

Rabbi Bernstein welcomed those gathered to the historic occasion and introduced Rabbi Goldstein, who drew on powerful Torah themes to highlight the significance of people emerging from semi-retirement and committing themselves to serious daily Torah study as a source of blessing in their lives.

Rabbi Goldstein also expressed appreciation to the pioneering patrons of the Kollel, Mr. Lev Leviev of Israel and others.

Rabbi Blumenau, representing the neighboring Milnerton community, spoke warmly about the spirit of Achdus through Torah that is bringing together members from across the area to study together, expressing the hope that it will set a tone of unity for the future.

Rabbi Avi Shlomo then welcomed members of the Kollel Halacha Tiferes Levi Yitzchok, the original pioneers of high-level Torah learning in the community. The Kollel began on Chof Av two years ago and is now completing its second year of Limaan Yilmedu, having studied Hilchos Kashrus before completing Hilchos Shabbos this year.

Each of the talmidim was then presented with a certificate recognizing a year of dedicated study.

Then, on Monday morning, it all began in earnest.

The shul filled with excited participants, who joined together for a beautiful davening and a delicious breakfast before beginning the central focus of the new Kollel: immersive Torah learning.

The morning opened with an in-depth Chumash shiur by Rabbi Bernstein, followed by smaller learning groups, with participants learning, teaching, listening and sharing together while absorbing the warmth and wisdom of the timeless Torah.

The organizers expressed their appreciation to Barbara Saacks and the catering team for providing the food that accompanied the launch and first morning of learning.

Volunteers are being organized to go and blow Shofar in the homes of those in the Crown Heights community who for whatever reason are not able to go to shul for Tekiyas Shofar.

Please see links below for REQUESTS and for VOLUNTEERS.

REQUESTS:
Please submit before Thursday evening the 10th of September, 28th of Elul.
All names are confidential and will only be shared with the person attending your home.
https://goo.gl/forms/8DWCqQ1srZ8JTe642

VOLUNTEERS:
If you are able to blow Shofar for someone, please fill out the form below and you will be contacted regarding where and when to go.
https://goo.gl/forms/mihajSVLLjS31dcE2

A project arranged by Chabad Air and Bais Shmuel Chabad.
For any questions or comments please email [email protected]

Hundreds gathered at Kaliningrad’s historic synagogue to mark its 130th anniversary with the revival of a composition written for its original dedication, celebrating the remarkable rebirth of Jewish life in the former Königsberg.

The Jewish community of Kaliningrad, historically known as Königsberg, recently marked 130 years since the dedication of the city’s grand synagogue with a moving celebration highlighting its history, destruction and eventual revival.

The synagogue was the only synagogue in what is today Russian territory to be completely destroyed during Kristallnacht. Eighty years later, it was rebuilt on its original foundations and today serves as a center of Torah, Jewish life and community activity.

The community is led by Mara D’asra Rabbi Dovid Shvedik and Shliach Rabbi Avraham Baruch Deutsch.

Hundreds of community members, public figures and friends filled the synagogue for the anniversary celebration.

Jewish community president Eliezer Yermiyahu Flitman opened the event with an overview of the history of Jewish life in the city. Rabbi Shvedik then sounded the shofar and addressed the significance of continuing Jewish life in the historic building 130 years after its original dedication.

Certificates of appreciation were also presented to friends and supporters of the community in recognition of their contributions throughout the year.

A highlight of the evening came when the synagogue choir performed “Se’u She’arim Rasheichem” (“Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates”), a composition written by Eduard Birnbaum, who served as chief cantor in Königsberg.

Birnbaum composed the piece specifically for the synagogue’s original dedication 130 years ago. Its performance once again inside the same synagogue brought the building’s history vividly to life and deeply moved those in attendance.

The musical program also included stirring violin renditions of “Kol Nidrei” and “A Yiddishe Mamme,” adding to the atmosphere of Elul and the approaching Yomim Noraim.

A special letter from Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar was read at the event. Rabbi Lazar highlighted the Divine Providence surrounding the discovery of the synagogue’s original foundations and the transformation of the site into a thriving center of Orthodox Jewish life.

“The spiritual transformation this place has undergone, from a synagogue that was formerly liberal to a synagogue that now leads an Orthodox community, is the most profound proof that the Jewish heart always yearns for the pure source,” Rabbi Lazar wrote.

The celebration also featured the opening of a special exhibition in the synagogue’s museum displaying historic photographs from the Baal HaTanya Shul in Jerusalem.

Alongside the photographs was a letter sent for the anniversary by Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Deutsch on behalf of Kollel Chabad. Rabbi Deutsch is the grandfather of Kaliningrad Shliach Rabbi Avraham Baruch Deutsch.

The letter highlighted a remarkable historical connection between Königsberg and Chabad in Jerusalem.

Some 130 years ago, a prominent Königsberg philanthropist, R’ Yitzchak Shub, contributed toward the establishment of the Ohel Yitzchak Chabad synagogue in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood. Today, the grandson of one of the founders of that Jerusalem synagogue serves as a Chabad Shliach in Kaliningrad, helping Jewish life flourish in the city from which that support originated.

Following the anniversary celebration, the Kaliningrad Jewish community is preparing for the upcoming month of Tishrei.

The celebrations are expected to continue with the dedication of a new Sefer Torah to the synagogue, donated by Eduard Elchanan Migirov of Moscow in honor and merit of his parents, Avraham and Sarah.

More than a century after the synagogue first opened, and decades after it was destroyed, its rebuilt walls once again serve as a center of Torah, Chassidus and vibrant Jewish life in Kaliningrad.

In a few weeks, more than 1,500 Bochurim will pack their bags and return to Yeshivos around the world.

But the most important thing they bring home will not be inside their suitcases.

It will be the special energy from davening in 770, the Hiskashrus felt at the Ohel, the words of a Farbrengen that struck home, and a renewed sense of what it means to be a Tomim. That is the Tishrei they will carry into their learning, davening and daily lives throughout the year ahead.

Making that possible begins with something very practical.

A Bochur cannot fully immerse himself in Tishrei if he is worried about where he will sleep or where his next meal will come from. That is why the Vaad Hatmimim prepares 1,200 beds and provides more than 90,000 meals each Tishrei.

Those numbers are enormous. But behind each one is something simple: a Bochur with a proper place to sleep, a warm meal and the peace of mind to focus on why he came.

And that is only part of the picture.

The Vaad also organizes Sedorim, prepares special Kovtzei Limud and arranges Shiurim, panels and Farbrengens with Mashpiim. From the morning Seder until the late-night Farbrengen, the month is filled with opportunities for the Bochurim to learn, grow and strengthen their connection to the Rebbe.

This is what it means to stand behind a Bochur during Tishrei: to take care of what he needs today so that he can return to Yeshiva strengthened for the entire year.

A donation to the Vaad helps put a warm meal on the table, provide a bed at the end of a long day, place a Kovetz Limud in a Bochur’s hands and make the next Farbrengen possible.

Help ensure that every Bochur leaves Tishrei with something worth carrying home.

Support the Vaad’s campaign today

Most people have heard by now that AI can change the way a business runs. Far fewer have been shown exactly how. That was the idea behind a recent workshop hosted by CHYE and CHJCC, where local business owners, and community members packed a room to find out what the tools everyone keeps talking about can actually do for them.

For more than 13 years, CHYE.Info has helped entrepreneurs and aspiring professionals in Crown Heights gain the guidance, skills, mentorship, and connections they need to succeed. Through workshops, business mentoring, networking events, and educational programs, CHYE works to make valuable resources and emerging opportunities accessible to members of the community. This AI workshop hosted in partnership with CHJCC. Reflects a continued commitment to helping local businesses adapt, grow, and remain competitive in a rapidly changing economy.

The session was led by Shua Pinson, a Crown Heights native who built the Shechuna app, now used by close to 7,000 people in the neighborhood, and who today co-founds Axiqom, a business optimization studio that helps organizations put AI to work. His pitch was refreshingly plain. Nobody in business cares about the hype, he said. They care about results, about their business running smoother and giving them back time they do not have.

Pinson opened by clearing up a misconception. When most people picture AI, they still picture the chatbot from a few years ago, a glorified Google search that answered questions and summarized the occasional email. That is not what the tools look like now. The workshop walked through what AI can genuinely do today, and then did something rarer at events like these. It showed the audience how to set it up themselves.

To keep it grounded, Pinson built a sample business live on screen, a fictional Crown Heights contractor called Boro Restoration. He started the way most people do, asking the AI cold for a client proposal, and the result was exactly what frustrates first-time users. It guessed at prices, invented details, and produced something no contractor would send. Then he did it the right way. The single most important rule, he told the room, is to treat AI like a new employee. You would never hand a new hire a task without telling them who you are, how you price, and how you like things done. So he loaded in that context, the company’s procedures, past proposals, a real rate sheet, and writing samples so the tone matched, and organized it inside a project that remembers everything relevant to one kind of work. A few minutes later the same request produced a clean, branded, correctly priced proposal, ready to send.

From there he showed the features that make the difference. He explained connectors, the bridge that lets AI read and act inside the software a business already uses, from Gmail to a customer database. In one live demo the AI scanned an inbox, flagged the messages that mattered and drafted replies in the owner’s own voice. In another it read a customer list and pointed out which leads had gone cold.

He was careful about the fears in the room. Attendees asked the obvious questions. What about privacy. What stops it from sending something embarrassing on my behalf. His answer was consistent. It comes down to setting things up responsibly. Keep the AI on read-only access to start, require approval before it takes any action, and keep a human eye on anything that goes out.

The evening closed on the word everyone came to hear, agents. Pinson demystified it. The term comes from agency, meaning the tool can carry out a goal on its own instead of waiting for step-by-step instructions. He showed a simple one he built that checks a business inbox every hour, sorts the real inquiries from the spam, and drafts a quote reply for each, leaving the owner to glance and hit send. It never sends on its own, by design. What surprised the room was how ordinary it was to build, about fifteen minutes, and well within reach for anyone there.

For business owners and organizations who want help figuring out where AI actually fits, that is the work Axiqom does day to day, sitting with owners to find where a business loses time and building the simplest tool, automation or system that fixes it. More information is available at https://axiqom.com.

Two people were shot in separate incidents Monday afternoon in Crown Heights, as thousands gathered nearby for the annual New York Carnival Parade along Eastern Parkway.

According to police, a man was shot near Nostrand Avenue and St. John’s Place, just north of Eastern Parkway. A suspect was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered.

A second shooting was reported shortly afterward at Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue, along the heavily secured parade area.

Police said two suspects fled toward Albany Avenue. One was described as wearing a gray hoodie and blue jeans, while the second was wearing a white shirt.

Both victims are expected to survive. No police officers were injured.

The shootings came as the NYPD deployed an unusually large security operation for the annual Caribbean celebration, following violence at and around the parade in previous years. Thousands of officers were stationed throughout the parade route and surrounding Crown Heights streets, with additional security screening and barricades in place.

This year’s parade was also scheduled to conclude earlier, at 5:30 p.m., in an effort to prevent the violence that has historically occurred toward the end of the festivities.

The incidents are under investigation.

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, Sichos In English (SIE) is proud to offer the ultimate Rosh HaShanah learning package, catered toward the English-speaking crowd. This year Rosh HaShanah begins Friday night, and the first day falls on Shabbos — a day whose avodah takes on its own character.

ROSH HASHANAH THAT FALLS ON SHABBOS

Selections from Sefer HaSichos — the translated sichah, from Sefer HaSichos 5749, on sounding the shofar when Rosh HaShanah falls on Shabbos, a question taken up from the Alter Rebbe through the later Rebbeim.

Download

THIS WEEK’S SICHOS — LIKKUTEI SICHOS ON ROSH HASHANAH

Two sichos of the Rebbe on Rosh HaShanah, newly available in English:

Chelek Daled — from Likkutei Sichos Vol. 4. Released this week.

Download

Chelek Beis — from Likkutei Sichos Vol. 2.

Download

Both are part of SIE’s Weekly Sichah: every week, a sichah of the Rebbe from Likkutei Sichos in a fresh English translation, free, formatted to print and learn over Shabbos. The archive — Chelek Alef through Daled, by parasha — is at shop.sie.org/pages/weekly.

To get it every week, Subscribe Here, or join the WhatsApp broadcast.

ALSO IN THE PACKAGE

Weiss Edition Shulchan Aruch — Siman 590, the order of sounding the shofar, from Vol. 10 of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch.

Download

Lessons in Maamarim — Zeh HaYom Techilas Maasecha, 5742. Sponsored by the Rabinow Family.

Download

Sefer HaSichos — the Frierdiker Rebbe’s Rosh HaShanah farbrengens, 5701–5705.

Download

The study of Chassidus, available to all, allows us to reach above and beyond the limitations of our world. Accept our wishes for a year of revealed good, with health and happiness for yourselves, your families and all of Klal Yisroel — and may this Rosh HaShanah finally usher in the year of Redemption.

All of Sichos In English’s Yom Tov material is available year-round at shop.sie.org/pages/resources

For five months, one young boy barely left his bedroom. He spent his days playing video games, while his parents watched helplessly as one door after another closed in his face.

They had tried place after place, hoping to find somewhere he could grow, connect and thrive. But after repeated rejection, they were nearly ready to give up hope that anything productive would happen in his life.

Then, one phone call changed everything. A friend from Bnei Aliya reached out and said, “Come join us.”

He came—and that is where everything began to change.

The unconditional Aliya hug helped him come out of his shell. Today, he comes to school happily, reconnects with friends and has become more social and confident. He is learning Chassidus and Gemara, preparing for his Regents, enjoying sports and working out with Rabbi Nissen.

Most importantly, he is happy and feels good about himself again.

That is what can happen when a boy who has heard “no” everywhere else finally finds a place that says, “Yes. You belong here.”

Every day, boys and young men walk through Aliya’s doors for a safe space, a hot meal, the Aliya Kollel, Bnei Aliya, a shiur, the gym, the mikvah—or simply a place where they know they will be embraced exactly as they are.

This year, Aliya moved its annual campaign from December to the beginning of the school year so that we can welcome more boys now, when they need us most.

Perhaps the best way to receive Hashem’s unconditional love is to show His children unconditional love.

The Aliya campaign is now live. For the next two days, every donation—every hug you give—will be tripled by our generous matchers, many of whom are Aliya alumni themselves.

Please join the hug and help us say YES to the next young person who needs a place to belong.

Charidy.com/aliya

To ask a question and for more answers visit:

https://stumptherabbi.org/

Over the past few weeks, one question has appeared across Crown Heights:
“How do you Volunteer/Revolution?”

The answers have been everywhere…
In the volunteers who give their Sundays.
In the parents and families who have shared their stories.

In the team leaders who have picked up the phone and asked others to join them.
And in every donor who has chosen to turn their generosity into support for Friendship Circle Brooklyn.

Today, there are only a few hours left to add your answer.

Friendship Circle Brooklyn’s Volunteer/Revolution campaign ends tonight, and we still need the community’s help to cross the finish line.

For hundreds of children, families, and volunteers, Friendship Circle isn’t a two-day campaign.

It’s friendships that continue week after week. It’s a child waiting for their volunteer to arrive. It’s a parent knowing there is a community standing beside their family. It’s teenagers learning that giving to another person can change both of their lives.

And it all requires the financial support to continue.

This is the moment to give.

If you’ve watched the campaign from the sidelines, now is the time to step in. If you’ve been meaning to donate, now is the time to show your support.

If you’ve already given, help us reach one more person who hasn’t!

Every gift brings Friendship Circle closer to its goal, and helps ensure that the work continues long after the campaign clock reaches zero.

We’ve spent this campaign celebrating the countless ways our community volunteers for one another.

Now, with just hours remaining, Friendship Circle is asking you to volunteer one more thing:

Your support.

Help Friendship Circle Brooklyn cross the finish line.

Join the Volunteer/Revolution!

Donate here: https://charidy.com/fcbkln/collive

By Yosef Shidler

I’m probably as skeptical as the next person when I hear that something is a segulah for something. And people who have been trying to have children are certainly tired of everyone telling them to try this segulah or that one.

Days before October 7th, I had a simple idea: connect shluchim who could use a few extra dollars with people who might want to buy a Chosson Torah.

I have a personal stake in it. I am the product of a Chosson Torah bought off a shliach and paid off over the course of a year. The week after I finished paying it off, I met my wife. We were engaged a short time later. Other segulos were at play in my life too, and it felt like everything came together at once — but the timing was more than chilling.

So twelve years into my marriage I started offering to do the same for other people. Let the shluchim make a few dollars. We ran it days before October 7th, entirely on WhatsApp and Instagram. I did it manually for thirty or forty shluchim, and even as I was going into Yom Tov, people were still messaging me. It would have been a very interesting conversation to keep having. October 7th overshadowed it, and I forgot about the whole thing.

Then, over the course of that year, stories started finding their way back to me. A lot of the people who had taken a Chosson Torah — many of them single for a long time — were now engaged.

That got my attention. In 2024 we launched it as a real platform, together with DollarDaily.org, which I was already running.

In our first season we raised over $100,000 for shluchim in Tishrei. More meaningful than the number were the stories that came back through the year. Last season we more than doubled it: $217,000 raised for shluchim — and again, story after story of people who had seen real brachos.

Some for parnassa. Some for children. Many for shidduchim.

One of my favorites: a mother, not from our community, bought a kibud from a shliach. Mid-year her son took a vacation abroad, walked into a Chabad house for a Friday night dinner, and met a girl there. They’re married now. She supported a shliach, and the shidduch came through the very same path.

We’ve had people who took Maftir Chana and had children. We’ve had people who took Maftir Yonah and saw parnassa.

And I have also heard from plenty of people who saw no change at all. I got one of those messages today.

Here is what I wrote back. I think kibudim are like WD-40. They help things slide into place when everything is already ready to happen. I don’t think buying a Chosson Torah magically makes a shidduch, and I don’t think Maftir Yonah magically makes anyone rich. I think there are easier ways and harder ways, and maybe what a kibud does is let things slide into place without all the noise and the creaking.

I heard a story this year about a man whose house kept getting broken into. He asked the Rebbe, and the Rebbe told him to check his mezuzos. He checked them — and it happened again. This time the Rebbe told him to make sure he had a lock on the door.

Sometimes we have to build the keli for the bracha to come into. And if the keli is there and it’s meant to happen — I’m not a navi. I can’t tell you why it works one time and not another. I don’t have numbers on engagements. What I can tell you is that the stories are real enough, and that the thread running through them is hard to miss.

So I’m at it again.

Tishrei is one of the hardest months in a shliach’s year. The added expenses pile up fast. If you can take $180 or $360 off a shliach’s head — and certainly $750 or $1,000 — you’re helping him, you’re helping his family, and you’re helping a Jewish community somewhere that could probably use it. If it comes with added brachos on top of that, why not.

This season there are 202 kibudim listed on Kibid from Chabad houses around the world — from Traverse City, Michigan to Khmelnytskiy, Ukraine, near the Baal Shem Tov. Maftir on both days of Rosh Hashana, Maftir Yonah, Chosson Bereishis, pesicha, and more. Many open at $180.

And this year, it isn’t only for shluchim
Here is the part I most want people to read.

For three years this ran on Chabad houses. But the problem it solves was never only a shliach’s problem. Every shul in the world sells kibudim before Tishrei, and almost every one of them sells them the same way it did fifty years ago: a gabbai with a list, a room with whoever showed up, and a number that stops climbing the moment the last hand in the room goes down.

That number has almost nothing to do with what the kibud is worth. It has to do with who happened to be in shul that morning.

So this year we opened registration to private shuls. Any community — a shul, a minyan, a beis medrash, anywhere in the world, with or without a shliach — can now register on Kibid and sell its own kibudim to the whole world instead of to the twenty families in the room.

What that actually means for a shul:

It costs nothing to start. You list an honor and you see what happens.

Your Rosh Hashana maftir stops being worth what one room will pay for it. A person in another country who has been davening for a child for eleven years is looking for exactly that honor right now. He has no way to find your shul. This is the way he finds it.

I’d ask every gabbai and every shul president reading this to take ten minutes and register. Not because we need the shuls — because I’ve now watched three years of what happens when a kibud gets to reach past the four walls it’s sitting in, and I think most shuls have no idea what they’re leaving on the table.

Shuls and communities can register at dollardaily.org/kibid/community/register.

Looking forward to hearing your story from this Tishrei.

Browse this year’s kibudim at dollardaily.org/kibid.

Yosef Shidler is the director of Kibid and DollarDaily.org.

Shiva information will take place at
680 Eastern Parkway

Monday:
3pm-9pm

Tuesday-Thursday:
10am-2pm
4pm-9pm

Friday:
10am-1pm

The atmosphere of Elul and the Days of Mercy reached a high point with the first Selichos, as Jews gathered for heartfelt prayer and Chassidic farbrengens at three significant locations in Moscow, the village of Lubavitch and New York.

At the central Marina Roscha Synagogue in Moscow, preparations for Selichos began hours before midnight with a soulful Chassidic farbrengen, setting the tone for the evening of prayer and spiritual awakening.

At midnight, baal tefillah Rabbi Elazar Mordechai Koenig approached the amud and led the large crowd filling the sanctuary in the traditional Selichos. His stirring voice and familiar melodies filled the shul as participants joined together in heartfelt prayer ahead of the New Year.

At the same time, a large group had gathered for an uplifting Shabbos in the village of Lubavitch, the cradle of Chabad Chassidus.

Numerous groups had departed Moscow on Friday afternoon for the special Shabbos, organized and led by local shliach Rabbi Gavriel Gordon, with the assistance of Rabbi Nachman Vaksman.

Some 200 avreichim and students participated, including a group from the Yeshiva Gedolah together with its director, Rabbi Yechezkel Lazar.

Shabbos morning began early with the recitation of the entire Tehillim near the holy Ohel and continued throughout the day with shiurim, davening and Chassidic farbrengens.

Also joining the gathering were Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Mondshine, shliach and Rabbi of nearby Smolensk, and Rabbi Shimon Bergman, shliach and Rabbi of Nizhny Novgorod. Both traveled with groups of mekuravim from their respective cities for the spiritually uplifting Shabbos.

Following Shabbos, participants gathered for a Melaveh Malka farbrengen in the Large Zal of the original Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva, preparing together for the first Selichos.

After midnight, the group gathered in the synagogue adjacent to the holy Ohel, where Rabbi Zalman Shimon Deren served as baal tefillah, leading the Selichos with Chassidic warmth and emotion.

A third gathering took place in New York, where a special delegation of supporters and philanthropists of the Russian Torah World Fund spent Shabbos near the Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

The delegation was headed by Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar, with the Shabbos devoted to spiritual awakening and preparation for the upcoming High Holy Days. The gathering was organized by Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg, director of the Moscow Jewish community.

At midnight, the delegation gathered for Selichos in the Rebbe’s home, where Rabbi Moshe Zilbershtein led the prayers with heartfelt melodies and an emotional rendition of the traditional Selichos.

Participants concluded the gathering with a renewed sense of spiritual commitment and good resolutions for the coming year, including strengthening their continued support for the Torah institutions serving Russian Jewry.

The three gatherings, stretching from Moscow to the historic village of Lubavitch and the Rebbe’s Ohel in New York, marked the opening of the Selichos season with prayer, farbrengen and renewed commitment as communities prepare for a good and sweet New Year.

Bunker of Light, run by Yosef and Sarah Shidler of Toms River, is organizing a Rosh Hashanah gathering at a frum camp in High View, West Virginia, for people who need a comfortable place to spend Yom Tov.

The gathering is geared toward late teens, young adults in their twenties, older singles, single mothers, and others who feel they do not have a community or a place to go for Yom Tov.

The Shidlers have been hosting Shabbos meals and gatherings in their home, working with teens and young adults and building a community around those who join them. After being offered the use of a camp for Rosh Hashanah, they are working to bring that same atmosphere to a larger setting.

The retreat will take place September 10–14, 2026, with arrival Thursday or Friday and departure Sunday night or Monday. The location is approximately two hours from Baltimore and five hours from Crown Heights, depending on traffic.

The program will include Nusach Arizal davening, Yom Tov meals, and time to spend together and enjoy the surrounding grounds.

Organizers stress that this is a grassroots gathering being arranged on a very limited budget. Guests should expect simple camp accommodations in cabins and bunk rooms and must bring their own bedding, pillows, and towels. Clear expectations are important: this is a communal Yom Tov at a camp, with no resort amenities or luxury service being promised.

The gathering will have a “kibbutz-style” approach, with participants encouraged to contribute where they can, including setting tables, helping with cleanup, and welcoming other guests. A person is in place to run the food and oversee the meals, while volunteers and additional practical help are still needed.

Limited spots remain. Registration is $250 per person, which covers only part of the overall expense. Bunker of Light is seeking donations and sponsorships to help cover food, staffing, supplies, and other costs, as well as assistance for those who cannot afford to attend.

Family rates are available. Anyone interested in joining who finds the cost difficult is encouraged to contact the organizers privately to discuss possible arrangements.

The Shidlers hope that, with community support, this gathering can lead to similar events in the future, giving people who feel alone or disconnected somewhere to spend Yom Tov and a community to share it with.

Those who know someone who could benefit are encouraged to pass along the information or reach out personally.

For details, registration, or sponsorship, visit BunkerOfLight.org/rosh-hashanah, or WhatsApp 718-781-6405.

Yeshivas Lubavitch Tiferes Yisroel in Bet Shemesh welcomed its new group of Bochurim Shluchim for 5787, bringing with them fresh energy, Chassidishe warmth and a strong sense of Shlichus.

The Shluchim have a unique role: to lead by example. Through learning, davening, farbrenging, connecting with the Bochurim and simply living as a Dugma Chaya of Chassidishe Bochurim and Temimim, they help set the tone in Yeshiva.

At a special Kabbalas Ponim, the Shluchim were warmly welcomed by the Hanholas Hayeshiva. Every Shliach shared words of inspiration with the Bochurim, and introduced several initiatives that they will spearhead throughout the year.

The YLTY Bet Shemesh Shluchim for 5787 are:

Yisroel Liberow
Chaim Benshimon
Sholom Ber Rivkin
Tzvi Pinson
Shraga Feldman
Yossi Heidingsfeld
Nissi Hecht

YLTY would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Hanholo and staff of Shiur Daled Oholei Torah, and especially to Menahel Rabbi Elchonon Lesches, for his tireless efforts on behalf of this group and the many exceptional groups of Shluchim over the years. His dedication, care and partnership throughout the process are deeply appreciated.

The Yeshiva looks forward to seeing the Shluchim bring their energy and כוחות to bear throughout the year, inspiring the Bochurim, strengthening the atmosphere of the Yeshiva and making a real impact.

The Jewish community in Paris gathered for Selichos late Motzei Shabbos at the synagogue at 17 Rue des Rosiers.

The Selichos were held for approximately one hour and 40 minutes at the synagogue, which is led by Rabbi Mendy Azimov.

The gathering took place on the famed Rue des Rosiers in the heart of Paris’ historic Jewish quarter.

In a wide-ranging interview, Uziel Naparstek sits down with filmmaker, comedian and creative director Mendy Pellin for a candid conversation about his journey in Jewish media and entertainment.

Pellin discusses growing up with Jewish media, his early days with ChabadTube, developing his approach to comedy and storytelling, directing and collaborating with others, and balancing creativity with the expectations of a frum audience. He also shares behind-the-scenes insights into improvisation, editing and promotional work, and offers his perspective on the future of frum entertainment.

 MyLife: Chassidus Applied Episode 607 with Rabbi Simon Jacobson
Sunday, September 6, 2026 / 24 Elul 5786 – 8:00-9:00PM ET

Podcast         YouTube         Chassidusapplied.com

The topics in this week’s 607th episode of the highly acclaimed MyLife: Chassidus Applied series, with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, will include:

What should our focus be during this last week before Rosh Hashana?

25 Elul

• What is the significance and personal application of this day?
• How can we say that the world was created on the 25th of Elul when time itself was a creation and there was no time before creation?

5787

• What is unique about this year beginning on Shabbos?
• And it being the longest possible year?
• Has anyone come up with a good acronym for Tov Shin Pei Zayin?
• Do you have anything to say about the fact that we have 213 years left until the end of the sixth millennium?

Rosh Hashana

• Should we be afraid of Judgment Day?
• What can I do about the heaviness and guilt I feel every Rosh Hashana?
• Is everything I do for myself and not for G-d a sin?
• Why should I bother going to shul on Rosh Hashana?
• Especially considering that my prayers are not being answered?
• What is the source in Torah that on Rosh Hashana we coronate Hashem as King?
• If the creation of the universe and G-d’s coronation as King is dependent on us, how did that come to be at the outset of creation before there was an “us”?
• Since “malchus has nothing of its own” do we say that our relationship with G-d is completely dependent on us?
• What is the difference between the renewal of existence on Rosh Hashana and its renewal every moment?
• How could G-d consult the angels about creation when the angels themselves were created?
• Are there any differences between how the 13 attributes of mercy manifest in Elul and how they manifest in the ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur?
• What is the connection between Atem Netzavim HaYom and Rosh Hashana?
• Why was the shofar sounded in the Beis Ha’Mikdash on Shabbos?
• Since Shabbos accomplishes the same thing the shofar accomplishes, why do we need to sound the shofar on the second day of Rosh Hashana?

Yom Kippur and Sukkos

• What is the sequence of the holidays following Rosh Hashana?
• What is yechida and how do we access it on Yom Kippur?
• What is the significance of the joy of Sukkos following the Days of Awe?

36 Tzaddikim (follow-up)

• Why do they have to remain hidden?

MyLife: Chassidus Applied is a weekly video webcast candidly answering questions from the public about all life matters and challenges, covering the entire spectrum of human experience. This hour-long dose of insights, broadcast live every Sunday night 8-9PM ET, is meant to provide people with inspired guidance and direction, empowering them to deal with any issue they may face.

In what has become a staple in so many people’s lives_, MyLife: Chassidus Applied_ has provoked a significant reaction from the community, with thousands of people viewing each live broadcast and hundreds of questions pouring in week after week. At the root of every question and personal challenge tackled by the series is the overarching question: Does Judaism have the answers to my personal dilemmas?

MyLife demonstrates how Chassidus provides us with a comprehensive blueprint of the human psyche as a microcosm of the cosmos, and offers us all the guidance we need to live the healthiest possible life and build nurturing homes and families, bringing up the healthiest possible children, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. MyLife is brought to you by the Meaningful Life Center as a public service, free of charge.

Questions may be submitted anonymously at chassidusapplied.com/ask.

Live Video YouTube link: 

Also at: chassidusapplied.com/mlc-tv

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/mylife-chassidus-applied

A special delegation of supporters and philanthropists of the ‘Russian Torah World Fund,’ yeaded by the Chief Rabbi of Russia, the Gaon Rabbi Berel Lazar, gathered for a Shabbat dedicated entirely to spiritual awakening and preparation for the High Holy Days.

The gathering took place in close proximity to the holy Ohel of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and was meticulously organized by the director of the Moscow Jewish community, Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg.

The Selichot service was held at midnight in the Rebbe’s private residence. The baal tefillah, Rabbi Moshe Zilbershtein, led the Selichot with his deeply moving voice, wonderfully connecting those present to the atmosphere of the High Holy Days.

The participants departed the gathering with a sense of spiritual elevation, undertaking good resolutions to continue their steadfast strengthening and support of Russian Jewry’s Torah institutions for a good and sweet New Year.

Mrs. Hadassah Carlebach, a Holocaust survivor who as a teenager worked alongside her father, Rabbi Schneour Zalman Schneersohn, in rescuing and caring for Jewish children in Nazi-occupied France, passed away on Sunday, 24 Elul, 5786.

She was 99.

Born Hadassa Schneerson in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1927, Mrs. Carlebach lived through Soviet persecution, the Holocaust and the rebuilding of Jewish life after the war, carrying with her a remarkable firsthand account of Jewish courage and survival.

Her father, Rabbi Schneour Zalman Schneersohn, was a distant cousin of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who devoted much of his life to helping Jews in danger and ultimately played a role in saving more than 100 Jewish children during the Holocaust.

Hadassah was born to Rabbi Schneersohn and his wife, Sara, at a time when the family lacked legal status in the Soviet Union. As an unregistered Chassidic Jewish family, they lived under constant threat from Soviet authorities.

Her mother was initially unable to gain admission to a hospital to give birth because she lacked the required identity papers. A private doctor eventually agreed to secretly deliver Hadassah, bringing her mother in through a back entrance. Hadassah herself remained undocumented until approximately a year later, when a birth certificate was obtained for her.

The family later moved to Moscow, where her father was involved in channeling American philanthropic funds to impoverished Jews. Their small apartment also became a clandestine refuge for Jews who needed a place to hide.

Rabbi Schneersohn’s activities repeatedly placed him in danger. According to Hadassah’s recollections, her father was arrested 16 times. Soviet police could appear without warning, and the family learned to remain constantly aware of escape routes and hiding places.

Yet even amid the fear, those living underground found ways to maintain their spirit, sometimes singing and dancing together as a means of rising above the harsh reality surrounding them.

Hadassah later recalled that the fear of those years never entirely left her. Even decades later, when entering a home or business, she instinctively looked for an escape route or hiding place.

Following intensified interrogations of Jews in 1935, the family was able to leave the Soviet Union with the assistance of Joseph A. Rosen. Soviet authorities would not permit them to emigrate to the United States or Europe, but allowed them to travel to Palestine.

After a 12-day voyage, the family settled in Jaffa. For young Hadassah, life in Eretz Yisroel brought a welcome sense of security after years of fear in Russia. She later recalled feeling happy and safe there.

Her father, however, was uncomfortable with the strong socialist atmosphere he encountered in Tel Aviv. In 1936, the family moved to Paris, where Rabbi Schneersohn established the Association des Israélites Pratiquants, also known as Kehillat Haharedim.

There he established a kosher soup kitchen, a synagogue and a Hebrew school, providing both physical and spiritual assistance to the growing number of Jewish refugees arriving in France.

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, his rescue activities took on new urgency.

Rabbi Schneersohn was assigned by OSE, Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, to a kosher children’s home at Chateau des Morelles in Brout-Vernet. The children lived according to a strict daily schedule while helping maintain the farm and continuing their Jewish education and observance.

Following the German invasion of France and the escalating deportation of Jews, Rabbi Schneersohn moved the children’s home south to Marseilles, where they were housed at La Maison de Beaupin.

Despite the extraordinary difficulties of wartime France, maintaining Jewish observance remained non-negotiable. Hadassah recalled that her father insisted on kosher food and continued providing the children with a Jewish education and opportunities to observe Shabbos and Yom Tov.

He also sought to prepare the young people for life by establishing a radio technology school for young men and a pattern-making school for young women.

Hadassah, still a teenager herself, became deeply involved in caring for the children, working as both a cook and teacher.

Food was frequently scarce. She recalled one period when the group survived for weeks on bread and green peppers. Each child received just one egg per month. Even under those circumstances, her father remained meticulous about kashrus. When margarine became available, he had a sample chemically analyzed before allowing it into the kitchen.

One Purim, French officials secretly warned Rabbi Schneersohn that a raid was expected the following day. He insisted that the children not be told and that their Purim celebration proceed as planned. While they celebrated, preparations were quietly made to flee. When the party ended, the children were placed on trucks and moved to another location.

In 1942, amid increasing danger, the group fled to Dému, France. Rabbi Schneersohn subsequently moved the children to Chateau du Manoir in Saint-Étienne-de-Crossey.

At one point, Italian authorities instructed Rabbi Schneersohn and his group to follow them to Nice. The move proved perilous, as German forces were waiting there and members of the group were captured.

Leon Poliakov, a member of the French Resistance, helped smuggle the children back to Voiron.

The danger touched Hadassah’s own family directly when her mother was captured and tortured. She was ultimately released.

Most of the children in their care were eventually smuggled across the border into Switzerland, escaping the Nazi deportations.

Not every child could be saved. Hadassah recalled that one group was betrayed and 16 children were deported to Auschwitz. She knew of only one from that group who survived.

Hadassah herself faced danger repeatedly. On one occasion, she was leading a group of children through snowy woods after their previous hiding place became unsafe when she heard dogs barking nearby.

Terrified of dogs, she froze. A little girl, approximately seven years old, urged her to think about G-d and keep going. Hadassah later said the child’s quiet courage gave her the strength to continue leading the group.

When France was liberated in 1945, the family’s mission did not immediately end.

They returned to Paris and began the painful process of trying to locate the children’s families. Thousands of letters were sent to city halls throughout France in an effort to find surviving parents and relatives. Some children were reunited with family. Others discovered that they had lost everyone.

For Hadassah, adjusting to ordinary life after years of hiding, fear and responsibility proved difficult.

She turned to teaching after the war, drawing on the years she had spent caring for children. She later recalled realizing that she was bringing the sadness of her wartime experiences into the classroom and decided to begin each morning by singing with her students. She believed the change helped her as much as it helped them.

In 1947, the family immigrated to the United States. Hadassah married R’ Eliyahu Chaim Carlebach in 1949. He served as a rabbi at the Hillside Jewish Center in New Jersey and co-led the “Carlebach Shul” on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Throughout her later life, Mrs. Carlebach spoke about her experiences and the complicated responsibility of being a Holocaust survivor and witness. Her father’s work, and her own role alongside him, remained central to the story she carried throughout her life: saving Jewish lives while refusing to surrender Jewish identity, even when maintaining kashrus, Jewish education or the observance of a Yom Tov could itself bring danger.

Mrs. Carlebach often stressed the importance of keeping the memories alive, preserving Jewish dignity and identity, and transmitting tradition to the next generation. “Never stop trusting that God is good, and we are here,” she said.

She is survived by her children, Sterna Citron – Los Angeles, CA, Sheina Berkowitz – Huntington Beach, CA, Yocheved Dayan – Brooklyn, Freida Laufer – Crown Heights and Esther Kugel – Crown Heights.

The Levaya will take place on Monday, passing by 770 at 9 AM.

Shiva:
680 Eastern Parkway

Monday:
3pm-9pm

Tuesday-Thursday:
10am-2pm
4pm-9pm

Friday:
10am-1pm

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

A spirited Farbrengen took place at Yeshiva Gedola “Zal” of Melbourne, Australia on Motzei Shabbos before Slichos.

The Farbrengen lasted about two hours with Reb Kim Yitzchok Rahav Farbrenging to the Bochrim in Yeshiva Gedola and all those who joined in for the Shturemdiker pre Slichos Farbrengen.

Overall the Farbrengen was a very lively and joyful with Bochrim dancing on tables and all the Temimim enjoyed it very much. After that the Bochrim went to Yeshiva Shul for Slichos where they got heavily involved in the dancing with the community.

We would like to thank Reb Kim Yitzchok Rahav for farbrenging so wonderfully, Yossi Bendetsky for arranging the Farbrengen and all the Bochrim who helped clean up the next day. The Bochrim are looking forward to have many more joyful reasons to get together and Farbreng and like the Rebbe said, “Until Moshiach comes, either first in Melbourne or Milano,” and the Bochurim in Yeshiva Gedola and ready.

A Shliach needs our help to marry off a child in a few weeks.

​In just a few weeks, a shliach’s family will celebrate a milestone: their child’s chasuna.

​But their joy is marred by worry: how will they pay for the expenses?

​They chose to lead a life of mesiras nefesh, devoting themselves to hafotzas hamaayanos instead of materialistic gains. Now, they are turning to us for help: can you bring joy to the family?

​The mitzvah of hachnosas kallah is one of the loftiest forms of tzedakah—and how much more great is the zechus when it comes in tandem with enabling hafotzas hamaayanos!

Click Here To Contribute

​A small campaign has been launched for $18,000 to ensure that the family can marry off their child with peace of mind and simcha, returning to their shlichus with renewed vigor and joy.

​Compounding the pressure, the total costs have climbed even higher than expected. With flight tickets and everyday travel rising sharply in price alongside general expenses, the financial strain on the family is greater than ever. Your support right now makes a critical difference in easing the cost.

Click Here To Help

צדקה וגמילות חסדים שקולות כנגד כל המצוות שבתורה” (תוספתא)

Campaign is Endorsed By Harav Shlomo Segal, Rabbi Mendel Feller, Zalmen Hertz
​
​Righteous Helping is a non-for-profit 501(c)(3) federally tax-exempt charitable organization. (Tax ID: 92-3827720)

As thousands of guests prepare to travel to Crown Heights for Tishrei, the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) is urging visitors to take one important step before leaving home: purchase adequate medical travel insurance.

The warning comes from experience. Each Tishrei, medical emergencies arise involving visitors from overseas, and when a guest does not have proper insurance, an already frightening situation can quickly become a serious financial crisis.

Medical care in the United States can be extremely expensive. A hospital stay, emergency procedure or other unexpected treatment can result in bills reaching thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Without appropriate coverage, families can face devastating expenses, and lack of coverage can also complicate access to certain follow-up care and treatment.

“We are asking every Tishrei guest to take this seriously,” said Shmuly Rosenstein, Acting Chairman of CHJCC. “We have seen too many situations where people came without proper insurance and a medical emergency became a financial crisis as well. For the relatively small cost of travel insurance, this is a risk nobody should be taking.”

CHJCC is emphasizing that this needs to be taken care of before departure, not after arriving in Crown Heights.

Travelers should make sure their policy provides adequate medical coverage in the United States, remains in effect for their entire stay, and covers every member of the family traveling. They should also understand the policy’s limits, deductibles, exclusions and what to do if emergency care is needed.

“Please don’t wait until there is an emergency,” Rosenstein added. “Before you get on the plane, make sure you and your family are covered. A few dollars spent before traveling can potentially prevent tremendous hardship later.”

CHJCC is asking Shuls, Mosdos, travel organizers and community WhatsApp groups around the world to help get the message to Tishrei guests before they leave home.

Crown Heights looks forward to once again welcoming guests from around the world for Tishrei.

The message is simple: Be prepared. Stay covered. Safe travels.

Photos by Dovid Davidsohn

Miami’s Lubavitch Educational Center launched the new school year welcoming 2,500 students into six buildings across five campuses, including two newly acquired facilities, marking a major milestone in the institution’s rapid growth.

“With Hashem’s help and the Rebbe’s brochos, we had a successful first day of school across all eleven divisions—from our infants in Early Stages to our bochurim in Yeshiva Gedolah,” says Rabbi Benjy Korf, Head of School.

The expansion includes a new Mesivta campus in Miami Gardens and two wings of a recently-purchased building on an expanded Campus Chaya Mushka, adjacent to the Beit Apel girls’ school. The new facility houses the Rebbetzin Rivka Korf Preschool Building—generously dedicated by Avraham and Brochie Shaulson—and the Rebbetzin Rochel Pinson High School Building, home to Beis Chana High School, dedicated by Reut and Mendel Pinson.

“We are thankful to our generous supporters who have made this growth possible,” Rabbi Korf says.

Preparing the new spaces for school required around-the-clock work throughout the summer. “We had shifts of construction crews working 24/6 to make sure the buildings were ready and helping us move in,” says Rabbi Menachem Mendel Korf, who oversaw the renovation projects. “The speed at which the buildings were renovated was extraordinary.”

When students arrived, they were warmly greeted by their teachers in beautiful classrooms. “We are lucky to have the most incredible team at LEC, with close to 500 staff members who are all dedicated to the chinuch of our children,” said Rabbi Yossi Zavdi, Associate Head of School. “They remain the heart of our school.”

“Boruch Hashem, we are off to a great start,” says Rabbi Benjy Korf.

LEC thanks the leadership teams for their tireless and ongoing efforts in the chinuch of our children, including principals Ms. Tziporah Elazar, Mrs. Bina Rosenblum, Mrs. Tzivi Schurder, Mrs. Dina Lieberman, Mrs. Chaya Sara Dalfin, Mrs. Nomi Yerushalmy, Mrs. Shevi Sossonko, Mrs. Tzippy Dalfin, Mrs. Leah Spalter, Mrs. Musha Krasnjanski, Mrs. Naomie Selwyn, Mrs. Judy Kitchner, Rabbi Moshe Stern, Rabbi Yakov Garfinkel, Rabbi Nochum Schapiro, Rabbi Eli Spalter, Rabbi Motti Schurder, Rabbi Eily Smith, Rabbi Y. Leib Schapiro, and Rabbi Chaim Stern. LEC thanks building and construction managers Rabbi Menachem Mendel Korf, Rabbi Menachem Kozlovsky, and the entire operations team.

One of the most common questions asked by visitors after leaving the Ohel is: “Where can I find the video I saw while I was there?”

To help answer that question, JEM has launched an updated page at JEM.tv/ohel.

The iconic video feed at Ohel Chabad Lubavitch, the Chabad House serving visitors to the Rebbe’s Ohel, is often a first stop for individuals on their way into, or as they leave, the Ohel. Generously dedicated by Michael and Ricki Verbitsky, the feed features clips of the Rebbe’s addresses and conversations, as well as songs and precious moments with the Rebbe, and has become a meaningful part of the Ohel experience for many.

The upgraded webpage shows the clip currently playing on the Ohel video broadcast in real time, along with an archive going back two weeks that shows, down to the minute, when each clip was played.

If you don’t recall the exact time, you can search for words, ideas, people, or events you remember from the clip to help find exactly what you saw.

Visit JEM.tv/ohel to explore the new page.

The schedule, archive, and search are available for everyone to explore. Watching individual videos on JEM.tv requires a JEM membership.

Blowing Shofar – for yourself or on Mivtzoim – is a responsibility and mistakes (that are ma’akev) are at times made. After reviewing the halachos, one should have an expert listen to his Tekios, to make sure that it’s being done correctly.

To help you with perfecting your tekios, Rabbi Simcha Werner of Monsey, NY, composed a concise guide of the halachos of Shofar in both Hebrew and English.

A comprehensive card explains all the Halachos of how and why we blow the shofar, a must read for anyone who will be helping others to fulfill this Mitzvah.
Approved by Rabbi Boruch Lesches of Monsey.

Click here to download

For more copies call 845-323-2071

—

Also watch: Shofar Made Simple
By Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov

As Anash prepare to gather for Selichos on Motzoei Shabbos, the Vaad Hatmimim is asking the community to begin these days with an act of tzedakah for the 1,500 Bochurim now spending Tishrei by the Rebbe.

They have come from Yeshivos around the world for a month unlike any other. They are going to the Ohel, davening in 770, learning during organized Sedorim and joining Farbrengens with Mashpiim who help them prepare for the days ahead.

Behind every part of that experience stands the Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim.

The Vaad arranges accommodations and three daily meals, prepares Kovtzei Limud, supervises Sedorim, organizes transportation to the Ohel and brings in Mashpiim for programs and Farbrengens. Night after night, the work continues so that each Bochur can focus on why he came: to spend Tishrei in the Rebbe’s Daled Amos and make the most of these precious weeks.

A bed, a hot meal and an organized schedule may seem like practical details. Together, they give a Bochur the stability and structure he needs to immerse himself in the learning, davening, Farbrengens and atmosphere of Tishrei.

This is how the Vaad stands behind the Rebbe’s Bochurim during Tishrei. It is part of the same commitment to their learning, Hiskashrus and wellbeing that guides the Vaad throughout the year.

Making this possible for 1,500 Bochurim carries an enormous cost. Every accommodation, meal, bus, booklet and Farbrengen must be arranged and paid for.

On Motzoei Shabbos Selichos, as we begin turning our attention toward the Yomim Noraim, please take a moment to stand behind the Bochurim with a meaningful contribution.

Your donation will help the Vaad cover the costs of Tishrei and give each Bochur the opportunity to experience a month of Hiskashrus and Chassidishkeit that will remain with him throughout the year.

Help the Vaad keep standing behind them.

Donate today at https://raisethon.com/vaad

Rabbi Sholom Ber Schapiro, Director of the Nissan Mindel Publications (NMP), presents “Historic Treasures.”

Each program shares ‘treasures’ from the archives of Rabbi Schapiro’s father-in-law, Rabbi Dr. Nissan Mindel OBM, a prolific writer who served as a personal secretary of the 6th and 7th Chabad Rebbes.

The program uncovers fascinating stories, rare artifacts and precious documents from the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

VIDEO:

You have seen the ads. Every Elul they arrive, and they all say the same thing. Give, and you will be blessed. Give, and you will prosper. Give, and it comes back to you multiplied.

Somewhere around the fifth one, a thought forms. Stop telling me I can become rich. I know what is in the account. I have seen the tuition bill. I am not looking for a segulah, I am looking for the end of the month.

So we won’t tell you that you will become rich. Instead, we will tell you what the Rebbe said on Shabbos Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech 5743.

The Rebbe says that from Shabbos Mevarchim Tishrei, a person should pledge tzedakah measured against what he expects to earn over the coming year, through the following Elul.

Not a pledge based on what is in your account tonight, but based on the brachos you want to receive.

How much should I pledge?

The Rebbe relates the story of a young man who came to the Frierdiker Rebbe when the Tzemach Tzedek’s sefarim were being printed, and pledged the full cost of the printing. By any honest accounting of his situation, he did not have the money and had no visible way to get it.

He wrote his pledge anyway.

What followed is that channels of parnassah opened that had not been there before. He paid what he had promised, and there was more left over for himself.

We see this too! People who join Maor Pledge do so again, year after year.

The best time to do it?

As early as possible, starting from Motzei Shabbos Slichos.

Go to: MaorPledge.com.

Why should I pledge to Maor?

A monthly pledge to Maor fuels the things this community has quietly come to rely on: the daily subtitled video clip of the Rebbe, the animated sichos, stories and niggunim our children grow up on, the video series, audio series and the books for kids.

We are not asking you to give all the money today.

The writing down is what makes the difference. Hashem will respond to your action and help you keep your word.

Make your pledge at MaorPledge.com.

By A. Gordon

This past Monday night, on the evening of Chai Elul — the birthday of both the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe — more than 300 members and friends of the South Broward Jewish community gathered at Turnberry Aventura Jewish Center to celebrate the 45th Annual Dinner of Congregation Levi Yitzchok-Lubavitch/Chabad of South Broward Headquarters.

By every measure, it was one of the largest and most spirited dinners in the organization’s history, opening with an hour of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before guests sat down to a seated dinner in a room glowing with warmth, unmistakable energy, and beautifully decorated by Thimble and Co.

Serving as Master of Ceremonies was Rabbi Mendel Goldman, who welcomed the crowd and made the surprising announcement that he looks forward to joining the team of Chabad of South Broward’s Shluchim in the near future.

The evening carried real civic warmth as well, with Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper in attendance — a longtime, familiar friend to Chabad’s activities in the city — who was warmly welcomed by the room. The City is working very closely with Chabad in their Phase One Expansion that has recently begun.

The program opened on a note of unity, as Rabbi Mendy Levy led the room in the Rebbe’s Kapitel of Tehillim, with the community’s collective intentions directed toward those in need of blessings for children, shidduchim, parnassa, and health — for South Broward and for the safety and wellbeing of Jews everywhere, and especially in Eretz Yisroel. From there, guests rose for one of the dinner’s most powerful annual traditions: the reading of the Rebbe’s last signed letter.

Delivered by Rabbi Mendy Tenenhaus, the letter — the very last one the Rebbe signed before his 1992 stroke — was written specifically for the Eleventh Annual Dinner of Congregation Levi Yitzchok – Lubavitch, and its blessing has echoed through this event ever since. The Rebbe blesses all those who attend and support the Annual dinner with tremendous Brachos.

The evening’s keynote came from Rabbi Raphael Tenenhaus, Head Shliach of South Broward, who reflected on how dramatically the community has transformed — from a neighborhood once home primarily to Holocaust survivors and retirees into one of the youngest, fastest-growing Jewish communities in Florida. Speaking just days before Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Tenenhaus centered his remarks on the Rebbe’s teaching that every Jew, not only the “official” shluchim, carries the responsibility to reach out: if you know Aleph, teach Aleph. He spoke movingly about the “October 8th Jew” — the surge of Jewish identity and pride that has emerged since October 7th — and challenged every person in the room to leave with one commitment: to stop being a bystander and bring at least one more Jew along on the journey, with Simcha Poretz Geder, joy that breaks through every boundary, that will hasten the imminent revelation of Moshiach.

Rabbi Moshe Schwartz, marking nearly 40 years as Chabad of South Broward’s administrator, offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at the sheer scope of what happens under the organization’s roof: the South Broward Shtiebelach, with 5-6 hours of Shachris Minyanim, the Mens’ Mikvah that opens at 5am, the Elana Leah Women’s Mikvah, overseen by his dedicated Rebbetzin, a preschool, a huge Camp Gan Israel, Hebrew school, Bar and Bat Mitzvah clubs, CTeen and CTeen Junior, the Friendship Circle, the Kollel D’Rav Pinchas Hirschprung, the Chaya Aydel Seminary – and — quietly, year-round — direct assistance to families facing financial hardship, totaling more than $250,000 distributed this year alone.

The night’s Award Ceremony recognized five honorees whose lives exemplify the community’s values: Shabsi and Shayna Kabatchnik received the Dugma Chaya – Living Example Award for the quiet, everyday example of their Chassidishe home; Rabbi Simcha and Sima Bart received the Mivtza Torah Award for the daily shiurim he delivers to the Centers’ kollel; Rabbi Zelig and Perla Katzman received the Young Leadership Award for inspiring the community’s growing population of young couples; Yossi and Shira Levitan received the Oiseh Chesed Award, celebrated for their quiet generosity — and, memorably, for Yossi’s insistence that no South Broward simcha is complete without a keg of beer; and Shlomi and Leah Nash received the Ahavas Chinam Award for their humble, behind-the-scenes kindness to families and institutions alike.

And then came the moment the room had been waiting for all night: Zusha took the stage, and the transformation was instant. Chairs emptied as the entire room (of men) rose to dance, singing along to the band’s best-known hits. In honor of Chai Elul, the Alter Rebbe’s birthday, Zusha wove in beloved Lubavitcher niggunim, with the singing of Daled Bavos as a true highlight of the evening — followed by an encore of their hit “Don’t Leave Me On My Own” that brought the crowd right back to its feet.

As guests made their way out, they took home more than memories: a new Chabad of South Broward calendar and a copy of “I Am Not Alone”, Riva Pomerantz’s gripping true story of a woman who lived her Judaism openly under Communist rule — a book Rabbi Tenenhaus credited with inspiring this year’s very special entertainment choice — as keepsakes of the evening. But what truly lingered was something harder to package — a packed room of over 300 people, three generations of shluchim families, and a community that spent one night looking back on 46 years of growth while committing, together, to build the next chapter with even more simcha, unity, and purpose.

A special thank you to all the Shluchim in South Broward who participated, including the Lifshitzs, the Kudans, the Schwartz’s, the Lebovics’s, the numerous Tennenhaus’s, the Barash’s, the Andrusier’s, the Feiners, the Phillips’s, the Levy’s, the Wolf’s and many more.

The Dinner was another masterpiece produced by Reb Dovid Weinbaum, and assisted by Rabbi Moshe Schwartz, Rabbi Mordy Feiner and Reb Ari Portnoy.

Featured Co-Chairmen for the 45th Annual Dinner were “MVP for Life” Reb Efraim Kaufman, Reb Meir Cohen, Reb Mendel Kotlarsky and Reb Yossi Dechter.

All Dinner Participants are eagerly anticipating the 46th Annual Dinner, to be held G-d willing in Yerusholayim, with Moshiach, NOW!

In 2023, artist and educator Dovid Taub released a 24-page booklet entitled “Moreh Hameshuamamim – Guide for the Bored” for the Yomim Noraim, and a follow-up booklet in 2025. Filled with Taub’s signature blend of scholarship and silliness, the booklets were aimed at providing “backdoors” to engaging with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

This year Taub released a full 130-page book expanding on the concept. The “Guide for the Bored” book is divided into sections for the Tefilos for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, each with their own set of quirky features, such as “Rosh Hashanah Zoo” and “Is Yizkor a Cash Grab?”

In his introduction to the book, Taub writes “There are so many sights, sounds and ideas associated with these days that can spark our imaginations. Maybe if we try enough of them we’ll find a secret passageway to some of that out-of-reach meaningfulness.”

Since its publication last week, the book has already become the #1 new release on Amazon in the “Religious Humor” category, and is in the top 20 bestsellers in “Jewish Holidays.”

You can purchase “Guide for the Bored” here.

Rabbi Avrohom Aharon Lipszyc, Shliach of North Miami, Florida has translated the Mammor “HaYoim HaRas Olam,” 5713, ahead of Rosh Hashana.

Concerning this mamor of Rosh Hashanah 5713 (1953), Rabbi Rivkin told Rabbi Simpson (both chasidim of the Rebbe RaSHaB and the Previous Rebbe as well!), “Elyeh, such a mamor there wasn’t in fifty years!”

New: On the cover page of the book and of each chapter there is a QR Code that will take you to the audio link of that chapter.

May learnng this mamor take us to, as the Rebbe finishes the mamor, blessings of the Essence Broadness into our physical concepts as well!

And may our heart’s deepest desire be fulfilled that we have the Rebbe here with us physically, and that we hear new Torah from his holy mouth!

Ksivah V’Chasimah Tova!

Click here to download

When was the last time you volunteered?

Maybe it was when you invited someone who needed a place for Shabbos. Or gave a neighbor a ride.

Or watched someone’s children, visited a friend in the hospital, helped carry groceries, gave tzedakah, or simply noticed someone needed a hand and stepped in.

You probably didn’t call it volunteering…

You just helped.

And that’s exactly the idea behind Friendship Circle Brooklyn’s upcoming Volunteer/Revolution campaign: to turn that same instinct to give into the financial support that makes its work possible.

Volunteering isn’t limited to signing up for a program or wearing a Friendship Circle T-shirt. It happens every day, in countless ways, whenever someone chooses to give their time, talent, resources, generosity, or heart to another person.

Throughout the campaign, Friendship Circle is inviting the community to answer one simple question:
How do you Volunteer/Revolution?
For some, the answer is their Sundays.
For others, it’s their talents, connections, or energy.
And today, Friendship Circle is asking the community to answer in one more way: with a financial contribution.

Every donation helps fund the friendships, programs, and family support Friendship Circle provides throughout the year, helping build a community where every child has a place to belong.
The goal isn’t to turn Crown Heights into a community of volunteers.

It already is one.

The goal is to recognize it, celebrate it, and channel that spirit of generosity into the resources Friendship Circle needs to continue its work.
Because when hundreds of individual acts of kindness come together, they become something much bigger.
They become a Volunteer Revolution.

So…
How do you Volunteer/Revolution?

Make a donation today and help Friendship Circle Brooklyn reach its campaign goal.

By Dovid Zaklikowski for Hasidic Archives

The great posek Rabbi Moshe Feinstein OBM didn’t have an office. The great authority on Jewish law would sit at his desk in the study hall of his yeshivah, Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem. He had no secretary to shield him from nudniks. Anyone could walk into the yeshivah and ask him a question. Although he had a telephone at his desk, if someone called the yeshivah payphone, he did not mind walking across the entire study hall to answer someone in need.

Even at home, he set aside designated times to receive visitors. Once, a rabbi arrived at the appointed time, and Rabbi Feinstein’s wife told him that she was sorry, but her husband was too ill. “It is impossible for him to speak to you.”

As the rabbi began to leave, he heard a weak voice from the other room asking who it was. When he identified himself, Rabbi Feinstein invited him in.

To the rabbi’s horror, Rabbi Feinstein, always formal and impeccably put together, was lying stretched out on the sofa, unable even to lift his head.

“I am terribly ill,” Rabbi Feinstein said. “I just had an experience that left me without strength. I just went through a terrible episode. It has been years since I experienced such anguish.”

Expecting to hear that he had fallen, suffered a tremor, or felt faint, the rabbi asked what had happened.

The great legal scholar explained that there was a rabbi whom he believed had acted with personal bias in a case he had adjudicated. There could be no greater insult to a rabbinic figure, but Rabbi Feinstein had to make his opinion clear: the rabbi should withdraw his ruling because of his personal interest in the case and direct the parties to seek the judgment of another rabbinic authority.

“I had to insult a Jew,” Rabbi Feinstein said. “I had to. I couldn’t help it. I had to.”

He felt that he had no choice, but insulting another person, regardless of the reason, left him physically incapacitated.

Find Hasidic Archive’s, latest book Yards of Kindness here

By COLlive reporter

The annual Labor Day festivities, which include the West Indian American Day parade and series of events, bring millions of visitors to the Crown Heights neighborhood.

It will take place in Crown Heights, with street closures beginning Sunday evening September 6, through Monday evening, September 7.

Anyone wishing to drive into Crown Heights streets, from Montgomery St. until President St., will need ID showing local address.

The NYPD will increase the police presence in the Crown Heights neighborhood for the next few days, in the lead up to and during the Labor Day events in the area.

Beginning on Friday and Shabbos, in the days leading up to the Labor Day weekend festivities, there will be an increased police presence in the area, Sergeant Mike Baratta of the NYPD 71st Precinct tells COLlive.com.

There will be massive police coverage in the area on Sunday and Monday, during the Labor Day annual celebration, he says.

On Sunday and Monday, there will be over 2,000 police officers deployed throughout the whole precinct and in the Crown Heights area, to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors in the neighborhood.

Expect heavy traffic delays from Sunday 10 pm to Monday 6 pm.

J’OUVERT

Road Closures
Sunday, September 6, 11:30 PM through Monday, September 7, 1 PM
Flatbush Ave from Grand Army Plaza to Empire Blvd
Empire Blvd from Flatbush Ave to Nostrand Ave
Nostrand Ave from Empire Blvd to Rutland Road

WEST INDIAN DAY PARADE
Road Closures
Monday, September 7, from 6 am-6 pm
Rockaway Parkway from Winthrop Street to Buffalo Ave
Buffalo Ave from East NY Ave to Lincoln Place
East NY Ave from East 94 Street to Ralph Ave
Portal Street from East NY Ave to Eastern Parkway
Rochester Ave from East NY Ave to Lincoln Place
Union Street from Ralph Ave to Portal Street
Eastern Parkway from Ralph Ave to Utica Ave

Beginning at 10:30 am
No Southbound Traffic entering from Atlantic Ave onto Eastern Parkway
All Northbound Streets closed from Empire Blvd towards Eastern Parkway
Eastern Parkway closed to all traffic from Utica Ave to Grand Army Plaza
No Southbound Traffic on Flatbush Ave from Grand Army Plaza to Empire Blvd
No Northbound Traffic on Flatbush Ave from Church Ave to Grand Army Plaza
No Southbound traffic on Ocean Avenue from Empire Blvd to Parkside Ave
No Northbound traffic on Ocean Ave from Parkside Ave to Empire Blvd

Street Crossings
Crossing the street will be allowed at the following intersections:
Eastern Parkway & Schenectady Avenue
Eastern Parkway & Albany Avenue
Eastern Parkway & Brooklyn Avenue
Eastern Parkway & Nostrand Avenue
Eastern Parkway & Rogers Avenue
Eastern Parkway & Classon Avenue

Crossing Eastern Parkway via Subway Stations:
Utica Avenue Station
Kingston Avenue Station
Nostrand Avenue Station
Franklin Avenue Station
Brooklyn Museum Station

At a ceremony at One Police Plaza, the NYPD promoted Thomas P. Smith to full Inspector on Monday, a milestone that comes as no surprise to anyone who served with him.

A member of the Department since July 2005 who started his career on patrol in the 62nd Precinct, Inspector Smith has risen steadily through the ranks from Sergeant in 2011, to Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Inspector in 2023, with assignments spanning Highway, SRG, and commands across Manhattan and eventually the 71st Pct after October 7th.

“To the Crown Heights community, he will always be remembered as the Commanding Officer of the 71st Precinct — a leader who was truly loved by all, and deeply committed to the community,” a Crown Heights activist told COLlive.com.

“Inspector Smith earned the respect of his cops and the trust of the residents, clergy, and community leaders he worked with every day. On behalf of the entire community, Mazal Tov to Inspector Smith on this well-earned promotion!”

Photos: Tzvi Levenhartz/COLlive

This week is Parshas Netzavim-Vayelech

Candle Lighting in Crown Heights: 7:05 PM
Shabbos ends: 8:03 PM

Good Shabbos from the staff of COLlive.com!

Sholom Zachars in Crown Heights this week:
R’ Yisroel and Mrs. Cohen – 912 Montgomery St. [Between Troy and Schenectady Aves]
R’ Mendel and Mrs. Lerner – 590 East New York [between Kingston & Brooklyn]
R’ Moshe and Mrs. Rubin – 821 Eastern Parkway [between Kingston and Albany]

STOP! Just Moments Before the Yom HaDin.

A Rare Opportunity for Ashirus – Directly from the Posek Hador

“Those who donate to Merkaz HaTorah Teshuvos V’Hanhagos will receive ashirus.” – The Posek Hador, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Shternbuch shlita

Join those helping establish the new Merkaz HaTorah Teshuvos V’Hanhagos Kollel in Beit Shemesh and receive the Posek Hador’s exclusive Golden Shmirah Coin – a treasured segulah for parnassah, ashirus, and hatzlachah.

Support the Torah that will help shape the future Gedolei Yisroel and take part in this extraordinary opportunity before the remaining coins are gone.

Support Torah Today!

Shmuly Hurwitz and Shlomo Hecht continue their “Melodies of Elul” series with a new cover of “Achas Shoalti,” originally sung by Yingerlich.

The song is based on the words from Tehillim: “אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת ה׳ אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ” — “One thing I ask of Hashem, this is what I seek: that I dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life.”

The words express a simple and powerful desire: to be close to Hashem and to spend one’s life seeking that connection. As we stand in Elul a time when we focus on strengthening our connection with Hashem and preparing for the Yomim Noraim this song is the perfect way to get in that mindset

With a fresh arrangement and live musical feel, Shmuly Hurwitz and Shlomo Hecht bring their own take to this meaningful song.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shlomo Hecht (@shlomo_hecht_productions)

As the talmidim of Lubavitcher Yeshiva learned the halachos and minhagim of Chodesh Elul, the Yeshiva turned the learning into a real-life experience.

The talmidim learned the importance of checking tefillin and mezuzos. Rabbi Mendy Tiefenbrun, sofer, was brought to the Yeshiva to check the mezuzos throughout the building.
In each classroom, the talmidim watched as their mezuzah was carefully removed and checked, learning firsthand what a sofer looks for and what goes into making sure that a mezuzah is kosher and mehudar.

Afterwards, the talmidim had the opportunity to participate as the mezuzah was properly returned to the classroom door.

What began as a halacha learned in class became something the children could see and experience.

By bringing the minhagim of Elul to life, the talmidim were able to connect their learning with practical action, making the lesson that much more meaningful and memorable.

Maor Art Gallery at Chabad Heights will present “Elul: Field Notes,” a group exhibition featuring seven women artists: Aliza Marton, Chanie Chanin, Chaya Leah Sandhaus, Brucha Leah Weisz, Keren Gordon, Chani Judowitz, and Molly Zimmer.

Opening during the reflective month of Elul, the exhibition brings together seven distinct artistic voices and perspectives through a diverse collection of works. The opening reception will take place Sunday, September 6, from 7–10 PM, at Maor Art Gallery at Chabad Heights, 664 Sterling Place, Brooklyn, in collaboration with Nalow Atelier.

The exhibition and opening reception are open to the entire community, men and women alike. Admission is free and all are welcome.

instagram.com/maorartgallery

For Rabbi Mendy Ross of Duluth, Minnesota, the need for a mikvah is very real. The closest mikvah to his community is several hours away.

“When the closest mikvah is hours away, it’s very hard to teach taharas hamishpacha,” said Rabbi Ross. “In the summer, a woman driving home from the mikvah may not arrive until 1 a.m. In the winter, driving for hours in a snowstorm can be dangerous. Baruch Hashem, now that we have a suitable property, we need to figure out how to make it happen.”

For decades, the Rebbe urged communities to make establishing a mikvah a priority. In fact, one of the conditions the Rebbe set for establishing a Chabad House was that there be a mikvah, or a viable plan to build one.

“In many communities across the globe, the Shluchim are the sole Jewish infrastructure,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Keren Hashluchim and Merkos 302. “Every Shliach understands that his community needs a mikvah, but building one is not necessarily his field. We are here to give them everything they need to make it happen.”

But getting from that goal to an actual mikvah can be complicated. It was a challenge Merkos 302 was hearing from Shluchim in communities around the world.

“You know you need a mikvah, but once you start getting into it, you realize how complicated the project actually is,” said Rabbi Levi Meijers, who has been working toward a mikvah for his own community in Tracy, CA. “There are architects, engineers, contractors, the halachic side, and so many decisions along the way. For a Shliach who has never built one before, it’s very difficult to know where to start and who to rely on.”

Working with experienced mikvah professionals, including Rabbi Gershon Grossbaum and Rabbi Pesach Sperlin, Merkos 302 began looking at how the process could be simplified and how costs could be reduced.

The result is the Merkos Mikvah Package, bringing together experienced professionals, turnkey plans, construction guidance and negotiated package rates into one coordinated process. By using the same experienced team and proven plans across multiple projects, the Package is designed to significantly reduce the cost of building a mikvah while making the process easier for the Shliach.

A major part of the Package is using the experience gained from previous mikvah projects instead of having every community begin from scratch.

“A mikvah is not a regular construction project,” said Rabbi Grossbaum. “There are many details that are specific to a mikvah. When you’ve done this many times, you know what to look out for, what works and which mistakes can become very expensive later.”

Ready-made plans can be adapted to each property and its local requirements, while architects, engineers and other professionals can work across multiple projects. By coordinating the work and negotiating package rates, the goal is to reduce both unnecessary costs and time without compromising on quality or halachic standards.

Another part of the Package is helping a community get a functioning mikvah in place sooner, even if one does not yet have the funds to complete the entire project.

“Sometimes the full project can become so large that it feels out of reach,” said Rabbi Sperlin. “One approach is to start with the bor. Get the mikvah built properly and operational so the community has a functioning mikvah. Then, as more funding becomes available, you can continue with the rest of the building, the finishes and the amenities.”

Throughout the process, mikvah experts and the appropriate halachic authorities are involved to make sure the mikvah is planned and built properly.

“The Shliach shouldn’t feel that he’s on his own trying to figure this out,” Rabbi Kotlarsky said. “There should be people he can call who understand mikvaos and understand the process.”

Merkos 302 has also developed a Mikvah Resource Library, available to any Shliach building a mikvah, with checklists, guides, videos, overviews and other practical resources covering different parts of the process.

For Rabbi Meijers, the goal remains the same as when he started.

“Having a mikvah here would make a tremendous difference for our community,” he said. “It’s something we’ve needed for a long time, and we’re looking forward to finally being able to make it a reality.”

The hope behind the Merkos Mikvah Package is to help many more communities do the same.
To learn more about the Merkos Mikvah Package, or to apply, visit Mikvah.Merkos302.com.
For questions or dedication opportunities, contact [email protected].

SAVE THE DATE!

This year marks the third annual Project Likkutei Sichos Women’s Shabbaton, taking place Friday January 8 through Sunday January 10, 2027.

What began as a small Monday morning class during COVID with Mrs. Rivky Slonim (which continues to bring women together each week) has blossomed into a unique Shabbaton filled with learning, connection, laughter, farbrengens and the warmth of friendships that have grown well beyond the class itself.

For three days, women of different ages, backgrounds and stages of life, from cities near and far, come together. Some attend the Monday morning class every week; others have never attended at all.

Everyone is welcome, united by what is at the center of the Shabbaton: the Rebbe, his teachings, and how to bring them into our everyday lives.

This year, we will once again gather at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel in Tarrytown, New York, for a weekend that has become so special to all of us.

Come learn. Come connect. Come farbreng. And most of all, come be part of it. It will warm your heart and soul.

We will be posting detailed information after the Yomim Tovim.

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani celebrated on Thursday the transfer of three long-neglected, rent-stabilized apartment buildings in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, putting 88 homes on a path toward greater stability, investment and improved conditions.

The buildings, previously owned by Rubin Dukler, who routinely ranked among New York City’s worst landlords, were sold Wednesday to Mark Schwartz. Following the sale, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will work with tenants and the new owner to ensure the buildings receive the repairs and maintenance they have been denied for years.

“The tenants of the Dukler Tenant Union have suffered from neglect and disinvestment for years. Today, a new chapter begins for these buildings. We will work alongside tenants and the new owner to put these 88 homes on a path toward stability and make clear that every New Yorker deserves a safe, well-maintained and stable place to call home,” said Mayor Mamdani.

“Every New Yorker has the right to a safe and stable home. This sale can mark the beginning of a new chapter for the tenants who call these three buildings home and help make that vision a reality. We will continue to support them as they fight for the repairs that they have long deserved – one small piece of our work to improve housing quality across the five boroughs,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.

“These tenants have suffered long enough living under the Duklers, who routinely neglected and underinvested in their buildings. Thanks to HPD’s AEP enforcement, alongside organizing by UHAB and the tenants, this has finally come to an end. Congratulations to the tenants on the transfer of their buildings away from these predatory owners,” said HPD Commissioner Dina Levy.

“Fighting for tenants means fighting for safe, high-quality housing. We are proud to stand with the members of the Dukler Tenant Union – and with tenants across the city – as they organize for the repairs and investment that every New Yorker deserves,” said Cea Weaver, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

The three buildings – 1018 Eastern Parkway, 1074 Eastern Parkway and 1392 Sterling Place – are part of HPD’s Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP), which targets buildings with the most severe uncorrected violations. Together, the buildings have nearly 1,000 open code violations, and HPD has been required to make emergency repairs at each property. HPD and the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT) have supported tenants in their fight for better conditions, including through Housing Court litigation seeking to compel the previous owners to make repairs.

Following the sale, HPD and MOPT will continue working with tenants and Schwartz to ensure the new ownership adequately invests in repairs and maintenance.

Tenants at the three buildings began organizing in 2018 for repairs and investment with support from Housing Organizers for People Empowerment (HOPE), a member-led tenant organizing project of the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB), and Brooklyn Legal Services. They formed the Dukler Tenant Union in 2025 to organize for resident ownership and the transfer of ownership away from the Dukler family. The tenant union has reached an agreement with Schwartz that commits to rehabilitating the three buildings with tenant oversight and moving toward resident ownership.

The transfer is part of the Mamdani administration’s broader effort to hold the city’s most negligent landlords accountable and improve conditions for tenants across the New York City. The administration is using the enforcement and litigation tools available to the City to stand up for tenants, pursue repairs and work toward transferring buildings to more responsible ownership.

This work is part of the Mamdani administration’s commitment to addressing New York City’s housing crisis with the scale and urgency New Yorkers deserve. In Mayor Mamdani’s first budget, the administration invested $22 billion over five years in affordable housing capital, including $2.6 billion over the next two fiscal years specifically for affordable housing preservation.

Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era further details the City’s plan to build 200,000 new affordable homes and preserve an additional 200,000 over the next decade. The plan also outlines the administration’s efforts to empower tenants, secure NYCHA’s future, expand and stabilize homeownership, invest in good jobs and deliver public excellence in housing, from permitting through lease-up.

Following more than 2,400 conversations with New Yorkers, the Mamdani administration also released the Rental Ripoff Report, which included 23 policy priorities to improve compliance, strengthen tenant organizing and make New York City’s housing market fairer.

“I’m feeling relieved and hopeful. It’s been a long fight, and I’m happy that the buildings may finally be out of the hands of the Dukler family. I’m ready for a fresh start and for us tenants to finally have a real voice in what happens with our homes,” said Desra Lawrence, tenant leader at 1018 Eastern Parkway. “Living here hasn’t been easy. I’ve dealt with molds, leaks, plumbing problems and pests. I even had to buy my own refrigerator and stove and replace my kitchen cupboards because things weren’t being taken care of. We shouldn’t have had to fight this hard just to have a decent place to live. I’m proud that we stood together, I’m hopeful this will be a new beginning of something much better for all of us.”

“There will be progress because now we’re moving toward getting most of what we need, a better way of life, a better existence. We can now look forward to a safe environment. We can look forward to healthier buildings. Mr. Schwartz has committed to us that we are moving toward ownership. It means progress overall,” said Michelle Stamp, tenant leader at 1392 Sterling Place.

“This sale marks a huge milestone for tenants after nearly a decade of organizing for dignity, stability, and control of their homes,” said Arielle Hersh, Director of Policy at UHAB. “We are excited to see tenants move closer toward their goals, and know that we need tools like COPA and the SAFER Homes Act to make this possible for so many more tenants. With COPA and SAFER Homes, the negligent Dukler family could have been removed when the building was sold in 2018, or after multiple years in the AEP program with hundreds of HPD violations and unpaid property taxes.”

“This sale would not be happening today if it were not for the tenacious organizing of the tenants,” said Samar Katnani, a deputy director of the Tenant Rights Coalition at Brooklyn Legal Services’ Tenant Rights Coalition. “We have supported their organizing for nearly a decade, and, throughout, the tenants have refused to accept nothing less than the quality repairs needed to provide them safe and habitable housing and have been firm on their long-term goal of owning their buildings. Today brings them one step closer to that goal, and we are committed to continuing to provide them with legal support to help them achieve that.”

“Nine years ago as a tenant organizer in Crown Heights,  I knocked on doors in this portfolio for the first time. Since then, I’ve seen the Dukler Tenant Union get organized and take action. Now, those same tenants have removed a notorious slumlord and are on the path to full rehabilitation and control of their homes. The DTU has proven that when tenants organize, we can and will transform our housing and the entire city,” said Sumathy Kumar, Executive Director, New York State Tenant Bloc.

Marriage in Jewish life is much more than a happy event. It is the foundation of Jewish continuity, an adult milestone that blends two distinct but incomplete souls into a cohesive unit ready to embark on an important stage. The Avner Institute presents the Rebbe’s detailed explanation of the ceremonial rituals—the Seven Circles and Seven Blessings—each grounded in respect for Torah laws, gender differences, and mystical concepts.

In loving memory of Hadassah Lebovic A”h

“Two halves of the same soul”

Aleph d’Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5710
June 15, 1950
Brooklyn, NY

Dear Mr. —

This is in reply to your question regarding the significance of the custom during the marriage ceremony that the bride make seven circuits around the groom under the Chuppah.

The answer to this question, it seems to be, has to cover the following sub-questions:

The significance of the circuit;
Its repetition seven times;
The bride circling the groom and not vice versa;
The bride then joining the groom, standing by his side within that circle.

I trust the following may give you a satisfactory answer.

Complete & Full Life

It is stated in the Zohar (Part III, 7:2) that marriage, which is a union of two distinct persons, is in reality a union of two halves of the same soul. Each one, when born, possesses but half of that soul which becomes one and complete only in wedlock, through Chuppah and Kiddushin [formal marriage ceremony]. This does not mean, of course, half a soul in every respect, but in the sense that in some respects, vis-à-vis the setting up of a house, an individual is but a “half,” and his soul is likewise a “half.”

This is why marriage is one of the greatest soul-stirring experiences of the bride and groom, for their respective souls have found at last the other half. Something of this joy is experienced, by way of illustration, at the reunion of two close relatives or beloved friends who had been separated for decades.

To a certain extent, therefore, the marriage marks the beginning of a complete and full life, while the premarital life of either the bride or groom may be considered in the nature of a preparatory period.

The union of the two parts of the same soul is not a union of two identical halves which make one whole. But they complement each other, each of them enriching the other with powers and qualities which hitherto were not possessed by him or her. For the “masculine” and “feminine” parts of the soul have basic differences, reflecting, broadly speaking, the character differences of the sexes. One such difference is what our Sages called “the nature of the male to conquer,” i.e., the propensity of the male to conquer new “provinces” in business, procession, science, etc., outside his home.

This quality is generally not found in the female. On the other hand, the woman is called in our sacred literature the “Foundation of the House,” for within the house her personality and innermost qualities are best expressed and asserted (Psalms 45:14).

It has been mentioned earlier that marriage, in a sense, marks the beginning of a full life. The wedding ceremony reflects this by an allusion to the beginning of all life, especially human life. The Blessings of Betrothal (Birchoth Hanesuin) also begin with a reference to the creation of the first man, the first woman, and their wedding.

Ever since the creation of the world, human life has been based on the seven-day cycle. G-d created the world in six days and hallowed the seventh as a day of rest. Man was then commanded to work for six days of the week, but to dedicate the seventh as a Sabbath unto G-d. When a Jew is about to set up a home and begin a full life, it is fitting that this basic principle of a happy life should be symbolized during the wedding ceremony. Hence the “Seven Days of Feasting,” and the “Seven Blessings” (Sheva Berachoth). This brings us to the seven circuits of the bride around the groom.

Character Differences

Bearing the above in mind, as well as the earlier introductory remarks concerning the basic character differences between the male and female, the ceremony of the seven circuits which the bride makes around the groom suggests the following explanation:

The groom, who takes the initiative in bringing the union to fruition, is initially the center of the new Jewish home. He is the first to take his place under the Chuppah. This is expressed, e.g., by the saying of our Sages that “it is the custom of the man to seek a wife.” During the marriage ceremony this is symbolized by the fact that the groom declares, “Harei at, etc. (Be thou betrothed unto me, etc.), while the bride remains silent.

When the bride is led to the Chuppah, she proceeds to make a circle around the groom. This symbolizes the delineation (in space) of their own world within the outer world, with her husband-to-be as its center. She continues to make circuits one after the other seven times, symbolizing that she, the “Foundation of the House,” founds an edifice that would be complete on the first day of each and every week to come as on the second, third, etc., to the end of all times and seasons, a lasting and “eternal edifice” (with the infinity of the “cycle”). Her own contribution to this sacred union is also implied in the fact that she makes the circuits around the groom.

Having completed the seven circuits, she stands beside her husband-to-be in the center of the circle, for after the preparations for the building of their home, both of them, the husband and the wife, form its center. From here on, throughout the entire ceremony, both the bride and groom form the center of the holy ceremony, like a king and queen surrounded by a suite of honor. Their lives become united into one full and happy life, based on the One Torah with its precepts, given by the One G-d.

Very sincerely yours,

[signature]

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The “Nos’im LaRebbe” organization is expanding its activities and launching a special raffle for Chabad Chassidim around the world.

Two winners will each receive $1,600 toward the cost of a flight to the Rebbe for the month of Tishrei.

One male winner and one female winner

The raffle will take place this coming Tuesday, the 26th of Elul.

Registration costs just $3 click here. To date, 17 residents of Eretz Yisroel have won the organization’s raffles and traveled to the Rebbe as the shluchim of all those who participated.

Now, for the first time, “Nos’im LaRebbe” is opening a separate raffle especially for Chabad Chassidim throughout the world.

In a letter concerning a raffle winner traveling to the Rebbe, the Rebbe wrote:
**
“«It would be appropriate for the winner to be considered the shliach of all the participants—for a person’s shliach is like the person himself. Consequently, through the winner’s journey, to a certain extent, each and every one of them is traveling.”
**
(Igros Kodesh, Vol. 10, p. 264)»

The tradition of holding a raffle for a journey to the Rebbe began during the early years of the Rebbe’s nesius. The idea was that every Chossid would contribute a small amount, enabling one winner to travel as the shliach of all the participants.

The Rebbe showed special attention to the raffle winner—not as a private individual, but as the representative of hundreds and thousands of Anash in Eretz Yisroel. The Rebbe regarded the shliach’s journey as, in a spiritual sense, the journey of all those who participated:

«“Although only one person wins the journey, all the participants should make the appropriate preparations as though they themselves were traveling.”»

In some years, the Rebbe even recorded the names of the raffle winners in his personal notes.

Every person who enters the raffle is considered, in a sense, to be joining the journey to the Rebbe.

—

Over the course of the last 17 raffles, hundreds of people have participated and merited to be represented at the Rebbe.

“Nos’im LaRebbe” holds raffles for flights to the Rebbe in connection with significant dates on the Chassidic calendar, including Tishrei, Yud Shevat, Yud-Alef Nissan and Gimmel Tammuz.

This is your opportunity to enter the raffle, merit to be represented at the Rebbe—and perhaps win the flight yourself and serve as the shliach of all the participants.

To share the raffle and receive a free entry, click here.

A special pre-Selichos farbrengen led by Rabbi Shais Taub will take place this Motzei Shabbos at the SoulWords House, just half a block from the Ohel.

As we prepare to begin saying Selichos and enter the final days leading up to Rosh Hashanah 5787, the farbrengen will offer an opportunity for meaningful preparation, inspiration and connection.

The farbrengen will begin at 11:00 PM and continue until 1:00 AM ET, followed by Selichos 1:00 AM at the Ohel, just half a block away.

The in-person farbrengen, for men, will take place at the SoulWords House, 120-23 228th Street, Cambria Heights, NY 11411.

Those unable to attend in person can watch live or view the replay at SoulWords.org/LIVE and here on COLlive. The online broadcast is open for everyone.

P.S. We are in the final stretch of our annual SoulWords campaign. Every donation is being matched dollar-for-dollar, so your support goes twice as far. Your contribution will help SoulWords continue producing meaningful classes and programs and bring them to even more people in the year ahead. Please donate today and help us begin 5787 with a strong start: Charidy.com/RST

Follow Rabbi Shais Taub/SoulWords.org: YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | X (Twitter) | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | WhatsApp | Newsletter

As the Keren Meir annual raffle enters its final days, supporters are being asked to help ensure that Rabbi Meir Roness ע”ה’s lifelong mission continues reaching as many Yidden as possible.

For 53 years, literally until his last day, Rabbi Meir Roness ע”ה dedicated himself to one goal: bringing the wellsprings of Chassidus to every Jew seeking inspiration, guidance, and connection.

With the help of Hahsem and our generous supporters, that mission continues today through Keren Meir, which is committed to supporting shiurim, chavrusos, and farbrengens that help Yidden deepen their connection to Torah and Chassidus.

With just days remaining in this year’s campaign, organizers say every contribution now carries added significance.

“Every ticket helps another shiur take place, another chavrusa to begin, and another Yid discover the wellsprings of Chassidus,” said Rabbi Yisroel Botnick.

As a thank-you, participants in this year’s campaign will be entered to win two round-trip tickets to Eretz Yisroel and a luxurious weekend stay at the Waldorf Astoria Yerushalayim.

The campaign goal is $50,000, and supporters say the final push will determine whether the organization can expand its reach in the coming year.

As the campaign enters its final stretch, Keren Meir is inviting the community to take part in this vital endeavor of illuminating the lives of thousands.

We can only do it with your generous partnership.

May you be blessed with a Kesivah V’Chasimah Tovah, L’Shana Tova Umesukah, and may we all merit to see and experience the imminent revelation of Melech haMoshiach who will lead us all to the 3rd Beis haMikdosh where will will be able to blow the Shofar even on Shabbos, this year!!

To participate before the campaign closes, visit KerenMeir.net.

It’s hard to describe what happened at The Elul Experience on Wednesday night. You really had to be there.

Mordechai Ben David and Yaakov Shwekey, two artists who have each spent decades filling arenas and creating music that has become part of Jewish life, came together as co-headliners Wednesday night for The Elul Experience. It was a pairing of two of Jewish music’s biggest voices in a production built around the music, emotion and spirit of Elul, and from the moment the night began, it was clear this was going to be far beyond another concert.

The evening opened with Yanky Lemmer, whose unmistakable voice immediately set the tone for the night. With the power, warmth and depth that have made him one of the most distinctive chazzanim today, Lemmer drew the audience in from the first note and opened the evening on exactly the right note.

Mordechai Ben David showed once again why there is simply no one like MBD. Decades of songs that everyone in the room knew by heart, the humor and spontaneity that are uniquely his, and an ability to move thousands from laughter to emotion to dancing within minutes. Generations have grown up on his music, and Wednesday night brought all of that together on one stage.

Yaakov Shwekey was every bit the powerhouse audiences have come to expect. His voice, range and energy filled the room as he moved through hit after hit, with the crowd right there with him on every word. He can take a room from an intimate, emotional moment to thousands of people on their feet, and throughout the night he did exactly that.

And when MBD and Shwekey shared the stage, the chemistry was immediate and completely natural. They joked, played off each other, sang together and clearly enjoyed every minute of it. Seeing two artists of their stature, each with his own sound, personality and decades of music, come together so naturally became one of the defining parts of the night.

And the crowd matched them at every turn. The energy and participation were unlike anything Jewish music has seen before. Thousands sang at full volume, danced, cheered and at times simply took over the music. There was a constant back and forth between the stage and the audience, and instead of slowing down as the night went on, the room somehow kept getting louder.

Led by Maestro Mendy Hershkowitz, the Mendy Hershkowitz Band, together with the inimitable Yoely Horowitz and the Shira Choir, took on a massive musical program spanning decades and delivered at every turn. The arrangements gave new life to familiar songs while preserving what people have always loved about them, and the band and choir moved effortlessly through the many magnificent and unexpected musical moments of the night.

From the moment the idea for The Elul Experience was conceived, Apex Creatives knew they wanted it to be exactly that: completely Elul, and a transformative experience from beginning to end. Every part of the evening was carefully curated with that vision in mind, from the music and programming to the staging, visuals, lighting and sound. Nothing was incidental, and no detail was overlooked. From top to bottom, every element was produced at the highest level, coming together to create an experience that was as powerful in its message and emotion as it was in its scale.

When the final song ended, the audience made it very clear that they weren’t finished. People stayed on their feet calling for more, waiting for another song and simply not wanting to leave. The messages began coming in almost immediately and haven’t stopped, with people talking about the performances, the music, the production and what it felt like to be in that room.

Some nights are announced and you wonder whether they’ll live up to the hype. Others end with people asking when the next one is.

After The Elul Experience, it was made clear yet again: when Apex Creatives puts its name on a production, you want to be in the room.

For those who missed it, or simply want to experience it again, the full replay of The Elul Experience is available for the next 48 hours only.
https://mostlymusic.com/products/the-elul-experience

By Hillel Fuld

I love the Internet!

I walk into the Ohel where the rebbe is buried and as soon as I walk in, I hear “Hillel Fuld! I need to come to the Ohel to meet you?!”

Mind you, I’ve never been here before…

Yaakov Yarmove then proceeds to tell me how he enjoys my posts and how much fun it is to follow me.
Not gonna lie, it’s always weird when I meet someone offline who follows me online but to meet this Chabad man at the Ohel was different level!

He then proceeded to tell me all about the Ohel and why people come here to pray.

I don’t believe in coincidences and there’s a reason I met this man. I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure in the future, I’ll figure it out and I’ll let you know!

As for me and Chabad, I’ve had many incredible experiences with them, but I’ll share three.

1: When my mom was pregnant with me, it was the holiday of Sukkot and they were eating in their sukkah when my dad smelled fire. He went inside to check and a massive fire blew him down a flight of stairs.
Their house burned down in its entirety. They lost everything.

Two things survived. Their ketuba (marriage certificate) and a dollar from the rebbe (The rebbe used to give a dollar to anyone who came to visit him so they can give charity.)

Again, I’m not Chabad but this was undeniably supernatural.

2: Whenever I am in Silicon Valley, I struggle to find kosher food. There are very few solutions. Consistently, over the years, the Chabad there would meet me and bring me steaks prepared exactly how I like them.

Of course, they never asked for anything in return, but every time I visited the Bay area, their kindness enhanced my experience significantly.

3: Many years ago, we had an emergency landing in Billings, Montana. The airport there was the size of an average bedroom. The staff took out their phones to take a picture of the airplane because they had never seen one so big.

So there we were, in Billings, Montana, hundreds of Israelis, no customs, and no ability to do anything, let alone eat anything.

There isn’t exactly a large kosher food scene in Billings, Montana.
Chabad drove three hours each way to bring us kosher pitas, hummus, and deli.

Bonus story: When we were in Vienna last Sukkos, the Chabad there made our holiday infinitely more meaningful.

In general, what Chabad does for the Jewish people is just beyond words and there is absolutely zero debate that the rebbe left the biggest impact on the Jewish people out of any other human in the last few hundred years, if not more.

This was quite a beautiful experience.

The large Tishrei tent is once again being built on Eastern Parkway, marking the 10th year of what has become a central fixture of the month of Tishrei in Crown Heights.

The 5,000-square-foot glass-style structure closes the street in front of 770 for the duration of the Yomim Tovim, providing overflow space as thousands of guests arrive from around the world. Inside, the facility is fully equipped with air-conditioning, generators, and professional lighting, creating space for round-the-clock davening, shiurim, and farbrengens.

For the third year, a dedicated Women’s Pavilion by the women’s plaza is also being constructed, similarly outfitted and designed to accommodate the large numbers of women and girls who spend Tishrei in Crown Heights.

The project is organized and overseen by Rabbis Shmuel Butler, Mendel Mintz and Bentzion Sudak, as well as Meir Ezagui, Levi Mann and Mendy Morgevai, who are coordinating the extensive logistics required to operate the structures throughout the thirty days of the holiday season.

With thousands expected to arrive in the coming days, Crown Heights once again prepares for the unique Tishrei atmosphere, with the tent serving as a central hub for the month’s festivities.

As the Yomim Noraim draw closer, Berel Faiden presents “Hayom,” a new single carrying the emotion and depth of these special days.

Taken from the powerful words of the tefillah, “Hayom” speaks to that deeply personal moment of standing before Hashem and asking for strength, blessing, mercy, and for our prayers to be heard and accepted.

With a stirring melody and Berel’s heartfelt delivery, the song gives new expression to words that have been part of our tefillos for generations, arriving at a time of year when they carry even greater meaning.

“Hayom” by Berel Faiden is now available on all streaming platforms.

For the first time in Crown Heights, Aliya hosted a live shechita demonstration of a ram, turkey, and chickens for Bnei Aliya students, Aliya Kollel members, and members of the wider Aliya community.

The idea came from Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, Rosh Kollel of the new Aliya Kollel, who felt that a hands-on shechita class would be an incredible Torah-learning experience. Shortly afterward, Aliya learned that Rabbi Eliyahu Ezagui, a trained shochet, would be visiting Crown Heights for his brother’s wedding. It was the perfect opportunity to bring the idea to life.

Rabbi Ezagui’s relationship with Aliya began years ago when he helped run Aliya’s well-known Friday afternoon tefillin booth on Kingston Avenue. Through the booth, he connected with many young people and became very close with Aliya. He later became a shochet, got married, and moved to Eretz Yisroel.

Before the shechita, Rabbi Ezagui explained the halachos, the special knives used, and the precision required. He also discussed the Torah’s sensitivity to animals and how shechita is performed swiftly in order to minimize suffering.

Everyone then gathered on Aliya’s rooftop deck to watch the demonstration. Under close supervision, the boys helped with different parts of preparing the animals and meat.

Within three hours, they were already enjoying freshly barbecued lamb ribs, turkey and chicken together.

It was hands-on Torah learning at its best. The boys gained a new understanding of where kosher meat comes from and how much knowledge, care and halachic expertise go into the process. It was an experience they will remember for a very long time.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to all of Aliya’s friends and supporters who make programs like this possible. Your partnership allows Aliya to continue finding creative ways to keep our young community engaged, excited, and connected to living Yiddishkeit.

Some 100 Shluchim and supporters gathered at the historic GH on the Park in Midtown Manhattan for the relaunch of the Machne Israel Development Fund (MIDF). Hosted by Mr. Steve Rosenberg, founder and CEO of Greystone, the afternoon brought together longtime MIDF participants and a new generation of supporters.

Founded and named by the Rebbe in 1986, MIDF brought together individuals prepared to look beyond their own communities and collectively support Jewish life wherever the need arose. The Rebbe himself was the fund’s first donor.

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the Rebbe’s secretary and Chairman of Machne Israel and MIDF, recalled asking the Rebbe before Rosh Hashanah 5746 for a brocho that the Rebbe should have a dedicated group of financial partners. Within months, MIDF was established.

Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky, Executive Director of MIDF, spearheaded the fund’s renewal, bringing together a new generation of supporters around an updated version of the model established by the Rebbe in 1986.

At the gathering, he unveiled a revolutionary philanthropic online platform that gives supporters a direct connection to the projects they fund, allowing them to explore needs, direct their support, and follow the impact.

“The fund is going to operate with an unparalleled level of transparency and efficiency,” Krinsky said. “Our focus will be on a minimal bureaucracy, but with the highest level of responsibility.”

Developed following extensive research and consultation with Shluchim, the renewed MIDF will initially focus on four areas: Early Childhood Education; Emergency Assistance to Shluchim, families and communities facing crises; the Frontier Fund for smaller, developing and remote Jewish communities; and the Israel Pillar Fund for critical needs in Israel.

Rabbi Levi Wolff, Chabad Shliach and Rabbi of Sydney’s Central Synagogue, placed the evening’s mission in the aftermath of the Bondi massacre. Against the evil on display, he described the extraordinary response that followed: Jews responding with greater pride, unity and light, and an unparalleled outpouring of support from non-Jews inspired by the collective Jewish response.

Wolff connected that response to the words of last week’s Haftorah: “Kumi Ori” — “Arise, shine.” The challenge, he said, is not simply to survive, but to get up and shine.

Machne Israel, he said, enables Shluchim around the world to do precisely that — standing behind them as they bring Jewish light to their communities, especially in moments of challenge.

Wolff then announced that Mordechai Gutnick and his wife, Naomi, committed a $1 million grant to MIDF — a commitment they said was only the beginning. The announcement drew enthusiastic applause and prompted several others in the room to increase their participation, giving the renewed fund immediate momentum.

Rosenberg spoke of the extraordinary talent, creativity and dedication Shluchim and their families bring to their mission.

“Each of these couples possesses the drive, creativity and vision to succeed in the business world,” Rosenberg said. “Yet, inspired by the Rebbe’s vision, they choose instead to dedicate their lives to ensuring that our children and grandchildren have a loving place where they can explore and embrace their Jewish identity.”

He urged those gathered to see partnership with MIDF not simply as philanthropy, but as a privilege for themselves and their families.

Mrs. Chagit Leviev Sofiev, President of Leviev Companies USA, recalled how her father, Reb Lev Leviev, would emerge from encounters with the Rebbe with another mission — to accomplish more for the Jewish people, to give more and, at the same time, to grow spiritually.

A video presentation traced MIDF’s history and the Rebbe’s personal involvement in the fund. Rabbi Mendy Herson recalled hearing from his father, Rabbi Moshe Herson, a founding Shliach involved in MIDF, that the Rebbe assured Shluchim that bringing their supporters to MIDF would in no way diminish their local giving. On the contrary, it would strengthen it.

More than four decades after MIDF was established, the map of Shlichus has expanded to thousands of communities. The scale has changed, but the mandate has not.

“Our goal is to bring a new generation of supporters into this shared responsibility — strengthening Jewish life and standing behind the Shluchim bringing its light to communities around the world,” Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky said.

Insights from Toras Reb Levi Yitzchok, a weekly class based on the teachings of Harav Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, chief rabbi of the city of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, during the bloody Bolshevik revolution and the subsequent Communist oppression and father of the Rebbe.

The shiur is presented by Rabbi Dovid Dubov, Director of Chabad of Mercer County in Princeton, New Jersey, and author of Yalkut Levi Yitzchok, an anthology of commentaries collected from the works of Harav Levi Yitzchak, of blessed memory.

Organized by Irguntorah.org and aired on community news service COLlive.com.

From the Rebbe’s Father זצ״ל
Rosh Hashana

Explains, one on the most important blessings we ask Hashem,

Everyone who needs and wants Children, should be blessed

The Talmud (R”H 10b)
On Rosh Hashana, Sara, Rochel & Chana, were remembered (by Hashem and conceived)

לקוטי לוי יצחק , אגרות קודש ע׳ שפב

ילקוט לוי יצחק חלק א סי׳ סג

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For more shiurim and podcasts visit: irguntorah.org

Rabbi Heschel Greenberg has launched a new series of classes on the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah in response to the Rebbe’s call to learn at least one halacha in depth.

The Rebbe initiated a major effort to unite all Jews with the study of the entire encyclopedic work, Mishneh Torah, by learning three chapters a day and completing the entire work in less than a year. Alternatively, one can learn one chapter and complete the entire Mishneh Torah in close to three years. The Rebbe also gave a third option to study Maimonides’ companion work, Sefer Hamitzvos that parallel the Mishneh Torah.

In addition, the Rebbe requested that we learn one halacha in depth.

We recently began the 46nd cycle of Mishneh Torah which inspired Rabbi Greenberg to record brief classes on selected passages of the Mishneh Torah.

Rabbi Heschel Greenberg is a shliach of the Rebbe in Buffalo NY and the Director of the Jewish Discovery Center, and, for over 50 years, has taught thousands of classes on all aspects of Jewish knowledge.

Rabbi Greenberg has also authored dozens of works on diverse subjects including several volumes of commentary on the Mishneh Torah.

Many of Rabbi Greenberg’s classes can be accessed on his website rabbigreenberg.com.

Why doesn’t a house in Yerushalayim ever become tamei from a nega, even though the same house anywhere else in Eretz Yisrael would? The Rambam’s answer opens up a real machlokes about who actually owned Yerushalayim—and whether the Beis HaMikdash itself was ever divided among the shevatim.

The Rambam rules (Hilchos Tumas Tzara’as 14:11) that Yerushalayim and chutz la’aretz are not subject to tumas nega’im, because the halacha only applies to “a house in the land of your inheritance” (b’veis eretz achuzaschem)—and Yerushalayim, the Rambam holds, was never divided among the shevatim.