Community news site covering Crown Heights and the Chabad-Lubavitch community.
Community news site covering Crown Heights and the Chabad-Lubavitch community.
CrownHeights.info6 hours agoShe had already experienced unimaginable loss. Then October 7th happened.
In this powerful and deeply personal story, Orit Mark Ettinger shares how terrorism and war changed her family forever.
She opens up about the pain of losing so many people she loved, the question of “Why?”, and her struggle to understand how God could allow such tragedy. Yet through that pain, she found a new sense of purpose, faith, and a determination to bring light to others.
Her story also reflects the resilience of the Jewish people after October 7th, the tragedy and hope surrounding the return of the hostages, and the strength that can emerge from unimaginable loss.
CrownHeights.info6 hours agoRegistration is now open for the Kinus Tzeirei Hashluchim 5787, the weekend young Shluchim look forward to all year.
Taking place Friday through Sunday, November 6–8 (26–28 Cheshvan), the Kinus will bring together young Shluchim from around the world for a weekend filled with achdus, inspiration and excitement.
The program will feature opportunities to meet fellow Shluchim, inspiring farbrengens, exciting trips and activities, and the highly anticipated Grand Finale.
This year, there are two ways for boys to participate:
In-Person Kinus in Crown Heights:
For boys in grades 4–8, the in-person Kinus will take place in Crown Heights.
A Taste of the Kinus — Virtual:
For boys in Pre1A through 5th grade, a virtual program will allow young Shluchim from anywhere to experience a taste of the Kinus.
Registration is available at portal.youngshluchim.org, while full details, deadlines and additional information can be found at youngshluchim.org/kinus.
Families are encouraged to register by October 21 to receive the subsidized rate. Registration closes on Thursday, October 29 (18 Cheshvan).
For questions, call 718-221-0500 ext. 0 or email [email protected].
CrownHeights.info7 hours agoAfter more than a decade of planning, the Jewish community of Ulyanovsk has received approval to move forward with the construction of a major new Jewish community center in the heart of the city. The five-story complex, covering approximately 4,400 square meters, will bring together a synagogue, mikvah, educational institutions, social and humanitarian services, and community facilities serving thousands of Jews across Ulyanovsk and the surrounding region.
The project marks an important milestone for a community that has steadily expanded its activities over the years under the leadership of the city’s rabbi and Chabad emissary, Rabbi Binyamin Markowitz. The community’s current premises at 107 Lenin Street have become increasingly limited as participation in Shabbat services, holiday programs, classes, and communal events has grown. More than 3,000 Jews live in the wider Ulyanovsk region.
Plans for a larger permanent home date back more than a decade, when the project was first initiated by the city’s previous rabbi and Chabad emissary, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Marozov.
The Ulyanovsk municipality has now approved an expansion of the designated construction site in the city’s Leninsky District, along the centrally located Karl Marx Street, clearing a major regulatory step toward construction.
The approval process was advanced with the support of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, under the guidance of Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Berel Lazar. The necessary municipal and legal approvals allow the community to proceed with the ambitious project following years of administrative planning.
According to the architectural plans, the new center will rise five stories and will also include a spacious underground level with parking. At its heart will be a large synagogue designed to serve as the central gathering place for Jewish life in Ulyanovsk.
The complex will also include a mikvah, guest accommodations for Shabbat and Jewish holidays, a kosher café, and a spacious dining hall. An expanded charitable meal program will operate from the center, providing food and assistance to elderly residents, people in need, and members of the community who live alone.
Education will form another major part of the new facility. A dedicated educational wing is planned to include a Jewish kindergarten, Sunday school, modern classrooms, a Jewish library, programming space for senior citizens, and a museum dedicated to the Jewish heritage of the region.
Community chairman Mr. Igor Dvakarov and synagogue gabbai Mr. Lev Zingerenko, who have been closely involved in advancing the project, welcomed the development, noting that the move from the community’s current limited premises to a much larger center will significantly expand its ability to serve local Jewish families.
With the approvals now in place, the community is preparing for the cornerstone-laying ceremony and the beginning of construction. The project is being supported by the 770 Foundation, founded by philanthropist Rabbi Yehuda Davydov. Despite construction costs having risen considerably since the original plans were prepared, community members and supporters are working together to bring the long-awaited center to completion.
CrownHeights.info7 hours agoIn an emergency, every second matters.
Take a moment today to step outside and look at your home from the street. Can you clearly see your house number? Is it large enough and well-lit enough to be easily identified—especially at night?
If you can’t see your address clearly, Hatzalah may not be able to either.
When emergency responders are rushing to your home, a clearly visible address can save precious time and help them get to you faster. Don’t assume they will know which house is yours.
Take a look today. If your address isn’t clearly visible from the street, consider adding a large, easy-to-see address sign.
One option to consider: Click Here!
Check your address. Make it visible. It could make a difference when every second counts.
CrownHeights.info8 hours agoLearning Rambam online just got even better.
Nearly 20 years ago, in 2009, Chabad.org digitized and published the English edition of the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, translated and elucidated by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger and graciously made possible by Moznaim.
Publishing the Rambam online proved challenging in that era. The original online publication was not complete. Due to the process of conversion from print to digital, it contained some errors, and swaths of the extensive notes and explanations were missing. It included some, but not all, of Rabbi Touger’s thousands of extensive notes and commentary.
Just before yom tov, in partnership with Chayenu, Chabad.org has digitized the remaining notes and published them online.
The Rambam was famously concise when he composed his 14-volume compendium, which encompasses the entirety of Talmudic and Midrashic law. The notes thus provide readers with crucial background and context, as well as scholarship and commentary from Geonim and Rishonim. Having them all online means that a text that was sometimes too cryptic to be understood has now been exposed in all its original glory for the English student.
This project employed multiple rounds of AI-powered review, coupled with our team combing the text for errors, inconsistencies, and other idiosyncrasies. In all, over eight thousand minor and major fixes were implemented, each of which contributed to our effort to make the text as accurate, readable, consistent, and reliable as possible.
“As many and great as these improvements are, we recognize that there is always more to do,” says Rabbi Meir Simcha Kogan, director of Chabad.org. “We are now in the process of reviewing and evaluating yet another round of edits, which we expect to release, G-d willing, in the coming weeks.”
CrownHeights.info8 hours agoRabbi Chaim Levinson will be sitting Shiva in Crown Heights following the passing of Yanky Levinson OBM.
Shiva will take place at 467 Brooklyn Ave.
Shiva Times:
Wednesday and Thursday: 10:30am -1:30pm, 5:30pm – 9:00 pm
Friday: 10:30 am -1:30 pm
Shacharis: 9 am
Mincha: 6:10 pm
Maariv: 7:10 pm
CrownHeights.info9 hours agoWith the streets of the Shchuna filled with the annual Labor Day festivities, Cheder Ohr Menachem once again put the focus where it belongs—on keeping our kinderlach Heilig and Rein, and protecting the special kedusha and taharas hanesh of a Yiddishe child.
Instead of taking the day off, the Cheder arranged a full day of Torah, Mivtzoim and Niflaos HaBorei. The boys left early in the morning, with some returning home only as late as 10:00 PM, after everything was completely cleared.
The day began with Shacharis at the Bukharian Shul in Queens, followed by a yummy breakfast and Shiurim with their Melamdim. The boys then headed to a local park for Mivtzoim, head and sports, before continuing to apple picking and lunch of tuna sandwiches.
The highlight of the day was a hike to the top of the mountain, taking in the dam and waterfall and seeing firsthand the מה רבו מעשיך ה׳. The day concluded with a sumptuous BBQ, prepared by the talmidim of Kita Zayin.
A special Yasher Koach to the Melamdim who joined and gave of themselves throughout the day: Rabbi Dovber Brisky, Rabbi Leibel Gurevitch, Reb Aryei Eidelman and Hatomim Levi Nemirovski. A special thank you as well to Rabbi Mendel Baron, Rabbi Yehoshua Lefkovitch and Rabbi Yochanan Twerski, who joined for part of the day.
Acharon Chaviv, a tremendous Yasher Koach to the Menahalim, Rabbi Mendel Yusewitz and Rabbi Yossi Overlander, for arranging and leading the entire day with such care and mesirus nefesh.
A beautiful day of Torah, Chassidishkeit, Mivtzoim, achdus and Niflaos HaBorei—giving our kinderlach a true Yiddishe and Chassidishe experience, as we prepare to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu מיד ממש.
CrownHeights.info9 hours agoWith the November 3 New York State general election approaching, Chaim V’Chessed is reminding eligible New Yorkers currently in Israel to make sure they are registered and able to participate in the important upcoming election.
New York has one of the largest populations of U.S. citizens living in Israel, and officials have told Chaim V’Chessed that thousands of New York residents currently in Israel may be eligible to vote from abroad.
The upcoming election includes the race for New York State Governor, along with other federal, state and local offices. Eligible overseas voters can register and request an absentee ballot through the appropriate election authorities.
Important deadline: New Yorkers living abroad who are not currently registered to vote must submit their registration by October 24, 2026 in order to vote in the November election.
If you are a New York voter living in Israel, now is the time to make sure you are registered and have taken the necessary steps to vote.
New York is not the only state holding important elections this year. U.S. citizens living in Israel who are registered to vote in other states should also make sure they understand their state’s requirements and deadlines for voting from overseas.
For information about voting eligibility and participation for U.S. citizens living abroad, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), which provides state-specific information for overseas voters.
Chaim V’Chessed encourages eligible New Yorkers – and all U.S. citizens in Israel who are eligible to vote – to take the necessary steps now to ensure they can participate in the upcoming elections, and to share this information with family and friends.
CrownHeights.info10 hours agoUkrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy was joined by Israeli Minister Ze’ev Elkin, ambassadors, Rabbanim and Jewish community representatives at a memorial ceremony for the 85th Anniversary of Babi Yar Massacre.
A special ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of the massacre of Kyiv’s Jews was held on Wednesday at the Babi Yar memorial site, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior officials and dignitaries from around the world.
Among those taking part were Israeli Minister Ze’ev Elkin, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Roey Rosenblit, Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan, senior ministers and members of parliament from Ukraine and Germany, ambassadors from several countries, representatives of Jewish communities, and Rabbanim and Chabad shluchim from Kyiv, elsewhere in Ukraine and abroad.
The participants gathered to commemorate the Jews murdered at Babi Yar during the Holocaust.
During the ceremony, a tree was planted in memory of the victims. Harav Yonatan Markovitch, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Chabad shliach in the city, then recited chapters of Tehillim in memory of the Jews murdered.
In his remarks, Rabbi Markovitch stressed the importance of perpetuating the memory of those murdered at Babi Yar, while highlighting the continued existence and flourishing of Jewish life in Ukraine — precisely in the place where the Nazis sought to destroy Kyiv’s Jewish community.
CrownHeights.info10 hours agoWith great sadness we report the passing of Rabbi Arye Leib Prager OBM, a long time Crown Heights resident, beloved Mechanech, and second-grade teacher in Oholei Torah. He passed away on Wednesday, the 26th of Tishrei 5787.
He was 91 years old.
Important: The family has requested that, due to medical concerns and on doctors’ instructions, no mention of Rabbi Prager’s passing be made to his wife, Mrs. Prager, who has not yet been informed.
Rabbi Prager was known for his warmth, heartfelt educational songs, and dedication to Chinuch Al Taharas Hakodesh, Ahavas Yisroel, Derech Eretz, and Kibbud Av V’Eim. His Crown Heights home was renowned for its Hachnosas Orchim, welcoming guests from around the world and serving as a place of inspiration and guidance.
He also played a role in establishing Chadrei Torah Ohr in Israel and was a passionate advocate for Shleimus HaAretz and Inyonei Moshiach.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Simcha Prager, and their children; Yanky Preger, Berel Preger, and Mrs. Leah Goldstein, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Levaya will take place today, Wednesday, passing by 770 at approximately 2:00pm.
Shiva information to be announced.
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
CrownHeights.info10 hours agoby Yisrael Eliashiv – chabad.org
Two days before her daughter’s wedding this past June, Sharyn Hoppenheim accompanied her to the mikvah for her first immersion.
Years earlier, Hoppenheim had immersed herself for the first time, at age 50. Her daughter had been there to support her then.
“She had been part of my first experience,” Hoppenheim said. “And now, I was there to share hers. I realized that something had come full circle.”
A month ago, that opportunity widened to the Laurentian Jewish community, as Mikvah Laurentian formally opened in a brand new building beside Congregation House of Israel in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec. The region’s first public mikvah designed to remain open year-round, the $2.5 million facility is located an hour’s drive from Montreal and includes separate mikvahs for women, men, and vessels.
Housed beside Congregation House of Israel in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec, it is the region’s first public mikvah designed to remain open year-round.
Leading the effort was Rabbi Emanuel Carlebach, who has served as rabbi of the Orthodox congregation for 41 years, and his wife, Chani.
Thousands of Jewish families own cottages in the Laurentials or visit for weekends, holidays or summer vacations. While there are many seasonal synagogues in the mountainous area, House of Israel is the only one to keep its doors open on the long winter nights as well. But it did not have its own mikvah.
Seasonal mikvahs catering to the summer crowd would close their doors at the end of the season leaving locals with limited options. The Trout Lake mikvah, several miles away, operated out of a summer building, and Carlebach sometimes covered its winter expenses himself just to keep it open. When it was time for women to use the mikvah, they had a choice: travel to Montreal or try to arrange access to one of the existing facilities, which often meant long walks in the dark if a woman had to go on Shabbat.
The Carlebachs knew this had to change.
Rabbi Emanuel Carlebach wraps tefillin with a community member at the opening celebration.
In 1975, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, launched his mitzvah campaign focusing on family purity. At that time, mikvah observance was rarely discussed publicly, and many Jewish families were totally unfamiliar with this foundational mitzvah.
By placing it alongside core mitzvahs like Shabbat and kosher, the Rebbe signaled that family purity was not a marginal practice but a foundational pillar of Jewish life. He urged communities to build and beautify mikvahs immediately, insisting that they be attractive, clean spaces Jewish women would feel proud to use.
The effort to bring a mikvah to the Laurentians took more than 20 years.
An early attempt to purchase property for a mikvah fell through, and the city later rejected plans to incorporate one into a synagogue renovation. Eventually, Carlebach was told that he would need to pursue the project independently.
Groundbreaking took place three years before this summer’s opening. Sam and Naomi Fayer provided the first major gift; Mikvah USA and other benefactors later supplied substantial additional support. The final project cost was approximately $2.5 million.
Sharyn Hoppenheim
Hoppenheim’s family has kept a vacation home in the Laurentians throughout her life, and it has been a constant of her Jewish life. Her brother celebrated his bar mitzvah at House of Israel, and the family regularly attended the congregation’s annual Shabbat on the Lake.
Yet she knew little about ritual immersion. A mikvah tour before her daughter’s bat mitzvah opened a longer conversation about bringing more Jewish observance into everyday life. Her connection to the House of Israel congregation deepened through her daughter and son-in-law, as well as her family’s support of the mikvah campaign.
In the weeks before the opening, Carlebach’s wife, Chani, taught Hoppenheim about the new mikvah and walked her through the facility. With a women’s mikvah and a mikvah for dishes and utensils now nearby, Hoppenheim said observance can be woven into ordinary family life for Laurentian Jews rather than requiring a separate trip.
“For me, the mikvah has become so deeply connected to my relationship with my daughter,” she said, “and to the traditions we are continuing to build as a family.”
For Carlebach, completing the project after four decades in the region evoked a deep feeling of gratitude.
“We feel very blessed, very, very fortunate,” he said. “There’s so much simcha, there’s so much joy.”
Hoppenheim is already looking beyond the opening to the women and families who will use the facility in the years ahead.
“Having this here means that Jewish life can become a more natural part of our everyday routines,” she said. “It creates a place where traditions can be practiced, shared between generations, and passed on to our children and grandchildren.”
CrownHeights.info11 hours agoBack for its third year in a row, Tzemach Tzedek Community Centre and partnering organizations hosted its annual communal Simchas Beis Hashoeva Celebration.
Despite a rainy forecast, the event was held under clear skies, with hundreds turning up to participate. The ‘Simchas Beis Sukkot Dance Celebration’ continues to be an annual Sydney Sukkot cornerstone, growing each year, with plans for further expansion for next year.
The event was organised by Rabbi Menachem Spielman of Tzemach Tzedek Community Centre, beginning with a children’s rally led by Tzivos Hashem’s Rabbi Yehuda Straiton, followed by all-ages communal dancing, a BBQ, pareve gourmet gelato from Sydney’s high-end gelato experts DAÄS Gelato, à la carté fries from Soul Gourmet, a dance floor for teenagers, and children’s entertainment.
Over this Sukkos, Lulav and Esrog were shaken at the Tzemach Tzedek Sukkah-Mobile by hundreds of people, thanks to the mivtzoyim efforts of Rabbi Straiton, the Shluchim to Tzemach Tzedek / Yeshivas Levi Yitzchok (YLY), and additional volunteers.
The event was held in partnership with Chabad of Bondi, Beth Yoseph Synagogue, Jewish Family Centre, Dover Heights Synagogue, Chabad Youth NSW, Adass Israel Congregation, Kehillat Moriah, CTeen, Chabad CBD, Cremorne Synagogue, and Coogee Synagogue.
Tzemach Tzedek expresses its thanks to CSG, Hatzolah, NSW Police, Yeshivas Levi Yitzchok Sydney, the Spielman family, the Deitz/Levin family (in memory of Yehuda Aryeh Leib ben Mordechai Halevi), and all of our vendors and volunteers.
CrownHeights.info11 hours agoA new initiative is making it easier for children around the world to follow the Rebbe’s call to learn the daily Sefer HaMitzvos.
The goal is simple: Every child. Every day. Every mitzvah.
DailyMitzva.com is a free website created to help families, schools, teachers, shuls and Shluchim make daily Sefer HaMitzvos part of a child’s routine.
Each day, children can visit the site to learn the day’s mitzvos. Some days include one mitzvah, while others include multiple mitzvos. After learning, children answer questions to reinforce what they learned.
The questions are grade-specific, with simpler questions for younger grades and increasingly challenging questions for older students. This allows children of different ages to participate while being challenged at their own level.
A Weekly Challenge
To encourage consistency, DailyMitzva.com holds a weekly raffle.
Children who answer all of the questions for the entire week qualify for that week’s raffle.
The goal is not just the prize. It’s to help children build a daily habit of learning the mitzvos and coming back each day.
Now It’s Your Turn
Parents: Learn the daily mitzvos with your children.
Schools: Make it part of the school day.
Teachers: Give your students a few minutes each day to learn and answer.
Shuls and Shluchim: Share it with the children and families in your community.
Kids: Learn today’s mitzvos, answer the questions, and come back tomorrow!
Imagine thousands of children across the world learning the daily Sefer HaMitzvos together and giving the Rebbe nachas.
START TODAY
Learn the Daily Mitzvos.
Answer the Questions.
Complete the Week.
Qualify for the Raffle.
It’s FREE. It’s DAILY. It’s FOR EVERY CHILD.
Visit DailyMitzva.com today and get started!
CrownHeights.info1 day agoDespite steady rain, hundreds of men, women and children from numerous Shuls in Crown Heights came out to join and celebrate at the thirds Annual Achdus Hakafos in Crown Heights, which took place Simchas Torah at the corner of Crown and Albany Avenue.
Children from various Shuls led in the reciting of the 12 Psukim, followed by joyous singing and dancing.
The Achdus Hakafos started three years ago on the first anniversary of the terrible Simchas Torah events of October 7th.
This year’s Hakafos also celebrated the tremendous miracles of the averted plane hijacking of last week that no rain could dispel.
Shuls participating in this Achdus Hakafos were: Beis Levy Yitzchok, Beis Shea, Beis Shneur, Chevra Ahavas Yisroel, Merkaz Sefarad, Ohel Nosson, Shmuels Shul, plus many individuals who came to celebrate.
The Achdus Hakafos was organized by R’ Binyomin Levin of Beis Shneur and Rabbi Lazer Avtzon of the Association of Crown Heights Shuls / Merkaz Sefarad.
A special thank you to Rabbi Yaacov Behrman and to the New York City Police Department for their assistance and support.
CrownHeights.info1 day agoby CrownHeights.info
Italy has deported two foreign nationals suspected of taking part in the antisemitic assault on Rabbi Tzemach Mizrahi, a longtime Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Milan, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced the deportations, saying the two men had been returned to their countries of origin and declaring that there is no place in Italy for hatred and violence and that antisemitic acts will not be tolerated.
The attack took place on September 16 at a bus stop in Piazzale Bande Nere in western Milan, near the city’s Jewish community. Rabbi Mizrahi, 51, was waiting for a bus on his way to pick up his children from school when three young men approached him.
According to the rabbi’s account, the men surrounded him, taunted him in Arabic and grabbed his traditional black hat. One of them put the hat on and mocked him. When Rabbi Mizrahi began recording the encounter on his phone, one of the men kicked him from behind, knocking him off the sidewalk and into the street.
Despite the attack, Rabbi Mizrahi did not require medical treatment. He spent several hours providing a statement to police, while footage and photographs he had managed to capture helped authorities identify the suspects.
The three suspects were subsequently identified as young men of Tunisian and Moroccan background. One of them, 21-year-old Tunisian national Battar Zahani, has been deported to Tunisia. The second deported suspect, a Moroccan national whose name was not released, was also returned to his country. A third suspect, Zahani’s 20-year-old brother, Ilyes Zahani, remains in Italy under restrictive conditions and is awaiting trial.
Walker Meghnagi, president of the Jewish Community of Milan, welcomed the deportations, calling them “wonderful news” and expressing hope that Italy would take similar action in future cases of violence against Jews.
For Chabad-Lubavitch, the incident highlights the unique role played by Shluchim around the world. Rabbi Mizrahi has served the Jewish community in Milan for decades, maintaining a visible Jewish presence and providing Torah, tefillah and communal services through Chabad.
Chabad institutions in Milan include the Central Chabad House and the Chabad yeshivah on Via Soderini, where Rabbi Mizrahi has been involved in serving the local Jewish population. Community directories have also long listed him as a rabbi serving the city’s Jewish community.
Following the attack, Rabbi Mizrahi made clear that he would not respond by hiding his Jewish identity. He said he would continue wearing his rabbinic clothing and would not stop openly identifying as a Jew, although he acknowledged that the incident had raised concerns about allowing his children to walk the streets alone.
The attack and subsequent deportations come amid heightened concern over antisemitism in Italy and across Europe. For the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, however, the response remains one of continued Jewish life and public Jewish presence: Shluchim continue their work in cities around the world, even amid an increasingly challenging security environment.
CrownHeights.info1 day agoby CrownHeights.info
Hamilton College has formally recognized Rabbi Didy and Devorah Waks, longtime directors of Chabad of Clinton serving Hamilton College, as official non-faculty/staff campus advisors to the Chabad Student Group.
The designation formally acknowledges the role the Wakses have played for more than a decade in supporting Jewish students at Hamilton and in providing mentorship, guidance and a strong Jewish community on campus.
Hamilton College lists Chabad among its recognized student organizations, alongside Hillel and other religious and cultural student groups. The college’s Spiritual and Religious Life office is headed by Dean Rev. Dr. Colleen Hallagan Preuninger.
For the Wakses, the new designation puts an official framework around a relationship that has existed for years.
Rabbi Didy and Devorah Waks established Chabad of Clinton in 2014, initially hosting students in their home. What began with Shabbat meals and holiday programming grew into a thriving Jewish community serving hundreds of Hamilton students. In September 2024, the community dedicated the new Sands Chabad House at 108 College Street, providing a permanent home for the expanding campus community.
The impact of that relationship was already evident in comments from Hamilton students. In 2024, then-Chabad student group co-president Gabby Nakkab told the Hamilton Monitor that students relied heavily on Rabbi Didy and Devorah for mentorship and guidance, while also receiving assistance from the college with student activities and funding.
The Wakses’ work has extended well beyond formal programming. Chabad’s new facility provides students with a place to eat Shabbat meals, study, celebrate Jewish holidays, receive personal support and simply spend time in a welcoming Jewish environment. Chabad.org reported in 2024 that the center was serving an estimated 350 Jewish students among Hamilton’s approximately 2,000 students, with more than 100 individual students attending meals over Rosh Hashanah.
The college’s recognition comes as an acknowledgment of that unique relationship: while the Wakses are not Hamilton College employees or faculty members, they serve as trusted advisors and community leaders for the students who make up the Chabad Student Group.
The Chabad community expressed appreciation to Dean Preuninger and her team for their partnership and for formally recognizing the role Rabbi Didy and Devorah have already been filling in the lives of Hamilton’s Jewish students.
Since arriving in Clinton, the Wakses have built Chabad into a home away from home for Jewish students—one that has become an established and integral part of Jewish life at Hamilton College.
CrownHeights.info1 day agoCivil Court Judge candidate Etan Harris visits the Rebbe’s Ohel for the first time, accompanied by Rabbi Mendel Hendel of Chabad of Marine Park.
CrownHeights.info1 day agoThe Crown Heights community is invited to join family, students, friends and admirers for a special Shloshim Memorial Evening in tribute to Rabbi Avrohom Lipskier OBM.
The evening will be an opportunity to remember Rabbi Lipskier and draw inspiration from his life, Torah, Chassidishkeit and impact on the many people he touched.
The program will take place Thursday, October 8 (20 Tishrei) at Ohel Nosson, 580 Crown Street. Maariv will be at 7:15 p.m., with the program beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The evening of tribute and inspiration is open to men and women, and will be followed by a Chassidish farbrengen.
The community is warmly invited to attend and join together in honoring the memory of Rabbi Lipskier OBM.
CrownHeights.info1 day agoThe Rubin Family will be sitting Shiva in Albany, NY following the passing of Rabbi Yisroel Rubin OBM.
Shiva will be taking place:
Tuesday – 122 South Main Ave from 12:00-8:30pm
Wednesday and Thursday – Shabbos House 320 Fuller Rd from 10:00 am- 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm- 8:30 pm
Friday, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm
Motzei Shabbos 8:30 pm- 10:00 pm
Both at 122 S Main Avenue
Davening times (7 minyanim)
Shachris- 6:15 am, 8:00 am, 9:00 am
Mincha- 6:10 pm
Maariv- 6:55 pm
Friday Mincha – 1:15 pm
Send memories to: [email protected]
CrownHeights.info1 day agoMemke Goldshmid (Valley Stream, NY) to Mushky Gancz (West Palm Beach, FL) L’Chaim: Tonight, Tuesday, 8:30pm at the JCM Upper Level
CrownHeights.info1 day agoMendel Minkowics (Crown Heights) to Sara Fajnland (Herndon, VA) L’Chaim: Tonight, Tuesday, 8:30pm at The JCM Lower Level
CrownHeights.info1 day agoSender Lipskier (S. Petersburg, Russia) to Malki Gurewitz (Lyon, France)
CrownHeights.info1 day agoby CrownHeights.info
An arrest has been made in connection with an antisemitic assault on a bochur in Crown Heights, following a collaborative investigation involving the NYPD and Crown Heights Shomrim.
According to Crown Heights Shomrim, the incident occurred at approximately 3:20 a.m. on September 28 near the Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue subway station. The bochur was allegedly harassed with antisemitic slurs and threats while at the station.
The suspect reportedly followed the bochur after he left the station and assaulted him near Schenectady Avenue and Park Place.
Following the incident, Crown Heights Shomrim worked with the NYPD’s 77th Precinct, Transit District 32 and the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force to identify and locate the suspect.
The suspect was arrested Monday, according to Shomrim.
The NYPD’s 77th Precinct serves the northern portion of Crown Heights, while Transit District 32 is responsible for subway policing in the area.
The arrest comes amid heightened attention to antisemitic incidents targeting visibly Jewish residents in Crown Heights. In a separate incident last month, a Bronx man was arrested after allegedly threatening and chasing a Jewish man while shouting antisemitic statements, with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force investigating that case as well.
Crown Heights Shomrim thanked the NYPD personnel and investigators involved, highlighting the cooperation between the community-based safety organization and law enforcement in bringing the investigation to a conclusion.
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CrownHeights.info1 day agoA historic and emotional event took place recently in Pervomaisk, in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, as the local Jewish community inaugurated a new and beautifully built mikvah — the first to open in the city since the dark days of the Holocaust.
Despite light rain during the ceremony, many members of the community gathered to celebrate the long-awaited occasion, standing together with visible Jewish pride. For the community, which has been active for approximately 28 years, the opening represents a major milestone and a source of renewed strength, purity and hope for the continued development of Jewish life in the city.
The local Chabad emissary, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Perlstein, who leads the community together with his wife, Chana, shared the remarkable story behind the project. Construction of the mikvah began before the COVID-19 pandemic and continued through years of considerable challenges. Its completion at this time, amid the ongoing crisis, was made possible through the broad support and partnership of numerous donors and organizations.
The ceremony was attended by Rabbi Shalom Gottlieb, Chabad emissary and Chief Rabbi of Mykolaiv and the surrounding region, who spoke about the mitzvah of mezuzah; Rabbi Daniel Lanau, a mikvah kashrut supervisor and Chabad emissary in Kyiv, who explained the central importance of a mikvah in Jewish communal life, noting that Jewish law gives its establishment priority even over the construction of a synagogue. The head of the community, Mr. Michael Shefkin, spoke about his personal Jewish connection and the path of his father. Mr. Shefkin also marked his birthday during the special occasion. Community representative Mr. Michael Yudin shared moving memories from his childhood.
Community representatives Mr. Michael Yudin, Mr. Gennady Borik and Mr. Alexander Piterman were honored with affixing the mezuzahs. Mr. Alexander Gonchar provided the musical accompaniment that added to the festive atmosphere.
Representatives of JRNU, Mr. Eliya Goldberg and Mrs. Maria, who have accompanied and supported the community with dedication, also participated in the ceremony.
The highlight of the event came with the official ribbon-cutting and the opening of the mikvah’s doors. Following the ceremony, participants toured the new facility and learned about its significance and operation before gathering for a festive buffet in a special tent erected alongside the building.
The inauguration also carries a deeply personal historical significance for the Perlstein family. Rebbetzin Chana Perlstein, who currently serves the Jewish community of Pervomaisk together with her husband, is a granddaughter of the Halperin-junik family, whose roots are deeply intertwined with the Jewish history of the city. For approximately 200 years, members of the family served as rabbis and dayanim in the city, formerly known as Bogopol. Among the last in this rabbinic lineage were Rabbi Shimshon Aharon Halperin, of blessed memory, and Rebbetzin Nechama Halperin, of blessed memory.
As part of the revival of Jewish life in Pervomaisk, the new mikvah was built on the very site of the home where members of this rabbinic family once lived. Nearby, plans are advancing for the construction of a synagogue that will serve as a central home for the city’s Jewish community.
The inauguration of the mikvah, designed by mikvah architect R’ Shmuel Levin, therefore represents more than the closing of an historic circle. It is also an important step toward the community’s next goal: the establishment of a central synagogue for the city.
The community expressed its deep gratitude to all the organizations, donors and partners whose support helped make the project possible, and voiced hope that the new mikvah will mark the beginning of a new chapter of continued growth and flourishing Jewish life in Pervomaisk.
CrownHeights.info1 day agoThousands of Jews gathered at the Marina Roscha Central Synagogue in Moscow for Hoshana Rabbah, Shemini Atzeres, and Simchas Torah, as the city’s Jewish community marked the conclusion of the Tishrei holidays with prayer, Torah, and joyous hakafos.
The Hoshana Rabbah program began shortly after midnight, with many community members reciting Sefer Tehillim in preparation for the day. The large sukkah at the synagogue remained active throughout the night, with refreshments including hot soup, tea, and apples with honey served to those learning and davening.
By morning, numerous Shacharis minyanim were taking place throughout the synagogue to accommodate the large crowds. The main Hoshana Rabbah minyan was led by Chief Rabbi of Russia Rabbi Berel Lazar.
The davening was accompanied by the celebration of two consecutive Bris Milah ceremonies. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Zaklas, mara d’asra and shaliach in Bryansk and a mohel, traveled to Moscow especially for the occasion.
Meanwhile, preparations were underway for the thousands expected to attend the Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah celebrations. The synagogue’s gabbaim and staff worked to reorganize the large sanctuary, including the construction of a massive bimah along the eastern wall. The bimah provided a central location for the Sifrei Torah and community leaders during the hakafos.
New illuminated signs were also installed throughout the synagogue, displaying the number of the current hakafah and helping the large crowd follow the proceedings in an orderly manner.
The highlight came on the night of Simchas Torah, when thousands filled the synagogue for the hakafos. Rabbi Lazar addressed the crowd with words of inspiration and gratitude for the miracles that had taken place in Eretz Yisroel, including the safe return of passengers on a Flydubai flight, which he described as a remarkable miracle.
The dancing and celebrations continued late into the night. At approximately 1:00 a.m., hundreds of participants left the synagogue and continued the celebrations in the streets of Moscow, seeking to spread the joy and spiritual inspiration of Simchas Torah beyond the walls of the synagogue.
On Isru Chag, the large hakafos bimah was dismantled, bringing the holiday celebrations to a close. The scenes of thousands of Jews dancing together at the Marina Roscha Synagogue left the community with lasting memories of achdus, Torah, and Jewish joy as they began the new year of Torah and mitzvos.
Photography: Levi Nazarov
CrownHeights.info1 day agoby CrownHeights.info
Lubavitch International, the flagship publication of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, has expanded its digital presence with the launch of a new Substack platform, offering readers a new way to engage with the publication between issues.
The new Lubavitch International on Substack will provide a free weekly email featuring articles selected by the editorial team, along with original digital-only content created specifically for the platform. The content will include essays, videos, podcasts and poetry, with readers also invited to participate through live Q&A sessions and an active comments section.
The launch comes as the Jewish world continues to grapple with the impact of October 7, rising antisemitism and growing divisions between Jewish communities in Israel and the Diaspora.
Those issues are explored in the current issue of Lubavitch International in a symposium titled “What Unites Us Now?” The symposium brings together Jewish voices from Israel and America to examine what continues to unite the Jewish people and what threatens to divide them, drawing on the teachings and perspective of Chabad Chasidism.
The publication points to the recent “Jewish awakening” in Israel as another example of the continuing relevance of Jewish tradition. During Sukkot, passengers aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073 were heard singing the Chasidic phrase, “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the main thing is not to be afraid,” following a frightening incident on their flight.
For Lubavitch International, moments such as these reflect the growing connection many Jews are finding with Jewish wisdom and tradition.
The new Substack is intended to extend that conversation beyond the pages of the magazine, providing readers with regular content and a more interactive way to engage with the publication and its contributors.
Lubavitch International’s Substack is free to subscribe to, and readers can sign up to receive the weekly updates and digital-only content.
CrownHeights.info1 day agoToday, State Senator Sam Sutton and Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein released the following statements applauding the announcement that over 10,000 New York City children are finally being moved off the childcare voucher waitlist. The lawmakers emphasized that this monumental step was directly enabled by the state legislature’s landmark $1.2 billion expansion of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which was passed in the New York State Budget earlier this year with the strong support of Governor Kathy Hochul.
With New York City announcing today that they are beginning the administrative rollout to clear the backlog, Sutton and Eichenstein applauded this long-awaited relief that they championed during the state budget negotiations and celebrated today’s victory which is a direct result of the state fiscal victories secured in Albany during the budget.
“I’ll never stop working to make life more affordable for New Yorkers — and that’s why I took action to expand childcare access and help even more families save thousands of dollars per year,” Governor Kathy Hochul said in a press release announcement today. “Our record investments in childcare across New York will enable communities statewide to continue this progress every day by connecting more families with the support they need and deserve.”
“While we are pleased to see the City finally processing these critical vouchers, let there be no mistake: this day was made possible by the hard work of the State Legislature and Governor Hochul,” said State Senator Sam Sutton. “When we negotiated a historic $1.2 billion addition to childcare funding in the state budget, it was with the explicit intent of delivering direct, tangible relief to working families who have been stuck on waitlists for far too long.”
“Families in our communities have been struggling under the crushing weight of childcare costs, and clearing this waitlist is an incredible victory,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “I want to thank Governor Hochul for championing this funding during the budget season. Proper childcare is a top priority for every parent and often families are forced to weigh the benefits of a quality care program while considering the prohibitive expenses involved. This new funding will ease the burden for thousands of families, allowing parents the much-needed relief during these challenging times.”
Senator Sutton and Assembly Member Eichenstein remain committed to monitoring the administrative rollout to ensure that New York City processes these vouchers efficiently and without unnecessary bureaucratic delays, allowing families to access the state-funded care they were promised.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoGov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency on Monday after a surge in measles cases across rural New York and nearby states.
Hochul issued the executive order to allow the state to respond swiftly to the measles outbreak and allow healthcare professionals to vaccinate more New Yorkers against the highly contagious disease.
As of Saturday, there have been seven confirmed cases in New York City and 101 cases in the rest of the Empire State this year.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoby CrownHeights.info
Rabbi Sadya and Chanale Liberow are embarking on a new chapter as they join the Rebbe’s army of Shluchim, taking up a new campus Shlichus at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.
The Liberows will serve Jewish students at Lafayette as well as the broader Jewish community in Easton and the surrounding Lehigh Valley, working in connection with Chabad of the Lehigh Valley. Their goal is to establish a warm and welcoming Jewish home on and around the college campus, where students can connect with their Jewish heritage and experience the warmth of Yiddishkeit.
Lafayette has an established Jewish presence, with approximately 250 Jewish undergraduate students—about 9% of the student body, according to local Jewish organizations.
The Liberows hope to complement and expand Jewish life on campus by being a personal address for students throughout their college years—providing opportunities to celebrate Yiddishkeit, build meaningful friendships, learn about their heritage and experience Jewish life in a personal and welcoming environment.
“We are excited and humbled to be embarking on a new chapter of life,” the Liberows said. “We are passionate about this mission and the impact it can have on the Jewish students we meet and the wider Jewish community.”
The couple is now looking forward to bringing the Rebbe’s message of Jewish warmth and light to a new generation of Jewish students in Easton and throughout the region.
To Donate to their Shlichus: Click Here
CrownHeights.info2 days agoThe holidays of Zman Simchaseinu may be behind us, but at Ten Yad, the Pure Joy is only beginning.
The 2026 Ten Yad Auction is officially underway, and with TENATHON 7 just a few weeks away, excitement is building for what promises to be an unforgettable night at the Union-Bedford Armory on Sunday, November 1.
The 2026 Ten Yad Auction is filled with extraordinary opportunities to win, including a personal Sefer Torah, a $20,000 Cartier or Piaget watch, a two-year Tesla or Rivian lease, $18,000 at Molly’s Jewelers, $15,000 in custom furniture, magnificent jewelry, luxury travel, home furnishings, shopping experiences, and dozens of additional prizes.
But the experience does not have to end with the auction.
Special packages bring the Auction and TENATHON 7 together, giving participants both more opportunities to win and the chance to experience the show live at the Armory, subject to availability.
And for those looking to experience TENATHON 7 at its fullest, the VIP All-Access Pass offers full dinner, the opportunity to meet the performers, premium round-table seating, and more.
With limited seating at the Armory, now is the time to choose your auction package and secure your place at TENATHON 7. Explore the Auction + Event packages at TenYad.org.
With every auction ticket you purchase, you enable Ten Yad to provide meaningful assistance to more than 1,300 Kallahs, helping furnish their homes, provide essential household items, beautiful sheitels and gowns, and ease the financial burdens that can overshadow the beginning of married life.
That is Pure Joy.
The pure joy of giving.
The pure joy of winning.
The pure joy of being there when five extraordinary voices fill the Armory.
And above all, the pure joy of helping another Jewish home begin with dignity, confidence, and simchah.
On November 1, it all comes together.
TENATHON 7: An Evening of Pure Joy
AVRAHAM FRIED • MOTTY STEINMETZ • EITAN KATZ • SHMUEL • SRULY GREEN
Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Union-Bedford Armory
Doors Open 6:00 PM | Show Begins 6:30 PM
Secure your Auction Tickets and reserve your Seat for TENATHON 7 at TenYad.org.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoThe Chitrick Family will be sitting Shiva in Crown Heights for the passing of Mrs. Rivkah Chitrik OBM
Shiva will take place at at 1400 President St throughl Friday 2:00pm.
Shiva Times:
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
4:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
Shacharis: 8:00 AM & 9:00 AM.
Mincha & Maariv bizmanom.
Friday 2 Minyonim for Mincha at 1:15PM.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoThis Sukkos, Baltimore Shliach and Chaplain Rabbi Chesky Tenenbaum, director of the Jewish Uniformed Service Association of Maryland–Chabad (JUSA), brought the joy and traditions of Sukkos directly to Maryland’s military community.
For the first time, JUSA arranged a Sukkah at the 175th Wing at Warfield Air National Guard Base. One Staff Sergeant was especially appreciative, explaining that the Sukkah allowed him to eat his meals in a Sukkah while working on base.
The Sukkah also led to an unexpected Jewish discovery. A Tech Sergeant stopped by the Sukkah and shared that, although she does not identify as Jewish, she said her maternal great-grandmother was Jewish. Rabbi Tenenbaum explained that according to halacha she is considered Jewish.
Rabbi Tenenbaum then explained the significance of Sukkos and the mitzvah of Lulav and Esrog. Intrigued, the Tech Sergeant expressed an interest in participating but explained that she did not speak Hebrew. Rabbi Tenenbaum assisted her in reciting the brocha, and she held the Lulav and Esrog and performed the mitzvah for the first time in her life.
At Aberdeen Proving Ground, the U.S. Army’s oldest active proving ground, JUSA continued its ninth consecutive year of providing a Sukkah in the courtyard of the APG Main Post Chapel.
On the first day of Chol Hamoed, JUSA hosted a Sukkah Party that brought together a strong turnout of soldiers and civilian staff. Participants had the opportunity to recite the blessing over the Sukkah, shake the Lulav and Esrog, and celebrate the joy, unity, and traditions of Sukkos together. During Chol Hamoed, Jewish soldiers and civilian employees were able to use the Sukkah,JUSA thanks the APG Chapel and the military communities at both installations for helping make these Sukkos celebrations possible.
Throughout Sukkos, the JUSA Chabad House hosted a variety of programs and activities. Among the highlights was a visit from the local Jewish Baltimore Police commander, who joined the JUSA community to do the Mitzvah of Lulav and Esrog.
The JUSA Chabad House located in Baltimore, an affiliate of Chabad of Maryland is the only such Chabad House of its kind dedicated to Maryland Jewish Men and Women in Uniform, including Military and Veterans, Law Enforcement and First Responders. For more information go to, jewishusamd.org.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoby Faygie Levy Holt – chabad.org
In a world in which Jewish non-profit professionals and consultants try to come up with all sorts of ways to attract young Jews, The Intown Chabad in Dallas, Tex., has been successfully doing just that.
The secret? Offering young Jews the opportunity to engage with authentic Judaism.
The success of Intown Chabad’s model was on display again over the week of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, when the center kept getting busier as the holiday went along.
“There are lots of companies moving here, and with them, many young Jews along with them, right into our neighborhood,” says Rabbi Mendy Plotkin, who leads the center alongside his wife Mushka. “I get four to five calls each week from the people on the East Coast relocating to Dallas, keen to hear about the local Jewish community. When new people come, they see the Shabbat dinners, classes, and programs and find new friends to socialize with, that’s really comforting.”
Zach Pokroy felt that welcome soon after he moved to Dallas. A friend of his sister’s invited him to a hockey game and mentioned he was also bringing a rabbi along. That rabbi was Plotkin, who, with his wife, had recently moved to Dallas to work with Rabbi Zvi and Aidy Drizin. Their job was to offer programs for the many young professionals moving to the city.
“I just vibed with Rabbi Mendy,” Pokroy recounts. “He told me about all the things he was planning, and I just got plugged right in. They have this go big or go home attitude and they do that very nicely.”
The history of The Intown Chabad dates back to the early 2000s, when Rabbi Mendel Dubrawsky, regional director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Dallas, began offering a weekly class for singles in the Uptown neighborhood. When the Drizins, Dubrawsky’s daughter and son-in-law, arrived in Dallas as emissaries in 2004, they began providing more programming to the young professionals living in the Uptown area, and moved there three years later, and so The Intown Chabad was born.
The Drizins invited the Plotkins to join them in their work in 2022, and have since started a Chabad on Campus at Southern Methodist University (SMU), just three miles away. They remain heavily involved with The Intown Chabad, serving as development directors among other roles.
The Plotkins offer the full range of programming found at any Chabad center, along with programs built for younger Jews. Intown’s ‘First Friday,’ held on the first Shabbat of each month, draws between 250 and 300 people. Most are singles, and new faces keep coming. The evening starts with Friday-night Shabbat prayers, followed by a dinner where people can spend time connecting and meeting each other.
To make their activities as successful as possible, and to make sure they meet the needs of the young people in their community, the Plotkins rely on a leadership team of young adults.
“We want to empower young adults to lead our community today,” Plotkin says. “We can’t wait until they are 40 or 50 years old to lead. Now is when they are choosing who to marry and how to raise a family and incorporate Judaism into their lives.”
Among The Intown Chabad’s young leaders is Chaia Geltser, a Denver native who says she grew up “disconnected” from her Judaism. She began to explore her Jewish identity as a student at Colorado State University, through the Chabad emissaries there. When she moved to Dallas for medical school, joining Intown Chabad was a no-brainer.
“I have picked up so many things in my Jewish practice because of Intown, whether that’s lighting Shabbat candles or hosting a Shabbat meal, studying Torah or learning more about the holidays or traditions,” she says.
“I think my life centers around Chabad and everyone I have met there. My closest friends are from Chabad, and I see them multiple times a week. We have dinner together. We travel together. We are friends for life. I go to as many Jewish educational events as I can, whether it’s a Tuesday night dinner or ‘Soul Talk’ with the rebbetzin on Shabbat. Intown Chabad is a place for me to learn, meet people and give back with Our Giving Kitchen.”
Our Giving Kitchen
Our Giving Kitchen began as an initiative of Chabad in Pittsburgh, founded by Plotkin’s sister and brother-in-law, Rabbi Chezky and Bassie Rosenfeld. It has quickly become a signature program at The Intown Chabad, providing hundreds of meals to people in need.
“It’s really fulfilling to know that thanks to such a small Jewish community, relative to the rest of Dallas, we can have such a huge impact,” says Geltser. “And the fact that we can share Jewish values with other people, whether they know it or not, is gratifying.”
Geltser and Pokroy both lead fitness programs through the Chabad center. Pokroy organizes basketball, pickleball and golf tournaments, and Geltser leads a running club. They may not sound like typical Jewish events, but they give young Jewish professionals another way to build community and meet other Jews their own age.
“I think we are lucky in Dallas,” says Pokroy, “because if I didn’t have a Chabad center like this, I don’t know if I would be so set on staying here.”
CrownHeights.info2 days agoSome of the selfless Crown Heights Shomrim volunteers who dedicate themselves to serving and protecting our community throughout the year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Shabbos and Yom Tov.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoThe Dubrawsky family will be sitting shiva in Crown Heights following
Shiva will take place at 630 Empire Blvd.
Monday (isru chag) until Friday 2:00pm.
Shiva times:
10:30 AM – 2:00 PM. 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Davening times (three minyanim):
Shacharis: 8:00, 8:45, 9:30 AM
Mincha 6:15 PM
Maariv 7:00 PM
(Friday Mincha at 1:15 PM)
CrownHeights.info2 days agoIn fulfillment of the Rebbe’s hora’ah to utilize Isru Chag as an opportunity to gather for a Kinnus Torah, Merkos Torah will host a special Isru Chag Sukkos Kinnus Torah on Monday, October 5, at 12:00 PM EST.
The Kinnus Torah is dedicated לעילוי נשמת הרב ישראל אליעזר הלוי רובין ז”ל, father of Rabbi Mordechai Rubin. In connection with the Kinnus, Rabbi Mordechai Rubin prepared a pre-recorded pilpul to be shared as part of the program.
The virtual gathering will feature a diverse selection of fascinating Torah presentations spanning Nigleh, Chassidus and halacha, delivered by Rabbonim and Maggidei Shiur associated with Merkos Torah’s various kollelim and learning initiatives.
The program will include Dayan Levi Raskin, Maggid Shiur at Bais Medrash Iyun Tefila and Rov of Anash in London, who will present on Mekoro Shel HaMei Shiloach; Rabbi Dov Popack, Rosh Kollel of the new Kollel Iyun HaTalmud and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva L’Talmidim Hashluchim, who will introduce the newly launched Kollel Iyun HaTalmud; Rabbi Abba Naparstek, Menahel of Yeshiva of Scottsdale and a member of Kollel L’Rabbonei Chabad, who will present a biur in Likkutei Amarim Tanya, Perek 18, on the concept of yirah hakelulah b’ahavah; and Rabbi Avraham Raskin, Director of Merkaz LeToras HaChassidus, who will discuss how to connect Tishrei to the entire year.
The program will also feature the pre-recorded divrei Torah prepared by Rabbi Mordechai Rubin, Shliach in Colonie, New York, and a member of Kollel Aliba D’Hilchasa and Kollel L’Lomdei Dach, including a discussion of the halachah and Chabad custom regarding sitting and making a brachah in the sukkah when rain begins to fall.
The Kinnus reflects Merkos Torah’s broader mission of creating accessible opportunities for keviyus itim baTorah, bringing serious and engaging Torah learning to Yidden around the world through its growing network of kollelim, shiurim and learning programs.
The Isru Chag Sukkos Kinnus Torah will take place Monday, October 5 at 12:00 PM EST.
Join the Kinnus Torah:
https://merkostorah.com/open?pageId=open&step=3581779899763
Merkos Torah is a project of Merkos Suite 302.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoIn this episode, Rabbi Mayer Plotkin of Montreal, Canada, shares a candid and entertaining conversation about his life experiences- growing up in Montreal, eventually coming to Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn, and, through hashgacha pratis, finding his way to the Rebbe and joining the Lubavitch Yeshivos in Montreal and 770.
Rabbi Plotkin experienced being by the Rebbe as a bochur in the late 1950s and early 1960s, giving him unique and up-close memories of the Rebbe during those years.
He shares many personal memories and fascinating experiences from over the years, including his interactions with the Rebbe’s mother, moments surrounding the Rebbe’s heart attack, and stories he heard firsthand from elder Chassidim such as R’ Zalman Gurary and R’ Shmuel Zalmanov.
A conversation filled with stories and an inside glimpse into the world of Lubavitch in those early years.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoby CrownHeights.info
With many visitors expected at the Ohel during the upcoming days, Ohel Bus has released its updated transportation schedule connecting Crown Heights, the Ohel, and JFK Airport.
For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, October 5–7, buses will operate between the Ohel and JFK, with Ohel-to-JFK service running hourly from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. JFK-to-Ohel service will run every half hour from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. The JFK service requires advance reservation through BustoOhel.com.
The regular Crown Heights–Ohel schedule will continue throughout the week, with frequent buses operating from near the Dreidel on Eastern Parkway. Service times vary by day, with additional late-night service around Yom Tov and Shabbos.
According to the schedule, buses will operate on Monday, October 5, through Saturday night, October 17, with special schedules for Shabbos and Yom Tov. Reservations are required for the designated Friday and Motzei Shabbos trips.
Passengers are encouraged to check the latest schedule before traveling, as times may be updated.
For updated schedules and reservations, visit BustoOhel.com or join the Ohel Bus WhatsApp groups. The service can also be reached at 347-770-7792.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoPresident Trump announced Friday that over 20 million “wonderful seniors” will receive $90 checks this month to help cover Medicare premiums.
Eligible Medicare Part B enrollees will receive the one-time payment via direct deposit or check thanks to the Medicare Improvement Fund that was established in 2008, according to the White House.
Trump called the Medicare Improvement Fund, “a pointless ‘Slush Fund’ that has only been used by Dumocrats in Congress to pay for the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse for their Special Interest friends, and drive up Healthcare costs.
CrownHeights.info2 days agoWith great sadness we report the passing of Rabbi Yisroel Eliezer Rubin OBM, the longtime Shliach and director of Chabad of the Capital District in Albany, NY. He passed away on the night of Shemini Atzeres, 5787, shortly after participating in the Hakafos.
He was 78 years old.
For 52 years, Rabbi Rubin dedicated himself to serving the Jewish community of Albany and the surrounding Capital District. He arrived in Albany during Sukkos of 5734 (1973), following the Rebbe’s directive to establish and strengthen Jewish life in New York’s state capital.
Over the course of more than five decades, Rabbi Rubin became a prominent figure in the Albany Jewish community, reaching Jews of all backgrounds as well as students and professionals in the area. His work also brought Chabad’s message to the many governmental institutions and officials based in the state capital.
Rabbi Rubin was born in 5708 (1948) to Rabbi Moshe Rubin, a respected shochet u’vodek and Chabad community leader in Montreal, and Rebbetzin Yocheved Miriam Rubin.
He studied at the Lubavitcher Yeshivah in Montreal and later received semichah at 770.
Even as a young man, Rabbi Rubin displayed the creativity and educational vision that would characterize his decades of shlichus. While serving as a counselor and teacher at Camp Gan Israel in Montreal, he developed a daily publication highlighting the day’s Chitas and Torah lessons in a newspaper-style format.
The project continued after camp and received the Rebbe’s encouragement. At the Rebbe’s suggestion, it was renamed “Torah Times.” The Rebbe personally contributed $600 toward the printing costs for its first six months and encouraged Rabbi Rubin and his colleagues to continue the project despite criticism they encountered. He also received encouragement from Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka.
That early educational initiative became part of Rabbi Rubin’s lifelong approach to Jewish outreach: finding creative and accessible ways to bring Torah and Yiddishkeit to Jews.
In 5731 (1971), he married his wife, Mrs. Rachel Rubin, daughter of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Pikarsky. Following their marriage, Rabbi Rubin studied in the Kollel Avreichim adjacent to the Rebbe’s secretariat.
Two years later, during Sukkos of 5734, the couple departed for Albany as the Rebbe’s Shluchim.
In Albany, Rabbi Rubin established the Rambam Hebrew School, developed additional educational programs, and built a vibrant Chabad presence that included an active synagogue and other community institutions.
He became known as an innovative and pioneering shaliach, frequently developing unconventional approaches to reach Jewish residents and college students. Many of his educational and outreach ideas were subsequently adopted by Chabad shluchim in other communities.
Over the decades, he and his wife brought hundreds of individuals and families closer to Torah, mitzvos and Chassidus.
Rabbi Rubin also served on the steering and editorial team responsible for developing educational curricula for the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).
His literary and educational works included the Albany Haggadah, Pricha on Jewish ethics and morality, a holiday guide, the Zemanei HaTorah weekly publication, and Torah Times. He also authored and compiled Torah scholarship, including his Shem Avosai series on Pirkei Avos.
Rabbi Rubin is survived by his wife, Mrs. Rochel Rubin, and their children: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Rubin (Albany, NY), Rabbi Abba Rubin (Saratoga Springs, NY), Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Rubin (Clifton Park, NY), Rabbi Shmuel Rubin (Schenectady, NY), Rabbi Ephraim Rubin (Brooklyn, NY), Rabbi Mordechai Rubin (Colonie, NY), Rabbi Rabbi Simmy Rubin (Albany, NY), Mrs. Rivky Cohen (Manchester, UK), Mrs. Devorah Leah Mathless (Albany, NY), and Mrs. Mushky (Brooklyn, NY).
He is also survived by his sisters; Mrs. Rochel Zaklos (Detroit, MI), Mrs. Esther Chanowitz (Montreal, Canada), and Mrs. Sara Yuzevitz (Brooklyn, NY).
He was predeceased by his daughter Mrs. Esther Cohen (Manchester, UK) in 2010.
The levaya and kevurah will be in Albany NY, his place of pioneering and life-long dedicated Shlichus.
Shiva information to be announced.
For those with Rabbi Rubin memories the family would appreciate them at: [email protected]
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
CrownHeights.info2 days agoTwo Iranian nationals have been arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of plotting an attack against the Jewish community in Manchester during Yom Kippur. British police said Rahman Salahi, 35, and Salameh Ahmadian, 36, allegedly attempted to obtain components and equipment for an improvised explosive device and a chlorine bomb.
They are also suspected of conducting surveillance of potential targets ahead of a planned attack during the Jewish holiday. According to police, the two suspects were also in ongoing contact with individuals in Iran who allegedly directed and assisted them in planning the attack.
The suspects were due to appear before a court in London on Saturday as authorities sought to extend their detention. The UK Home Office said one of the men had been granted legal status as an asylum seeker, while the second had submitted an asylum application that remains pending.
Read More at israelnationalnews
CrownHeights.info2 days agoAn initial Israeli investigation into the attempted crash of a Flydubai passenger aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv indicates that the incident was likely carried out by a lone attacker, CBS News reported, citing sources familiar with the investigation.
According to the report, investigators have not reached a final conclusion, and authorities continue to examine other possible explanations for the attack, including whether the suspect had connections to outside organizations or countries.
Read More at israelnationalnews
CrownHeights.info3 days agoby Tzemach Feller – Lubavitch.com
More than 100 members of the Nice Jewish Runners club made a nice Jewish stop this week as they made their way through Manhattan, New York.
At the beautiful sukkah built by Chabad West Village in Lower Manhattan, the runners enjoyed a delicious kosher dinner and waved the Lulav and Etrog. The intricate ironwork-and-glass sukkah walls are topped with s’chach and adorned with flowers.
Visitors and locals alike have stopped for a mitzvah and a bite to eat at the landmark sukkah located in the Hudson River Park, just north of Pier 46.
“Sukkot is all about coming together, welcoming people in, and celebrating as a community,” the group wrote in a post on social media. “There’s something pretty special about doing that with over 100 NJR runners in a sukkah.”
CrownHeights.info3 days agoby CrownHeights.info
A Georgia man has been arrested and federally charged after allegedly making a disturbing online threat demanding that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attack a Chabad synagogue and kill Jews, or face the murder of his family.
According to a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Jonathan Mark Susor allegedly posted the threat on X, formerly Twitter, on July 28.
The post allegedly directed Hegseth to “clear out a Chabad synagogue with the service rifle,” while threatening that Hegseth’s family would be harmed if he did not comply. Investigators say the account had also previously posted other threats against Hegseth and his family, including photographs of Hegseth and his children.
The particularly disturbing reference to a Chabad synagogue has drawn attention within the Chabad-Lubavitch community, as Chabad Houses and shuls across the United States serve as highly visible centers of Jewish life,.
Susor was arrested by the Alpharetta Police Department on September 25. He faces a federal charge of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, as well as several state charges, including terroristic threats, stalking and harassing communications. He reportedly remains held on a $10,000 bond.
The investigation was aided by the Secure Community Network (SCN), which identified the threatening posts and immediately notified Jewish community security officials and law enforcement. SCN and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta issued a security alert to Jewish institutions in the area while the threat was investigated.
Following an assessment by the Federation, SCN and law enforcement, officials determined that there was no credible ongoing threat to the Jewish community connected to the incident. Nevertheless, Jewish institutions were urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
The arrest comes amid heightened concern over antisemitic threats against Jewish institutions across the United States. Federal prosecutors in Georgia have recently pursued several cases involving alleged online and telephone threats against Jews and Jewish organizations.
For the Chabad community, the case serves as another reminder of the importance of maintaining appropriate security at Chabad Houses, shuls, schools and community events, while continuing to ensure that these institutions remain welcoming centers of Jewish life.
CrownHeights.info3 days agoRabbi Chaim Dalfin released his latest new book, Torah in America. It shows that the Rebbe Raayatz and Rebbe not only taught Chasidus but also the revealed part of Torah. It demonstrates the great impact the Rebbeim had on Litvish Judaism.
The book has beautiful features including:
Color hard cover
200 detailed endnotes
Bibliography
Off color white paper
Whether you’re a reader or desire giving a quality book to a friend, this book is sure to bridge the gap between Chabad and Orthodoxy.
For orders: [email protected]
347-512-1429
CrownHeights.infoCrownHeights.info3 days agoby Faygie Levy Holt – chabad.org
Under a chuppah, the traditional wedding canopy, members of a New Jersey congregation carried two new Torah scrolls through the streets of Rutherford on Sept. 6. The procession passed the site where their synagogue stood for a century until a fire tore through it in August 2025, destroying the congregation’s Torahs with it. This year, when the community dances on Simchat Torah, the holiday marking the completion of the annual Torah-reading cycle that begins on Oct. 2, they will be holding scrolls that belong to them.
“It will be very special,” said Beth El congregant Fred Weinstein. “It’s our first time a new Torah was written just for our shul.”
On Aug. 8, 2025, a fast-moving blaze ripped through the building that housed Congregation Beth El. Rabbi Yitzchok and Bina Lerman, who also direct Chabad of South Bergen County and The Meadowlands, escaped the flames with their family, including four of their six children who were home at the time, but the building and the congregation’s Torah scrolls were lost in the blaze. A larger building on the property, which once housed the Beth El congregation, survived the fire but needs repairs and can’t be used.
The remains of the Torah scrolls lost in the inferno at Congregation Beth El on Aug. 8, 2025. Adam Wolf
The scroll written for the congregation was underwritten by the Kohn family of Brooklyn, N.Y., and completed just before Rosh Hashanah. The other—a much-loved scroll read at countless prayer services—was a gift from Howard and Gerry Kessel, Ira and Joan Kastrinsky, Amy Golden, and Stuart and Esther Rubinstein, members of Congregation B’nai Sholom-Fair Lawn Jewish Center.
“It brings me and my community a deep sense of joy, pride and delight to know that we played even a small role in helping Chabad of the Meadowlands observe Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah with a Sefer Torah that they can call their own,” Rabbi Eitan Bloostein of B’nai Sholom-Fair Lawn Jewish Center told Chabad.org.
Rabbi Lerman looks on as the scribe completes the final letters of the new Torah scroll. Adam Wolf
At the celebration welcoming the Torah scrolls, The scribe who wrote the new Torah came to Rutherford, and congregants, along with Rabbi Lerman, assisted him in writing the final letters.
Once the new scroll was finished, the community carried both through town to the temporary synagogue space they are using. There they were placed in the ark beside a third Torah, given to the congregation last year by the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center in New York.
“It’s tremendous having three Torahs. Now we just need a permanent place to put them,” said Adam Wolf, who grew up attending Beth El and has helped lead fundraising to rebuild the destroyed synagogue. “I think that’s very important. I think it’s a huge step forward in the rebuild. It’s really important to me as a member for 60 years, and to my mother, who is 95, and runs all the kiddushes and is there every Shabbat.”
The fire was not the first hardship the congregation has weathered. Over the years, membership has declined, and about 10 years ago, Wolf said, someone threw a Molotov cocktail through a window. Miraculously, the attacker bungled his attempt at building a firebomb, and the device never went off.
“For me, getting the new Sefer Torah is closure,” says Lerman. “From the moment I saw the building burned to the ground with the Torahs burned inside, I felt a hole in my heart and guilt that I couldn’t save the Torahs. When we take out the new Torah from the aron kodesh, the holy ark, on Simchat Torah, there will be tremendous joy.”
The community welcomes the new Torah last month. Adam Wolf
CrownHeights.info3 days agoRabbi Chaim Dalfin, author and Chasidic historian shares interesting facts, many revealed for the first time. The purpose of his program is to inspire all but especially the youth. Watch another installment here on CrownHeights.info.
Visit Rabbi Dalfin’s website: Click Here
CrownHeights.info5 days agoby CrownHeights.info
In a moving display of gratitude following the frightening Flydubai incident earlier this week, Dr. Shota Musaev, who assisted the pilot during the ordeal, visited the Chabad synagogue in the New Nechalat Yehuda neighborhood of Rishon LeZion on Friday to recite Birchas Hagomel.
Musaev arrived at the Chabad shul together with his family, where he publicly thanked Hashem for his deliverance from danger by reciting the traditional blessing of Hagomel.
Following the bracha, the Chabad rabbi blessed Dr. Musaev and his family with health, safety and protection, and offered a special prayer for the safety of the people of Israel.
The emotional gathering then turned into a celebration of thanksgiving, with family members and members of the local Chabad community joining together in song and dance.
Dr. Musaev had been aboard the Flydubai flight involved in the attempted attack and played a role in assisting the pilot during the incident. The dramatic episode was subsequently described by officials as a serious terror incident.
The gathering at Chabad of Rishon LeZion provided an opportunity for the community to join Dr. Musaev in expressing gratitude for his safe return and to thank Hashem for the lives that were spared.
The event also highlighted the role of Chabad shuls throughout Israel as places where Jews and their families can come together not only for tefillah, but also during moments of personal gratitude, communal concern and thanksgiving.
CrownHeights.info5 days agoThe Rebbe held 42 farbrengens on Simchas Torah Day. The sichos from these farbrengens span around 1,000 pages in the Yiddish Hanochos (transcripts) in Sichos Kodesh, and around 120 pages in the 14 English Hanochos published by Sichos in English.
Each farbrengen is a priceless treasure. It was the highlight of the week for those fortunate to be present when the Rebbe farbrenged. Nowadays, these farbrengens are preserved in thousands of pages, waiting to be relived by every chossid.
To get a taste of these farbrengens, visit **https://**taste.study/simchas-torah to explore this week’s “Taste”. You can download and print it for Yomtov, with curated suggestions for which farbrengens to learn, along with a qr code to access each one.
To receive the “Taste” each week, subscribe for free at https://taste.study/subscribe
May we merit to once again experience a farbrengen with the Rebbe—now!
CrownHeights.info5 days agoShalom Assouline (Paris, France) to Bracha Labi (Milan, Italy)
CrownHeights.info5 days agoYossi and Mushky (nee Parnes) Teleshevsky from Crown Heights had a baby girl!
CrownHeights.info5 days agoFor some New York City tenants signing leases today, it’s a breath of fresh air.
The city’s first-ever rent freeze on one- and two-year leases goes into effect today after a contentious Rent Guidelines Board process now facing a legal challenge.
The board voted to approve the freeze in June, meaning landlords cannot raise the rent on lease renewals for the city’s million rent-stabilized units. The apartments will stay at the same price for one to two years.
Read More at Pix11
CrownHeights.info5 days agoThis Sukkos, we took Jewish life out onto the streets.
Across Sydney’s CBD and Inner East, our Mobile Sukkah travelled from location to location, welcoming hundreds of people to step away from work and daily life for a few minutes to shake Lulav and Esrog, make a bracha, grab some lunch, share a L’chaim and celebrate Sukkos together.
Businesspeople, office workers, families, students, locals and visitors. Some stayed for two minutes. Others sat down and stayed much longer. Old friends reconnected, new friendships were made, and people who may not have otherwise had the opportunity were able to celebrate Sukkos right in the middle of their working day.
There is something incredibly powerful about seeing a Sukkah sitting amongst the skyscrapers of Sydney.
Sukkos reminds us that our strength does not ultimately come from the walls around us, but from the faith, values and people we carry within them.
And this week, Jewish life didn’t wait for people to come looking for it.
We brought it to them.
From the heart of the CBD to Barangaroo and the Inner East, one street, one person and one mitzvah at a time.
Chag Sameach from the streets of the @cityofsydney
CrownHeights.info5 days agoby Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
The thoughts which I am posting this week, are thoughts that I said during at a public farbrengen as part of this year’s Simchas Beis Hasho’eiva farbrengens. Bezras Hashem, I will add next week a few points I heard from others.
As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated and most welcome.
Simchas Beis Hashoeiva occurred on Sukkos in connection to the pouring of the water libation on the Mizbeiach, at the same time the wine was poured down the other tube, when the morning sacrifice that was brought on Sukkos.
The question is what is the reason for this tremendous celebration? a celebration that was so splendid that our sages state, “Whoever has not witnessed this celebration did not see a true celebration in their life!”, describing these festivities as the most joyous celebration one can experience.
The Talmud gives a few reasons why we began celebrating it, in the first place. And one of the reasons is that there was an argument concerning this mitzvah. The Torah explicitly commands us to bring wine libations together with every sacrifice. On Sukkos, when the Torah describes the sacrifices that are brought every day of Sukkos, the Torah alludes to the fact that we should also bring a water libation.
However, during the time of the second Beis Hamikdash, there arose a powerful group of Jews, who only followed what was written explicitly in the Torah and did not accept the teachings and guidance of our Sages, or even the laws that were transmitted over the generations as commandments and guidance that Moshe gave over orally when he descended from Mount Sinai.
So, in order to enhance our respect and commitment to follow the guidance of our Sages, the people began rejoicing not only while this mitzvah was being fulfilled in the morning, but they began celebrating the night before, as the preparations of sending a Kohen to draw the water that will be used. It indeed became a tremendous celebration, or should we say the celebration of a lifetime.
We also see this concept of rejoicing in fulfilling the words of our sages in hilchos Shabbos.
The Torah teaches us השבת ביום תבערו אש לא – Do not make a fire on Shabbos. However, the Tzidukim translate it to mean, A fire should not be used on Shabbos, even when the fire was burning before Shabbos.
However, our sages taught, that under certain conditions, it is permissible to place a pot on the bleich before Shabbos which is covering the fire and let it keep food warm or even conclude its cooking on Shabbos.
To demonstrate that we follow the words of our sages, and not Chas v’sholom the tziddukim, the custom is to eat on Shabbos day something hot or at least warm.
Perhaps this can explain the following story.
When the Frierdiker Rebbe traveled out of Lubavitch, in many cities he found families that he can trust their kashrus. In one such city, when it came Shabbos, the hostess figured I will give the Rebbe a large portion and he will eat whatever he desires and leave over whatever he doesn’t want to eat That is much better than to give him a smaller portion and he might be hungry.
So on Shabbos afternoon she served the first portion of fish and whatever side dish, and as she expected, the Rebbe ate only a part of what he was served. Then to her surprise, although she gave the Rebbe a large portion of cholent, he ate everything that was on the plate. But when she served the next course of chicken or meat and its side dishes, the Rebbe once again ate only a small part of it, leaving a large amount untouchrf.
The hostess concluded that evidently the Rebbe only enjoys her cholent, so the following Shabbos, while she served a smaller portion of fish, she gave him a larger portion of cholent.
This time the Rebbe also ate whatever cholent was on his plate, but when the plate was being removed he mentioned that next time she should only serve him only a small portion of cholent. He continued, the reason I ate all the cholent this week and last week is because one is not supposed to leave over any cholent that is on their plate.
I heard this story from my father when I was a youngster, and I always wondered what is the reason for this custom, of not leaving over cholent (or whatever hot food you are eating that Shabbos.
But perhaps the reason is as follows, since we eat a warm/hot food on Shabbos to demonstrate and make a statement that we are following the guidance and teachings of our Sages, so if someone sees some leftover cholent (or whatever hot food that was being served) on my plate, they might think that I didn’t eat it because I question the validity of this ruling of our sages. So to prevent this possibility the Frierdiker Rebbe forced himself to eat it up completely.
The Torah is eternal, and therefore we should apply the lesson from this rejoicing during Sukkos (Simchas Beis Hashoeuva) to our lives today. Not only should we be proud and happy that he have that gift of the Rebbe and his teachings and guidance, as it gives us clarity in our mission and purpose of life, but even or perhaps better said, especially nowadays, we are able to apply his teachings to our everyday life and world conduct.
The realization of how tremendous this gift is to us, [and the goan Yaakov (Jewish pride) that every Jew feels about their connection to Hashem, His Torah and Mitzvos,] should result that we celebrate it with tremendous happiness and joy, and with a strong declaration there whatever the Rebbe says, applies to us now just as it applied to us at the time and moment we heard it.
To put it in a few words, we will quote the famous saying of thr tzaddik Reb Meir of Premishlan, “When one is connected to above, they don’t fall down.” As we see from the following story, the benefits of celebrating your connection to the Rebbe, and to Yiddishkeit is immeasurable.
The Alter Rebbe instructed a chossid to move from his village or small town and settle in the capital Petersburg. There he was to become a dealer in precious stones and sell to the nobility at a low markup price. And if he doesn’t cover his expenses, he shouldn’t be worried, as the Rebbe will cover the deficit.
The Rebbe explained that the real profit will be that he will hear the wives of the nobility discuss the various decrees their husbands are considering implementing against the Jewish people. Knowing this information before it is being voted on is crucial, as the Rebbe can then decide which nobleman to approach and how best to have the decree rejected, delayed or at least minimized.
In some situations they might ask their husbands to be kind to the Jews, as they see that Jews are very honest in their business. They could say, show me another diamond dealer that has such fair prices!
The chossid related that being that I was constantly dealing with the noble women, there was a time that I was in a situation that I was being tested if I can stand firm in the way a Jew should and must conduct themselves.
Suddenly I said to myself, You are a chossid of the Rebbe, so how can the Rebbe’s chossid fall so low, and that is what protected me from sinning.
This does not only apply to dancing throughout the night, every night of Sukkos, but it should be noticeable throughout the year,
Applying this concept of Sukkos to our daily life is essentially the entire concept of Sukkos.
Chassidus explains that being that a Sukka has four walls that surround us, by definition that is called a Makif. A Makif is explained as something that surrounds you, but is not internalized. Simply meaning you are learning a concept and you have a general idea, but it is still too complex to wrap your fingers/brain around it. So while you are aware of this concept, you don’t understand it thoroughly.
However, on Succos we are commanded to live / dwell in the Sukka (makif, as the sukka surrounds us from all sides) and internalize it, as the possuk states In a Sukka (makif) you shall dwell, [make it part of you].
Similarly, we are guided that when we shake the Lulav [together with the other three species] in all six directions, we are to bring the Lulav close to our hearts when we shake it. Here too, the directive is clear, internalize all that you are witnessing and learning.
A Taste of Chassidus
In lieu of explaining one concept of the weekly maamar in Likkutei Torah, I am posting a Chassidic thought that I heard recently from Rabbi Nissan Mangel sheyichye, which I personally enjoyed and though that it is quite illuminating.
One of the foundational teachings of Chassidus is the concept of Achdus Hashem, that everything is part of Hashem. In Chassidic terminology this is called either Yichud Ilaah and Yichud Tatuah.
The question is how can these concepts be explained in simple words, so that a regular person can truly understand it.
Years ago this was a difficult question, but nowadays it is easier to explain.
We are now sitting at a farbrengen, there are many individuals each one with their own appearance and personality. There are also various pieces of furniture, food, clothing etc. So you see a myriad amount of aspects.
But science teaches us that the truth is that what we described is only what we see, but in reality everything in this room is just matter. And matter itself can be broken down to molecules which can be broken further into Atoms. Then we are taught that every atom has three aspects (parts), protons, neutrons and electrons. Einstein then says, that everything is really made of of energy.
So you see that science states, that as different as every creation seems, in truth they are really the same, energy.
The only question or point that Einstein did not address, what is the essence of this ENERGY?
That is answered by Chassidus, that all forms of energy, is an extension of G-dliness, so everything in creation is part and parcel of Elokus (G-dliness).
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at [email protected].
CrownHeights.info5 days agoby Yisroel Zilbershtrom
There are moments when a Jew simply needs to stop.
To pause, for a moment, from all the daily pursuits and calculations, look at what happened, and simply say:
“Ribbono Shel Olam, thank You.”
On Wednesday morning, in the middle of Chol HaMoed Sukkos, a Flydubai flight departed from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on its way to Eretz Yisroel. In the midst of the flight, a most serious emergency developed. The aircraft rapidly lost altitude, and the lives of everyone aboard were in real danger.
It became clear that one of the pilots was an extremist Muslim terrorist who had decided to kill the pilot beside him and crash the aircraft with everyone aboard.
In a remarkable chain of miracles and Hashgachah Pratis, the civilians aboard the flight managed to overpower the terrorist, bring the aircraft back under control, land safely in Saudi Arabia, and, after several tense hours, board an alternate flight to Eretz HaKodesh.
Everyone remained alive. Everyone emerged unharmed.
How would the Rebbe look at an event like this?
What message should we take with us into every shul this Yom Tov?
What message should we carry with us to the millions of Jews waiting for us in shuls everywhere—or even on the street?
In an extraordinary and almost chilling display of Hashgachah Pratis, a booklet has just been published containing a new sichah of the Rebbe from the farbrengen of Simchas Torah 5737—exactly fifty years ago.
It came after a long summer during which the Rebbe spoke extensively about the miracles that occurred in the rescue of the Jewish hostages at Entebbe. But at this farbrengen, the Rebbe chose to focus on the obligation of gratitude, song, and joy as an authentic Jewish response to such an open miracle from Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
For the Rebbe, recognizing a miracle does not end with, “There was a miracle, Baruch Hashem.”
A miracle places upon a person the responsibility to give thanks, to become inspired, and to add in his life.
Following Operation Entebbe in the summer of 5736, the Rebbe spoke explicitly about the fact that what had occurred was a “nes nigleh,” an open miracle, and about the need to thank Hashem. At the same time, he emphasized that we must also contemplate what Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants to tell us through the event.
One of the unique aspects of the Rebbe’s words was that he did not separate gratitude to Hashem from recognizing the people who acted to save lives. The Rebbe said that a “Yasher koach” should be given to the soldiers who risked their lives to save Jews—and at the same time, we must see the Divine hand that brought about the salvation.
In other words, there are two expressions of gratitude that do not contradict one another:
“Hashem gomel chassadim tovim”—Hashem bestows good and kindness; everything comes from Him.
And at the same time, we must give a special Yasher koach to the people who served as Hashem’s messengers and acted with mesirus nefesh.
But there is an even deeper point: joy.
One of the things the Rebbe explained at that farbrengen was the story of King Chizkiyahu. Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted to make Chizkiyahu Moshiach, but Chizkiyahu did not sing shirah over the miracle that had been done for him—and therefore he did not merit it.
From this comes an immense lesson:
When a Jew sees a miracle, he must sing to Hashem.
It is not enough to know that a miracle occurred.
It is not enough to feel relief.
It is not enough to say, “Baruch Hashem, everything worked out.”
One must sing to Hashem over the miracle.
This is precisely the lesson the Rebbe wanted us to learn from Entebbe.
This is precisely the kind of moment when a Jew needs to stop and say:
“Ribbono Shel Olam, thank You.”
Not merely, “What luck.”
Not merely, “What courageous people.”
But:
“Modim anachnu Lach… al nisecha shebechol yom imanu.”
“We thank You… for Your miracles that are with us every day.”
Fifty years ago, the Rebbe spoke about the miracle of Entebbe and taught us how a Jew should respond to a miracle.
And now, at a time when the entire world is speaking about the miraculous rescue of Jews from a flight that found itself in mortal danger, that very section of the Simchas Torah 5737 farbrengen is being published for the first time by Vaad Hanochos Belashon Hakodesh—a transcript from Toras Menachem—Hisvaaduyos, Volume 86, which is scheduled to appear in time for the Kinus HaShluchim HaOlami.
The Rebbe already taught us what to do when Hakadosh Baruch Hu shows us a great miracle such as this.
Stop.
Give thanks.
Sing.
Dance and rejoice.
Let us make use of the 24 or 48 hours of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah ourselves—for joy and gratitude to Hashem, for song over the miracle, and to thank and praise His great Name for His miracles, His wonders, and His salvations.
The booklet is available for online reading:
https://www.lahak.org/templates/lahak/article_cdo/aid/7504920/jewish/page.htm
The booklet is available for download in print format:
CrownHeights.info5 days agoFrom Siberia to Simchas Torah
We are fast approaching Simchas Torah, after an entire week of Zman Simchaseinu—the time of our rejoicing.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are behind us. Now Hashem tells us: Rejoice!
On Sukkos we rejoice. Jews sing Hallel, shake the Lulav and Esrog, sit in the Sukkah and celebrate. At night comes Simchas Beis Hashoeva.
In Crown Heights, thousands upon thousands of Jews dance in the streets, night after night, until morning.
This is Zman Simchaseinu.
And then, this week, something extraordinary happened.
In the middle of the night, thousands were dancing. Suddenly, the music stopped.
An announcement was made: there was a dangerous situation involving an airplane filled with Jews. They needed our prayers.
Thousands prayed.
And as soon as they finished—
the music went back on.
Back to dancing!
It reminded me of the Yom Kippur War.
The war broke out on Yom Kippur, 1973, and the early reports were frightening. Thousands were with the Rebbe for Tishrei, including many Israelis worried about their families and their country.
Yet the Rebbe insisted: Now is Zman Simchaseinu. Now we must rejoice.
He encouraged more Farbrengens, more singing, more dancing. When one group became tired, another took over. During Sukkos came the dramatic turnaround in the war, and on Simchas Torah the Rebbe encouraged members of Israel’s diplomatic delegation to move forward with joy, confidence, and pride.
Perhaps this week was Jewish history condensed into a few days.
Throughout our long history, nations and empires have tried to destroy the Jew, his Torah, or both. Yet after everything, the Jew and the Torah are still here dancing together.
This year that thought hit me very personally.
My dear friend Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik, the Rebbe’s Shliach in Tyumen, Siberia, sent us videos of Sukkos there.
Siberia!
For me, that word carries enormous emotion.
My ancestors were exiled there and died because they remained faithful to Torah and Mitzvos. Rabbi Gorelik’s family has a similar history. A Sukkah? A Lulav and Esrog? If they managed these Mitzvos at all, it had to be hidden and dangerous.
And now Rabbi Gorelik shows us a huge, beautiful Sukkah with transparent walls for everyone to see.
And what do they see?
Jews coming openly.
Jews making a Brocha on the Lulav and Esrog.
Jews smiling.
Jews dancing.
Then Rabbi Michoel Oyshi in Kaluga, Russia, joined the competition: more Jews, more Lulavim, more enormous smiles, more dancing.
I looked at those pictures and became very emotional.
I grew up in the 1960s. Part of my family was trapped behind the Iron Curtain. We were in free America and barely knew what was happening to them.
We worried. We prayed. We sang Hoshia es Amecha—Hashem¬, save Your people. The Rebbe cried and prayed for Soviet Jews and did everything possible to help them. He assured us they would eventually come out.
Frankly, we couldn’t imagine it.
The Iron Curtain looked permanent.
And then it fell.
Now I am watching videos from Siberia and Kaluga of Jews openly celebrating Sukkos.
You tried to destroy Yiddishkeit there?
Look who’s dancing now!
My father used to say that today it is easier to believe that Moshiach will come than it was then to believe that the Iron Curtain would fall.
And this week gave us still more reason to dance.
When the Jews aboard that airplane were saved, Jews responded with Hallel, gratitude and dancing.
Suddenly, a Posuk we read on Simchas Torah sounds almost as if it were written for this week:
“Ein ka-El Yeshurun, rocheiv shamayim b’ezrecha” — “There is none like the G-d of Yeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your assistance.”
Rocheiv shamayim b’ezrecha.¬
Hashem rides the skies to help us.
Fifty years after the miraculous rescue at Entebbe, when the Rebbe urged Jews to recognize Hashem’s miracles and rejoice, Jews once again responded to salvation with joy.
So yes, I am emotionally charged this Simchas Torah.
But the emotion makes me want to dance.
Because look at us!
After everything, we are still here.
The Torah is still here.
On Simchas Torah we don’t open the Torah and study it. We keep it closed, wrapped in its mantle.
We hug it.
The greatest scholar and the simplest Jew hold the same Torah.
A famous story tells of a simple Jew who knew almost nothing but danced enthusiastically on Simchas Torah.
“Why are you dancing?” someone asked. “How much Torah do you know?”
He answered:
“When my brother makes a wedding, don’t I dance at his wedding?”
That’s Simchas Torah.
We’re all brothers. It’s our Torah. It’s our wedding.
So we dance.
The Rebbe emphasized that Zman Simchaseinu (plural) is a shared joy—our joy with Hashem and Hashem’s joy with us.
Hashem looks down at His children and says:
I know what you have endured. I know how you have been tested. I know how many people tried to break you.
And you’re still dancing with My Torah.
So this Simchas Torah, let’s dance.
Dance for the miracles of this week. Dance for the Jews of Siberia. Dance for our grandparents who couldn’t dance openly. Dance because the Iron Curtain fell. Dance because after thousands of years nobody managed to separate the Jew from his Torah.
And fill these forty-eight hours of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah with enough Simcha and Brochos for the entire year.
And let us dance toward the greatest Simcha of all.
Yeshayah describes the Geulah:
“U’feduyei Hashem yeshuvun, u’va’u Tzion b’rinah, v’simchas olam al rosham; sason v’simcha yasigu, v’nasu yagon va’anachah.”
“The redeemed of Hashem shall return, and they shall come to Zion with song, with everlasting joy upon their heads; gladness and joy shall overtake them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee.”
For thousands of years, sorrow came—
and we danced anyway.
Now let us dance until the sorrow itself finally flees.
Until there is no Golus. No persecution. No interruption in the dancing.
Only Sason V’Simcha.
Only everlasting joy.
Only Moshiach dancing together with every Jew, with the Torah, in Eretz Yisroel—
and this time, the music will never have to stop.
Have a Joyous Simchas Torah, Joy, Joy, and more Joy,
Gut Shabbos, Gut Yomtov
Rabbi Yosef Katzman
To support our activities, please Zelle or PayPal to: [email protected]
CrownHeights.info5 days agoThursday evening, Erev Yom Tov Hoshana Rabbah 5787, at the Rebbe’s shul, the community came together to say Tehillim and Divrei Torah in the Sukkah.
Photos: Mordechai Lubecki
CrownHeights.info5 days agoby CrownHeights.info
A special Children’s Hakafos program will once again take place in Crown Heights over Simchas Torah, providing children and families with an opportunity to celebrate the Yom Tov with singing, dancing and Hakafos in a child-friendly setting.
The program will take place Motzei Shabbos, 22 Tishrei 5787, with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. Maariv and Hakafos are scheduled from 7:20–8:40 p.m.
The program is organized with designated entrance arrangements for different age groups:
Boys ages 10 and under: Enter through the main doors of 770.
Girls ages 6–12: Enter through the 770 driveway.
Mothers with babies ages 2 and under: Enter through the main doors of 770.
Mothers and children ages 3–5: Enter through the 770 Sukkah.
Limited seats and space are available.
The program will also include an opportunity for mothers and children to kiss the Rebbe’s Sefer Torah.
Mothers and children will be able to kiss the Sefer Torah by the Kingston Avenue side of 770 from 6:30–6:40 p.m., and again following the Hakafos.
Boys and fathers may return to kiss the Rebbe’s Sefer Torah during the main Hakafos in shul.
Following the children’s program and Tahalucha, 770 will reopen at approximately 9:45 p.m. for men and bochurim, allowing them to participate in the main Hakafos.
The organizers remind families that nothing should be carried until after Shabbos has ended and “Boruch Hamavdil” has been said.
The Children’s Hakafos offer young Crown Heights residents a special opportunity to experience the joy and excitement of Simchas Torah while allowing the adults to later join the main Hakafos at 770.
CrownHeights.info5 days agoBuilding on the success of previous years Achdus Hakafos in Crown Heights—and the positive feedback from so many—we are pleased to announce that the Third Annual Simchas Torah Achdus Hakafos will take place Sunday, 1:00–1:45 PM, at the corner of Albany Avenue and Crown Street..
Shuls participating in this Achdus Hakafos are; Beis Levy Yitzchok, Beis Shea, Beis Shneur, Chevra Ahavas Yisroel, Merkaz Sefarad, Ohel Nosson, Shmuel’s Shul, and others, and is once again being organized by Rabbi Lazer Avtzon of the Association of Crown Heights Shuls / Merkaz Sefarad, and R’ Binyomin Levin of Beis Shneur.
Other Shuls and/or individuals looking to participate are invited and welcome.
In accordance with the directive of the Beis Din of Crown Heights, the Sifrei Torah should not be taken out onto the street. Each shul should first conduct Ata Horeisa and Hakafos inside their respective locations before joining the community celebration.
**Location guidelines:
**Women: Albany Avenue between Carroll and Crown Streets
Men: Albany Avenue between Crown and Montgomery Streets
Dancing: In the main intersection of Crown and Albany for men and boys
Together, we will create a tremendous Kiddush Hashem and Kiddush Shem Lubavitch, bringing the Rebbe much nachas.
We ask all participating shuls to relay the following guidelines to ensure proper decorum and tznius:
Women should remain on Albany between Carroll and Crown Streets
Men should be on Albany Ave from Crown to Montgomery Streets
Actual dancing will be at the intersection of Crown and Albany (for men and boys only)
The program will begin with the recital of the 12 Pesukim, followed by joyous dancing to the songs:
– הושיעה את עמיך
– עוצו עצה ותופר
– פרזות תשב ירושלים
– אני מאמין
– ניגון של ר’ לוי”ק
שנזכה כבר לפני שמיני עצרת ושמחת תורה להתגלות משיח צדקנו ומלכנו בראשינו
א גוט יום טוב!
A special thank you to Rabbi Yaacov Behrman and to the New York City Police Department for their assistance and support.
CrownHeights.info5 days agoFamilies from throughout Orange County gathered at Chabad of Orange County, led by Rabbi Pesach and Chana Burston, for The Great Sukkot Harvest, a lively celebration of Sukkot filled with tradition, family activities, delicious food and community spirit. Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday centered around gratitude, joy and togetherness. A central tradition of the holiday is spending time in a Sukkah, a temporary outdoor hut reminiscent of the Divine clouds that surrounded Jewish people during their 40-year journey through the desert after leaving Egypt.
Chabad’s Great Sukkot Harvest brought the themes of the holiday to life with a festive autumn experience for all ages. Families enjoyed pony rides, miniature golf and a Sukkot pumpkin patch, where children selected pumpkins and transformed them with colorful decorations and sparkling embellishments.
Families also got a taste of fall with a hands-on apple cider donut-making station, rolling, coating and enjoying their own sweet seasonal treats. Younger children had the opportunity to color and create their own life size miniature sukkah. Guests gathered inside Chabad’s large sukkah to enjoy an array of delicious food and spend time as a community. Participants also had the opportunity to perform one of Sukkot’s most distinctive traditions; shaking the four kinds, a practice which represents the harvest as well as unity.
“Sukkot is a holiday of extraordinary joy and unity,” said Rabbi Pesach Burston. “The sukkah surrounds everyone within the same walls, reminding us that despite our differences, we are one people. The Great Sukkot Harvest was a beautiful expression of that message. Celebrants of every age and background coming together to celebrate, connect and experience the joy of our Jewish heritage in an accessible setting.”
For Chabad of Orange County, the celebration was about more than the activities themselves. It was about creating a place where families could connect, with their heritage, with one another and with the broader community, while experiencing the joy and gratitude at the heart of Sukkot.
About Chabad of Orange County
Chabad of Orange County, located at 94 Gilbert Street in Monroe, serves the local Orange County Jewish community through educational programs, holiday celebrations, youth and teen activities, social services and opportunities for Jewish learning and connection. Chabad welcomes people regardless of background, affiliation or level of observance. For more information about Chabad of Orange County and upcoming programs, visit ChabadOrange.com.
CrownHeights.info6 days agoThe Rebbe explains the lesson we can learn from the fact that the culmination of all the festivals of the Tishrei is specifically the “Season of our Rejoicing” and especially Simchat Torah.
CrownHeights.info6 days agoby Yisrael Eliashiv – chabad.org
The dancing at Chabad-Lubavitch at the Shore in Ventnor, N.J., was already underway on Simchat Torah 2023 when the horrific news from Israel, of the Oct. 7 Massacre, began to spread through the room. It came in fragments, each update worse than the last. Congregants turned to Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, the center’s director, and asked whether they could still dance.
“Now we have to dance for ourselves and for all those who can’t dance anymore,” Rapoport told them.
So they kept going. Rapoport remembers laughing and crying at the same time, the joy of the holiday pressing against what they were hearing from the Holy Land.
“It was as if the Torahs were dancing for us,” Rapoport said. “We were just holding on.”
With the congregation watching him, he pointed to one of the scrolls in the circle. He had no answers, he told them, and did not know what lay ahead. “But one thing I do know. You see this Torah? They danced with this Torah before the Nazis, and we’re dancing with this Torah after the Nazis.”
The scroll belonged to the Hammerschlag family, who had carried it out of Germany in 1939. It had long since ceased to be valid for public reading. The community used it to show to children, to teach bar mitzvah boys their portions and, once a year, to dance with on Simchat Torah.
This year, on the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which begins on Oct. 2, the Hammerschlag Torah will join the Hakafot as a restored, kosher scroll, back in regular use. In Bellaire, Texas, another Torah that spent decades out of Jewish hands has made a similar return. Their stories bear out what Simchat Torah has always taught: The Torah accompanies the Jewish people through their darkest hours and their most joyous ones … and the dancing continues.
The Hammerschlag Torah
The Hammerschlag Torah’s story begins in Lauenau, Germany, where the family had deep roots. Local research has found evidence of a Hammerschlag-owned Torah there dating to at least the mid-19th century. Lennard Hammerschlag, whose grandfather Adolf Hammerschlag brought it out of Germany, says the family believes the scroll is about 200 years old. Some estimates put it older still.
When the family fled to Bulawayo, in what was then Southern Rhodesia, they were forced to give up nearly everything they owned along the way. Adolf made certain the Torah was not among the losses. It remained in the family for nearly 80 years.
Lennard Hammerschlag helps the scribe complete the final letters at the dedication of the Hammerschlag Torah at Chabad of the Shore on Aug. 30, 2026.
In 2018, Lennard, his brother Marc, and a group from Stockton University brought the scroll back to Lauenau, into the room on the old Hammerschlag property that had once served as the town’s Jewish prayer space and is now part of a Greek restaurant. The Torah had once been spirited away under terrible circumstances. This time it came and went in peace.
“It was significant that I didn’t have to bring it in through the back door,” Hammerschlag said. “I brought it in through the front door.”
Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport addresses the crowd at the dedication of the Hammerschlag Torah on Aug. 30, 2026.
In Ventnor, the scroll served for years as the centerpiece of the Chabad center’s Holocaust exhibit. Hammerschlag wanted more for it than a display, and he and Rapoport had spoken about restoring it for years. When a sofer, a ritual scribe trained in writing holy Jewish scrolls including Torahs, mezuzahs and tefillin, finally gave them an estimate for the painstaking job, the figure exceeded the cost of a new Torah.
“Value-wise, you could buy a Torah for less than it costs to fix this one,” Rapoport said. “For us it wasn’t a money thing. This Torah has a story.”
The two were discussing the cost at a small Shabbat dinner hosted by Rapoport when a guest, Craig Beresin, moved from the far end of the table to avoid prolonging an unrelated disagreement. He sat down at random and found himself within earshot.
“I’m meant to hear this,” he recalls thinking, “and I’m not meant just to hear it and do nothing.”
His parents were elderly and in poor health, and he had been looking for meaningful ways to honor them. He pledged toward the restoration and began bringing others into the project.
When the scribe, Gad Sebbag, examined the scroll, he found fine parchment and fine lettering. The text on the entire Torah, however, was red. Jewish law requires the letters of a Torah to be black, and over the decades the ink had faded through shades of brown to a reddish hue, a condition known as chaludah. All 304,805 letters needed attention.
Restoring them meant tracing the hand of the original scribe, whose strokes, spacing and layout remained visible in the faded ink.
“When you trace his writing, you kind of relive his thought,” said the scribe, who more often writes new scrolls.
On August 30, 2026, the community gathered to complete the restoration. They screened the documentary “Saved from the Shoah: The Hammerschlag Family Torah Returns,” Hammerschlag filled in the final letter, and the congregation sang, danced and raised the scroll high in the Jewish tradition of hagbah. Its first formal reading came on Rosh Hashanah, when Hammerschlag was called for the third aliyah.
The rededicated ‘Am Yisrael Chai Torah’ lies with its old and new covers on Oct. 27, 2024.
In May 2015, Dr. George Leventon and his wife, Marge, traveled to Russia to help recover and restore Torah scrolls that had been kept out of Jewish communal ownership for decades since the early years of Soviet persecution. In their Moscow hotel, Marge unrolled the one that would eventually reach the Jewish community of Bellaire, Texas.
“We realized no one else had opened this Torah for 70-plus years,” she said. A sofer who examined the scroll soon afterward determined that it could be repaired and returned to ritual use.
George, a physician, reached for the language of his profession. “It was like a patient that was thought to be lost,” he said, “and getting the patient out of the ICU and into a recovery mode.”
Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky with the ‘Am Israel Chai Torah’.
An initial restoration followed in 2016, with further work in 2024 to prepare it for regular synagogue use. George restored the badly dried wooden rollers himself, Marge designed its mantle, and friends contributed two crowns and a yad, the pointer. For a time, the scroll was housed in an aron kodesh (“ark”) in the couple’s home. An expert who studied the script recognized it as the one preferred by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as the Alter Rebbe.
The Leventons eventually placed the Torah on loan with The Shul of Bellaire. “Every time it comes out of the ark and it’s used,” George said, the moment carries the weight of history and of the people who carried the scroll before, whose memory, through it, is “still alive.”
The Am Israel Chai Torah
On Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, as the community marked a year since Oct. 7, the congregation formally dedicated it as the Am Yisrael Chai Torah. Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky, co-director of the Chabad center, recalled the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones. “This Torah, like the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision, seemed lifeless for decades,” he said, before being restored “word by word, letter by letter.”
Esty Zaklikofsky, who co-directs the center with her husband, said the name reflected what the community was living through.
“At the time, everybody was very focused on the hostages,” she said. “It really felt like this Torah had itself been held hostage for approximately 80 years. It wasn’t being used as a Torah is meant to be used, and here we were, decades later, with the Torah restored and everybody celebrating.”
CrownHeights.infoCrownHeights.info6 days agoOn the third day of Chol Hamoed Sukkos, Lubavitch of Remsen Village hosted a lively Simchas Beis Hashoavah outside its shul at 305 Remsen Avenue. White Fang Marketing served as the event’s corporate sponsor.
With police assistance, the entire block of Remsen Avenue was closed to create a safe space for families and community members to celebrate together. The evening included Torah, tefillah, and tzedakah, led by Rabbi Levi Gajer, along with lively music by Gershon Reich and Shmuli Keller, food, drinks, and a crowd-pleasing fire-juggling show.
The event was arranged by Avi Zuckerman, with assistance from Yossi Kagan, and brought a beautiful spirit of achdus and simchas Yom Tov to the neighborhood. Special thanks to Shomrim for their assistance, and to the Voli Bochurim who helped at the food tables.
Additional sponsors included Kingston Bake Shop and Crown Builders. The free light-up toys enjoyed by the children were generously sponsored by Shloimy and Yanki Hecht.
CrownHeights.info6 days agoby CrownHeights.info
Members of the Crown Heights Jewish community will host Republican New York State Attorney General nominee Saritha Komatireddy for a Sukkos Holiday Night Celebration Thursday evening.
The event, scheduled for 9:00–10:00 p.m. at 1318 Carroll Street, will bring community members together during the holiday of Sukkos and provide an opportunity to hear from Komatireddy, who is campaigning for New York State Attorney General.
Komatireddy is a former federal prosecutor who spent more than a decade with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. She also served as Chief of Staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration and is currently a partner at Holtzman Vogel. She graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School and previously clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
The New York State Board of Elections certified Komatireddy as the Republican candidate for Attorney General following the June 2026 primary.
Her campaign has focused on issues including public safety, prosecution of crime and fraud, government accountability, and the role of the Attorney General’s Office.
The Sukkos gathering is open to members of the community and members of the press.
Event Details:
What: Sukkos Holiday Night Celebration
Guest: Saritha Komatireddy, Republican nominee for New York State Attorney General
When: Thursday, October 1, 2026, 9:00–10:00 p.m.
Where: 1318 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, NY 11213
The event comes as New York’s Attorney General race heads toward the November 3 general election, with incumbent Attorney General Letitia James also on the ballot.
CrownHeights.info6 days agoFor many Shluchim and Anash, Gemara B’Iyun belongs to an earlier stage of life. Years after yeshiva, the demands of shlichus or business, other learning commitments, together with family responsibilities, can make returning to that kind of intense learning feel almost impossible.
Kollel Iyun HaTalmud was created for Shluchim and Anash who want to return to regular Gemara B’Iyun but need a framework that can fit around shlichus or a busy work schedule.
“Learning Gemara be’iyun does not have to remain something associated only with yeshivah years,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, director of Merkos 302. “With the right framework, a busy shliach or member of Anash can make a consistent Iyun seder part of his schedule.”
Participants can choose between two tracks, Guided Iyun and Advanced Iyun. Both learn the same sugya, but at different levels of depth and independence.
Guided Iyun is built around a three-to-five-hour weekly commitment. Participants join two guided sugya shiurim with Rabbi Dov Popack and a twice-monthly lomdus shiur with Rabbi Mendel Krasnjanski. They also receive a sugya booklet conveniently divided by week and take part in regular talking-in-learning.
For those looking for a longer, more in-depth seder, Advanced Iyun calls for roughly six to ten hours a week. Participants learn advanced sources themselves, join Rabbi Krasnjanski’s weekly lomdus shiur, receive weekly Iyun guidance from Rabbi Moshe Wolberg, and attend a twice-monthly halacha shiur with Rabbi Mendel Prescott.
The support does not end when the shiur does. Maggidei shiurim and a dedicated meishiv are available during the week for questions. Rabbi Shua Slavin, the Kollel’s Menahel Poel, follows up with participants, making sure they are growing in their learning. He also helps pair Chavrusos when needed.
A WhatsApp group gives Chaverei HaKollel a place to continue discussing each week’s sugya with the Rabbonim and Meishivim. A second group is available for general halachic questions. Marei mekomos and chazara sheets are sent for each sugya, with basic Mareh Mekomos as well as advanced for those with more time.
The Kollel encourages participants to arrange their own in-person chavrusa when possible but is happy to help pair those who are unable to do so. Participants can also move between tracks as their schedule or learning needs change.
Tuition is $110 a month for Guided Iyun and $175 a month for Advanced Iyun, with reduced rates of $50 and $100 respectively for members of Kollel Dach or other Kollels. Scholarships are available on a case-by-case basis, and further discounts are listed on the Kollel website.
To sign up, visit iyunhatalmud.learnworlds.com
HANHOLAH
Program Directors:
Rabbi Mendy Kotlasky – Executive Director of Merkos 302
Rabbi Mendel Chaiton – Menahel, Merkos Torah
Rabbi Betzalel Bassman – Menahel, Kollel Iyun HaTalmud
Rabbi Dov Popack – Rosh Kollel, Kollel Iyun HaTalmud
Rabbi Shua Slavin – Menahel Poel, Kollel Iyun HaTalmud
Guided Iyun:
Rabbi Mendel Krasnjanski – Twice-monthly Lomdus Shiur
Maggidei Shiur & Shoalim U’Meishivim – Guided Sugya Shiurim and Talking in Learning
Advanced Iyun:
Rabbi Mendel Krasnjanski – Weekly Lomdus Shiur
Rabbi Moshe Wolberg – Weekly Iyun Guidance
Rabbi Mendel Prescott – Twice Monthly Halacha Shiur
Shoalim U’Meishivim – Ongoing Talking in Learning and support
Kollel Iyun HaTalmud is an initiative of Merkos 302 and Merkos Torah
CrownHeights.info6 days agoRabbi Shmuel Lesches, Maggid Shiur in Yeshiva Gedola of Melbourne, Australia, has compiled a guide to the laws of Hoshanah Rabbah, Shmini Atzeres and Simchas Torah for the benefit of the wider Lubavitch community.
Please note: All times listed are for Melbourne only.
CrownHeights.info6 days agoby CrownHeights.info
Political leaders from across Victoria’s political spectrum joined Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece at a Sukkos gathering hosted by Chabad of Melbourne CBD, with antisemitism and Jewish safety taking center stage.
The gathering took place Wednesday at the Sukkah in Gordon Reserve, located near Victoria’s State Parliament. The annual “Sukkah in the City” event is organized by Rabbi Chaim Herzog of Chabad of Melbourne CBD and provides a public setting for Jewish identity and Sukkos celebrations in the heart of Melbourne.
Among those attending were Lord Mayor Reece, Labor MP Ryan Batchelor, Victorian Deputy Opposition Leader and Caulfield MP David Southwick, and Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs Evan Mulholland.
Rabbi Herzog described the sukkah’s prominent location as significant, saying it was important to publicly demonstrate Jewish identity, particularly amid the current climate in Melbourne.
Lord Mayor Reece spoke about the city’s response to antisemitism, citing recent incidents including an attack on an Israeli restaurant and an attempted arson attack at the East Melbourne Shule. He said the City of Melbourne has adopted measures aimed at more quickly removing antisemitic and hateful material, reporting that approximately 3,000 items, including stickers and graffiti, had been removed during the first year of the initiative.
Batchelor highlighted the sukkah’s location beside Parliament as a visible celebration of Jewish culture and tradition, while Southwick noted that attendance at the event has declined since October 7 as some members of the Jewish community have felt less safe in Melbourne’s city center.
Mulholland, meanwhile, said the sukkah’s physical fragility served as a reminder of the strength of the Jewish community itself.
The event brought together representatives of both the governing Labor Party and the opposition Coalition, underscoring the ongoing engagement between Chabad and Victorian civic and political leaders.
CrownHeights.info6 days agoWith great sadness we report the passing of Rabbi Levi Tenenbaum OBM, a local Mashpia and resident of Crown Heights.
Rabbi Tenenbaum was the son of Rabbi Yosef Menachem Mendel Tenenbaum ע״ה, the longtime בעל תוקע at Beis Chayeinu—770, and the son-in-law of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner ע״ה, the Rebbe’s longtime secretary.
Rabbi Levi was a longtime educator and mashpia in the Crown Heights community. He served on the staff of Cheder Ohr Menachem and as a mashpia at Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Chovevei Torah. He was also a בעל תוקע at 770 for a number of years, continuing a family tradition associated with his father’s decades of service at the Rebbe’s minyan.
The levaya will take place today, Thursday, passing by 770 at approximately 2:30pm.
Shiva information to be announced.
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
CrownHeights.info6 days agoRabbi Hershel Zalkos
Click here for a PDF version of this edition of Here’s My Story, or visit the My Encounter Blog.
My grandfather, Rabbi Yerucham Fishel Avrutick, was an authentic Chabad chasid. He had a long beard and was a devoted disciple of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe. When I was growing up in 1950s Montreal, I used to spend time in his house on Shabbat until he passed away. My parents wanted me to be a good Jew, so they sent me to the Chabad school, although they weren’t quite chasidim themselves. And so the sense of warmth I felt towards Judaism came from my teachers, from the environment of that school — and from my grandfather.
After finishing high school, in 1961, a friend of mine named Yitzchok Mann suggested that we go work as counselors in a Chabad summer camp in the United States, but my parents didn’t let me. I was supposed to go to university the next year, and they thought that I should be getting ready. Still, we decided to go anyway, and I was already at the camp when I wrote a letter telling my parents where I was. They were upset, of course, but it seems they had also found out that I hadn’t done so well with my matriculation exams, and I wouldn’t be able to go to university yet anyway — so they didn’t make too much of a fuss.
After camp, the same friend had the idea that we go to New York to spend the Tishrei holidays with the Rebbe, and then to study in a Chabad yeshivah in Newark, New Jersey. We would learn Torah throughout the week, and every Shabbat, or at least whenever the Rebbe held a farbrengen, we would take the bus to 770.
My parents weren’t too pleased about my decision to go to yeshivah, and they made that clear in their letters to me: “What’s going to become of you if you don’t go to university?”
Despite his concerns about me, my father did have a lot of respect for the Rebbe, and so before I went to Newark, and then again later that year, he had an audience with the Rebbe and aired his complaints. I don’t know what was said, but there weren’t quite as many complaints after that.
At the end of that academic year, I had a private audience with the Rebbe as well. He asked me what tractate of Talmud I had been studying, as well as about my study of Chasidut, Chabad chasidic thought.
He then asked whether I had a study partner, or chavruta. I told him that I had been learning Tractate Sukkah with my friend, Yitzchok Mann.
“And who is your chavruta for Chasidut?”
“I don’t have one,” I replied.
The Rebbe concluded the audience with some blessings for my upcoming birthday, but I understood that he wanted me to study Chasidut with a partner. The next day, I went around 770 asking who would learn with me, and I ended up learning with a young man named Yecheskel Lebovic. We studied a series of discourses from the Previous Rebbe about the Tishrei holidays, and they were eye-opening. They explained how Rosh Hashanah is not just about G-d judging the world, or about repenting for particular wrongdoings, but it is a day for accepting G-d as king. It was all a revelation to me, and that year I had a Rosh Hashanah like I’d never had before — thanks to my new study partner.
During that period, the Rebbe also wrote a letter to my mother, addressing some of her and my father’s anxieties about me being in yeshivah instead of college. After first blessing them to have “true Jewish nachas” from their son, he wrote: “G-d, who takes care of everyone, will surely watch over him too … with everything he needs now, as well as in the future.” Thank G-d, I’ve been able to make ends meet for all the years since.
Eventually, in 1963, my parents insisted that I come home. So, I began studying in the Chabad yeshivah back in Montreal, which had just built a new building. After a while, I also began taking night classes at university, while still keeping regular yeshivah hours.
But in 1969, when I was already an older student, a group of us decided that the time had come for us to transfer from Montreal to the yeshivah in 770 so we could be near the Rebbe.
We came for the Tishrei holidays, as we did every year, but this time, after Simchat Torah, we remained in 770. I can still picture the scene: That morning, I had sat down to study near the front of the synagogue. My friends and I wanted to start off on the right foot — it was a new semester in a new yeshivah — so we began to study seriously and diligently. But at about 3:30 PM, somebody came over to us with a message: “The Rebbe is calling you for an audience.”
Everyone in our group from Montreal went to immerse in the mikveh and changed into Shabbat clothes, as was customary when preparing to have an audience with the Rebbe.
It turned out that a group of boys from the yeshivah in Paris had also decided to stay on in 770 and, as we later learned, the faculties of the yeshivot in both places had complained to the Rebbe: “With the older students running off to 770,” they each said, “the backbone of our yeshivah is gone!” And so the Rebbe delivered an entire talk, during that audience, to the students who had come from Montreal and Paris.
He began by citing an allegory brought in chasidic teachings of “a king who wanted his son to fully develop all his potential. So, the king sent the prince to a place far from his royal palace” — a place where the people are uncivilized, and where the culture is radically different from the ways of the king’s palace. Despite such extremely difficult circumstances, the prince nevertheless overcame the challenge and continued to behave as a prince should. “Only through that was all his potential realized into actuality, and his abilities were utilized to completion.”
This is why the soul is sent down into this world, said the Rebbe, and this is why the Jewish people were sent into exile — and this is also why “particular individuals are tasked with a descent to a specific place.” In all of these cases, the intent is not the descent itself, but the opposite: “They are given the ability and the privilege to rise to a higher level… by fulfilling, in that distant place, the mission that was placed upon them.”
In support of this idea, the Rebbe cited the example of the Talmudic sage Rav, who left the Land of Israel for Babylon. Through his efforts, the state of Torah study there was elevated over that of the Land of Israel.
“For the students studying in yeshivot located outside of New York,” the Rebbe went on, the request that they stay there should not be seen as a “punishment, G-d forbid, nor a distancing, G-d forbid, but rather the opposite.” That is, we were being asked to go back to Montreal because we had the ability to “make the world a dwelling place for the divine” from there, and that through our work there, we would ultimately be elevated ourselves.
Finally, the Rebbe concluded with his blessings for the year ahead, and in particular that we carry out the task he was asking of us with joy, succeeding in our Torah studies, energizing our respective yeshivot, and uplifting the younger students there.
And that is the story of the only day I spent as a yeshivah student in 770.
A Montreal native, Rabbi Hershel Zalkos is a long-time teacher at the Lubavitch Cheder of Detroit. He was interviewed in March of 2025.
CrownHeights.info6 days agoThe need for practical self-defense and greater awareness in our community has become increasingly clear. That need is what led to the creation of Guardian Self Defense (GSD), a nonprofit organization dedicated to making practical Krav Maga training accessible to everyday members of the Jewish community.
The idea behind GSD is simple: you don’t have to be a fighter, an athlete, or have any previous experience to learn how to protect yourself. You just have to start training.
GSD connects community members with experienced Krav Maga instructors in a welcoming environment where students learn practical self-defense, situational awareness, confidence, and how to respond when it matters. Classes are designed for regular people, regardless of previous experience or fitness level.
It’s not about looking for trouble. It’s about being prepared if trouble finds you.
Now, We’re Starting Young
That same philosophy is now coming to the next generation with the launch of TKM Brooklyn, a new youth Krav Maga program in Crown Heights.
The goal isn’t simply to teach children how to fight. It’s to help them develop awareness, confidence, discipline, and practical self-defense skills from a young age.
TKM Brooklyn offers age-appropriate training for children and teens, taught by trained and certified instructors who are members of the local community. It’s an opportunity for Crown Heights families to give their children practical skills that can stay with them for life, right here in their own community.
Community Support
Run by local community members, these programs have received support from community leaders who recognize how important it is for local families to have access to practical self-defense training. Community activists including Rabbi Moshe Pinson of Beis Shmuel, Rabbi Sholom Goldstein of Beis Rivka, and Rabbi Mendy Hershkop of Shomrim have endorsed the initiative and its mission to make self-defense training accessible to both children and adults in our community.
It’s About Training
At the end of the day, the message behind both GSD and TKM Brooklyn is simple: preparedness comes from training.
You don’t need martial arts experience, a specific level of fitness, or to think of yourself as someone who would ever need self-defense. You simply need to start.
GSD and TKM Brooklyn are working to make that training accessible to the community, from adults to the next generation.
Get Involved
GSD — Adult Self-Defense Training
Practical Krav Maga training for men and women. No previous experience necessary.
Men’s class, apply at: gsd.gymdesk.com
Women’s class, apply at: gsdw.gymdesk.com
Email: [email protected]
TKM Brooklyn — Kids & Teens
Age-appropriate Krav Maga and self-defense training for children and teens, taught by local, certified instructors.
Website: TKMBrooklyn.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: tkmbrooklyn (instagram.com/tkmbrooklyn)
Whether you’re an adult looking to become better prepared or a parent looking to give your child these skills early, the opportunity to start training is now available right here in our community.
CrownHeights.info7 days agoby CrownHeights.info
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Crown Heights Tuesday night for a Sukkos visit that included stops at two local sukkahs, meeting with community figures as well as a number of senior city officials and political appointees.
The visit came just hours after Mamdani unveiled the city’s first municipal Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, a sweeping plan that includes increased funding for hate-crime prevention, additional security funding for synagogues and other houses of worship, expanded Holocaust and Jewish-history education, and renewed coordination among city agencies.
Mamdani’s first stop was the sukkah of Mrs. Devorah Halberstam, whose son Ari was murdered in the 1994 Brooklyn Bridge terrorist attack. Halberstam has long been active in Jewish communal affairs and has regularly hosted elected officials, law-enforcement leaders and other public figures in her sukkah during Sukkos.
The mayor arrived at the location through an alleyway rather than from the public-facing street, keeping his arrival largely out of view of the surrounding street. The gathering itself included a sizable contingent of city officials and political figures. Among those present were Governor Kathy Hochul, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, according to reporting from Israel Hayom.
The visit also came amid increased attention to Mamdani’s relationship with New York’s Jewish community. Earlier in the day, his administration announced its antisemitism strategy, which the city described as a “whole-of-government” effort to prevent hate violence, combat antisemitism, support victims, protect Jewish institutions and engage Jewish New Yorkers across the ideological spectrum.
From Halberstam’s sukkah, Mamdani continued to a second Crown Heights sukkah, that of Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, a local community activist and Chabad-Lubavitch media liaison.
Behrman subsequently told JNS that he hosted Mamdani in his sukkah in his personal capacity, emphasizing that the mayor had been in the neighborhood for an event and that he and his family hosted him afterward to share the holiday experience. Behrman said the conversation focused on Sukkos, family and the lessons of the sukkah. His children also spoke with the mayor about the ushpizin, the spiritual guests traditionally welcomed into the sukkah.
Behrman said the family blessed the mayor that he should be “a uniter and bring New Yorkers together.” He also clarified that the visit was a personal interaction and not undertaken in his official capacity as a Chabad media liaison.
Mamdani’s appearance in Crown Heights comes against the backdrop of significant disagreement within the Jewish community over his policies and positions, particularly regarding Israel and antisemitism. Major Jewish organizations have raised concerns that the city’s new antisemitism strategy does not directly address anti-Israel rhetoric, while other Jewish organizations and leaders have welcomed the administration’s increased investment in security, hate-crime prevention and Jewish community engagement.
Photos: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
CrownHeights.info7 days agoAn emotional full-circle moment took place in Cyprus as Meirav Leshem Gonen, mother of released hostage Romi Gonen and a prominent advocate for the return of the hostages, visited the Jewish Community Center of Cyprus during Sukkos.
Leshem Gonen visited the community’s large Sukkah of Brotherhood, located on the very same street where she had previously stood and prayed alongside members of the Jewish community for her daughter’s safe return while Romi was being held hostage. At the time, the location hosted a major solidarity gathering for the hostages.
During her visit, Leshem Gonen met with Rabbi Ze’ev Raskin, Chabad emissary and Chief Rabbi of Cyprus. Also participating in the meeting were Kobi Waller, Deputy Ambassador of Israel to Cyprus; Yaron Zaluf, chairman of the Friends Circle of the Jewish Community of Cyprus; and Rabbi Shneur Zalman Levitin, Chabad shaliach in Larnaca.
Returning to the location following Romi’s release, Leshem Gonen described the visit as a deeply moving “closing of a circle” — returning to the place where she had once stood with prayers and hope, this time to recite the blessing over the Four Species with gratitude.
She emphasized that the Four Species symbolize the unity of the Jewish people.
The gathering concluded with a prayer and blessing for unity, peace, and better days for the Jewish people.
CrownHeights.info7 days agoIt is six in the morning at the plaza of the Marina Roscha Central Synagogue in Moscow. As the Russian capital slowly awakens to a chilly autumn morning, the magnificent giant Sukkah is already bustling with activity.
The aromas of hot food rising from the “Grisha’s Zimmer” hospitality room mingle with the sounds of community members arriving at the complex. Jewish residents from across Moscow stream into the Sukkah, beginning their day with Chassidus study, warm food, and the atmosphere of Zman Simchaseinu.
Under the direction of the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, tremendous efforts are being made to ensure that no Jew remains hungry or alone throughout the Yom Tov.
The “Grisha’s Zimmer” hospitality room has consequently been operating almost continuously, from 6:00 a.m. until after midnight. Dedicated kitchen staff work throughout the day and night to prepare a steady supply of fresh meals, hot dishes, refreshments, and activities for children, providing a welcoming environment for the many visitors passing through the Sukkah.
Alongside the hospitality operation, the synagogue lobby became a bustling marketplace for the Daled Minim. Shluchim, community members, philanthropists, and visitors from across Russia came to select Mehadrin sets for Yom Tov.
A special highlight was the arrival of approximately 400 premium Calabria Esrogim, which were specially shipped from Italy by Rabbi Moshe Lazar, the elder of the Shluchim, for the rabbis and Shluchim throughout Russia. The Esrogim were carefully examined by the Chief Rabbi as part of the preparations for the Mitzvah.
Following the conclusion of the first days of Yom Tov on Sunday night, the large Sukkah came alive with the sounds of a spirited Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebration. A lively Chassidic orchestra accompanied the dancing as the celebration continued late into the night.
The joy soon spilled beyond the walls of the Sukkah and into the streets of Moscow, with spirited dancing bringing the atmosphere of Simchas Beis Hashoeva to the surrounding area.
The dancing eventually gave way to Chassidic farbrengens that continued into the early hours of the morning, extending the spirit of the Yom Tov long after the formal celebrations had ended.
The scenes in Moscow reflected the words of Chazal: “Whoever has not seen the joy of Simchas Beis Hashoeva has never seen joy in his life.”
Photography: Levi Nazarov
CrownHeights.info7 days agoby CrownHeights.info
The streets of Paris came alive with the joy of Sukkos as Chabad activities brought the spirit of the Yom Tov to Jewish communities throughout the city.
A collection of photographs by Mordechai Lubecki, captures the vibrant Sukkos atmosphere, including Simchas Beis Hashoevah gatherings, dancing and the many Mivtzoim taking place throughout the French capital.
The celebrations began with a large Simchas Beis Hashoevah event at Chabad of Flandre on Motzei Shabbos, with Rabbi Levi Azimov and Rabbi Mendel Azimov participating in the festivities.
On Monday evening, the Sukkos celebrations continued at Place de la République and Place de la Bastille, where dancing and holiday celebrations were held with Rabbi Levi Azimov, Rabbi Binyamin Margi, Rabbi Daniel Gabai and Rabbi Mendel Azimov.
Alongside the celebrations, Chabad activists were busy bringing the mitzvos of Sukkos directly to Jews throughout the city as part of Mivtza Lulav.
A special Sukkah vehicle, led by Rabbi Shlomo Ben-Shushan, traveled through the streets of Paris, allowing Jewish residents and passersby to fulfill the mitzvah of shaking the Lulav and Esrog. Additional Mivtza Lulav activity took place throughout the Paris Metro system, where Jews were offered the opportunity to perform the mitzvah.
At 17 Rue des Rosiers — the Rebbe’s shul in Paris — Mivtza Lulav and Sukkah activities were led by Rabbi Yisroel Lubetzky.
The photographs offer a glimpse into the tremendous Sukkos activity taking place across Paris, as Chabad brings the joy and mitzvos of Yom Tov to Jews wherever they may be.
Photography: Mordechai Lubecki
CrownHeights.info7 days agoby CrownHeights.info
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was en route from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport with more than 150 passengers—many of them Israelis—when an alarming incident unfolded over the region.
According to flight-tracking data and reports from passengers and Israeli officials, the aircraft transmitted the international emergency code 7700, indicating a general emergency, before transmitting 7500, the code used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft and commonly associated with a possible hijacking.
Around the same time, the Boeing 737 reportedly underwent a dramatic and rapid descent, dropping approximately 14,000–18,000 feet within a short period. The aircraft then changed course and diverted toward northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Initial reports indicated that the emergency was connected to a violent altercation between the two pilots inside the cockpit.
Passengers later described hearing screams and seeing signs of a struggle. Some accounts reported that one pilot was stabbed and that passengers and other crew members became involved in restraining the individual involved. Photos circulating in Israeli media appeared to show blood on a passenger’s clothing, although details of the incident remain under investigation.
Some Israeli security officials initially feared that the incident could represent an attempted hijacking or an effort to deliberately crash the aircraft. One Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post that authorities were investigating whether the incident was intended as a terror attack and whether the pilot involved had attempted to take control of the aircraft.
However, other Israeli officials subsequently emphasized that the incident was not being formally characterized as a hijacking. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office described the situation as under control, while Reuters reported that an Israeli official characterized it as a different type of incident involving a physical altercation between the pilots.
The aircraft ultimately landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, rather than continuing to Israel.
Saudi authorities said the pilots were injured and received medical treatment following the landing. All passengers were reported safe and accounted for.
Flydubai confirmed that the aircraft had experienced an “incident” while traveling to Tel Aviv and had diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. The airline said it was working with the relevant authorities and that all passengers were safe and accounted for.
The airline is expected to arrange another aircraft to bring the stranded passengers back to Israel.
CrownHeights.info7 days agoby CrownHeights.info
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday unveiled the city’s first municipal Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, a 33-page plan calling for increased security at Jewish institutions, expanded Holocaust and Jewish history education, additional support for victims of hate crimes, and greater coordination between city agencies and Jewish communities.
The strategy comes as Jewish New Yorkers continue to account for a disproportionate share of reported hate crimes in the city. The administration says Jewish residents comprise roughly 12 percent of the city’s population while accounting for approximately half of reported hate crimes. The plan was developed following months of meetings with Jewish New Yorkers, including rabbis, educators, parents, community leaders and advocates from across the religious and political spectrum.
At the center of the strategy is a $26 million increase in funding for the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, bringing its annual budget from approximately $3 million to $29 million. Of that broader investment, $7.4 million is being immediately allocated to initiatives outlined in the new strategy: $1 million for physical security improvements at vulnerable nonprofit organizations, including synagogues and other houses of worship, and $6.4 million for Partners Against the Hate grants supporting community-based organizations involved in hate prevention, data collection, countering online hate, restorative justice and survivor support.
The $1 million security allocation is particularly relevant to Orthodox and Chabad communities, where synagogues, schools, community centers and other Jewish institutions often require enhanced physical protection. The strategy specifically cites concerns expressed by Jewish community leaders over car rammings and bomb threats and says the city will help institutions with measures such as security assessments and improvements including lighting, cameras and locks. A relaunched interagency Security Infrastructure Working Group will also provide technical assistance and help institutions navigate city agencies and available funding when undertaking security projects.
For the Crown Heights community, the plan has a particularly direct connection. The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism says its officials have visited 770 Eastern Parkway on numerous occasions, where they discussed the history of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement as well as security concerns with community leaders. The office has also visited the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights.
Those concerns have taken on added significance following the January 2026 incident in which a driver repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the entrance of 770 Eastern Parkway. No one was injured, but the incident caused significant damage and led to hate-crime charges against the suspect. The new city strategy specifically identifies vehicle rammings as among the security threats Jewish institutions have raised with the administration.
The strategy also calls for the city to continue working with Jewish communities to strengthen security around synagogues and other Jewish institutions, with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force continuing investigations and community security briefings.
Education is another major component. New York City Public Schools will continue Holocaust education and instruction on Jewish history and contributions, while expanding opportunities for students to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage. The administration is also pledging a citywide public-awareness campaign explaining protections under the New York City Human Rights Law and how residents can report suspected discrimination. The campaign will appear on LinkNYC screens and other public spaces throughout the five boroughs.
One of the most notable and controversial aspects of the strategy is what it does not do: it does not adopt a formal definition of antisemitism. The report discusses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition, the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism and the Nexus Document, but concludes that the city does not need to adopt a single definition. Instead, the administration says the NYPD and City Commission on Human Rights can rely on existing criminal and civil-rights laws when investigating individual incidents.
That decision has drawn criticism from some Jewish organizations and community leaders.
The Anti-Defamation League’s New York/New Jersey office criticized the strategy for lacking a formal working definition and called for what it described as stronger protections for Jewish institutions, a clear definition of antisemitism, zero tolerance for antisemitism and extremism within city government, and safeguards against ideological boycotts in city contracting and procurement. Other critics, including Council Member Eric Dinowitz and Council Member Inna Vernikov, argued that the plan fails to address the relationship between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Former Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism Moshe Davis likewise criticized the report for what he described as its failure to address the role of anti-Israel rhetoric in antisemitic violence.
For Crown Heights and the broader Chabad-Lubavitch community, the practical impact of the strategy will likely be measured less by the language of the report and more by how its security funding, agency coordination, hate-crime response and community engagement are implemented. With 770 Eastern Parkway and other major Chabad institutions already having been the focus of security discussions with the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, the community will have a direct interest in how those commitments translate into protection on the ground.
The full strategy is available through the NYC Mayor’s Office official release.
CrownHeights.info7 days agoOn Monday night, the second night of Chol Hamoed Sukkos, Empire Shtiebel hosted a special Kinus Torah, drawing a large crowd from across the Crown Heights community for an evening dedicated to Torah learning and in-depth halachic discussion.
Boruch Hashem, the turnout was impressive, with many members of the community coming together.
The evening opened with Rabbi Kasimov, Moreh Hora’ah of the Shul, who welcomed the assembled and spoke about the importance of establishing set times for Torah learning. He highlighted the Kinus as an ideal springboard for beginning the new year with a renewed commitment to kvius itim laTorah.
Rabbi Kasimov then introduced the first speaker, Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky, member of the Vaad Rabonei Lubavitch. Rabbi Bogomilsky delivered an in-depth shiur exploring the question of whether a sukkah was required in the Beis Hamikdash during the times of the Beis Hamikdash, bringing various sources and considerations to the discussion.
Following him, Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Apple, Av Beis Din of Svaliva, addressed the halachic issues surrounding tying down schach, as well as the questions involved with placing or mixing schach with materials that are mekabel tumah. The topic was particularly relevant following this year’s storm, which brought the practical issue of securing sukkos to the forefront for many.
The third speaker was Rabbi Meir Yisrael Isser Ludmir, Av Beis Din of Pressburg in Lakewood. Rabbi Ludmir began by sharing a personal connection to Empire Shtiebel, noting that his grandfather served as the Rov of the Shtiebel many years ago. He expressed the kavod it was for him to return to the Shtiebel and speak.
Rabbi Ludmir also spoke about his family’s relationship with the Rebbe before turning to an extensive shiur on the halachic implications of this year’s Shanah Me’uberes, the leap year, and the various halachos associated with it. He combined numerous sources from the Rebbe’s sichos, providing a detailed and thought-provoking look at the subject.
The final speaker of the evening was Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kaminker, Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Lubavitch of Baltimore. Rabbi Kaminker delivered an in-depth shiur on the halachos of birchos hanehenin, focusing particularly on the concepts surrounding the bracha of Shehecheyanu. He explored the differences between the approaches of the Alter Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek, and their shitos.
As the final shiur concluded, the Kinus came to a close with a sense of satisfaction and simchas haTorah. Those in attendance left with an appreciation for the opportunity to spend an evening in Torah learning, and with a renewed resolve to continue strengthening kvius itim laTorah.
The Kinus also left the attendees with a desire to see more such programs in the future,
CrownHeights.info7 days agoMendel and Esther (nee Fajnland) Scharf from Crown Heights had a baby boy!
CrownHeights.info8 days agoBais Hora’ah Chabad is presenting a new series of practical shiurim on Hilchos Chol Hamoed, delivered by HaRav Berel Polityko, a Moreh Hora’ah at Bais Hora’ah Chabad. The series is being made available as a public halachic resource, offering clear guidance on cutting hair and nails, laundry, דבר האבד, food preparation and personal needs, and buying and selling during chol hamoed. Each class is designed to make these important halachos clear, practical, and accessible for everyday observance.
Here are the individual links to access the classes:
1. Introduction; Cutting Hair and Nails תקל – תקלב
3. Working to Prevent a Loss תקלז – תקלח (דבר האבד)
4. [Food Preparation and Other Personal Needs תקלג, תקלה – תקלו
](https://merkostorah.com/open?pageId=open&step=3581225460609)5. Buying and Selling תקלט
Coming soon
Bais Hora’ah Chabad provides a trusted address for practical halachic questions, with experienced Rabbonim available to offer clear guidance with care and confidentiality. Questions may be sent by WhatsApp, text, or phone at 347-388-7917, and additional information is available at baishoraahchabad.com. Bais Hora’ah Chabad is a project of Merkos Torah, a department of Merkos 302. Visit merkostorah.com — Your Home for Keviyus Itim BaTorah.
CrownHeights.info8 days agoby CrownHeights.info
The Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) has released the first edition of its new CHJCC Community Magazine, a publication designed to help residents better understand the organization’s services, programs and resources available to individuals and families throughout Crown Heights.
The magazine is being distributed directly to homes across the neighborhood, with a digital edition also available online. According to the CHJCC, the publication is intended to serve as a practical guide to the many resources available through the community organization, including services that residents may not be aware of.
“For more than 50 years, the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council has been here to help our community,” the CHJCC said in announcing the magazine. “Now, we want to make sure you know more about who we are, what we do, and most importantly, how we can help you and your family.”
The publication highlights CHJCC services, programs and resources, as well as the people working behind the scenes to assist Crown Heights residents.
The CHJCC has long provided assistance with a wide range of needs, including government benefits such as SNAP, SCRIE, Medicaid and HEAP, as well as housing assistance, crisis intervention, crime-victim services, immigration and citizenship applications, and weatherization assistance. The organization has also continued expanding its community services, including recently launched assistance for local institutions seeking federal security grants.
The magazine comes as the CHJCC continues a period of growth and modernization. In 2025, the organization announced plans to move from its longtime storefront to a larger facility at 555 Lefferts Avenue at Kingston Avenue, providing additional space and improved accessibility for its services.
Earlier this year, the CHJCC also launched an updated digital platform designed to make it easier for residents to submit inquiries and connect with the appropriate department, reflecting an increased focus on accessibility and coordination.
The new community magazine is another effort to make those services more accessible to the public.
“Take a look,” the CHJCC encouraged residents. “You may discover a service or resource you didn’t know was available.”
Residents are encouraged to share the publication with family members, friends and neighbors.
CrownHeights.info8 days agoby CrownHeights.info
Nassau County Executive and New York Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman visited the Crown Heights community Monday evening during Chol Hamoed Sukkos, meeting with community members and joining the nightly Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebrations.
Blakeman’s visit was hosted by the Crown Heights Republican Committee together with members of the local Jewish community. He attended a Sukkah gathering in the neighborhood, where he met with residents and community members.
Blakeman was accompanied during the visit by Rabbi Zalman Wolowik, Shliach to the Five Towns, and Yitzchok Rimler, leader of the Crown Heights Republican Committee.
Later in the evening, Blakeman made an appearance at the annual Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebration in Crown Heights, joining the festive dancing and addressing the crowd.
A ROARING WELCOME FOR BLAKEMAN IN CROWN HEIGHTS!
Last night, Bruce Blakeman, candidate for Governor of NY, joined the CH community for an incredible Sukkot celebration.
The energy was electric as Bruce met with community members & celebrated the holiday in the heart of CH. pic.twitter.com/L0mdiXM6wu
— Jews For Blakeman (@JewsForBlakeman) September 29, 2026
In remarks to those gathered, Blakeman spoke about Jewish pride and also briefly discussed his campaign for governor ahead of the November election.
The visit comes as Blakeman campaigns across New York in the final weeks leading up to the November 2026 gubernatorial election. He currently serves as Nassau County Executive, a position he has held since 2022, and is the Republican nominee for governor.
The Crown Heights visit also follows Blakeman’s earlier community tour of the neighborhood, during which he met with local business owners and residents and heard concerns regarding taxes, the cost of doing business, public safety and other issues affecting the community.
What a joy to celebrate Sukkot with our Jewish community in Crown Heights tonight alongside our Gubernatorial Candidate Bruce Blakeman and Brooklyn GOP Chairman Liam McCabe. Bruce stood with us in celebration, and this November, I’m proud to stand with him as we work to elect him… pic.twitter.com/63m5w8Mzyd
— Assemblyman Michael Novakhov (@MichaelforNY) September 29, 2026
CrownHeights.info8 days agoby CrownHeights.info
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to visit Crown Heights tonight, Tuesday, September 29th, as part of a Sukkos visit to the sukkah of Mrs. Devorah Halberstam.
Halberstam, whose son Ari was killed in the 1994 terrorist attack on the Brooklyn Bridge, has for years hosted elected officials, law-enforcement leaders and community figures in her sukkah during Sukkos.
The mayor’s expected visit comes as city officials have maintained an increased focus on engagement with New York’s Jewish communities. The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism says it has held listening sessions with Jewish New Yorkers and recently accompanied Mayor Mamdani on a visit to the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights, where he was hosted by Halberstam.
Community members should be aware that the mayor’s visit is expected to bring an accompanying security presence and possible activity around the location of the sukkah.
The anticipated visit follows Monday night’s visit by Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman, who visited a Crown Heights sukkah and joined the dancing at the communal Simchas Beis Hashoeva.
Mayor Mamdani’s visit tonight is expected to take place at approximately 8:00pm.
CrownHeights.info8 days agoby Faygie Levy Holt – chabad.org
On the first night of Sukkot, September 25, the wind and rain had eased just enough for Rabbi Mendy Teldon to welcome 150 people into the sukkah at his home on Long Island, N.Y., where they heard Kiddush, made a blessing, and had a bite to eat, before returning to the warm and dry indoors. By the next day, the storm picked back up, and the sukkah came crashing down. Teldon, who directs Chabad-Lubavitch of Mid-Suffolk with his wife, Brocha, was the only one inside at the time, and walked away unharmed.
The early-season nor’easter storm hit the Northeast United States over the weekend with soaking rain, strong winds and massive waves. Gusts reached as high as 70 miles an hour in some places, and more than 80,000 customers across the region were still without power by Sunday afternoon. Falling trees killed one person and injured four others, including children. Trees, power lines and sukkahs came down across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. In some cases, sukkah walls stayed standing while their roofs caved in, leaving them unusable.
The damaged sukkah at the home of Rabbi Mendy and Brocha Teldon.
Teldon had taken down the sukkah at his Chabad center ahead of the inclement weather before the holiday started.
“On Sunday afternoon, a large crowd joined us at Chabad, expecting to enjoy lunch in the sukkah. Though we didn’t have a sukkah there, we were able to shake the lulav and etrog together, and it was very special,” he said.
Two other Sukkot events planned for this week are still on.
“We had a team coming on Monday to fix the sukkah, and we know G‑d has nachas [gratification] when we show commitment to the mitzvot,” Teldon said. “A little water and wind? We’ll rebuild. On Sukkot, we say that ‘May the Merciful One restore for us the fallen sukkah of David.’ It is not about how many times the sukkah falls down, but how many times we get to rebuild it.”
Satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the nor’easter on Sept. 26. Courtesy of NOAA
Among the hardest-hit areas was Atlantic County, N.J., home to Atlantic City and the towns of Margate and Ventnor. On Saturday, water levels in Atlantic City rose to their highest point since Superstorm Sandy, prompting evacuations and rescues along the Jersey Shore.
Rabbi Avi Rapaport of Chabad at the Shore said the region had seen storms over Sukkot before, but this one was “the worst.”
Several families he knows had serious flooding in their homes. One house was badly damaged, though thankfully it is not a primary residence. Other families had their sukkahs blown away.
![“We came out the next morning [Shabbat], and the tent was blown apart, but the sukkah was still standing," said Rapaport.](https://w2.chabad.org/media/images/1387/YfAl13877621.jpeg?_i=_n504BC99DD0473598AAE3BCDC5D75568D "“We came out the next morning [Shabbat], and the tent was blown apart, but the sukkah was still standing," said Rapaport.")
“We came out the next morning [Shabbat], and the tent was blown apart, but the sukkah was still standing,” said Rapaport.
The synagogue sits on high ground and escaped the flooding. On the first night of Sukkot, a break in the weather, with no rain and little wind, allowed Rapaport to host a meal in the sukkah. The crowd was smaller than expected, since anyone who wasn’t already on the island couldn’t get to the Chabad center.
Food was laid out in a large tent nearby, and guests carried their plates into the sukkah.
“We came out the next morning, and the tent was blown apart, but the sukkah was still standing,” said Rapaport.
“It’s kind of poetic to have a storm on Sukkot,” he added. “While our heart breaks for those who lost property or have damage, the idea of Sukkot is about putting ourselves into G‑d’s hands. You really feel that when you have the winds and the rain and flooding. It reminds you that the ultimate protection comes from G‑d. And we have to be grateful for all the blessings we have.”
!["On Sukkot, we say that ‘May the Merciful One restore for us the fallen sukkah of David.’ It is not about how many times the sukkah falls down, but how many times we get to rebuild it," said Teldon.](https://w2.chabad.org/media/images/1387/xOXB13877634.jpeg?_i=_n504BC99DD0473598AAE3BCDC5D75568D ""On Sukkot, we say that ‘May the Merciful One restore for us the fallen sukkah of David.’ It is not about how many times the sukkah falls down, but how many times we get to rebuild it," said Teldon.")
“On Sukkot, we say that ‘May the Merciful One restore for us the fallen sukkah of David.’ It is not about how many times the sukkah falls down, but how many times we get to rebuild it,” said Teldon.
CrownHeights.infoCrownHeights.info8 days agoby Tzali Reicher – chabad.org
On the evening of Sunday, Sept. 20, as Yom Kippur began, a 29-year-old man armed with a shotgun fired on a police officer stationed outside the synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. More than 30 shots were exchanged, leaving the officer, Const. Jeff Smith, a 13-year veteran of the Belleville Police Service, seriously wounded. The gunman, who shouted an antisemitic threat before opening fire, later died of his injuries. Miraculously, none of the roughly two dozen worshippers inside was hurt.
Rabbi Moshe Caytak, who with his wife, Sheina, directs Chabad of Wellington West in Ottawa, first heard about the attack on Yom Kippur morning, when police increased security around all synagogues in the province. Belleville lies 120 miles southwest of Ottawa, and the stretch of Eastern Ontario between them holds only a handful of small Jewish communities.
“Because it’s so relatively close, the attack shook the whole Jewish community in the area,” Caytak says.
After the fast had ended, Caytak received a message from a non-Jewish friend who lives nearby and has long supported the Chabad center. The friend was asking if the rabbi had any ideas of how to bring light after such a dark event.
“It was very meaningful to me that he wanted to take action and do something concrete,” Caytak adds.
A non-Jewish supporter was inspired to increase in sharing light following the Yom Kippur shooting in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, and pledged to sponsor 100 mezuzot for Jewish people to install mezuzot on their doors.
The rabbi had several ideas, but the idea of launching a campaign for Jews in the area to place mezuzah on their doors stuck out. When launching The Mezuzah Campaign in 1974, the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—highlighted the mezuzah as a source of spiritual protection, compared a mezuzah to a helmet a soldier wears into battle.
After Caytak explained his thoughts, the friend pledged to cover 100 mezuzahs. For him, the cause was personal.
He first found his way to Caytak’s Chabad center after an earlier antisemitic attack in Ottawa, where the rabbi welcomed him and a close friendship was born.
Since then, he has studied with Caytak, and even joined the rabbi on what he calls a “wonderful whirlwind day trip” to New York to visit the Ohel (the Rebbe’s resting place in Queens) and Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn.
By Tuesday morning, a flyer and registration form were posted online, and requests for mezuzahs were pouring in. More than a dozen have since come from Belleville, representing a considerable portion of its small Jewish population, among them several people who were in the sanctuary during the shooting. In Ottawa, Caytak says, many of those signing up are people he had never met and who had little previous connection to Jewish communal life.
The form asked which door each family wished to have the mezuzah placed on. The vast majority chose the front door.
“People are coming forward and saying that they are ready to be visibly Jewish,” Caytak says. “One woman told me that she was in the synagogue during the shooting, and wants to install a mezuzah on her front door to thank G‑d for the miracles she experienced.”
“The overwhelming response to the campaign shows that it is already having a positive impact, and since the mezuzahs will remain on people’s doors, it will also be a lasting one,” the donor says.
The distribution began on Sept. 28, during the intermediate days of Sukkot, and Caytak intends to visit as many households as he can to help affix them. The donor has asked to travel to Belleville with him to help install the mezuzahs.
“The overwhelming response to the campaign shows that it is already having a positive impact, and since the mezuzahs will remain on people’s doors, it will also be a lasting one,” the donor says. “It is nice to be a small part of it.”
To him, the campaign also carries a lesson he first learned during his lessons with the rabbi.
“It illustrates how the best response to awful events is to respond with positive action and purpose,” he says.
CrownHeights.info8 days agoIt’s been a week to remember! English-speaking Bochurim have been treated to three powerful Moshiach Shiurim and two electrifying Farbrengens, keeping the ruach alive and the hiskashrus burning strong.
Moshiach Shiuri
Kicking things off on Tuesday, Bochurim packed in to hear a hard-hitting Moshiach Shiur from Shimmy Weinbaum.
Wednesday brought another round of inspiration, as Yossi Paltiel took the podium to deliver a shiur that had Bochurim thinking about Geulah in a whole new light.
And Thursday, closing out the week in style, Levi Gorelick brought the energy with a Moshiach Shiur that had the room buzzing.
Farbrengens
Wednesday night, Bochurim gathered for a heartfelt Farbrengen with Noam Wagner, filled with warmth, l’chaims, and real hiskashrus.
And Thursday night, the achdus continued with a Farbrengen led by Gershon Avtzon — another can’t-miss night for English-speaking Bochurim!
Between the Shiurim and the Farbrengens, this has been a week of real growth — and the energy shows no signs of slowing down!
CrownHeights.info9 days agoWith great sadness we report the passing of Mrs. Rivkah Chitrik OBM, a longtime member of the Chabad community and matriarch of a distinguished Lubavitch family. She passed away on Monday, the 17th of Tishrei, 5787.
She was 96 years old.
Mrs. Chitrik was the daughter of the prominent Chabad activist Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Karasik, who served as chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad in Eretz Yisroel and played a major role in the development of Chabad institutions in the Holy Land.
In 5711, she married the noted Chossid and philanthropist Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Chitrik, OBM, son of the renowned Chossid Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik. The Rebbe served as the mesader kiddushin at their wedding, a unique connection that remained a defining part of the family’s history.
The couple subsequently embarked on a life of shlichus. In 5713, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Chitrik was sent by the Rebbe to São Paulo, Brazil, becoming one of the Rebbe’s early emissaries to South America. Together, the Chitriks worked to strengthen Jewish life and education in Brazil, later continuing their activities in Rio de Janeiro. They returned to New York in 5721 and settled in Crown Heights, where Rabbi Chitrik remained deeply involved in communal affairs and Chabad activities for decades.
The Chitrik family was also privileged to experience a particularly memorable occasion with the Rebbe shortly after their marriage. When their first son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Chitrik, was born, the Rebbe served as sandek at his bris on Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5712 and delivered a special sichah during the bris meal.
Mrs. Chitrik was known as a devoted mother and grandmother, raising a distinguished family whose members have continued the family’s legacy of Chabad activism and shlichus. A 2024 publication documenting the Rebbe’s views on community eruvin also records Mrs. Chitrik sharing recollections concerning her husband’s involvement in Crown Heights communal affairs.
She is survived by her children: Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Chitrik (Tzfas, EY), Rabbi Aharon Chitrik (Crown Heights), Mrs. Esther Piekarsky (Tel Aviv, EY), Mrs. Sarah Zalmanov (Crown Heights), Mrs. Ella Lerman (Crown Heights), and Mrs. Rochel Shemtov (Montevideo, Uruguay).
She is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, many of whom are involved in Chabad shlichus and communal work around the world.
The Levaya will take place Tuesday, passing by 770 at approximately 12:30pm.
Shiva information to be announced.
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
CrownHeights.info9 days agoWith great sadness we report the passing of Yanky Levinson OBM, a Crown Heights native known and beloved by many in the community. He passed away this morning, the 17th pf Tishrei 5787, following a prolonged and difficult illness.
Despite his suffering, Yanky was known for his warm smile, his love for his fellow Jews, his willingness to assist others, and his generosity to tzedakah.
He is survived by his siblings, nieces and nephews, and an extended family. His parents, Rabbi Hillel Levinson and Mrs. Esther Malka Levinson, OBM, predeceased him.
Shiva information to be announced.
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
CrownHeights.info9 days agoAharon and Rivka (nee Felberman) Simon from Dallas, TX had a baby boy!
CrownHeights.info9 days agoA new free Sukkos website has been built to put the practical side of the entire Yom Tov into one simple mobile resource, especially for use on mivtzoim.
It includes clear articles and explainers, a full Chabad Sukkos siddur, every major Sukkos brachah with Hebrew, transliteration and translation, worldwide zmanim, guides to the sukkah and Four Kinds, Hoshana Rabbah, Simchas Torah and more. The “Today” page changes with the day and shows what applies now. A hands-free lulav guide walks someone through the mitzvah step by step and counts the shakes automatically.
The site is available in seven languages. It also has a “Come to 770” page written for someone who met Chabad on the street, with directions and a live view of 770 when a broadcast is available.
Main site:
https://geulah.org/sukkot
Today:
https://geulah.org/sukkot/#/today
Come to 770:
https://geulah.org/sukkot/770/
CrownHeights.info9 days agoThousands of residents of Jerusalem and visitors from across the country gathered Monday night for the city’s central Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebration, a traditional event organized by Tzeirei Agudas Chabad of Jerusalem for more than 30 years.
This year’s celebration was held on an especially large and elaborate scale, with thousands of participants from across the spectrum of Jerusalem’s Jewish communities filling the Chabad House complex and dancing together in an atmosphere of pure, spirited and uplifting Chassidic joy.
The evening featured Chassidic singer Mendy Wiesel, accompanied by Chassidic keyboardist Elimelech Weisberg and his orchestra. Rabbi Aharon Sitbon moved the crowd with heartfelt and inspirational niggunim, while renowned cantor Rabbi David Zeitig performed a selection of special cantorial pieces traditionally sung at farbrengens by the Rebbe.
A particularly spectacular moment came during a performance by entertainer Daniel Elmalich, who thrilled the crowd with an impressive fire-torch display, recalling the blazing torches that illuminated Jerusalem during the Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebrations in the days of the Beis Hamikdash.
During the event, twelve children took the stage and recited the Twelve Pesukim and statements of Chazal, with the entire crowd joining along.
Rabbi Yaakov Halperin, a Chabad Shliach and representative to the Jerusalem Municipality, conveyed the blessings of the mayor and the Jerusalem Municipality to those attending the celebration. Rabbi Halperin, who supports the activities of Chabad Shluchim and institutions throughout Jerusalem year-round, offered his blessings to the crowd and the Shluchim on the occasion of the festive gathering.
The event was emceed by Rabbi Naftali Hakohen Roth, chairman of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad of Jerusalem, who has led and accompanied the annual celebration over the years. The organization and production were overseen by Rabbi Noam Roth, CEO of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad of Jerusalem, together with a dedicated team that worked for weeks to ensure the success of the celebration.
The festivities continued late into the night, with hours of dancing and celebration, concluding with a sense of spiritual uplift and the timeless words of Chazal: “Whoever has never seen the joy of Simchas Beis Hashoeva has never seen joy in his life.”
Photos: Dov Ber Hechtman
CrownHeights.info9 days agoFor its sixth year, the World’s Largest Sukkah Mobile returns to Manhattan, this year with four Jumbo Sukkahs, bringing Simchas Yom Tov to thousands.
Project Sukkah and Queens Yeshiva are partnering with Oholei Torah Mesivta, the Mechina and Mesivta of Lubavitcher Yeshiva, and Diamond District Chabad to bring the World’s Largest Sukkah Mobiles back to Manhattan for its sixth year. This year it is growing to four Jumbo Sukkahs.
All have seen the Sukkah mobile, the classic pickup truck with a Sukkah on the back, a common Sukkos sight on the streets of NYC and around the world, but have you seen the world’s largest?
The four Sukkahs were built in Crown Heights before Yom Tov. Construction is complete, and they are ready to hit the streets of Manhattan. Each one measures 26 feet long and offers 215+ square feet of space, so no one needs to squeeze to grab a bite or shake the Lulav.
From local residents and businessmen coming to shake the Lulav to Frum families on a Chol Hamoed trip, the Sukkah mobiles cater to Yidden of all backgrounds. Visitors can shake the Daled Minim, join a Minyan, enjoy some Mezonos, and make a Leishev BaSukkah, all while spreading the Rebbe’s message of Moshiach to all.
CrownHeights.info9 days agoby CrownHeights.info
Nassau County Executive and New York Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman is scheduled to visit Crown Heights Monday evening for a Sukkos visit hosted by the Crown Heights Republican Committee (CHRC), together with the Jewish community.
Blakeman, who has served as Nassau County Executive since 2022, is the Republican nominee for governor of New York. He formally accepted the Republican Party’s nomination earlier this year and is running against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in the November election.
The Crown Heights gathering is being billed as a “Sukkos Holiday Night Celebration” and will provide an opportunity for members of the local Jewish community to meet with the gubernatorial candidate during Chol Hamoed Sukkos.
The visit comes as Blakeman campaigns statewide ahead of the November 2026 election. The Nassau County executive has made appearances with Republican leaders and has centered his campaign on issues including taxes, affordability and public safety.
CrownHeights.info9 days agoby CrownHeights.info
Just days after Sunkist Fruit Gems were declared discontinued, fans of the iconic candy have received some very sweet news: Fruit Gems are coming back.
Sunkist announced Saturday that it has found a new family-owned candy manufacturer and is working to bring the beloved treats back to store shelves. The company said the revived product will retain the familiar flavor and quality, as well as its kosher certification.
“We hear you, Sunkist Fruit Gems fans!” the company wrote in an announcement. “The good news: Sunkist Fruit Gems are not going anywhere.”
The announcement comes just days after reports on the discontinuation of the candy, which for generations has been a staple at Jewish celebrations, including weddings, bar mitzvahs and aufrufs.
The Fruit Gems, known for their colorful fruit flavors and individually wrapped pieces, have become particularly associated with the Jewish community because they are kosher, easy to distribute and soft enough to be tossed without posing the same concerns as harder candies.
Following news of the discontinuation, consumers and Jewish communities across the country rushed to find remaining supplies, with reports indicating that the candy quickly sold out at major online retailers. The sudden demand helped fuel renewed attention surrounding the product.
Sunkist’s latest announcement now promises a different ending.
The company said it is “aiming to have them back on shelves very soon,” though no specific return date has yet been announced.
For the many children who grew up scrambling under shul benches to collect Fruit Gems after a simcha, it appears that the familiar candy won’t be disappearing after all.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sunkist (@sunkistcitrus)
CrownHeights.info10 days agoby Motti Wilhelm – chabad.org
Just hours before departing for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was offered a summary of a new book by a visiting delegation of Chabad rabbis to help him prepare.
“A summary? I’m going to read the entire book on the flight and return it to you full of marginalia and notes!” the prime minister replied.
The book is the newly published Oseh Shalom: Mishnato Hamidinit Shel HaRabbi MiLubavitch, a Hebrew-language adaptation of Make Peace: A Strategic Guide to Achieving Lasting Peace in Israel by Rabbi Elisha Pearl, which brings together the diplomatic and military principles articulated by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, outlining his framework for achieving lasting peace and security in the Land of Israel and the broader Middle East.
The Hebrew edition was recently released by Sela Meir, one of Israel’s largest nonfiction publishers. In the days following its publication, prominent Israeli officials and diplomats attended a series of launch events, expressing their enthusiasm for a comprehensive work that clearly presents the Rebbe’s confident and sage approach to the conflict.
Defense Minister Israel Katz reads through ‘Oseh Shalom’.
Over nearly two decades, the Rebbe laid out a comprehensive framework for understanding, addressing and resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
His teachings were delivered across numerous public talks, primarily in response to unfolding events, and his carefully developed framework was never organized as a systematic study of the subject.
Piecing it together required studying decades of his talks, placing each in its historical context and identifying the overarching principles that connected them. The Rebbe taught in Yiddish through the lens and idioms of the Torah, quoting liberally from original Torah sources. The original body of his teachings on the defense of the Holy Land is also massive: one incomplete compendium of his talks on the subject numbers close to 800 pages. As a result, distilling these teachings into a clear framework and articulating it for a broader audience was an immense undertaking.
The need for such a work had long been apparent. As the conflict evolved and new challenges emerged, so did the need to understand how the Rebbe’s principles applied to changing circumstances. Following the horrific October 7 massacre, that need became even more acute.
“What we heard from many in Israel was that before October 7, most people had firmly held opinions about how to resolve the conflict,” says Rabbi Shmuly Avtzon, director of Sichos in English, whose imprint, Yonah Press, published the English edition of the book. “Those events shook Jews in America and around the world, challenging not only their sense of security but also their political views and long-held assumptions. Many began searching for a genuine resolution, rather than simply accepting the familiar positions they had held until then.”
In the preceding years, there had been plans to collect and translate the Rebbe’s talks on the subject, but the project had progressed slowly. The day after Simchat Torah 2023, following the October 7 massacre, Pearl and Avtzon met and agreed that Pearl would devote himself entirely to the project.
The work began as a simple attempt to update older tracts on the subject but quickly evolved into something far more ambitious: a comprehensive study of the Rebbe’s strategic framework. Over the next nine months, Pearl devoted himself full-time to research and writing. In July 2024, Make Peace: A Strategic Guide to Achieving Lasting Peace in Israel was released.
Over the following two years, the book sold tens of thousands of copies, made its way to both the Republican and Democratic national conventions, and reached numerous governors and other American political figures. Through talks and presentations in communities, schools and on college campuses, Pearl brought the Rebbe’s decades-old, but freshly presented, vision to new audiences, from policymakers and the next generation of leaders to ordinary people seeking clarity on the conflict.
“One thing the book’s reception in the U.S. highlighted for me was just how little the average English speaker knows about the realities on the ground in Israel,” Pearl says. “I spoke with many American military experts who were unfamiliar with Israel’s topography, a critical factor when considering territorial concessions. Once they understood the geographic realities, they agreed that the concessions they had advocated were not in Israel’s interest.”
The next step was to bring the book to Israel, where the decisions at the heart of the conflict are made and their consequences most directly felt.
“We reasoned that despite the existence of several excellent works and collections of primary sources on the Rebbe’s views on Israel’s security, no work had been written that clearly outlined the Rebbe’s grand strategy in terms that would speak to every Israeli,” Pearl says.
“We wanted this book to be more than a work of theoretical or academic study. We wanted it to spark meaningful public discussion and present the Rebbe’s words for what they truly were: a practical military and diplomatic strategy offering concrete solutions to the challenges facing both individual Israelis and the country as a whole,” Avtzon says.
Defense Minister Israel Katz meets with Chabad rabbis during a pre-Sukkot visit.
After another two years of intensive work, including extensive research into how best to present the subject to Israeli readers, the Hebrew edition was released this month by Sela Meir, the publisher of some of Israel’s biggest recent bestsellers, including Eli Sharabi’s Hostage.
More than a translation of the English original, the Hebrew edition was adapted specifically for an Israeli audience, drawing on readers’ greater familiarity with the country’s history and the realities on the ground.
In the two weeks since its release in Israel, the book has received an enthusiastic reception and is now stocked by major bookstores across the country. A series of launch events drew government ministers, Knesset members, and leading scholars from military and public policy think tanks to explore and discuss the Rebbe’s strategy.
The book also reached the highest levels of the Israeli government during Chabad’s annual pre-Sukkot visits, when representatives of Chabad emissaries from across the country, joined by members of Israel’s Chabad rabbinic leadership, presented government officials with the Four Species ahead of the holiday. During this year’s visits, the book was presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz and it was during another such visit that the book was presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“While we wish the Israeli government and public had wholeheartedly embraced the Rebbe’s teachings when they were first delivered, we can at least do our part to bring his wisdom and practical outlook to them now,” Pearl says.
“Thanks to the English and Hebrew editions, we can confidently say that the Rebbe’s strategy is now being seriously considered at the highest levels of government and by Israelis from all walks of life, from high school students and newly enlisted soldiers serving in combat and intelligence units to the minister of defense.
“It is my sincere hope that Oseh Shalom will serve as a gateway to the Rebbe’s wisdom on achieving lasting peace in Israel at this critical juncture in the country’s history.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz receives a lulav and etrog from Rabbi Joseph Aharonov.
CrownHeights.info10 days agoCan women and girls participate in Mivtza Lulav if they do not own their own set of Esrog and Lulav?
It has become a common sight to see men and young Bochurim heading out on Mivtzoim, proudly carrying their sets of Daled Minim. There are various Sukkah Mobiles, and groups taking the subway to different locations throughout the city. As the sun begins to set, young men could often be seen emerging from the subway station in front of 770, clutching their Esrog and Lulav sets as they return from another day of Mivtzoim.
Today, as we draw ever closer to the revelation and coming of Moshiach, the spread of Yiddishkeit and Chassidus has reached new heights. In recent years, an increasing number of girls and young women have begun going out on Mivtza Lulav throughout the New York area. As a result, thousands of Jewish women and girls have had the privilege of making a bracha and shaking the Lulav during Sukkos, thanks to the dedicated girls and women who devote their Chol Hamoed to being Mezakeh fellow Yidden with this beautiful mitzvah.
Making all of this possible is the incredible dedication of The Mivtzoim Shop by Lubavitch Youth Organization. They provide Esrog and Lulav sets, along with all the necessary materials for girls, women and families who want to go on Mivtzoim!
You don’t need to own your own set. All you need to do is show up and be part of Mivtza Lulav!
The Girls’ Mivtza Lulav Center
Lulav and Esrog sets, Neshek, Sheva Mitzvos cards
Location: Levi Yitzchok Library, 305 Kingston Avenue
Conveniently located near 770 and the Kingston Ave. Subway station
Hours on Chol Hamoed
Monday–Thursday: 12:00 PM–5:00 PM
Friday: 11:30 AM–1:30 PM
Stop by during Chol Hamoed to borrow a set and pick up Mivtzoim materials!
Mivtzoim Bus for Girls & Young Women
In conjunction with Chabad of Sheepshead Bay
Visit Yidden in their homes and bring the Mivtza Lulav experience to their doorsteps!
Monday–Thursday
Meet at 3:30 PM
RSVP: https://forms.gle/TKKbqVB51Q7u8q5f8
For more information about any of the opportunities or to help sponsor a set for Mivtzoim, please message the Mivtzoim Shop at 845-393-1951
CrownHeights.info12 days agoA series of special Simchas Beis Hashoeva farbrengens will take place this Sukkos in Crown Heights, bringing together community members for evenings of inspiration, Chassidic stories and niggunim.
The farbrengens will be held nightly at 10:00 p.m. in the Rubashkin Sukkah, 1349 President Street, from Sunday through Wednesday.
The lineup includes:
Sunday: Rabbi Yossi Paltiel and Rabbi Shlomo Kaplan
Monday: Rabbi Shais Taub and Rabbi Shlomo Chariton
Tuesday: Rabbi Efrem Mintz and Rabbi Avrohom Mann
Wednesday: Rabbi Manis Friedman and Rabbi Kuti Feldman
The event is being organized in partnership with Irgun Torah, with the goal of adding to the joy and inspiration of Simchas Beis Hashoeva throughout the Yom Tov.
CrownHeights.info12 days agoYisroel and Chanie Mogilevsky from Crown Heights had a baby boy!
CrownHeights.info12 days agoCon Edison is mobilized to respond to any service problems caused by the powerful winds and rain of the approaching Nor’easter expected to hit the area beginning tonight.
The heavy rainfall, areas of saturated soil and wind gusts expected to reach 50 miles per hour can cause trees and branches to fall onto power lines and bring those lines down, causing customers to lose service and creating a safety hazard.
The company urges members of the public to stay safe. Stay away from downed wires. They may be live.
The company is activating over 300 outside workers to augment efforts.
Restoration Plan
The priority for restoration will be critical customer facilities that have an impact on the public, such as mass transit, hospitals, police and fire stations, and sewage and water-pumping stations.
Crews will then prioritize repairs that will provide power to the largest numbers of customers as quickly as possible, then move on to restore smaller groups and individual customers.
How to Report an Outage
Customers can sign up for text alerts at coned.com/text. Customers can also report outages and check service restoration status at conEd.com/reportoutage, with Con Edison’s mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-752-6633.
Customers who report outages will receive updates from Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available. Information on outages and restoration times is also available at the Con Edison outage map.
Text messages will be sent to customers in areas forecasted to be hardest hit by this storm.