For the past six Saturdays, Ari Sonneberg has held the hands of his two preschoolers as they walked a mile to their synagogue west of Boynton Beach.
His wife, Erin, stayed home with their 1-year-old, since the little one can't walk and Jewish law prevents her from carrying him on the Sabbath.
But today, the Sonnebergs feel a freedom they had almost forgotten: They can push all three kids in their strollers as they walk to temple because the Jewish community's new, expanded eruv, or symbolic wall, is up and running.
"We were impacted enormously by the closing," said Ari Sonneberg, 34, who moved west of Boynton Beach with the family almost three years ago from Boston. "My wife was stuck at home, and she loves to go to synagogue to pray and see friends. I almost had to bribe my two older children to walk with me."
The Boynton Beach-area eruv -- a series of boundaries that allow observant Jews to push strollers or carry objects on the Sabbath -- is functional after almost six weeks of disrepair. Jewish law prohibits the carrying of objects outside the home on the Sabbath.
The prohibition against carrying comes from the Torah and is also mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah: "Beware for your souls and carry no burden on the Sabbath day." Talmudic scholars explained the law to mean objects may not be carried between thoroughfares.
The eruv is considered an extension of each congregant's home, where families are permitted to carry things during their day of rest.
When the boundaries of the old eruv, which measured about 10 square miles, began to break on a regular basis a few months ago, Rabbi Sholom Ciment of Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Boynton said he consulted with fellow rabbis to create expanded boundaries that would allow even more Jews to walk unimpeded. They surveyed the area and examined every inch of the proposed perimeter to make sure they could maintain an unbroken boundary.
The perimeter must be inviolate for the length of the eruv; natural barriers such as canals and security walls make up most of it, with strings put up by the rabbis filling in the gaps. These strings often break during rainstorms or construction and are inspected each week to make sure they are undisturbed.
The new eruv measures 84 square miles, extending from Florida's Turnpike on the west to Interstate 95 on the east, and the Boynton Canal on the north to the L-30 Canal to the south.
Ciment said he is thrilled that the new eruv is larger, symbolizing, he believes, the expansion of the Boynton Beach area's Jewish community. A 2005 study showed the number of Jewish households in the area grew 63 percent from 1999 to 2005, to about 60,000, although Ciment says the number has since grown to more than 80,000.
About 175 families walk to the Boynton Chabad each weekend, Ciment said.
"It's like we have made one large home or one large tent that will ingather the whole Boynton area," Ciment said.
Showing posts with label Sholom Ciment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sholom Ciment. Show all posts
Monday, August 03, 2009
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Chabad-Lubavitch west of Boynton honors slain Jewish soldier
By Chrystian Tejedor
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 12, 2007
West Boynton
Beth Agami received another American flag Wednesday night during a memorial at the Chabad-Lubavitch of Boynton Beach in honor of her son, who died fighting in Iraq.
This one flew over the capitol in Tallahassee.
"Daniel would want us to continue supporting Jewish soldiers," Beth Agami said, periodically taking deep breaths. "Daniel was all about helping others on a large scale or on a small scale."
Wednesday night brought the arrival of the siyum, or the completion of the Torah. It was the perfect time for a second tribute for Pfc. Daniel Agami, 25, who was killed with four other soldiers when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee about four weeks ago, said Rabbi Sholom Ciment, director of the Chabad-Lubavitch, which is west of Boynton Beach.
"He is one of heroism, patriotism," Ciment said. "His mission as a soldier in Baghdad was to bring freedom to every soul that he possibly could. No doubt he completed his mission."
During the hour and a half long ceremony, friends who gathered to remember Daniel Agami were brought to tears.
David More of Boynton Beach cut short a vacation in Orlando to pay his respects.
"When I saw him come off the airplane wearing his uniform with his name on it, Agami, I was so proud," More said.
During a previous ceremony in Coral Springs, the Army posthumously bestowed Agami with the Purple Heart, Army commendation medal and the Bronze Star.
Agami enlisted in the Army two years ago and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany.
Because Agami was proud of being a Jew and because he taught fellow soldiers about his faith, friends on the battlefield affectionately came to call him "G.I. Jew."
The military even planned to have him appear on advertising material.
Agami was in Iraq for about a year and his unit was sent on raids to inspect bombs and other weapons.
In that short time, Ciment said Agami distinguished himself as a soldier, earning "no less than 15 medals, honors and awards from saving several soldiers' lives to classified acts."
Born in Ohio, Agami moved with family to South Florida at age 4. He attended the Hebrew Academy Community School in Margate and lived in various Broward cities, including Coconut Creek, Margate, Coral Springs and Parkland.
While on leave from his duties in Iraq, Agami spoke to the members of the Boynton Beach Chabad about his experiences during a Passover ceremony, Ciment said.
"He was an American patriot," said Haim Benzino, a longtime friend of Agami's father, Itzhak. "We had to pull stories out of him. He once shot a man who was coming at them with a grenade. He saved his whole unit probably from being killed."
Agami is survived by his parents, Itzhak and Beth, of Parkland, his sister, Shaina, 7, and brother Ilan, 23.
The family requests donations in Daniel Agami's memory be made to the Hebrew Academy Community School, 1500 N. State Road 7, Margate, FL 33063.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 12, 2007
West Boynton
Beth Agami received another American flag Wednesday night during a memorial at the Chabad-Lubavitch of Boynton Beach in honor of her son, who died fighting in Iraq.
This one flew over the capitol in Tallahassee.
"Daniel would want us to continue supporting Jewish soldiers," Beth Agami said, periodically taking deep breaths. "Daniel was all about helping others on a large scale or on a small scale."
Wednesday night brought the arrival of the siyum, or the completion of the Torah. It was the perfect time for a second tribute for Pfc. Daniel Agami, 25, who was killed with four other soldiers when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee about four weeks ago, said Rabbi Sholom Ciment, director of the Chabad-Lubavitch, which is west of Boynton Beach.
"He is one of heroism, patriotism," Ciment said. "His mission as a soldier in Baghdad was to bring freedom to every soul that he possibly could. No doubt he completed his mission."
During the hour and a half long ceremony, friends who gathered to remember Daniel Agami were brought to tears.
David More of Boynton Beach cut short a vacation in Orlando to pay his respects.
"When I saw him come off the airplane wearing his uniform with his name on it, Agami, I was so proud," More said.
During a previous ceremony in Coral Springs, the Army posthumously bestowed Agami with the Purple Heart, Army commendation medal and the Bronze Star.
Agami enlisted in the Army two years ago and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany.
Because Agami was proud of being a Jew and because he taught fellow soldiers about his faith, friends on the battlefield affectionately came to call him "G.I. Jew."
The military even planned to have him appear on advertising material.
Agami was in Iraq for about a year and his unit was sent on raids to inspect bombs and other weapons.
In that short time, Ciment said Agami distinguished himself as a soldier, earning "no less than 15 medals, honors and awards from saving several soldiers' lives to classified acts."
Born in Ohio, Agami moved with family to South Florida at age 4. He attended the Hebrew Academy Community School in Margate and lived in various Broward cities, including Coconut Creek, Margate, Coral Springs and Parkland.
While on leave from his duties in Iraq, Agami spoke to the members of the Boynton Beach Chabad about his experiences during a Passover ceremony, Ciment said.
"He was an American patriot," said Haim Benzino, a longtime friend of Agami's father, Itzhak. "We had to pull stories out of him. He once shot a man who was coming at them with a grenade. He saved his whole unit probably from being killed."
Agami is survived by his parents, Itzhak and Beth, of Parkland, his sister, Shaina, 7, and brother Ilan, 23.
The family requests donations in Daniel Agami's memory be made to the Hebrew Academy Community School, 1500 N. State Road 7, Margate, FL 33063.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Ritual bath opens at Chabad of Boynton Beach
By Joel Hood
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
February 5, 2007
Boynton Beach� Miles from the pomp and circumstance that surrounded the Super Bowl, a spiritual ritual of a different sort was renewed Sunday at the Chabad-Lubavitch of Greater Boynton.
Dozens of men and women, some in their teens, many more in their 70s and 80s, walked single file through a steel-rimed arch and into a private sanctuary steeped in thousands of years of tradition. The Chabad of Boynton Beach opened its long-awaited mikvah, or cleansing bath, with celebration and reflection Sunday, a watershed event illustrating the growth and prominence of the city's Jewish community, which tops 50,000. The day also underscored the resurgent popularity of the 3,000-year-old custom for younger Jewish women who might not strictly adhere to other Jewish holidays and rituals.
"It's not just about cleansing; it's a celebration of feminism," said Suzanne Goldberg, of Lake Worth. "It connects you to Jewish women throughout history."
While some men use mikvahs to prepare for the High Holy Days, the ritual bath is primarily used by women who cleanse themselves after menstruation. Women remove all their clothing, jewelry and makeup and immerse themselves completely in a pool that contains both tap water and rainwater. The ritual begins at nightfall on the seventh day after the completion of the menstrual cycle, thus allowing women to resume sexual relations with their husbands.
The purpose of the mikvah is both spiritual and physical renewal, said Rabbi Sholom Ciment of the Boynton Chabad. But many modern mikvahs, like the $500,000 one unveiled in Boynton, resemble day spas with ornate fixtures and polished tile. The Boynton mikvah has several hand-painted murals and sparkling granite floors. That's no accident, Ciment said, as synagogues try to connect with busy women juggling families and careers.
"It's meant for relaxation and reflection," said Boynton Beach resident Jaelle Kellman. "It's a blessing that hopefully will inspire a lot of younger women to be a part of it."
Since ancient times, the mikvah has served at the center of the Jewish faith and, often, literally at the center of the Jewish community. Before the recent revival, attendance in mikvahs had declined as lives got busier and the notion of a cleansing bath after menstruation was seen as outdated. The Boynton mikvah is the third in Palm Beach County, joining those Boca Raton and North Palm Beach, Ciment said.
"The immersion is the literal embrace of God," Ciment said. "It's the total embodiment of the thinking Jew's quest to find meaning."
Joel Hood can be reached at jhood@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6611.
Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
February 5, 2007
Boynton Beach� Miles from the pomp and circumstance that surrounded the Super Bowl, a spiritual ritual of a different sort was renewed Sunday at the Chabad-Lubavitch of Greater Boynton.
Dozens of men and women, some in their teens, many more in their 70s and 80s, walked single file through a steel-rimed arch and into a private sanctuary steeped in thousands of years of tradition. The Chabad of Boynton Beach opened its long-awaited mikvah, or cleansing bath, with celebration and reflection Sunday, a watershed event illustrating the growth and prominence of the city's Jewish community, which tops 50,000. The day also underscored the resurgent popularity of the 3,000-year-old custom for younger Jewish women who might not strictly adhere to other Jewish holidays and rituals.
"It's not just about cleansing; it's a celebration of feminism," said Suzanne Goldberg, of Lake Worth. "It connects you to Jewish women throughout history."
While some men use mikvahs to prepare for the High Holy Days, the ritual bath is primarily used by women who cleanse themselves after menstruation. Women remove all their clothing, jewelry and makeup and immerse themselves completely in a pool that contains both tap water and rainwater. The ritual begins at nightfall on the seventh day after the completion of the menstrual cycle, thus allowing women to resume sexual relations with their husbands.
The purpose of the mikvah is both spiritual and physical renewal, said Rabbi Sholom Ciment of the Boynton Chabad. But many modern mikvahs, like the $500,000 one unveiled in Boynton, resemble day spas with ornate fixtures and polished tile. The Boynton mikvah has several hand-painted murals and sparkling granite floors. That's no accident, Ciment said, as synagogues try to connect with busy women juggling families and careers.
"It's meant for relaxation and reflection," said Boynton Beach resident Jaelle Kellman. "It's a blessing that hopefully will inspire a lot of younger women to be a part of it."
Since ancient times, the mikvah has served at the center of the Jewish faith and, often, literally at the center of the Jewish community. Before the recent revival, attendance in mikvahs had declined as lives got busier and the notion of a cleansing bath after menstruation was seen as outdated. The Boynton mikvah is the third in Palm Beach County, joining those Boca Raton and North Palm Beach, Ciment said.
"The immersion is the literal embrace of God," Ciment said. "It's the total embodiment of the thinking Jew's quest to find meaning."
Joel Hood can be reached at jhood@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6611.
Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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