By Pam Pollan CORRESPONDENT
WESTBORO — Chabad of Westboro is part of an international Jewish outreach organization.
“We try to make Judaism accessible to everyone. We have a whole different idea about Judaism than your average temple. Sometimes temples are trying to gather funds, and money has to be given. We just want Jews to feel welcome and comfortable wherever they’re at, in a nonjudgmental atmosphere,” said Dvora Green, who, with her husband, Rabbi Michoel Green, started the Westboro Chabad six years ago. The group invites people to come and share a Jewish experience and get involved, she said.
“A lot of the Jews in the last generation have had a negative experience with Judaism or not much of an experience at all, or minimal Hebrew school experience, and what we find is people are kind of looking for something spiritually, and what’s kind of funny is many Jews don’t realize it’s in their own backyard,” she said. “We believe strongly in being proud of who we are and standing up for who we are,” she said.
The word Chabad is the acronym for three Hebrew words chachmah (wisdom), binah (understanding) and da’at (knowledge), which is key to the Chabad-Lubavitch philosophy, Mrs. Green said.
Unlike other Jewish congregations, Chabad does not charge for membership, she said.
“We pride ourselves in that we have friends in the area who come from different temples. With us, we just welcome everyone. We like to enhance the Jewish experience. We are all about unifying Jews, as opposed to segregating them (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, et cetera.) We tell people we are beyond affiliation,” she said.
The Chabad of Westboro offers Hebrew school for children and an abbreviated 45-minute lesson for parents, as well as adult education classes with a focus on pointing out the meaning behind some of the many things observed in the Torah, which the group accepts as their guidebook, a gift from and written by God, Mrs. Green said.
The organization’s Jewish Women’s Circle meets bi-monthly and gives women a chance to learn and try something new. Last month, during the Jewish month of Kislev, the theme of the month was illumination, with a latke (potato pancake) bar, discussion about the significance of Hanukkah and what light means, and even a home decorator who talked about illuminating the home, Mrs. Green said. On Jan. 26, the women met again, with “flower power” as the theme. The women celebrated the Jewish holiday Tu B’Shevat, which celebrates the trees and fruits from Israel.
Also, through the group, Jewish teens and children with special needs meet weekly. They learn how to give, help other special needs children make friends, and give the parents of special needs children a break, Mrs. Green said. Together, the kids share a craft, play a game or just hang out, she said.
“It’s Jewish kids helping each other,” Mrs. Green said.
“We believe strongly in being proud of who we are and standing up for who we are,” she said.
Each winter, the group sponsors community holiday celebrations, including lighting menorahs at the Westboro Rotary and on Shrewsbury Common. They also host a big Hanukkah celebration at the Solomon Pond Mall.
“That makes (Jewish) kids proud of who they are,” Mrs. Green said.
Saturday worship services are held at 54 South St. Once a month, the group holds a Friday night service, called Turn Friday Night Into Shabbat.
To learn more about Westboro Chabad, visit www.chabadwestboro.org and its Hebrew school at www.chabadhebrewschool.us, or e-mail Dvora Green at dvora@chabadwestboro.org, or call her at (508) 366-0499.
Showing posts with label public menorah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public menorah. Show all posts
Monday, February 09, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Wellesley-Weston Chabad celebrates Hannukah
Wellesley -
The faint sound of people singing drifted out over the hum of cars traveling on Route 9.
“I have a little dreidel,” the group of more than 30 people sang. “I made it out of clay.”
This past weekend marked the end of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. During each of the eight nights, candles are lit on a menorah and the traditional Hanukkah song “Dreidel, Dreidel” is commonly sung. In honor of the last night — Sunday, Dec. 28 — the Wellesley-Weston Chabad held its annual menorah lighting. It was dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.
“Tonight we vow to counter that senseless hate with unconditional love,” Rabbi Moshe Y. Bleich said after the entire menorah was lit. “The flame of the menorah flickering in the darkness of the cold and the night symbolizes Hanukkah’s bold message to never give up and the knowledge that in the end, light is stronger than darkness and goodwill will prevail over evil.”
In late November, more than 170 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Two of the victims were Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., who went to Mumbai to manage the Jewish outreach center there. Bleich lamented their loss.
“Their open hearts and generous acts of love and kindness are the exact antithesis to the hate-filled terrorists,” Bleich said. “They dedicated their short lives to lovingly tend to the needs of others. In life, as in their tragic death, they brought unity among Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations.”
The menorah lighting, however, was also about happiness and joy in lighting the candles. Standing in the yard in front of the Chabad house, the group of people gathered to watch as the menorah was prepped. The huge menorah, which is easily seen from Route 9, required at least two people to help light it: one person to light the candle; a second to screw the candle into the menorah.
Eight different members of the community were called up to light a wick. Daniel Sidman, 9, was called up to light what is known as the “shamas,” the first candle lit. His father, Alan Sidman, said it was a “total surprise to all” of them that Daniel was asked to light the first candle.
Standing nearby was Norm and Amy Gorin of Seaver Street. The couple said they are active members in Temple Beth Elohim and came to the lighting to support Bleich and his family.
“We come every year,” Norm Gorin said. “We came to celebrate the last night of Hanukkah and also the memorial service for the Chabad members who were lost in Mumbai.”
After the menorah was lit, guests were invited into the Chabad house for potato pancakes, doughnuts and a more traditional menorah lighting with prayers. Selwyn Wies of Brookline brought his whole family to the menorah lighting.
“I just think it’s very symbolic to have a menorah sitting out here on Route 9,” he said. It’s just demonstrating the freedom of religion concept in this country.”
The faint sound of people singing drifted out over the hum of cars traveling on Route 9.
“I have a little dreidel,” the group of more than 30 people sang. “I made it out of clay.”
This past weekend marked the end of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. During each of the eight nights, candles are lit on a menorah and the traditional Hanukkah song “Dreidel, Dreidel” is commonly sung. In honor of the last night — Sunday, Dec. 28 — the Wellesley-Weston Chabad held its annual menorah lighting. It was dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.
“Tonight we vow to counter that senseless hate with unconditional love,” Rabbi Moshe Y. Bleich said after the entire menorah was lit. “The flame of the menorah flickering in the darkness of the cold and the night symbolizes Hanukkah’s bold message to never give up and the knowledge that in the end, light is stronger than darkness and goodwill will prevail over evil.”
In late November, more than 170 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Two of the victims were Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., who went to Mumbai to manage the Jewish outreach center there. Bleich lamented their loss.
“Their open hearts and generous acts of love and kindness are the exact antithesis to the hate-filled terrorists,” Bleich said. “They dedicated their short lives to lovingly tend to the needs of others. In life, as in their tragic death, they brought unity among Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations.”
The menorah lighting, however, was also about happiness and joy in lighting the candles. Standing in the yard in front of the Chabad house, the group of people gathered to watch as the menorah was prepped. The huge menorah, which is easily seen from Route 9, required at least two people to help light it: one person to light the candle; a second to screw the candle into the menorah.
Eight different members of the community were called up to light a wick. Daniel Sidman, 9, was called up to light what is known as the “shamas,” the first candle lit. His father, Alan Sidman, said it was a “total surprise to all” of them that Daniel was asked to light the first candle.
Standing nearby was Norm and Amy Gorin of Seaver Street. The couple said they are active members in Temple Beth Elohim and came to the lighting to support Bleich and his family.
“We come every year,” Norm Gorin said. “We came to celebrate the last night of Hanukkah and also the memorial service for the Chabad members who were lost in Mumbai.”
After the menorah was lit, guests were invited into the Chabad house for potato pancakes, doughnuts and a more traditional menorah lighting with prayers. Selwyn Wies of Brookline brought his whole family to the menorah lighting.
“I just think it’s very symbolic to have a menorah sitting out here on Route 9,” he said. It’s just demonstrating the freedom of religion concept in this country.”
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Harvard Chabad Menorah Vandalized
A large menorah set up by the Chabad House at Harvard in Cambridge Common was found brutally vandalized Friday morning—the culminating act in a week of damage inflicted on Chabad's religious display in the Common.
"The entire menorah was basically destroyed. One of the arms was broken off. Six of the bulbs had been destroyed," said Joel B. Pollak, a student at the Harvard Law School. "When I looked more closely, I saw the electrical wires had been cut." Pollak said he discovered the damage while walking by the park on Friday just past noon. He wrote about the incident on his blog later that day.
The menorah was part of a Hanukkah display erected in the Common by The Chabad House at Harvard, a Jewish community organization. The defacement was particularly cutting during the week of celebration for the Jewish community, said HLS Professor Alan M. Dershowitz, one of the faculty advisers to The Chabad House.
"[Hanukkah is] a festival of bringing people together," he said. "Clearly this has all the appearance of a hate crime."
Dershowitz said he believed the attack on a menorah was an attack on Judaism, not related political philosophies such as Zionism.
"This menorah is purely a religious symbol," he said. "It's just a plain-out anti-Semitic act."
The incident, identified as a case of "malicious destruction" by the Cambridge Police Department's public crime log, was the most dramatic event in a serious of attacks on The Chabad House's holiday display in the Common.
According to Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the director of The Chabad House, "Happy Hanukkah" signs placed near the menorah appeared torn on Wednesday and Thursday. He said he originally dismissed these subtle signs of damage, believing them to be accidental, not malicious.
"For a couple of days throughout the holiday, we saw the sign on the menorah was ripped. We said, 'Let's hope it was the weather.'" But he said the demolition of the menorah proved that the damage was indeed intentional.
The CPD's crime log reports damage on the Cambridge Common's Hanukkah display between Dec. 18 and Dec. 26. There have been no arrests made, and the Police Department declined to comment on the incidents.
Zarchi said the display will not be repaired this year, as the Hanukkah celebration ends Monday. But he said that Harvard Chabad still plans to put up a menorah again next year.
"We will not be deterred by this act," he said. "We will continue this beautiful traditional of bringing light and warmth and illumination."
He did say, however, that next year he plans to have the Cambridge police provide security for the new menorah.
"The entire menorah was basically destroyed. One of the arms was broken off. Six of the bulbs had been destroyed," said Joel B. Pollak, a student at the Harvard Law School. "When I looked more closely, I saw the electrical wires had been cut." Pollak said he discovered the damage while walking by the park on Friday just past noon. He wrote about the incident on his blog later that day.
The menorah was part of a Hanukkah display erected in the Common by The Chabad House at Harvard, a Jewish community organization. The defacement was particularly cutting during the week of celebration for the Jewish community, said HLS Professor Alan M. Dershowitz, one of the faculty advisers to The Chabad House.
"[Hanukkah is] a festival of bringing people together," he said. "Clearly this has all the appearance of a hate crime."
Dershowitz said he believed the attack on a menorah was an attack on Judaism, not related political philosophies such as Zionism.
"This menorah is purely a religious symbol," he said. "It's just a plain-out anti-Semitic act."
The incident, identified as a case of "malicious destruction" by the Cambridge Police Department's public crime log, was the most dramatic event in a serious of attacks on The Chabad House's holiday display in the Common.
According to Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the director of The Chabad House, "Happy Hanukkah" signs placed near the menorah appeared torn on Wednesday and Thursday. He said he originally dismissed these subtle signs of damage, believing them to be accidental, not malicious.
"For a couple of days throughout the holiday, we saw the sign on the menorah was ripped. We said, 'Let's hope it was the weather.'" But he said the demolition of the menorah proved that the damage was indeed intentional.
The CPD's crime log reports damage on the Cambridge Common's Hanukkah display between Dec. 18 and Dec. 26. There have been no arrests made, and the Police Department declined to comment on the incidents.
Zarchi said the display will not be repaired this year, as the Hanukkah celebration ends Monday. But he said that Harvard Chabad still plans to put up a menorah again next year.
"We will not be deterred by this act," he said. "We will continue this beautiful traditional of bringing light and warmth and illumination."
He did say, however, that next year he plans to have the Cambridge police provide security for the new menorah.
Lights for joy and freedom
People celebrate Hanukkah, watch lighting of menorah candles at Esther Short Park
By Craig Brown
Columbian staff writer
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of the Lights, began a week ago today. But with a foot of snow in Esther Short Park, the annual community Hanukkah celebration had to be canceled.
So that’s why on Sunday evening, when the crowd finally gathered, Rabbi Shmulik Greenberg lit all of the candles in the menorah. “Finally the weather let us do it,” Greenberg said shortly before the rescheduled event, which drew about 60 people to a pleasantly dry, snow-free Propstra Square.
With Hanukkah ending tonight, there is still plenty of time to light the menorah and say the blessings, said Greenberg.
Hanukkah commemorates events that occurred 2,000 years ago. But the context of those events — freedom of worship, and freedom from terror — resonates in today’s world, noted Greenberg and Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, who also spoke.
Even as we celebrate the holidays, we must not forget the dangers and evil in the world, the mayor said, and we must act to protect our freedoms and liberties.
Parallel between then, now
Greenberg drew a parallel between the ancient conflict that sparked Hanukkah and last month’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Authorities there have blamed the attacks on Islamic fundamentalists.
“India became more and more a part of the Western world, a place where there is freedom of religion,” Greenberg said. That spawned a violent response from those who regard such freedoms as evil. Among other targets, the terrorists attacked Nariman House, Mumbai headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. Sunday’s event was sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of Clark County.
The menorah lighting took about 20 minutes. After Greenberg and Pollard spoke briefly, state Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, was asked to light the center candle. “God is the same today as he was yesterday,” Zarelli said.
From left to right, the rabbi then lit the other eight candles — actually, in this case, the sort of torches people use on their patios in the summer — one for each day of the celebration.
A group of a dozen or so children sang a traditional song, hesitant at first as their tongues tripped over the foreign words. As they switched to a song with more familiar English lyrics, they warmed to their task.
Then the group adjourned to the nearby Hilton Vancouver Washington for a party featuring latkes (potato pancakes) and a “Grand Dreidel Tournament,” a game played with a four-sided spinning top.
By Craig Brown
Columbian staff writer
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of the Lights, began a week ago today. But with a foot of snow in Esther Short Park, the annual community Hanukkah celebration had to be canceled.
So that’s why on Sunday evening, when the crowd finally gathered, Rabbi Shmulik Greenberg lit all of the candles in the menorah. “Finally the weather let us do it,” Greenberg said shortly before the rescheduled event, which drew about 60 people to a pleasantly dry, snow-free Propstra Square.
With Hanukkah ending tonight, there is still plenty of time to light the menorah and say the blessings, said Greenberg.
Hanukkah commemorates events that occurred 2,000 years ago. But the context of those events — freedom of worship, and freedom from terror — resonates in today’s world, noted Greenberg and Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, who also spoke.
Even as we celebrate the holidays, we must not forget the dangers and evil in the world, the mayor said, and we must act to protect our freedoms and liberties.
Parallel between then, now
Greenberg drew a parallel between the ancient conflict that sparked Hanukkah and last month’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Authorities there have blamed the attacks on Islamic fundamentalists.
“India became more and more a part of the Western world, a place where there is freedom of religion,” Greenberg said. That spawned a violent response from those who regard such freedoms as evil. Among other targets, the terrorists attacked Nariman House, Mumbai headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. Sunday’s event was sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of Clark County.
The menorah lighting took about 20 minutes. After Greenberg and Pollard spoke briefly, state Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, was asked to light the center candle. “God is the same today as he was yesterday,” Zarelli said.
From left to right, the rabbi then lit the other eight candles — actually, in this case, the sort of torches people use on their patios in the summer — one for each day of the celebration.
A group of a dozen or so children sang a traditional song, hesitant at first as their tongues tripped over the foreign words. As they switched to a song with more familiar English lyrics, they warmed to their task.
Then the group adjourned to the nearby Hilton Vancouver Washington for a party featuring latkes (potato pancakes) and a “Grand Dreidel Tournament,” a game played with a four-sided spinning top.
Hanukkah service dedicated to Mumbai victims
Hanukkah drew to a close yesterday and a final lighting of the menorah was held Sunday evening at Kukui Grove Shopping Center in commemoration of the lives lost at the Mumbai Chabad house 30 days ago.
“The terrorists came with guns, grenades and missiles, and the only thing we could come back with is to respond with kindness, love and light,” Rabbi Shmulik Schneerson said before lighting the giant island-style candelabra which stood before the mall’s center stage.
Alan and Claudia Jaffe of Long Island, N.Y., along with their family members, were a part of those who gathered Sunday to remember the lives tragically lost during the terrorist attacks in India.
When asked how they felt about the current crisis occurring in the Gaza Strip, Alan Jaffe said, “It’s troubling and we’re not quite sure what to make of it.”
The tragedy in Mumbai and the ongoing violence in Gaza are just recent examples of a long history of strife involving the Jewish people. The faith has often encountered attack, and the celebration of Hanukkah is one that honors the triumph of their religion over the Seleucids almost 2,500 years ago.
The tyrant emperor, Antiochus Epiphanes dramatically tried to suppress Jewish customs and a small band of Jewish rebels, the Maccabees, rose up against his mighty army and were victorious.
Following the rededication of the Jewish Holy Temple, the story goes that there was only enough oil to light the candle for one day, but, instead it miraculously burned for eight. Thus, the reason for celebrating eight days of Hanukkah.
“If you could put the meaning of Hanukkah into two words, it would mean ‘increasing light,’” Schneerson said. “The story happened many years ago but is just as relevant today.”
Rabbi Michoel Goldman, who organized the event, said the evening was special because it was not only the last night of Hanukkah, but it was a memorial service as well.
“When people open their eyes and their hearts, they will see we all deserve to live in peace,” said Ahmos Netanel of Anahola.
Four of the candles were dedicated in memory of his father, Yehosua Netanel.
Schneerson and Goldman are currently working on establishing a Chabad house on Kaua‘i.
“It’s a place where everybody can walk in and feel Jewish and connect to their roots no matter what their religious affiliations are, if any at all,” said Schneerson when describing what the purpose of a Chabad house is.
Schneerson, an insurance agent in Los Angeles, travels to Hawai‘i to help participate in Jewish festivities and is the seventh generation of Jews who established the concept of public menorah lighting and Chabad houses.
For more information, visit www.jewishkauai.org
“The terrorists came with guns, grenades and missiles, and the only thing we could come back with is to respond with kindness, love and light,” Rabbi Shmulik Schneerson said before lighting the giant island-style candelabra which stood before the mall’s center stage.
Alan and Claudia Jaffe of Long Island, N.Y., along with their family members, were a part of those who gathered Sunday to remember the lives tragically lost during the terrorist attacks in India.
When asked how they felt about the current crisis occurring in the Gaza Strip, Alan Jaffe said, “It’s troubling and we’re not quite sure what to make of it.”
The tragedy in Mumbai and the ongoing violence in Gaza are just recent examples of a long history of strife involving the Jewish people. The faith has often encountered attack, and the celebration of Hanukkah is one that honors the triumph of their religion over the Seleucids almost 2,500 years ago.
The tyrant emperor, Antiochus Epiphanes dramatically tried to suppress Jewish customs and a small band of Jewish rebels, the Maccabees, rose up against his mighty army and were victorious.
Following the rededication of the Jewish Holy Temple, the story goes that there was only enough oil to light the candle for one day, but, instead it miraculously burned for eight. Thus, the reason for celebrating eight days of Hanukkah.
“If you could put the meaning of Hanukkah into two words, it would mean ‘increasing light,’” Schneerson said. “The story happened many years ago but is just as relevant today.”
Rabbi Michoel Goldman, who organized the event, said the evening was special because it was not only the last night of Hanukkah, but it was a memorial service as well.
“When people open their eyes and their hearts, they will see we all deserve to live in peace,” said Ahmos Netanel of Anahola.
Four of the candles were dedicated in memory of his father, Yehosua Netanel.
Schneerson and Goldman are currently working on establishing a Chabad house on Kaua‘i.
“It’s a place where everybody can walk in and feel Jewish and connect to their roots no matter what their religious affiliations are, if any at all,” said Schneerson when describing what the purpose of a Chabad house is.
Schneerson, an insurance agent in Los Angeles, travels to Hawai‘i to help participate in Jewish festivities and is the seventh generation of Jews who established the concept of public menorah lighting and Chabad houses.
For more information, visit www.jewishkauai.org
Chanukah typo
The big sign on the big National Chanukah Menorah, right near the National Christmas Tree just south of the White House, includes a misspelling of the name of the late rabbi to whom the menorah is dedicated.
It should be Menachem M. Schneerson, not Menachem M. Scheerson, as shown above.
A spokeswoman for the American Friends of Lubavitch, which sponsors the national menorah, said she was unaware of the error and did not know how it happened.
It should be Menachem M. Schneerson, not Menachem M. Scheerson, as shown above.
A spokeswoman for the American Friends of Lubavitch, which sponsors the national menorah, said she was unaware of the error and did not know how it happened.
Hanukkah celebrated
Rabbi Mendy Zwiebel of Chabad of Chico replaces a light bulb with a candle as he prepares a giant menorah for lighting Sunday at the Chico Mall. The rabbi led a public Hanukkah celebration there on the last night of the eight-day Jewish festival of lights. On Tuesday evening, Zwiebel also led a Hanukkah celebration at City Plaza. And on Dec. 21, the first night of the holiday, Congregation Beth Israel hosted a party at ARC of Butte County. Another Jewish group, Chico Havurah, had a party as well.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Yes, thank G-d, they can
Hanukkah ended last night, and I hope our Jewish readers and friends passed a good one. On Jeffrey Goldberg's blog I found this pretty great Chabad Lubavitch video. Seems to me to be a sentiment that Jews and all friends of the Jewish people, and of Israel, should keep in their hearts and in their prayers these difficult days:
Because Israel exists, and because America exists, there will always be at least two places in the world in which Jews can light the menorah in freedom.
Because Israel exists, and because America exists, there will always be at least two places in the world in which Jews can light the menorah in freedom.
Friday, December 26, 2008
8th Day Chanukah Finale to Honor 2 Slain in Chabad Mumbai at the 9/11 'Twin Tower' Memorial in East Meadow
G-d Bless America. Happy New Year! Program Includes Special Blessings for America During These Tough Times
MarketWire
MINEOLA, NY - On Monday Dec 29th at 12:30 pm, the last day of Chanukah, all 8 Chanukah candles will be lit in a special ceremony to be held at the Nassau County's own 9/11 memorial in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow NY.
"We chose this significant location," explained Rabbi Anchelle Perl, director of Chabad in Mineola, "to link the 9/11 in the USA with the 9/11 in India."
In both events we have terrorists who spent long hours, days, months, resources and strategy to fulfill a mission of hate, destruction, chaos and murder.
But in contrast to this, all 8 candles of the Menorah will highlight the illuminating life of the couple [Rabbi Gavriel & Gabe Holtzberg, the Chabad emissaries murdered in Mumbai India] who devoted their life on a mission to help others by establishing a center which served as a home to inspire those who need inspiration, give warm meals to those who are hungry and create a place where people can feel comfortable connecting to their Jewish Heritage.
"To stand together at this hallowed location surrounded by the memory of the 344 Nassau County residents who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 will be inspirational and uplifting," said Rabbi Perl. "The Holtzberg couple will always remain shining examples of 'twin towers' of strength and kindness."
For we are letting the world know that we will not be deterred by acts of terror, we will move forward and increase in acts of goodness and kindness which will bring light to the world.
What is true of the individual is true of a nation, especially this great United States, united under G-d. All of us share the duty and privilege of this great Nation to promote all the forces of light both at home and abroad.
The program will include special remarks from the Holtzberg family and will feature an eye witness report of the Menorah lightings in Mumbai this week. At the end of the celebration, donated toys will be distributed to the guests, who will be encouraged to give them to needy children to uplift their spirits during the holidays.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=896902
Contact Person: Rabbi Anchelle Perl For directions and more information: 516-739-3636
MarketWire
MINEOLA, NY - On Monday Dec 29th at 12:30 pm, the last day of Chanukah, all 8 Chanukah candles will be lit in a special ceremony to be held at the Nassau County's own 9/11 memorial in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow NY.
"We chose this significant location," explained Rabbi Anchelle Perl, director of Chabad in Mineola, "to link the 9/11 in the USA with the 9/11 in India."
In both events we have terrorists who spent long hours, days, months, resources and strategy to fulfill a mission of hate, destruction, chaos and murder.
But in contrast to this, all 8 candles of the Menorah will highlight the illuminating life of the couple [Rabbi Gavriel & Gabe Holtzberg, the Chabad emissaries murdered in Mumbai India] who devoted their life on a mission to help others by establishing a center which served as a home to inspire those who need inspiration, give warm meals to those who are hungry and create a place where people can feel comfortable connecting to their Jewish Heritage.
"To stand together at this hallowed location surrounded by the memory of the 344 Nassau County residents who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 will be inspirational and uplifting," said Rabbi Perl. "The Holtzberg couple will always remain shining examples of 'twin towers' of strength and kindness."
For we are letting the world know that we will not be deterred by acts of terror, we will move forward and increase in acts of goodness and kindness which will bring light to the world.
What is true of the individual is true of a nation, especially this great United States, united under G-d. All of us share the duty and privilege of this great Nation to promote all the forces of light both at home and abroad.
The program will include special remarks from the Holtzberg family and will feature an eye witness report of the Menorah lightings in Mumbai this week. At the end of the celebration, donated toys will be distributed to the guests, who will be encouraged to give them to needy children to uplift their spirits during the holidays.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=896902
Contact Person: Rabbi Anchelle Perl For directions and more information: 516-739-3636
Chabad centre to stay
MUMBAI: Four weeks after the terror attack on Nariman House in which Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka and seven others were murdered by gunmen, emissaries of the Chabad Lubavitch movement arrived here to reaffirm their commitment to continuing their work in the city.
At a ceremony at the Gateway of India Rabbi Kotlarsky who is Vice Chairman of the International Conference of Chabad Lubavitch Emissaries said, “We are committed to coming back actually, we are not leaving. We are here and we are not leaving.”
With these words he invited Rabbi Rosenberg, the father of Rivka, to light the menorah. Seated in a manually operated crane, the Rabbi lit five of the oil lamps on the towering 15-foot high menorah. The number signified the fifth day of the Jewish festival, Chanukah.
At an earlier ceremony Rabbi Holtzberg, the father of Rabbi Gavriel, had lit a similar menorah installed at the Chabad centre at Nariman House.
Rabbi Kotlarsky described the Chabad centre as a “beacon of light to the whole world. It has been physically destroyed but the spirit lives on and the activities of Gavriel and Rivka will continue. We will not fight terrorism with AK-47s, grenades or guns. We will fight with beacons of light and goodness.” The Rabbi said it was too early to tell if the centre would continue to operate from Nariman house or elsewhere.
Speaking of the spirit of Chanukah the Rabbi said it was the victory of “few over many, weak over strong.” Chanukah, the festival of lights, spans eight days. On the fourth day of Chanukah two-year-old Moshe, the orphaned child of the Holtzbergs, lit a menorah at his maternal grandparents’ home in Afula, Israel. It had been a tradition with his parents to light a menorah during Chanukah at the Gateway of India ever since they came to Mumbai.
At a ceremony at the Gateway of India Rabbi Kotlarsky who is Vice Chairman of the International Conference of Chabad Lubavitch Emissaries said, “We are committed to coming back actually, we are not leaving. We are here and we are not leaving.”
With these words he invited Rabbi Rosenberg, the father of Rivka, to light the menorah. Seated in a manually operated crane, the Rabbi lit five of the oil lamps on the towering 15-foot high menorah. The number signified the fifth day of the Jewish festival, Chanukah.
At an earlier ceremony Rabbi Holtzberg, the father of Rabbi Gavriel, had lit a similar menorah installed at the Chabad centre at Nariman House.
Rabbi Kotlarsky described the Chabad centre as a “beacon of light to the whole world. It has been physically destroyed but the spirit lives on and the activities of Gavriel and Rivka will continue. We will not fight terrorism with AK-47s, grenades or guns. We will fight with beacons of light and goodness.” The Rabbi said it was too early to tell if the centre would continue to operate from Nariman house or elsewhere.
Speaking of the spirit of Chanukah the Rabbi said it was the victory of “few over many, weak over strong.” Chanukah, the festival of lights, spans eight days. On the fourth day of Chanukah two-year-old Moshe, the orphaned child of the Holtzbergs, lit a menorah at his maternal grandparents’ home in Afula, Israel. It had been a tradition with his parents to light a menorah during Chanukah at the Gateway of India ever since they came to Mumbai.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Pan-European Chanukah Celebration
Fuelled by doughnuts and latkes aplenty, more than 500 revellers of all ages gathered in the heart of Brussels last Sunday for an historic Chanukah candle lighting celebration billed as the first pan-European event of its kind.
Specially-arranged buses brought community members from Germany and Holland while many more descended on the city from West and East of the continent for the European Council of Jewish Communities event, held in Rond-Point Schuman just metres from the EU Commission building.
The gathering, for which the European Union gave the green light, was held under the banner Am Israel Chai.
"I'm absolutely overwhelmed," UK-based ECJC president Jonathan Joseph told the Jewish News after Rabbi Gershon Mendel Garelik of Milan ascended a giant chanukiah to kindle the first light. "To stand here literally in the shadow of the EU building with so many people, Jews of all ages and all backgrounds from many of the countries in Europe, I don't mind saying I was moved beyond words. I hope this will be the beginning of an annual Chanukah celebration in Brussels and will continue forever."
Saying that European Jewry had not so far engaged enough with the European Union, he expressed hope that "EU leaders will see that we are now seriously intending to engage actively. This is just a first step in bringing forward to the EU our Civil Society programmes".
Amid scenes reminiscent of dancing at a Jewish wedding and as traditional songs including Adon Olam and Moshiach reverberated around the area, one of the party-goers Michael Zar, 32, said: "It shows unity of the Jewish people. Many people don't know each other but our Jewish identity unifies us, we celebrate the same music".
Among those attending from London was Maqsood Ahmed, senior advisor on Muslim communities at the Department of Communities and Local Government, who described the gathering as "a real festival". He added: "I think we need to be celebrating the light of all faiths and all cultures including Chanukah."
The public event - which was followed by a V.I.P reception at the residence of Israeli Ambassador to the EU Ran Curiel - was held in partnership with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, World Congress of Russian Jewry and the Ukrainian Jewish Congress and supported locally by the European Jewish Community Centre and Chabad.
Specially-arranged buses brought community members from Germany and Holland while many more descended on the city from West and East of the continent for the European Council of Jewish Communities event, held in Rond-Point Schuman just metres from the EU Commission building.
The gathering, for which the European Union gave the green light, was held under the banner Am Israel Chai.
"I'm absolutely overwhelmed," UK-based ECJC president Jonathan Joseph told the Jewish News after Rabbi Gershon Mendel Garelik of Milan ascended a giant chanukiah to kindle the first light. "To stand here literally in the shadow of the EU building with so many people, Jews of all ages and all backgrounds from many of the countries in Europe, I don't mind saying I was moved beyond words. I hope this will be the beginning of an annual Chanukah celebration in Brussels and will continue forever."
Saying that European Jewry had not so far engaged enough with the European Union, he expressed hope that "EU leaders will see that we are now seriously intending to engage actively. This is just a first step in bringing forward to the EU our Civil Society programmes".
Amid scenes reminiscent of dancing at a Jewish wedding and as traditional songs including Adon Olam and Moshiach reverberated around the area, one of the party-goers Michael Zar, 32, said: "It shows unity of the Jewish people. Many people don't know each other but our Jewish identity unifies us, we celebrate the same music".
Among those attending from London was Maqsood Ahmed, senior advisor on Muslim communities at the Department of Communities and Local Government, who described the gathering as "a real festival". He added: "I think we need to be celebrating the light of all faiths and all cultures including Chanukah."
The public event - which was followed by a V.I.P reception at the residence of Israeli Ambassador to the EU Ran Curiel - was held in partnership with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, World Congress of Russian Jewry and the Ukrainian Jewish Congress and supported locally by the European Jewish Community Centre and Chabad.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
In Mumbai's shadow, Chabad cast in new light on Hanukkah
By Janet I. Tu
Seattle Times staff reporter
To many in this area, the Chabad Lubavitch movement may have been best known — if at all — for the large menorah displays it sponsors each year in public places such as Westlake Park and the state Capitol.
But this year, after terrorists targeted the Chabad center in Mumbai, India, and killed a rabbi and his wife, e-mails of condolence have poured into Chabad centers, including those in Washington state.
Strangers at grocery stores have stopped to express sorrow and offer their respects, said Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin, regional director of the Chabad movement in the Pacific Northwest. "We've had a tremendous outpouring from the Jewish community and beyond."
The Mumbai attacks, along with the annual menorah displays — including lightings today at Westlake Park and the Capitol to coincide with this evening's start of Hanukkah — have put a spotlight on Chabad.
The at-times controversial movement has remained relatively unknown despite its dramatic growth in the past decade and its extensive worldwide outreach.
Chabad Lubavitch is a branch within Orthodox Judaism's Hasidic movement, which emphasizes devotion in prayer and joyous celebration of God in everyday activities.
The word "Chabad" comes from an acronym of the Hebrew words for wisdom, comprehension and knowledge, while the name "Lubavitch" comes from the Russian town where the group's founders were based.
The black fedoras and long beards worn by Lubavitch men come in part from the customary dress of that place and time, and in part from commandments in the Torah.
The Chabad Lubavitch organization, which has its worldwide headquarters in Brooklyn, reaches out to nonpracticing Jews. It believes God wants people to make themselves and the world more holy by doing acts of kindness and other good deeds, called mitzvot.
Lubavitchers see themselves as mentoring Jews, deepening their faith and practice, and guiding them to "their innate soul," which can be revealed by performing mitzvot, Levitin said. Also, they believe that each time a Jew performs such a deed, it brings closer the arrival of the Messiah.
As part of its outreach, the organization sponsors thousands of menorah displays worldwide. Chabad leaders say the displays are symbols of religious tolerance over oppression, and that many who have seen them have been touched. But it's also a practice that's been regarded as controversial by many Jews — even before it led to various "War on Christmas" brouhahas, including in 2006 when a Chabad rabbi requested a giant menorah be put up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Instead, Port officials took down the Port's Christmas trees, prompting a national furor.
"We strongly believe in the separation of church and state," said Rabbi Anson Laytner, executive director of the Greater Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. "Most Jewish organizations see what Chabad is doing as being a blurring of that line to the detriment of all of us: Jews, Christians, atheists, everyone."
Another point of contention between Chabad and other Jewish groups is that some Lubavitchers regard the former head of the movement, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, as the Messiah. That's not a position the movement itself teaches, Levitin said.
What the movement does emphasize is re-engaging unaffiliated Jews all over the world. It has about 4,000 "emissary" families — typically a rabbi, his wife and their family — in 73 countries, including Serbia, South Korea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Passover seders have been held in places from Nepal to Peru.
On average, four new couples set out to somewhere around the globe, and more than two Chabad institutions are established, each week, according to the organization.
In Mumbai, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, offered services such as classes on Judaism, Shabbat services and kosher meals.
Chabad leaders, through their Web site www.chabad.org, are encouraging people to perform mitzvot in the Holtzbergs' honor. Thousands of people have pledged to do everything from saying a prayer to studying the Torah.
In addition, about $1 million has come in to help raise the Holtzbergs' children and to help rebuild Chabad of Mumbai. And about 10 Lubavitch couples have already applied to go to Mumbai to continue the Holtzbergs' work.
In Washington state, where there are 16 Chabad rabbis and a presence in various counties, the organization held a memorial the weekend after the attacks.
At the public menorah lightings this week, the rabbis will say a few words about the Holtzbergs.
And "we've rededicated our work in their memory," Levitin said. "Chabad all over the world has recommitted itself to do more and more goodness and kindness."
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Seattle Times staff reporter
To many in this area, the Chabad Lubavitch movement may have been best known — if at all — for the large menorah displays it sponsors each year in public places such as Westlake Park and the state Capitol.
But this year, after terrorists targeted the Chabad center in Mumbai, India, and killed a rabbi and his wife, e-mails of condolence have poured into Chabad centers, including those in Washington state.
Strangers at grocery stores have stopped to express sorrow and offer their respects, said Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin, regional director of the Chabad movement in the Pacific Northwest. "We've had a tremendous outpouring from the Jewish community and beyond."
The Mumbai attacks, along with the annual menorah displays — including lightings today at Westlake Park and the Capitol to coincide with this evening's start of Hanukkah — have put a spotlight on Chabad.
The at-times controversial movement has remained relatively unknown despite its dramatic growth in the past decade and its extensive worldwide outreach.
Chabad Lubavitch is a branch within Orthodox Judaism's Hasidic movement, which emphasizes devotion in prayer and joyous celebration of God in everyday activities.
The word "Chabad" comes from an acronym of the Hebrew words for wisdom, comprehension and knowledge, while the name "Lubavitch" comes from the Russian town where the group's founders were based.
The black fedoras and long beards worn by Lubavitch men come in part from the customary dress of that place and time, and in part from commandments in the Torah.
The Chabad Lubavitch organization, which has its worldwide headquarters in Brooklyn, reaches out to nonpracticing Jews. It believes God wants people to make themselves and the world more holy by doing acts of kindness and other good deeds, called mitzvot.
Lubavitchers see themselves as mentoring Jews, deepening their faith and practice, and guiding them to "their innate soul," which can be revealed by performing mitzvot, Levitin said. Also, they believe that each time a Jew performs such a deed, it brings closer the arrival of the Messiah.
As part of its outreach, the organization sponsors thousands of menorah displays worldwide. Chabad leaders say the displays are symbols of religious tolerance over oppression, and that many who have seen them have been touched. But it's also a practice that's been regarded as controversial by many Jews — even before it led to various "War on Christmas" brouhahas, including in 2006 when a Chabad rabbi requested a giant menorah be put up at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Instead, Port officials took down the Port's Christmas trees, prompting a national furor.
"We strongly believe in the separation of church and state," said Rabbi Anson Laytner, executive director of the Greater Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. "Most Jewish organizations see what Chabad is doing as being a blurring of that line to the detriment of all of us: Jews, Christians, atheists, everyone."
Another point of contention between Chabad and other Jewish groups is that some Lubavitchers regard the former head of the movement, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, as the Messiah. That's not a position the movement itself teaches, Levitin said.
What the movement does emphasize is re-engaging unaffiliated Jews all over the world. It has about 4,000 "emissary" families — typically a rabbi, his wife and their family — in 73 countries, including Serbia, South Korea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Passover seders have been held in places from Nepal to Peru.
On average, four new couples set out to somewhere around the globe, and more than two Chabad institutions are established, each week, according to the organization.
In Mumbai, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, offered services such as classes on Judaism, Shabbat services and kosher meals.
Chabad leaders, through their Web site www.chabad.org, are encouraging people to perform mitzvot in the Holtzbergs' honor. Thousands of people have pledged to do everything from saying a prayer to studying the Torah.
In addition, about $1 million has come in to help raise the Holtzbergs' children and to help rebuild Chabad of Mumbai. And about 10 Lubavitch couples have already applied to go to Mumbai to continue the Holtzbergs' work.
In Washington state, where there are 16 Chabad rabbis and a presence in various counties, the organization held a memorial the weekend after the attacks.
At the public menorah lightings this week, the rabbis will say a few words about the Holtzbergs.
And "we've rededicated our work in their memory," Levitin said. "Chabad all over the world has recommitted itself to do more and more goodness and kindness."
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Hanukkah ceremony may rekindle spiritual fire
"Every drop is a blessing, according to tradition," said Langer. "May you be drenched by rain."
Reframing common events, even rain in darkness, in religious terms is at the essence of Langer's work: trying to bring secular Jews into greater religious practice. Though Chabad Lubavitchers like him occupy a tiny piece of the Jewish diaspora, they have had a pronounced effect on defining Hanukkah in the American public sphere.
And, in many ways, the story of that impact can be told through the menorah in Union Square.
The Bay Area's most public and frenzied shopping mecca is a peculiar place for lighting a menorah, a sacred eight-night event normally reserved for the intimacy of a home. But for Langer, who sees most Jews as having fallen far from true observance, that's the point. He and other Chabadniks, as they are known, are bringing Judaism out to the world - wherever it may be. There are Chabad Houses around the world, including Mumbai, where the rabbi and his wife were killed in the recent terrorist attacks.
At Hanukkah, Langer said, "the marketplace is where Jews are at."
The organizers are among the strictest followers of Jewish law. Langer told the audience that lighting a menorah at night is a metaphor for how simple acts of kindness add light to a dark world. Those acts multiplied, he said, will prompt the resurrection of the messiah, who will unite all Jews and lead them to Israel while also bringing everlasting peace to the world.
The event at Union Square offers a rare glimpse into the breadth of contemporary Jewish identity, particularly its margins.
On Sunday, there were young couples making out in the rain while others danced to the Hasidic rock band, Isaiah and the Prophets, who hail from the center of the Chabad universe, the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn. Several attendees said the Union Square menorah lighting is the only religious event they'd attend all year.
"I worship the universe," said Nissim Lanyadoo, 59, who was born in Baghdad and moved to Israel and Montreal before settling in Tiburon. He doesn't attend synagogue at all - "it's a long story," he said - but he's been coming to the Union Square menorah lighting for years.
He said of the people gathered, dancing, playing with dreidels and eating latkes: "It's the way it's supposed to be: a joyous occasion."
David Moudgil grew up in a house where his father was Hindu and his mother was Jewish, but the parents didn't want to impose any one religious view. The San Pablo resident is raising his two daughters with the Catholic faith of his wife, but he still wants his children to have some connection to their Jewish roots.
"I just want my kids to learn more and expose them to more so they have more choices as they grow up," said Moudgil, 42.
That many have a peripheral connection to Jewish faith is, for Langer, emblematic of a larger dilemma. A poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that only 16 percent of Jews attend synagogue on a weekly basis.
But Langer said the contrast between his observance and many in the audience doesn't make the public menorah lighting any less important.
"You may never light a menorah again, but for that moment, you're totally immersed in an internal relationship with your maker," he said.
Now in its 34th year, the Union Square menorah lighting was a key to making Hanukkah a well-known holiday, despite its relatively minor role in Judaism. In 1975, Langer, two other Chabad rabbis and rock promoter Bill Graham held the first lighting of a large menorah in Union Square.
It was a concept the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the head of the denomination, saw as an opportunity, given how popular Christmas was in America, said Sue Fishkoff, an Oakland resident and author of the 2003 book, "The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch."
There are now hundreds upon hundreds of menorah lightings across the world, including ones in synagogues not run by Chabadniks. But the Chabad tradition has not been without controversy.
As rain poured on Union Square on Sunday night, Rabbi Yosef Langer called upon those gathered for the lighting of a giant menorah to imagine the cold downpour within the context of Jewish theology.
In 1986, several Jewish organizations and the American Civil Liberties Union sued Chabad and the city of Pittsburgh over that city's public menorah. Jews have often been at the forefront of church-state battles, given their history of being victimized by state-sanctioned religion.
In what has become a landmark case, the court ruled in 1989 in favor of Chabad, saying the menorah was an expression of free speech.
But at the lighting ceremonies, which continue through the week, several see it as an important stand for religious freedom.
Eric Perez, 49, of San Mateo, a rare synagogue attender, says the event protects his religious identity by allowing his faith "to be seen."
E-mail Matthai Kuruvila at mkuruvila@sfchronicle.com
Reframing common events, even rain in darkness, in religious terms is at the essence of Langer's work: trying to bring secular Jews into greater religious practice. Though Chabad Lubavitchers like him occupy a tiny piece of the Jewish diaspora, they have had a pronounced effect on defining Hanukkah in the American public sphere.
And, in many ways, the story of that impact can be told through the menorah in Union Square.
The Bay Area's most public and frenzied shopping mecca is a peculiar place for lighting a menorah, a sacred eight-night event normally reserved for the intimacy of a home. But for Langer, who sees most Jews as having fallen far from true observance, that's the point. He and other Chabadniks, as they are known, are bringing Judaism out to the world - wherever it may be. There are Chabad Houses around the world, including Mumbai, where the rabbi and his wife were killed in the recent terrorist attacks.
At Hanukkah, Langer said, "the marketplace is where Jews are at."
The organizers are among the strictest followers of Jewish law. Langer told the audience that lighting a menorah at night is a metaphor for how simple acts of kindness add light to a dark world. Those acts multiplied, he said, will prompt the resurrection of the messiah, who will unite all Jews and lead them to Israel while also bringing everlasting peace to the world.
The event at Union Square offers a rare glimpse into the breadth of contemporary Jewish identity, particularly its margins.
On Sunday, there were young couples making out in the rain while others danced to the Hasidic rock band, Isaiah and the Prophets, who hail from the center of the Chabad universe, the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn. Several attendees said the Union Square menorah lighting is the only religious event they'd attend all year.
"I worship the universe," said Nissim Lanyadoo, 59, who was born in Baghdad and moved to Israel and Montreal before settling in Tiburon. He doesn't attend synagogue at all - "it's a long story," he said - but he's been coming to the Union Square menorah lighting for years.
He said of the people gathered, dancing, playing with dreidels and eating latkes: "It's the way it's supposed to be: a joyous occasion."
David Moudgil grew up in a house where his father was Hindu and his mother was Jewish, but the parents didn't want to impose any one religious view. The San Pablo resident is raising his two daughters with the Catholic faith of his wife, but he still wants his children to have some connection to their Jewish roots.
"I just want my kids to learn more and expose them to more so they have more choices as they grow up," said Moudgil, 42.
That many have a peripheral connection to Jewish faith is, for Langer, emblematic of a larger dilemma. A poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that only 16 percent of Jews attend synagogue on a weekly basis.
But Langer said the contrast between his observance and many in the audience doesn't make the public menorah lighting any less important.
"You may never light a menorah again, but for that moment, you're totally immersed in an internal relationship with your maker," he said.
Now in its 34th year, the Union Square menorah lighting was a key to making Hanukkah a well-known holiday, despite its relatively minor role in Judaism. In 1975, Langer, two other Chabad rabbis and rock promoter Bill Graham held the first lighting of a large menorah in Union Square.
It was a concept the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the head of the denomination, saw as an opportunity, given how popular Christmas was in America, said Sue Fishkoff, an Oakland resident and author of the 2003 book, "The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch."
There are now hundreds upon hundreds of menorah lightings across the world, including ones in synagogues not run by Chabadniks. But the Chabad tradition has not been without controversy.
As rain poured on Union Square on Sunday night, Rabbi Yosef Langer called upon those gathered for the lighting of a giant menorah to imagine the cold downpour within the context of Jewish theology.
In 1986, several Jewish organizations and the American Civil Liberties Union sued Chabad and the city of Pittsburgh over that city's public menorah. Jews have often been at the forefront of church-state battles, given their history of being victimized by state-sanctioned religion.
In what has become a landmark case, the court ruled in 1989 in favor of Chabad, saying the menorah was an expression of free speech.
But at the lighting ceremonies, which continue through the week, several see it as an important stand for religious freedom.
Eric Perez, 49, of San Mateo, a rare synagogue attender, says the event protects his religious identity by allowing his faith "to be seen."
E-mail Matthai Kuruvila at mkuruvila@sfchronicle.com
Monday, December 22, 2008
Solon: Sandy Seiger lights Chabad Center's menorah every year
Every year at Chanukah time, the Chabad Center of Solon puts up a 15-foot-tall menorah on its Harper Road property.
On the first night of Chanukah, during a holiday celebration, the Chabad center sends members up in a cherry picker to light the menorah's first two candles.
However, on every other night, just one Chabad member, Sandy Seiger, lights the menorah's candles -- and he doesn't have a cherry picker to make it easy.
"He does a fabulous job, no matter how cold the weather," said Miriam Greenberg, wife of Chabad center Rabbi Zushe Greenberg.
For more on this story, see the Dec. 18 Solon Sun.
On the first night of Chanukah, during a holiday celebration, the Chabad center sends members up in a cherry picker to light the menorah's first two candles.
However, on every other night, just one Chabad member, Sandy Seiger, lights the menorah's candles -- and he doesn't have a cherry picker to make it easy.
"He does a fabulous job, no matter how cold the weather," said Miriam Greenberg, wife of Chabad center Rabbi Zushe Greenberg.
For more on this story, see the Dec. 18 Solon Sun.
Chocolate menorah for Hanukkah
PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A group of Hasidic Jews in Palo Alto, Calif., planned to celebrate Hanukkah this year with a 6-foot, chocolate-coated menorah.
"We've already made a menorah out of ice and Legos. Why not chocolate?" said Mushky Baumgarten of Chabad of Greater South Bay, who melted 25 bags of kosher chocolate chips to coat the menorah.
The chocolate menorah was to be lit in front of Palo Alto City Hall as one of several Hanukkah-themed activities -- including bowling and ice skating -- sponsored by Chabad groups in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos, Cupertino and Palo Alto, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News reported.
Chabad, an international outreach group of Hasidic Jews, has more than 3,700 centers worldwide. The eight days of Hanukkah celebrates the victory of Judah and the Maccabees over invaders who defiled the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,100 years ago.
"We've already made a menorah out of ice and Legos. Why not chocolate?" said Mushky Baumgarten of Chabad of Greater South Bay, who melted 25 bags of kosher chocolate chips to coat the menorah.
The chocolate menorah was to be lit in front of Palo Alto City Hall as one of several Hanukkah-themed activities -- including bowling and ice skating -- sponsored by Chabad groups in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos, Cupertino and Palo Alto, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News reported.
Chabad, an international outreach group of Hasidic Jews, has more than 3,700 centers worldwide. The eight days of Hanukkah celebrates the victory of Judah and the Maccabees over invaders who defiled the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,100 years ago.
Slain rabbi's father to lead NYC Hanukkah ceremony
NEW YORK (AP) — The father of the rabbi who was killed along with his wife in the Mumbai terror attacks will lead a Hanukkah ceremony at the Statue of Liberty.
Rabbi Nachman Holtzberg will be joined by leaders of national Jewish organizations at the menorah lighting ceremony Tuesday, the third night of Hanukkah.
Holtzberg's son, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, and his wife, Rivka, were among scores killed last month in a rampage by suspected Islamic militants. The couple ran a Chabad Lubavitch center in the Indian city of Mumbai.
The Tuesday ceremony is part of a nationwide "Unite the Lights" campaign to mourn the victims of the Mumbai attack while promoting acts of kindness.
Nachman Holtzberg and his wife, Frida, attended a memorial ceremony for their son and daughter-in-law on Sunday in West Hempstead. Holtzberg called on the 200 mourners to help strengthen the Jewish presence in Mumbai by building a bigger Chabad center there.
"You don't need to fight against darkness," he said. "A little light spreads."
Tuesday's menorah-lighting ceremony will take place at 5:15 p.m. at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.
Rabbi Nachman Holtzberg will be joined by leaders of national Jewish organizations at the menorah lighting ceremony Tuesday, the third night of Hanukkah.
Holtzberg's son, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, and his wife, Rivka, were among scores killed last month in a rampage by suspected Islamic militants. The couple ran a Chabad Lubavitch center in the Indian city of Mumbai.
The Tuesday ceremony is part of a nationwide "Unite the Lights" campaign to mourn the victims of the Mumbai attack while promoting acts of kindness.
Nachman Holtzberg and his wife, Frida, attended a memorial ceremony for their son and daughter-in-law on Sunday in West Hempstead. Holtzberg called on the 200 mourners to help strengthen the Jewish presence in Mumbai by building a bigger Chabad center there.
"You don't need to fight against darkness," he said. "A little light spreads."
Tuesday's menorah-lighting ceremony will take place at 5:15 p.m. at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.
On Hanukkah's First Night, A Chilling Tale
When he checked out of the Taj Mahal hotel at 3 a.m. on Nov. 26, Greg Morris had no inkling of the terror that would unfold just a few hours later in Mumbai, India.
Some of the terrorists - who went on a three-day rampage of killing that led to more than 170 deaths around Mumbai - had already checked into the hotel when Morris, a South African resident and cousin of local businessmen Mark and Len Wolman, left to take a flight home. He had been in India for two weeks on business for his company, Discovery Insurance.
”It was very much like 9/11,” he said. “This was a terrible attack on our world, against a functioning democracy that subscribes to all our beliefs.”
Morris is visiting the Wolmans this week, and attended the annual lighting of a large menorah on the first day of Hanukkah at the Holiday Inn in New London.
The wind played tricks during the ceremony, but finally Rabbi Avrohom Sternberg of Chabad of Eastern Connecticut was able to light the 15-foot-tall, 2,500-pound symbol of the Jewish holiday season.
The ceremony, said Rabbi Sternberg, was dedicated to the people who died in the attacks -- including six Jews, most prominently Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah Holtzberg, the directors of the Mumbai Jewish center called Chabad-Lubavitch.
”Everything that comes with a difficulty comes with a strong purpose,” said Rabbi Sternberg during the lighting ceremony. “It is cold outside tonight and it is dark ... yet this light will persevere and it will brighten up the darkness.”
Morris pointed out that India traditionally has been among the most hospitable places in the world for Jews and that the attacks haven't led to a mass migration of them out of the country. In fact, Morris said he plans to check into the Taj Mahal hotel -- which reopened Sunday -- the next time he's in Mumbai and that his family has been considering a move to India's financial capital.
Morris said he wouldn't want to give the terrorists the satisfaction of thinking they had changed anyone's mind about wanting to live or work in Mumbai.
”They have the worst traffic in the world, but Indians are incredibly nice people,” he said.
Morris knew Rabbi Holtzberg and spoke highly of his efforts to help Jews in India. But he said it is important to remember that, although Jews were apparently targeted, scores of other people from all walks of life died in the coordinated attack, which targeted 10 sites and lasted about 60 hours.
”More Muslims died in the attack than Jews,” Morris said.
Some of the terrorists - who went on a three-day rampage of killing that led to more than 170 deaths around Mumbai - had already checked into the hotel when Morris, a South African resident and cousin of local businessmen Mark and Len Wolman, left to take a flight home. He had been in India for two weeks on business for his company, Discovery Insurance.
”It was very much like 9/11,” he said. “This was a terrible attack on our world, against a functioning democracy that subscribes to all our beliefs.”
Morris is visiting the Wolmans this week, and attended the annual lighting of a large menorah on the first day of Hanukkah at the Holiday Inn in New London.
The wind played tricks during the ceremony, but finally Rabbi Avrohom Sternberg of Chabad of Eastern Connecticut was able to light the 15-foot-tall, 2,500-pound symbol of the Jewish holiday season.
The ceremony, said Rabbi Sternberg, was dedicated to the people who died in the attacks -- including six Jews, most prominently Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah Holtzberg, the directors of the Mumbai Jewish center called Chabad-Lubavitch.
”Everything that comes with a difficulty comes with a strong purpose,” said Rabbi Sternberg during the lighting ceremony. “It is cold outside tonight and it is dark ... yet this light will persevere and it will brighten up the darkness.”
Morris pointed out that India traditionally has been among the most hospitable places in the world for Jews and that the attacks haven't led to a mass migration of them out of the country. In fact, Morris said he plans to check into the Taj Mahal hotel -- which reopened Sunday -- the next time he's in Mumbai and that his family has been considering a move to India's financial capital.
Morris said he wouldn't want to give the terrorists the satisfaction of thinking they had changed anyone's mind about wanting to live or work in Mumbai.
”They have the worst traffic in the world, but Indians are incredibly nice people,” he said.
Morris knew Rabbi Holtzberg and spoke highly of his efforts to help Jews in India. But he said it is important to remember that, although Jews were apparently targeted, scores of other people from all walks of life died in the coordinated attack, which targeted 10 sites and lasted about 60 hours.
”More Muslims died in the attack than Jews,” Morris said.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Children help build balloon menorah
DURHAM - Mayor Bill Bell teetered for just a moment, braced himself and took one more step up the ladder.
It's not easy to light a menorah that stands more than 8 feet tall and is made of balloons.
This menorah -- 600 small, round blue and white balloons affixed to an aluminum frame -- was the main visual attraction of a Sunday afternoon Hanukkah party at the Lerner Jewish Community Day School.
Bell, the guest of honor, lit a candle atop the menorah and said a few words. But the children in attendance weren't wowed by prominent local politician; not when there were latkes and doughnuts to eat, stories to listen to and that giant menorah to help build.
"Each year we try to have an innovative way to make the holidays something the kids can connect to," said Zalmen Bluming, the rabbi at Chabad of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, the local unit of a national Jewish outreach organization. Chabad held Sunday's party as a way to connect with local Jewish families.
The menorah "makes it so real for children," said Bluming's wife, Yehudis. It makes it so animated. It makes religion fun."
For many of the youngsters, the fun came in fishing small clusters of the balloons out of a bag and affixing them to the menorah frame, thus playing a part in its creation.
The event was symbolic. Hanukkah doesn't begin until Sunday.
In opening the event, the rabbi referenced President-elect Barack Obama, calling him an inspiration and symbol of hope to all minority groups. He borrowed from one of Obama's oft-used slogans to describe the importance of Hanukkah and of lighting the menorah -- the symbolic creation of light.
"If we place our faith in God," he said, "Yes, we can overcome our obstacles."
Shana Starobin struggled at first to find a Jewish community of her own three years ago when she moved to Durham from Washington, D.C. But the Duke graduate student joined the local Chabad group and was taken by its inviting, low-pressure environment. Looking at the room full of playing children Sunday, she said the oversize balloon menorah perfectly symbolized Chabad's philosophy.
"Chabad is known for having pride in Jewish life," she said. "We don't tuck our menorahs away. The giant menorah, while funny, is a reminder that we have a symbol during times of darkness."
eric.ferreri@newsobserver.com or 919-932-2008.
It's not easy to light a menorah that stands more than 8 feet tall and is made of balloons.
This menorah -- 600 small, round blue and white balloons affixed to an aluminum frame -- was the main visual attraction of a Sunday afternoon Hanukkah party at the Lerner Jewish Community Day School.
Bell, the guest of honor, lit a candle atop the menorah and said a few words. But the children in attendance weren't wowed by prominent local politician; not when there were latkes and doughnuts to eat, stories to listen to and that giant menorah to help build.
"Each year we try to have an innovative way to make the holidays something the kids can connect to," said Zalmen Bluming, the rabbi at Chabad of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, the local unit of a national Jewish outreach organization. Chabad held Sunday's party as a way to connect with local Jewish families.
The menorah "makes it so real for children," said Bluming's wife, Yehudis. It makes it so animated. It makes religion fun."
For many of the youngsters, the fun came in fishing small clusters of the balloons out of a bag and affixing them to the menorah frame, thus playing a part in its creation.
The event was symbolic. Hanukkah doesn't begin until Sunday.
In opening the event, the rabbi referenced President-elect Barack Obama, calling him an inspiration and symbol of hope to all minority groups. He borrowed from one of Obama's oft-used slogans to describe the importance of Hanukkah and of lighting the menorah -- the symbolic creation of light.
"If we place our faith in God," he said, "Yes, we can overcome our obstacles."
Shana Starobin struggled at first to find a Jewish community of her own three years ago when she moved to Durham from Washington, D.C. But the Duke graduate student joined the local Chabad group and was taken by its inviting, low-pressure environment. Looking at the room full of playing children Sunday, she said the oversize balloon menorah perfectly symbolized Chabad's philosophy.
"Chabad is known for having pride in Jewish life," she said. "We don't tuck our menorahs away. The giant menorah, while funny, is a reminder that we have a symbol during times of darkness."
eric.ferreri@newsobserver.com or 919-932-2008.
Menorah's lighting carries on legendary music man's legacy
Legendary concert promoter Bill Graham made his mark in the Bay Area by establishing several of The City’s benchmark music venues — including the Fillmore and Warfield — while maintaining nearly as high a profile as the acts he filled them with.
A legacy of Graham’s that endures today, however, started from an act of goodwill in which he was uncharacteristically camera shy.
In 1975, Graham, who as a young child was a refugee from Nazi Germany, approached several well-known Jewish religious leaders and inquired about the possibility of staging a public lighting of the menorah, a Jewish symbol that marks the eight holy days of Hanukkah.
Among those Jewish leaders was Rabbi Yosef Langer, then a man in his 20s who leapt at the idea of bringing the menorah to the masses.
With Graham’s financial backing, Langer and others were able to erect and light a 22-foot-tall menorah in Union Square — the first public display of its kind outside Israel.
“Bill was looking for something to take the spirit of Judaism out to the marketplace,” Langer said. “We organized everything because he didn’t want to be very open with his Jewishness. But without him, none of this would have been possible.”
Although Graham, who died in a helicopter crash in 1991, rarely made any formal public appearances at the lighting ceremonies, he always made an effort to slip in and check things out, Langer said.
“I remember one year where I didn’t see Bill,” Langer said. “It was cold, raining, and after a while it was just me, the seagulls and the homeless. Then, he showed up at the very end and gave me a smile. It was very important to him.”
With Graham gone, Langer is now the chief organizer of the event, which is funded by private donors and draws thousands of people each year. Even though the flamboyant music aficionado is gone, Graham’s spirit lives on with each year that the menorah is lit, Langer said.
“He was a very unique individual,” said Langer. “He believed in the universal symbol of the menorah. It’s the message that a little light pushes out the darkness.”
— Will Reisman
Rabbi Yosef Langer
Age: 62
Birthplace: Oakland
Residence: Richmond district
Education: San Jose State, Hadar Torah/Rabbinical Seminary
Family: Wife, two sons, three daughters
Favorite books: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Discourses
Favorite type of music: Jewish hip-hop, reggae
Favorite sports team: San Francisco Giants
Hobbies: Golf
Favorite thing about the Bay Area: The openness of the people
What he wants to be remembered for: “To fulfill the purpose for why I was sent here by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, while leading my service to the people with my heart.”
Role model and inspiration: The Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
If you go
What: Annual lighting of the menorah
When: 3 p.m. Dec. 21
Where: Union Square
Entertainment: Isaiah and the Prophets, a Hasidic Jewish hip-hop group
Expected attendance: 3,500-4,000
1 Comments
A legacy of Graham’s that endures today, however, started from an act of goodwill in which he was uncharacteristically camera shy.
In 1975, Graham, who as a young child was a refugee from Nazi Germany, approached several well-known Jewish religious leaders and inquired about the possibility of staging a public lighting of the menorah, a Jewish symbol that marks the eight holy days of Hanukkah.
Among those Jewish leaders was Rabbi Yosef Langer, then a man in his 20s who leapt at the idea of bringing the menorah to the masses.
With Graham’s financial backing, Langer and others were able to erect and light a 22-foot-tall menorah in Union Square — the first public display of its kind outside Israel.
“Bill was looking for something to take the spirit of Judaism out to the marketplace,” Langer said. “We organized everything because he didn’t want to be very open with his Jewishness. But without him, none of this would have been possible.”
Although Graham, who died in a helicopter crash in 1991, rarely made any formal public appearances at the lighting ceremonies, he always made an effort to slip in and check things out, Langer said.
“I remember one year where I didn’t see Bill,” Langer said. “It was cold, raining, and after a while it was just me, the seagulls and the homeless. Then, he showed up at the very end and gave me a smile. It was very important to him.”
With Graham gone, Langer is now the chief organizer of the event, which is funded by private donors and draws thousands of people each year. Even though the flamboyant music aficionado is gone, Graham’s spirit lives on with each year that the menorah is lit, Langer said.
“He was a very unique individual,” said Langer. “He believed in the universal symbol of the menorah. It’s the message that a little light pushes out the darkness.”
— Will Reisman
Rabbi Yosef Langer
Age: 62
Birthplace: Oakland
Residence: Richmond district
Education: San Jose State, Hadar Torah/Rabbinical Seminary
Family: Wife, two sons, three daughters
Favorite books: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Discourses
Favorite type of music: Jewish hip-hop, reggae
Favorite sports team: San Francisco Giants
Hobbies: Golf
Favorite thing about the Bay Area: The openness of the people
What he wants to be remembered for: “To fulfill the purpose for why I was sent here by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, while leading my service to the people with my heart.”
Role model and inspiration: The Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
If you go
What: Annual lighting of the menorah
When: 3 p.m. Dec. 21
Where: Union Square
Entertainment: Isaiah and the Prophets, a Hasidic Jewish hip-hop group
Expected attendance: 3,500-4,000
1 Comments
Rally Rabbi Brings The High, Hard Chabad To Giants Fans
Great story in the San Francisco Examiner Sunday on bearded, motorcycle-riding holy man Yosef Langer, better known to San Francisco Giants fans as the Rally Rabbi.
My favorite Jewish Orthodox baseball fan will be presiding over the annual lighting of the menorah on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Union Square in San Francisco, if you'd like to stop by and see if he has any plans to intercede this season on behalf of that mensch, Barry Zito.
Langer's been a fixture in the Bay Area since he founded a Chabad house of teaching in Berkeley in 1975. He began bringing the word of God to sports fans at Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Giants games just recently. Craig Solomon, a ticket sales executive with the Giants, first met him in 2005 after a trip to Israel.
In 2006, the two met up again, this time after Solomon suggested that Langer blow the shofar — a ram’s horn that is used as a signaling trumpet in the Jewish religion — behind home plate during the third inning of the Giants’ annual Jewish Heritage Night at AT&T Park.
Langer agreed to the premise and blew the horn to such immense fan appreciation that three innings later he was out behind home plate again. The Giants lost that night, but club officials deemed Langer the “Rally Rabbi” — and soon thereafter issued their own special rabbi bobblehead doll giveaway at the park.
He's the only rabbi I know who wears a Giants logo on his hat and an orange Star of David. He is also often followed by Rabbi Yehuda Ferris, who is lead singer of the Ferris Wheels, shown here performing outside of AT&T Park. Be sure to watch the the end, to see the Yidd’n dance.
That's Sunday at Union Sqaure. Be there or be a nebbish.
My favorite Jewish Orthodox baseball fan will be presiding over the annual lighting of the menorah on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Union Square in San Francisco, if you'd like to stop by and see if he has any plans to intercede this season on behalf of that mensch, Barry Zito.
Langer's been a fixture in the Bay Area since he founded a Chabad house of teaching in Berkeley in 1975. He began bringing the word of God to sports fans at Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Giants games just recently. Craig Solomon, a ticket sales executive with the Giants, first met him in 2005 after a trip to Israel.
In 2006, the two met up again, this time after Solomon suggested that Langer blow the shofar — a ram’s horn that is used as a signaling trumpet in the Jewish religion — behind home plate during the third inning of the Giants’ annual Jewish Heritage Night at AT&T Park.
Langer agreed to the premise and blew the horn to such immense fan appreciation that three innings later he was out behind home plate again. The Giants lost that night, but club officials deemed Langer the “Rally Rabbi” — and soon thereafter issued their own special rabbi bobblehead doll giveaway at the park.
He's the only rabbi I know who wears a Giants logo on his hat and an orange Star of David. He is also often followed by Rabbi Yehuda Ferris, who is lead singer of the Ferris Wheels, shown here performing outside of AT&T Park. Be sure to watch the the end, to see the Yidd’n dance.
That's Sunday at Union Sqaure. Be there or be a nebbish.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)