11 Nissan
Friday Night April 15
Farbengen in honor of 11 Nissan
Birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Erev Pesach
Sunday April 17
Search for Chametz 8:25pm
Monday April 18
Shacharis 7:00am including Siyum for the firstborns
Eat Chametz untill 11:12am
Burn Chametz by 12:12pm
First Days
Monday April 18
Mincha 7:15
Light candles 7:38
Tuesday April 19
Light candles after 8:34
Wednesday April 20
Yom Tov Ends 8:34
Chol Hamoed
Friday April 22
Light Candles 7:41
Shabbos April 23
Shabbos Ends 8:37
Second Days
Sunday April 24
Light candles 7:42
Monday April 25
Light candles after 8:38
Tuesday April 26
Yom-Tov ends 8:39
Friday, April 8, 2011
A Seder Near you
FIRST SEDER
Date/Time: Monday,April 18th,
Following Services 7:00 pm at
Location: Your local Chabad Center
Adults $50, Children under 12 and Students $25
Call for family price
SECOND SEDER
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 19th 7:30PM
Location: Your local Chabad Center
Adults $36, Children under 12 and Students $18
Call for family price
MOSHIACH SEUDA
Tuesday April 26th, 6:30pm
Pesach celebrates the experience of the Exodus from Egypt and the anticipation of the future redemption.
The Baal Shem Tov initiated a delightful custom known as
Moshiach's Seuda - The feast of Moshiach
Date/Time: Monday,April 18th,
Following Services 7:00 pm at
Location: Your local Chabad Center
Adults $50, Children under 12 and Students $25
Call for family price
SECOND SEDER
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 19th 7:30PM
Location: Your local Chabad Center
Adults $36, Children under 12 and Students $18
Call for family price
MOSHIACH SEUDA
Tuesday April 26th, 6:30pm
Pesach celebrates the experience of the Exodus from Egypt and the anticipation of the future redemption.
The Baal Shem Tov initiated a delightful custom known as
Moshiach's Seuda - The feast of Moshiach
The Seder Service in a Nutshell
In Our Forefathers’ Footsteps
At the Seder, every person should see himself as if he were going out of Egypt. Beginning with our Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we recount the Jewish people’s descent into Egypt and recall their suffering and persecution. We are with them as G-d sends the Ten Plagues to punish Pharaoh and his nation, and follow along as they leave Egypt and cross the Sea of Reeds. We witness the miraculous hand of G-d as the waters part to allow the Israelites to pass, then return to inundate the Egyptian legions.
Kadesh - the Benediction
The Seder service begins with the recitation of Kiddush, proclaiming the holiness of the holiday. This is done over a cup of wine, the first of the four cups we will drink (while reclining) at the Seder.
The Four Cups of Wine
Why four cups? The Torah uses four expressions of freedom or deliverance in connection with our liberation from Egypt (see Exodus 6:6-7). Also, the Children of Israel had four great merits even while in exile: (1) They did not change their Hebrew names; (2) they continued to speak their own language, Hebrew; (3) they remained highly moral; (4) they remained loyal to one another.
Wine is used because it is a symbol of joy and happiness.
Why We Recline
When drinking the four cups and eating the Matzah we lean on our left side to accentuate the fact that we are free people. In ancient times only free people had the luxury of reclining while eating.
Urchatz - Purification
We wash our hands in the usual, ritually-prescribed manner (by pouring water on your right hand 3 times, then 3 times on your left hand) before a meal, but without the customary blessing.
The next step in the Seder, Karpas, requires dipping food into water, which in turn mandates, according to Jewish law, that either the food be eaten with a utensil or that one's hands be purified by washing. On the Seder eve we choose the less common observance to arouse the child's curiosity.
Karpas - the "Appetizer"
A small piece of onion or boiled potato is dipped into salt water and eaten (after reciting the blessing over vegetables).
Dipping the Karpas in salt water is an act of pleasure and freedom, which further arouses the child's curiosity.
The Hebrew word "Karpas," when read backwards, alludes to the backbreaking labor performed by the 600,000 Jews in Egypt. [Samechhas the numerical equivalent of 60 (60 times 10,000), while the last three Hebrew letters spell "perech," hard work.]
The salt water represents the tears of our ancestors in Egypt.
Yachatz - Breaking the Matzah
The middle Matzah on the Seder plate is broken in two. The larger part is put aside for later use as the Afikoman. This unusual action not only attracts the child's attention once again, but also recalls G-d's splitting of the Sea of Reeds to allow the Children of Israel to cross on dry land. The smaller part of the middle Matzah is returned to the Seder plate. This broken middle Matzah symbolizes humility and will be eaten later as the "bread of poverty."
Maggid - the Haggadah
At this point, the poor are invited to join the Seder. The Seder tray is moved aside, a second cup of wine is poured, and the child, who by now is bursting with curiosity, asks the time-honored question: "Mah nish-tah-na hah-laila-ha-zeh me-kol hah leilot? Why is this night different from all other nights?" Why only Matzah? Why the dipping? Why the bitter herbs? Why are we relaxing and leaning on cushions as if we were kings?
The child's questioning triggers one of the most significant mitzvot of Passover, which is the highlight of the Seder ceremony: the Haggadah, telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The answer includes a brief review of history, a description of the suffering imposed upon the Israelites, a listing of the plagues visited on the Egyptians, and an enumeration of the miracles performed by the Al-mighty for the redemption of His people.
Rochtzah - Washing Before the Meal
After concluding the first part of the Haggadah by drinking (while reclining) the second cup of wine, the hands are washed again, this time with the customary blessings, as is usually done before eating bread.
Motzie Matzah
We eat the matzah.
Taking hold of the three Matzot (with the broken one in between the two whole ones), recite the customary blessing before bread. Then, letting the bottom Matzah drop back onto the plate, and holding the top whole Matzah with the broken middle one, recite the special blessing "Al achilat Matzah." Then break at least one ounce from each Matzah and eat the two pieces together, while reclining.
Maror - the Bitter Herbs
Take at least 1 ounce of the bitter herbs. Dip it in the charoset, then shake the latter off and make the blessing "Al achilat Maror." Eat without reclining.
Korech - the Sandwich
In keeping with the custom instituted by Hillel, the great Talmudic Rabbi, a sandwich of Matzah and Maror is eaten. Break off two pieces of the bottom Matzah, which together should be at least one ounce. Again, take at least 1 ounce of bitter herbs and dip them in the charoset. Place this between the two pieces of Matzah, say "Kein asah Hillel..."and eat the sandwich while reclining.
Shulchan Orech - the Feast
The holiday meal is now served. We begin the meal with a hardboiled egg dipped into salt water.
A Rabbi was once asked why Jews eat eggs on Passover. "Because eggs symbolize the Jew," the Rabbi answered. "The more an egg is burned or boiled, the harder it gets."
Note: The chicken neck is not eaten at the Seder.
Tzafun - Out of Hiding
After the meal, the half Matzah which had been "hidden," set aside for the Afikoman ("dessert"), is taken out and eaten. It symbolizes the Paschal lamb, which was eaten at the end of the meal.
Everyone should eat at least 1 1/2 ounces of Matzah, reclining, before midnight. After eating the Afikoman, we do not eat or drink anything except for the two remaining cups of wine.
Beirach - Blessings After the Meal
A third cup of wine is filled and Grace is recited. After the Grace we recite the blessing over wine and drink the third cup while reclining.
Now we fill the cup of Elijah and our own cups with wine. We open the door and recite the passage which symbolizes an invitation to the Prophet Elijah, the harbinger of the coming of Moshiach, our righteous Messiah.
Hallel - Songs of Praise
At this point, having recognized the Al-mighty, and His unique guidance of the Jewish people, we go still further and sing His praises as L-rd of the entire universe.
After reciting the Hallel, we again recite the blessing over wine and drink the fourth cup, reclining
Nirtzah - Acceptance
Having carried out the Seder service properly, we are sure that it has been well received by the Al-mighty. We then say "Leshanah haba'ah bee-rushalayim -- Next year in Jerusalem." We want Moshiach Now!
At the Seder, every person should see himself as if he were going out of Egypt. Beginning with our Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we recount the Jewish people’s descent into Egypt and recall their suffering and persecution. We are with them as G-d sends the Ten Plagues to punish Pharaoh and his nation, and follow along as they leave Egypt and cross the Sea of Reeds. We witness the miraculous hand of G-d as the waters part to allow the Israelites to pass, then return to inundate the Egyptian legions.
Kadesh - the Benediction
The Seder service begins with the recitation of Kiddush, proclaiming the holiness of the holiday. This is done over a cup of wine, the first of the four cups we will drink (while reclining) at the Seder.
The Four Cups of Wine
Why four cups? The Torah uses four expressions of freedom or deliverance in connection with our liberation from Egypt (see Exodus 6:6-7). Also, the Children of Israel had four great merits even while in exile: (1) They did not change their Hebrew names; (2) they continued to speak their own language, Hebrew; (3) they remained highly moral; (4) they remained loyal to one another.
Wine is used because it is a symbol of joy and happiness.
Why We Recline
When drinking the four cups and eating the Matzah we lean on our left side to accentuate the fact that we are free people. In ancient times only free people had the luxury of reclining while eating.
Urchatz - Purification
We wash our hands in the usual, ritually-prescribed manner (by pouring water on your right hand 3 times, then 3 times on your left hand) before a meal, but without the customary blessing.
The next step in the Seder, Karpas, requires dipping food into water, which in turn mandates, according to Jewish law, that either the food be eaten with a utensil or that one's hands be purified by washing. On the Seder eve we choose the less common observance to arouse the child's curiosity.
Karpas - the "Appetizer"
A small piece of onion or boiled potato is dipped into salt water and eaten (after reciting the blessing over vegetables).
Dipping the Karpas in salt water is an act of pleasure and freedom, which further arouses the child's curiosity.
The Hebrew word "Karpas," when read backwards, alludes to the backbreaking labor performed by the 600,000 Jews in Egypt. [Samechhas the numerical equivalent of 60 (60 times 10,000), while the last three Hebrew letters spell "perech," hard work.]
The salt water represents the tears of our ancestors in Egypt.
Yachatz - Breaking the Matzah
The middle Matzah on the Seder plate is broken in two. The larger part is put aside for later use as the Afikoman. This unusual action not only attracts the child's attention once again, but also recalls G-d's splitting of the Sea of Reeds to allow the Children of Israel to cross on dry land. The smaller part of the middle Matzah is returned to the Seder plate. This broken middle Matzah symbolizes humility and will be eaten later as the "bread of poverty."
Maggid - the Haggadah
At this point, the poor are invited to join the Seder. The Seder tray is moved aside, a second cup of wine is poured, and the child, who by now is bursting with curiosity, asks the time-honored question: "Mah nish-tah-na hah-laila-ha-zeh me-kol hah leilot? Why is this night different from all other nights?" Why only Matzah? Why the dipping? Why the bitter herbs? Why are we relaxing and leaning on cushions as if we were kings?
The child's questioning triggers one of the most significant mitzvot of Passover, which is the highlight of the Seder ceremony: the Haggadah, telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The answer includes a brief review of history, a description of the suffering imposed upon the Israelites, a listing of the plagues visited on the Egyptians, and an enumeration of the miracles performed by the Al-mighty for the redemption of His people.
Rochtzah - Washing Before the Meal
After concluding the first part of the Haggadah by drinking (while reclining) the second cup of wine, the hands are washed again, this time with the customary blessings, as is usually done before eating bread.
Motzie Matzah
We eat the matzah.
Taking hold of the three Matzot (with the broken one in between the two whole ones), recite the customary blessing before bread. Then, letting the bottom Matzah drop back onto the plate, and holding the top whole Matzah with the broken middle one, recite the special blessing "Al achilat Matzah." Then break at least one ounce from each Matzah and eat the two pieces together, while reclining.
Maror - the Bitter Herbs
Take at least 1 ounce of the bitter herbs. Dip it in the charoset, then shake the latter off and make the blessing "Al achilat Maror." Eat without reclining.
Korech - the Sandwich
In keeping with the custom instituted by Hillel, the great Talmudic Rabbi, a sandwich of Matzah and Maror is eaten. Break off two pieces of the bottom Matzah, which together should be at least one ounce. Again, take at least 1 ounce of bitter herbs and dip them in the charoset. Place this between the two pieces of Matzah, say "Kein asah Hillel..."and eat the sandwich while reclining.
Shulchan Orech - the Feast
The holiday meal is now served. We begin the meal with a hardboiled egg dipped into salt water.
A Rabbi was once asked why Jews eat eggs on Passover. "Because eggs symbolize the Jew," the Rabbi answered. "The more an egg is burned or boiled, the harder it gets."
Note: The chicken neck is not eaten at the Seder.
Tzafun - Out of Hiding
After the meal, the half Matzah which had been "hidden," set aside for the Afikoman ("dessert"), is taken out and eaten. It symbolizes the Paschal lamb, which was eaten at the end of the meal.
Everyone should eat at least 1 1/2 ounces of Matzah, reclining, before midnight. After eating the Afikoman, we do not eat or drink anything except for the two remaining cups of wine.
Beirach - Blessings After the Meal
A third cup of wine is filled and Grace is recited. After the Grace we recite the blessing over wine and drink the third cup while reclining.
Now we fill the cup of Elijah and our own cups with wine. We open the door and recite the passage which symbolizes an invitation to the Prophet Elijah, the harbinger of the coming of Moshiach, our righteous Messiah.
Hallel - Songs of Praise
At this point, having recognized the Al-mighty, and His unique guidance of the Jewish people, we go still further and sing His praises as L-rd of the entire universe.
After reciting the Hallel, we again recite the blessing over wine and drink the fourth cup, reclining
Nirtzah - Acceptance
Having carried out the Seder service properly, we are sure that it has been well received by the Al-mighty. We then say "Leshanah haba'ah bee-rushalayim -- Next year in Jerusalem." We want Moshiach Now!
HOLIDAY GUIDE
“sell your chametz” form with an internet address where they can do it on-line as well, if they choose.
We need to have a ad for shmurah matzha- how much is it per pound?
Search, Removal and Burning of Chametz
On the evening before Passover, which is April 17th of the present year, after 8:25 PM, make a formal search of the home and all its sorrounding properties while holding a lit candle.
It is customary to put pieces of hard bread in various places some time before the search, so that the one who searches will find them.
According to the Kabbalah, one should place 10 pieces.
Before starting the search, the following blessing is recited: Blessed are You, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the removal of chametz.
One is to search by candlelight in all hidden places, even cracks in the floor.
One is not to speak between the blessing and the beginning of the search, even concerning the search itself.
Throughout the search one should not speak about anything that is not relevant to the search.
Members of the household should stand nearby to hear the blessing, with each one then searching his own place without speaking in between.
Take heed to search first in the room nearest the place where the blessing was heard, and not to go to another room immediately after the blessing.
After the search one must be careful that the chametz retained to be eaten or to be burnt in the morning, be put in a safe place, so that it not be carried about and thereby crumbled and spread by children or rodents.
After the search one must also nullify the chametz he may have overlooked and say:
All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, which I have neither seen nor removed, and about which I am unaware, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
On the afternoon before Passover, which is Monday the 18th of the present year, in the fifth hour of the day (calculated from sunrise), which is no later than 12:20 PM, one should make a special fire and burn the chametz and nullify it.
For the nullification of the chametz say:
All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
The ten pieces are to be burnt, and the following is said during the burning of the chametz:
May it be Your will, Lord, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that just as I remove the chametz from my house and from my possession, so shall You remove all the extraneous forces.
Remove the spirit of impurity from the earth, remove our evil inclination from us, and grant us a heart of flesh to serve You in truth.
Make all the sitra achara, all the kelipot, and all wickedness be consumed in smoke, and remove the dominion of evil from the earth. Remove with a spirit of destruction and a spirit of judgment all that distress the Shechina, just as You destroyed Egypt and its idols in those days, at this time. Amen, Selah.
We need to have a ad for shmurah matzha- how much is it per pound?
Search, Removal and Burning of Chametz
On the evening before Passover, which is April 17th of the present year, after 8:25 PM, make a formal search of the home and all its sorrounding properties while holding a lit candle.
It is customary to put pieces of hard bread in various places some time before the search, so that the one who searches will find them.
According to the Kabbalah, one should place 10 pieces.
Before starting the search, the following blessing is recited: Blessed are You, Lord, our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the removal of chametz.
One is to search by candlelight in all hidden places, even cracks in the floor.
One is not to speak between the blessing and the beginning of the search, even concerning the search itself.
Throughout the search one should not speak about anything that is not relevant to the search.
Members of the household should stand nearby to hear the blessing, with each one then searching his own place without speaking in between.
Take heed to search first in the room nearest the place where the blessing was heard, and not to go to another room immediately after the blessing.
After the search one must be careful that the chametz retained to be eaten or to be burnt in the morning, be put in a safe place, so that it not be carried about and thereby crumbled and spread by children or rodents.
After the search one must also nullify the chametz he may have overlooked and say:
All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, which I have neither seen nor removed, and about which I am unaware, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
On the afternoon before Passover, which is Monday the 18th of the present year, in the fifth hour of the day (calculated from sunrise), which is no later than 12:20 PM, one should make a special fire and burn the chametz and nullify it.
For the nullification of the chametz say:
All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
The ten pieces are to be burnt, and the following is said during the burning of the chametz:
May it be Your will, Lord, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that just as I remove the chametz from my house and from my possession, so shall You remove all the extraneous forces.
Remove the spirit of impurity from the earth, remove our evil inclination from us, and grant us a heart of flesh to serve You in truth.
Make all the sitra achara, all the kelipot, and all wickedness be consumed in smoke, and remove the dominion of evil from the earth. Remove with a spirit of destruction and a spirit of judgment all that distress the Shechina, just as You destroyed Egypt and its idols in those days, at this time. Amen, Selah.
When The Spirit Shines
The Hebrew date of Yud-Alef Nissan, is the Rebbe’s birthday. A birthday is more than a day for songs and celebrations. Instead, a birthday is a day when mazalo gover, the spiritual source of a person’s soul shines with power. When we say “the spiritual source of a person’s soul,” we mean something more than our conscious thought powers. We have our thoughts and our feelings. And then we possess an inner spiritual core from which those thoughts and feelings spring forth. This spiritual core is the mazal that shines powerfully on a person’s birthday.
Since a person’s mazal shines powerfully on that day, he should use its influence to focus on his individual mission and align all the particular elements of his life with it. As the Previous Rebbe taught, on a birthday a person should spend time in solitude, thinking over the purpose of his life, correcting those matters that need to be amended, and making resolutions with regard to his conduct in the future.
The Rebbe’s birthday is not merely a personal event, affecting him alone. On the contrary, the very name Rebbe is an acronym for the Hebrew words , “head of the Jewish people.” The head contains the nerve center for the entire body, allowing all its diverse organs and limbs to function together as a single whole. Similarly, a Rebbe is a comprehensive soul whose life is lived in consciousness of others and whose efforts are devoted to tightening the connection between them. As such, the Rebbe’s birthday is a day which impacts us all.
What is the Rebbe’s mazal and where is it directed? In one of his letters, he writes: “From the days I began going to cheder (school) and perhaps even before then, I had a vision of the ultimate Redemption.” From his earliest childhood, and in every successive phase of life, the Rebbe devoted his efforts to creating a spiritual climate that will make Mashiach’s coming a reality.
On a day when “the spiritual source of his soul shines powerfully,” each one of us should think of the way he can help shoulder and advance this mission. The breakthroughs in sciences and communication of our era have created the backdrop for the Redemption. Its is our responsibility to create the conceptual foreground and make the values and principles that will characterize the Redemption factors that influence our lives at present. Anticipating the Redemption in this manner will precipitate its unfolding as actual reality.
Since a person’s mazal shines powerfully on that day, he should use its influence to focus on his individual mission and align all the particular elements of his life with it. As the Previous Rebbe taught, on a birthday a person should spend time in solitude, thinking over the purpose of his life, correcting those matters that need to be amended, and making resolutions with regard to his conduct in the future.
The Rebbe’s birthday is not merely a personal event, affecting him alone. On the contrary, the very name Rebbe is an acronym for the Hebrew words , “head of the Jewish people.” The head contains the nerve center for the entire body, allowing all its diverse organs and limbs to function together as a single whole. Similarly, a Rebbe is a comprehensive soul whose life is lived in consciousness of others and whose efforts are devoted to tightening the connection between them. As such, the Rebbe’s birthday is a day which impacts us all.
What is the Rebbe’s mazal and where is it directed? In one of his letters, he writes: “From the days I began going to cheder (school) and perhaps even before then, I had a vision of the ultimate Redemption.” From his earliest childhood, and in every successive phase of life, the Rebbe devoted his efforts to creating a spiritual climate that will make Mashiach’s coming a reality.
On a day when “the spiritual source of his soul shines powerfully,” each one of us should think of the way he can help shoulder and advance this mission. The breakthroughs in sciences and communication of our era have created the backdrop for the Redemption. Its is our responsibility to create the conceptual foreground and make the values and principles that will characterize the Redemption factors that influence our lives at present. Anticipating the Redemption in this manner will precipitate its unfolding as actual reality.
IN TRIBUTE
A Debt Of Recognition And Gratitude
By Professor Elie Wiesel,
Remember--I will always remember my first visit to Lubavitch. It happened some thirty years ago. Though a Chasid of Wizhnitz, I had heard of Chabad and its renowned leader. A foreign correspondent for Israel's evening paper "Yediot Achronot," I had thought of doing a story about the way Lubavitcher chasidim celebrate the liberation of the first--or the "Alter"--Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi from Czarist prison. When I left in the early morning hours, I still belonged to Wizhnitz, but I was already caught by something or someone one finds only in Lubavitch.
I remember: in a "shul" that seems both huge and intimate, thousands and thousands of chasidim, young and old, from all over the world, are dancing vertically, as if not moving from their place, yet forcing their rhythm onto the entire universe.
Their eyes closed, they sing as only chasidim can. Ten times, fifty times, they repeat the same words, the same tune, and the song bursts their chests and lights a thousands flames in their eyes before rising higher and higher, up to the seventh heaven, if not higher, to the "Heichel hanegina," source and sanctuary of all songs.
The center is the Rebbe. The Chasid in me looks at him with wonder. There is something melancholy and profoundly moving about his personality. Disturbing and reassuring at the same time. He feels what everyone here feels, he helps all attain the unattainable. In his presence, one feels more Jewish, more authentically Jewish. Seen by him, one comes in closer contact with one's own inner Jewish center.
Am unable to take my eyes off him. His gaze encompasses everyone and everything. I have rarely witnessed such control of and concern over such a large assembly. Thousands of eyes follow his most imperceptible movements. When he talks, everybody listens breathlessly, absorbing every word, every sigh. When he sighs, the whole world sighs with him and us.
I remember: hours long I stood there, at 770 Eastern Parkway, as in a dream, looking at the Rebbe who was looking at his followers. At times, he smiled and night vanished from their lives. There were moments when he seemed serious and somber. And, between songs, his fervent listeners trembled between fear and hope.
Suddenly I saw myself as a child again. Spending a Shabbat at the court of the Wizhnitzer Rebbe. There, too, the souls became strings and played ancient melodies.
Yet here in Lubavitch it is different. The world is different. Countless invisible cemeteries separate the past from the present. In Lubavitch I think even about Wizhnitz in a different manner. What the Rebbe of Lubavitch is doing, what he is accomplishing here can be felt beyond Lubavitch.
This I came to understand much later. As I began traveling around the country, I discovered the Rebbe's emissaries in the most forsaken places. Were it not for them and their devotion, were it not for the mission entrusted onto them by the Rebbe, in the forty-two years of his leadership, who knows how many Jewish souls would have been lost to our people.
It is part of the Rebbe's greatness that he knows whom to send where and when. Not all their accomplishments have been made public. Some must remain secret. When they will be revealed--soon, I hope --they will surely increase the existing admiration for the Rebbe's vision.
Thus the Jewish people owe the Rebbe a great debt of recognition and gratitude. I do, too. I have learned much from Lubavitch in Lubavitch.
Had I not participated in the "Chag HaGeula" of Chabad some thirty years ago, I wonder whether I would be who I am now.
This article was first published in a Special publication that was printed honor of Forty years of the Rebbe's Leadership titled "One Hour: Forty Years."
By Professor Elie Wiesel,
Remember--I will always remember my first visit to Lubavitch. It happened some thirty years ago. Though a Chasid of Wizhnitz, I had heard of Chabad and its renowned leader. A foreign correspondent for Israel's evening paper "Yediot Achronot," I had thought of doing a story about the way Lubavitcher chasidim celebrate the liberation of the first--or the "Alter"--Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi from Czarist prison. When I left in the early morning hours, I still belonged to Wizhnitz, but I was already caught by something or someone one finds only in Lubavitch.
I remember: in a "shul" that seems both huge and intimate, thousands and thousands of chasidim, young and old, from all over the world, are dancing vertically, as if not moving from their place, yet forcing their rhythm onto the entire universe.
Their eyes closed, they sing as only chasidim can. Ten times, fifty times, they repeat the same words, the same tune, and the song bursts their chests and lights a thousands flames in their eyes before rising higher and higher, up to the seventh heaven, if not higher, to the "Heichel hanegina," source and sanctuary of all songs.
The center is the Rebbe. The Chasid in me looks at him with wonder. There is something melancholy and profoundly moving about his personality. Disturbing and reassuring at the same time. He feels what everyone here feels, he helps all attain the unattainable. In his presence, one feels more Jewish, more authentically Jewish. Seen by him, one comes in closer contact with one's own inner Jewish center.
Am unable to take my eyes off him. His gaze encompasses everyone and everything. I have rarely witnessed such control of and concern over such a large assembly. Thousands of eyes follow his most imperceptible movements. When he talks, everybody listens breathlessly, absorbing every word, every sigh. When he sighs, the whole world sighs with him and us.
I remember: hours long I stood there, at 770 Eastern Parkway, as in a dream, looking at the Rebbe who was looking at his followers. At times, he smiled and night vanished from their lives. There were moments when he seemed serious and somber. And, between songs, his fervent listeners trembled between fear and hope.
Suddenly I saw myself as a child again. Spending a Shabbat at the court of the Wizhnitzer Rebbe. There, too, the souls became strings and played ancient melodies.
Yet here in Lubavitch it is different. The world is different. Countless invisible cemeteries separate the past from the present. In Lubavitch I think even about Wizhnitz in a different manner. What the Rebbe of Lubavitch is doing, what he is accomplishing here can be felt beyond Lubavitch.
This I came to understand much later. As I began traveling around the country, I discovered the Rebbe's emissaries in the most forsaken places. Were it not for them and their devotion, were it not for the mission entrusted onto them by the Rebbe, in the forty-two years of his leadership, who knows how many Jewish souls would have been lost to our people.
It is part of the Rebbe's greatness that he knows whom to send where and when. Not all their accomplishments have been made public. Some must remain secret. When they will be revealed--soon, I hope --they will surely increase the existing admiration for the Rebbe's vision.
Thus the Jewish people owe the Rebbe a great debt of recognition and gratitude. I do, too. I have learned much from Lubavitch in Lubavitch.
Had I not participated in the "Chag HaGeula" of Chabad some thirty years ago, I wonder whether I would be who I am now.
This article was first published in a Special publication that was printed honor of Forty years of the Rebbe's Leadership titled "One Hour: Forty Years."
UPON A TIME
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001:
The Rest Of The Story
By Zeev Breier
David Miller [name changed to protect privacy], an observant Jew, was at Logan Airport [Boston] getting ready to board United Flight #175. He was going to LA on an important business trip and had to make this flight. A lot depended on it.
He boarded the plane, and sat down as the doors closed. Suddenly, he remembered that he had left his Tefillin (phylacteries = ritual boxes with straps worn by Jewish men in prayer) in the terminal boarding area. He politely asked the stewardess if he could go back and retrieve his Tefillin, which were sitting just a few feet from the gate.
She told him that once the doors closed, no one was allowed off the plane. He asked to speak to the pilot to obtain special permission, but the pilot simply restated the policy.
David was not about to lose this precious mitzvah, or let the holy Tefillin get lost so, not knowing what else to do, he started screaming at the top of his lungs, "I am going to lose my Tefillin!"
The crew asked him to be quiet, but he refused. He made such a tumult that the flight crew told him that they would let him off the plane. However, even though it would only take about 90 seconds to run out, grab his Tefillin, and run back - they were not going to wait for him.
No matter. David was not about to lose his Tefillin, even if it caused him great inconvenience, or cost his business a loss.
He left the plane, never to re-board. This was United flight #175, the second plane to reach the World Trade Center. The date was September 11, 2001.
David's devotion to a mitzvah saved his life, but the consequences of his actions do not end there.
Originally, the terrorists wanted both towers struck simultaneously, to maximize the explosive carnage. Later it was learned that, owing to David's intransigence, the takeoff was delayed, causing a space of 18 minutes between the striking of the two towers.
The delay made it possible for thousands of people to escape alive from both buildings, because one Jew would not forsake his beloved Tefillin! Submitted by Tova L.; This Story is documented in "Even in the Darkest Moments."
The Rest Of The Story
By Zeev Breier
David Miller [name changed to protect privacy], an observant Jew, was at Logan Airport [Boston] getting ready to board United Flight #175. He was going to LA on an important business trip and had to make this flight. A lot depended on it.
He boarded the plane, and sat down as the doors closed. Suddenly, he remembered that he had left his Tefillin (phylacteries = ritual boxes with straps worn by Jewish men in prayer) in the terminal boarding area. He politely asked the stewardess if he could go back and retrieve his Tefillin, which were sitting just a few feet from the gate.
She told him that once the doors closed, no one was allowed off the plane. He asked to speak to the pilot to obtain special permission, but the pilot simply restated the policy.
David was not about to lose this precious mitzvah, or let the holy Tefillin get lost so, not knowing what else to do, he started screaming at the top of his lungs, "I am going to lose my Tefillin!"
The crew asked him to be quiet, but he refused. He made such a tumult that the flight crew told him that they would let him off the plane. However, even though it would only take about 90 seconds to run out, grab his Tefillin, and run back - they were not going to wait for him.
No matter. David was not about to lose his Tefillin, even if it caused him great inconvenience, or cost his business a loss.
He left the plane, never to re-board. This was United flight #175, the second plane to reach the World Trade Center. The date was September 11, 2001.
David's devotion to a mitzvah saved his life, but the consequences of his actions do not end there.
Originally, the terrorists wanted both towers struck simultaneously, to maximize the explosive carnage. Later it was learned that, owing to David's intransigence, the takeoff was delayed, causing a space of 18 minutes between the striking of the two towers.
The delay made it possible for thousands of people to escape alive from both buildings, because one Jew would not forsake his beloved Tefillin! Submitted by Tova L.; This Story is documented in "Even in the Darkest Moments."
SOUL FREEDOM
To Do What You Want, Or To Want What You Do
By Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov Jax, FL
A skillful fiddler caused a large crowd of pedestrians to clap their hands and tap their feet as he played lively tunes in the center of the town’s square. Unable to hear the music, a deaf passerby stopped to observe the strange spectacle. As he watched the people bounce and swirl in the middle of the plaza, he wondered to himself: “What has gotten into these people, why in the world are they acting so bizarre?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
On the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nissan over 3,000 years ago, the Children of Israel were liberated from their protracted bondage by the mighty hand of G-d. A relentless series of shock and awe style events had finally weakened the iron resolve of the wicked Pharaoh and the cruel Egyptian tormentors, causing them to let the Israelites go. The event served as the cornerstone and birth of the Jewish nation and religion.
Throughout history Jews have observed G-d's command to commemorate this event with the celebration of Passover – one of Judaism’s most momentous holidays. The Seder and its exotic rituals and traditions is indeed a central component of Jewish creed and culture. But what is the inner message behind the exotic symbolisms of this important festival?
Our sages declare: “In each and every generation one must view himself as though he had himself gone out of Egypt.” This Talmudic passage has in fact been included as part of the text of the Haggadah narrative that we are each obligated to recite during the Passover Seder.
To be sure, the Rabbis were certainly aware that none of us have ever been enslaved in Egypt, why then would they have us make such an absurd statement?
Among the explanations, is the idea that the Hebrew word for Egypt “Mitzrayim” means “constraints.” Chassidus emphasizes that while we haven’t experienced Egyptian bondage per se; we each have our personal Mitzrayim – constraints and limitations, due to both external and internal phenomena.
Accordingly, the essential message of Passover is as much about our present/personal freedom as it is about our historic/national liberation. But what does personal freedom mean?
The Talmud states: “One cannot be considered “free” unless he is preoccupied with the study of Torah.” But how is this to be understood? What does Torah have to do with freedom? To the contrary, the Torah is replete with what many would consider to be restrictions – thou shalts and thou shalt nots – how can the Rabbis in all honestly call this freedom? The Torah’s idea of freedom is obviously quite different from the secular and colloquial definition.
The secular definition of freedom is “To do what you want.” To do what you want is easy, it requires no thought or self-discipline; it is the path of least resistance. However, while it is easy to do what you want the rewards are rather short lived, as the saying goes “The path of least resistance is all the way down hill.”
This is to say that while in the short run it may feel good to do what you want, after the immediate impulse and gratification ware off it usually does not feel nearly as good. More often than not, one ends up regretting having succumbed to his raw urges and impulses. Isn’t that what the lyric of a song dating back to the 70's alludes to: “I hate myself for loving you?”
By contrast, the Torah’s definition of freedom is “To want what you do.” To want what you do is to feel good about the choices you make and things you do in the long run; well after the initial pleasure has worn off. It is to be comfortable with who you are and the life you lead.
The latter requires a measure of self-discipline. It likewise requires the wisdom and guidance of a higher moral code, hence the assertion that “One cannot be ‘free’ unless he is preoccupied with the study of Torah.” The Torah’s definition of freedom is not just bodily freedom but freedom relating to the soul as well.
The reason why it is so important for our to soul to obtain freedom is because our significance as humans transcends the scope of animal existence. Since man is more than a physical entity, he must nurture more than his physical-self.
The pursuit of spirituality and higher purpose is not a matter of luxury – it is not merely an exercise for those who are naturally inclined to ponder the deeper reality of things. It is rather a human necessity. This notion is portrayed in an analogy offered by the Lubavitcher Rebbe:
Freedom is clearly a subjective phenomenon which varies in accordance with the needs of each particular entity and is defined by its manifest void. A plant for example, derives its contentment through conditions that are most conducive to organic growth such as water, air and light. Plants have no need or desire for such things as mobility and the like.
To the animal however, the plant’s level of freedom and comfort is anything but satisfactory. An animal can never be contented with water and air alone while constrained to a distinct location. An animal requires the independence of mobility. Freedom in its eyes must contain the ability to roam freely from place to place.
By the same token, what might be considered optimum conditions for the animal can be very restrictive to the human being. Should man, for instance, be granted all his material needs but be denied any form of intellectual nourishment, he would no doubt find the situation highly repressive. As an intellectual creature, freedom in man's eyes must include the ability for intellectual stimulation and development.
The same is true, albeit less conspicuous, with man's need for higher spiritual purpose. This is to say that all the non-spiritual matter in the world cannot satisfy the cravings of man’s soul. The higher spiritual dimension within man will only reach completion when its spiritual aspirations are nurtured.
In summary, an essential component of the human composition is his spiritual consciousness. This consciousness has its own set of needs. To ignore our spiritual dimension is no different than to ignore the bodily needs for food and water or to neglect the human necessity for intellectual stimulation. Man can never be truly free if he does not care for his higher essence – his soul.
The lesson of Passover is that in each and every generation, each and every one of us must make the journey out of Mitzrayim – constriction. We must acquire freedom not just of the body but of the soul as well. Pesach is a highly apropos and auspicious time for this endeavor.
May we all experience true freedom, physically and spiritually. May we merit the ultimate redemption that will take place with the coming of the righteous Moshiach.
By Rabbi Yoseph Kahanov Jax, FL
A skillful fiddler caused a large crowd of pedestrians to clap their hands and tap their feet as he played lively tunes in the center of the town’s square. Unable to hear the music, a deaf passerby stopped to observe the strange spectacle. As he watched the people bounce and swirl in the middle of the plaza, he wondered to himself: “What has gotten into these people, why in the world are they acting so bizarre?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
On the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nissan over 3,000 years ago, the Children of Israel were liberated from their protracted bondage by the mighty hand of G-d. A relentless series of shock and awe style events had finally weakened the iron resolve of the wicked Pharaoh and the cruel Egyptian tormentors, causing them to let the Israelites go. The event served as the cornerstone and birth of the Jewish nation and religion.
Throughout history Jews have observed G-d's command to commemorate this event with the celebration of Passover – one of Judaism’s most momentous holidays. The Seder and its exotic rituals and traditions is indeed a central component of Jewish creed and culture. But what is the inner message behind the exotic symbolisms of this important festival?
Our sages declare: “In each and every generation one must view himself as though he had himself gone out of Egypt.” This Talmudic passage has in fact been included as part of the text of the Haggadah narrative that we are each obligated to recite during the Passover Seder.
To be sure, the Rabbis were certainly aware that none of us have ever been enslaved in Egypt, why then would they have us make such an absurd statement?
Among the explanations, is the idea that the Hebrew word for Egypt “Mitzrayim” means “constraints.” Chassidus emphasizes that while we haven’t experienced Egyptian bondage per se; we each have our personal Mitzrayim – constraints and limitations, due to both external and internal phenomena.
Accordingly, the essential message of Passover is as much about our present/personal freedom as it is about our historic/national liberation. But what does personal freedom mean?
The Talmud states: “One cannot be considered “free” unless he is preoccupied with the study of Torah.” But how is this to be understood? What does Torah have to do with freedom? To the contrary, the Torah is replete with what many would consider to be restrictions – thou shalts and thou shalt nots – how can the Rabbis in all honestly call this freedom? The Torah’s idea of freedom is obviously quite different from the secular and colloquial definition.
The secular definition of freedom is “To do what you want.” To do what you want is easy, it requires no thought or self-discipline; it is the path of least resistance. However, while it is easy to do what you want the rewards are rather short lived, as the saying goes “The path of least resistance is all the way down hill.”
This is to say that while in the short run it may feel good to do what you want, after the immediate impulse and gratification ware off it usually does not feel nearly as good. More often than not, one ends up regretting having succumbed to his raw urges and impulses. Isn’t that what the lyric of a song dating back to the 70's alludes to: “I hate myself for loving you?”
By contrast, the Torah’s definition of freedom is “To want what you do.” To want what you do is to feel good about the choices you make and things you do in the long run; well after the initial pleasure has worn off. It is to be comfortable with who you are and the life you lead.
The latter requires a measure of self-discipline. It likewise requires the wisdom and guidance of a higher moral code, hence the assertion that “One cannot be ‘free’ unless he is preoccupied with the study of Torah.” The Torah’s definition of freedom is not just bodily freedom but freedom relating to the soul as well.
The reason why it is so important for our to soul to obtain freedom is because our significance as humans transcends the scope of animal existence. Since man is more than a physical entity, he must nurture more than his physical-self.
The pursuit of spirituality and higher purpose is not a matter of luxury – it is not merely an exercise for those who are naturally inclined to ponder the deeper reality of things. It is rather a human necessity. This notion is portrayed in an analogy offered by the Lubavitcher Rebbe:
Freedom is clearly a subjective phenomenon which varies in accordance with the needs of each particular entity and is defined by its manifest void. A plant for example, derives its contentment through conditions that are most conducive to organic growth such as water, air and light. Plants have no need or desire for such things as mobility and the like.
To the animal however, the plant’s level of freedom and comfort is anything but satisfactory. An animal can never be contented with water and air alone while constrained to a distinct location. An animal requires the independence of mobility. Freedom in its eyes must contain the ability to roam freely from place to place.
By the same token, what might be considered optimum conditions for the animal can be very restrictive to the human being. Should man, for instance, be granted all his material needs but be denied any form of intellectual nourishment, he would no doubt find the situation highly repressive. As an intellectual creature, freedom in man's eyes must include the ability for intellectual stimulation and development.
The same is true, albeit less conspicuous, with man's need for higher spiritual purpose. This is to say that all the non-spiritual matter in the world cannot satisfy the cravings of man’s soul. The higher spiritual dimension within man will only reach completion when its spiritual aspirations are nurtured.
In summary, an essential component of the human composition is his spiritual consciousness. This consciousness has its own set of needs. To ignore our spiritual dimension is no different than to ignore the bodily needs for food and water or to neglect the human necessity for intellectual stimulation. Man can never be truly free if he does not care for his higher essence – his soul.
The lesson of Passover is that in each and every generation, each and every one of us must make the journey out of Mitzrayim – constriction. We must acquire freedom not just of the body but of the soul as well. Pesach is a highly apropos and auspicious time for this endeavor.
May we all experience true freedom, physically and spiritually. May we merit the ultimate redemption that will take place with the coming of the righteous Moshiach.
GUEST COLUMNISTS
Are People of Faith Brainwashed?
By Aaron Moss
Dear Rabbi Moss,
Q) Passover has been coined a holiday of questions. The children, of course, ask the famous four questions, and the entire Seder is structured as a question-and-answer dialogue between parents and children. Personally, I have no problem with questions. As you know, I've always been a bit of a heretic. For me nothing is sacred, and I question everything. But I was wondering at what point do people of faith like yourself get repulsed by questions and demand that the questioning stop and the belief begin?
Do you ever draw the line and say, "Enough questions"? Does there not come a point where for faith to be sustained people must be discouraged from asking further questions?
Bob.
A) Hey Bob, Your question implies that questioning and faith are mutually exclusive; that where one ends the other begins. In Judaism, though, the reverse is true. Questioning and belief can and must coexist. They are two very separate and very necessary human traits. They happen in different places inside of us, so they can both exist simultaneously.
We question with our mind; we believe with our soul. Just as the hand is used to write, the feet to walk, the heart to feel, so the mind is employed to think, and the soul is employed to believe. When someone says, "I believe", they are really saying: "I feel my soul, and it's alive." Non-belief is a sense of detachment, not from G-d, but from our own soul.
Our soul knows G-d already; because our soul is itself Divine, a fragment of G-d, as it were. Our soul sees G-d all the time, and needs no proof of G-d's reality. Our minds, on the other hand, struggle to accept things that are beyond our empirical imagination. The mind wants evidence; it wants things to fit into a logical picture.
So while the soul may believe, the mind may not be so sure. Judaism teaches that G-d desires a wholesome and complete relationship with free human beings. He wants us to connect to Him with our entire self -- not just our souls, but our minds too. So He wants us to question and investigate. That brings our minds into the relationship.
Some questions we can answer, some we cannot. At least, not yet. But we can believe even before we have the answers, because belief operates on a different plane, and the two are not mutually exclusive. Just as you can walk and think at the same time, because your feet are walking and your mind is thinking, so you can question and believe at the same time: question with your mind, believe with your soul. And you should never stop questioning.
In the Haggadah of Passover, we read about four sons: the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one that doesn't know how to ask a question. The first three sons ask questions according to their temperament. The last one is silent. He is not stupid. He just isn't bothered enough to question things. He follows blindly, and never stops to think. That's bad news, and that's why he is last of the four sons. Even the wicked son is in some way better. He may be wicked, but at least he asks. He's using his mind, he's present.
Bob, if you think you're the wicked son, I'm not worried about you. As long as you're asking –and you really want true answers – then you're in the picture. Keep asking, but don't let the questions hold you down. Look into your soul and who knows – you might find some answers.
By Aaron Moss
Dear Rabbi Moss,
Q) Passover has been coined a holiday of questions. The children, of course, ask the famous four questions, and the entire Seder is structured as a question-and-answer dialogue between parents and children. Personally, I have no problem with questions. As you know, I've always been a bit of a heretic. For me nothing is sacred, and I question everything. But I was wondering at what point do people of faith like yourself get repulsed by questions and demand that the questioning stop and the belief begin?
Do you ever draw the line and say, "Enough questions"? Does there not come a point where for faith to be sustained people must be discouraged from asking further questions?
Bob.
A) Hey Bob, Your question implies that questioning and faith are mutually exclusive; that where one ends the other begins. In Judaism, though, the reverse is true. Questioning and belief can and must coexist. They are two very separate and very necessary human traits. They happen in different places inside of us, so they can both exist simultaneously.
We question with our mind; we believe with our soul. Just as the hand is used to write, the feet to walk, the heart to feel, so the mind is employed to think, and the soul is employed to believe. When someone says, "I believe", they are really saying: "I feel my soul, and it's alive." Non-belief is a sense of detachment, not from G-d, but from our own soul.
Our soul knows G-d already; because our soul is itself Divine, a fragment of G-d, as it were. Our soul sees G-d all the time, and needs no proof of G-d's reality. Our minds, on the other hand, struggle to accept things that are beyond our empirical imagination. The mind wants evidence; it wants things to fit into a logical picture.
So while the soul may believe, the mind may not be so sure. Judaism teaches that G-d desires a wholesome and complete relationship with free human beings. He wants us to connect to Him with our entire self -- not just our souls, but our minds too. So He wants us to question and investigate. That brings our minds into the relationship.
Some questions we can answer, some we cannot. At least, not yet. But we can believe even before we have the answers, because belief operates on a different plane, and the two are not mutually exclusive. Just as you can walk and think at the same time, because your feet are walking and your mind is thinking, so you can question and believe at the same time: question with your mind, believe with your soul. And you should never stop questioning.
In the Haggadah of Passover, we read about four sons: the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one that doesn't know how to ask a question. The first three sons ask questions according to their temperament. The last one is silent. He is not stupid. He just isn't bothered enough to question things. He follows blindly, and never stops to think. That's bad news, and that's why he is last of the four sons. Even the wicked son is in some way better. He may be wicked, but at least he asks. He's using his mind, he's present.
Bob, if you think you're the wicked son, I'm not worried about you. As long as you're asking –and you really want true answers – then you're in the picture. Keep asking, but don't let the questions hold you down. Look into your soul and who knows – you might find some answers.
OUR OWN BACKYARD
By Mel Shulman
Ever feel like a good potato knish; like you loved up north? Oy Vay, when will there be a place like this in Jacksonville? There are so many restaurants in Jacksonville—McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut. But where can you get a good kosher meal? Not just “kosher style,” but a real kosher meal!
How about RIGHT NOW! My friends, say Shalom to Cafe Chabad.
“Cafe Chabad was started about a year ago to provide our Jewish community with good kosher food, after others have failed” says Shaul Robson, who, together with Rivkie Kahanov, oversees’ the Café. The food is not only delicious, it is reasonably priced so you can bring the whole family. Cafe Chabad is located at 10129 Haley Road in Mandarin. It is right behind Village Inn.
When I visited Cafe Chabad I was met by Rivkie who had a big beautiful smile on her face. And why not? She was surrounded by delicious food, with happy families enjoying it.
Rivkie asked me what I'd like to eat. I just asked her to put together something good for me. But I guess she didn't listen to me. What she put together was “GREAT”!
I first tasted the beef stir fry with rice. The beef was tender and tasty, the rice had a mild brown sauce. And then I looked at the Broccoli Quiche. Oy vay, my grandmother never made quiche! I didn't want to tell Rivkie this but: I don't like quiche! Besides, everyone knows “Real men don't eat quiche.” But this quiche looked different than all other quiches I've seen, so I gave it a try.
This quiche had texture and delicious flavor unlike the bland taste of other quiches. This was truly a quiche that real men would beg for and the rest of the family will love as well. The whole meal with a drink costs about $10. And there was so much food I had to take most of it home!
Another good thing about the Café is the social aspect. It was so nice to see that on a Tuesday night, in middle of the hectic week, families taking a break from their busy schedules to relax while schmoozing with friends who they have not seen in a while.
In fact, one of the strangest thing happened during my visit to the Cafe; you gotta here this one. So, I’m roaming around and noticed several people sitting at a table. Upon exchanging hellos, I learn that they’re all from out of town; Monte Shulman with his son Moshe and Lou Zana together with Fitch Perginini, were here visiting the Mayo Clinic.
In talking to them, it turns out that they were from California. Monte and Lou, it happens, were friends from way back when but haven’t seen each other in almost four decades. Would you believe that, unbeknownst to them, they would bump in to each other for the first time all these years, yes you said it, right here in Jacksonville, FL. at Café Chabad! Now, is that something or what?
The guests were very appreciative of the fact that they were able to have a kosher place to eat out while in Jacksonville. I asked them how they heard about this kosher eatery. The fellows told me that they saw it advertised on the website and called for information.
Cafe Chabad is now open every Tuesday from 5:30-8:00 PM, and alternates between Dairy and Meat. Besides dishes like Sesame Chicken with rice for the adults, there are hot dogs and hamburgers for the kids. And for people like me—yes, they have potato knishes, just like from up north.
“We want to provide members of the Jacksonville Jewish Community with a place to take their family out to eat great kosher food,” said Shaul Robson, who manages the place, “And so far the response has been very good.”
The only criticism I have of Cafe Chabad is that their website is outdated and lacks important information. For example, Cafe Chabad alternates each week between meat and dairy dishes and that they offer take out. You should call them at 262-6641 to find out what type of dishes are being offered. Rivkie did say their website will be updated soon; so hopefully you can view their fantastic, delicious menu online.
Whether you eat in or take out, you definitely must pay Cafe Chabad a visit. Never again will you complain about the lack of a good kosher restaurant in Jacksonville.
Ever feel like a good potato knish; like you loved up north? Oy Vay, when will there be a place like this in Jacksonville? There are so many restaurants in Jacksonville—McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut. But where can you get a good kosher meal? Not just “kosher style,” but a real kosher meal!
How about RIGHT NOW! My friends, say Shalom to Cafe Chabad.
“Cafe Chabad was started about a year ago to provide our Jewish community with good kosher food, after others have failed” says Shaul Robson, who, together with Rivkie Kahanov, oversees’ the Café. The food is not only delicious, it is reasonably priced so you can bring the whole family. Cafe Chabad is located at 10129 Haley Road in Mandarin. It is right behind Village Inn.
When I visited Cafe Chabad I was met by Rivkie who had a big beautiful smile on her face. And why not? She was surrounded by delicious food, with happy families enjoying it.
Rivkie asked me what I'd like to eat. I just asked her to put together something good for me. But I guess she didn't listen to me. What she put together was “GREAT”!
I first tasted the beef stir fry with rice. The beef was tender and tasty, the rice had a mild brown sauce. And then I looked at the Broccoli Quiche. Oy vay, my grandmother never made quiche! I didn't want to tell Rivkie this but: I don't like quiche! Besides, everyone knows “Real men don't eat quiche.” But this quiche looked different than all other quiches I've seen, so I gave it a try.
This quiche had texture and delicious flavor unlike the bland taste of other quiches. This was truly a quiche that real men would beg for and the rest of the family will love as well. The whole meal with a drink costs about $10. And there was so much food I had to take most of it home!
Another good thing about the Café is the social aspect. It was so nice to see that on a Tuesday night, in middle of the hectic week, families taking a break from their busy schedules to relax while schmoozing with friends who they have not seen in a while.
In fact, one of the strangest thing happened during my visit to the Cafe; you gotta here this one. So, I’m roaming around and noticed several people sitting at a table. Upon exchanging hellos, I learn that they’re all from out of town; Monte Shulman with his son Moshe and Lou Zana together with Fitch Perginini, were here visiting the Mayo Clinic.
In talking to them, it turns out that they were from California. Monte and Lou, it happens, were friends from way back when but haven’t seen each other in almost four decades. Would you believe that, unbeknownst to them, they would bump in to each other for the first time all these years, yes you said it, right here in Jacksonville, FL. at Café Chabad! Now, is that something or what?
The guests were very appreciative of the fact that they were able to have a kosher place to eat out while in Jacksonville. I asked them how they heard about this kosher eatery. The fellows told me that they saw it advertised on the website and called for information.
Cafe Chabad is now open every Tuesday from 5:30-8:00 PM, and alternates between Dairy and Meat. Besides dishes like Sesame Chicken with rice for the adults, there are hot dogs and hamburgers for the kids. And for people like me—yes, they have potato knishes, just like from up north.
“We want to provide members of the Jacksonville Jewish Community with a place to take their family out to eat great kosher food,” said Shaul Robson, who manages the place, “And so far the response has been very good.”
The only criticism I have of Cafe Chabad is that their website is outdated and lacks important information. For example, Cafe Chabad alternates each week between meat and dairy dishes and that they offer take out. You should call them at 262-6641 to find out what type of dishes are being offered. Rivkie did say their website will be updated soon; so hopefully you can view their fantastic, delicious menu online.
Whether you eat in or take out, you definitely must pay Cafe Chabad a visit. Never again will you complain about the lack of a good kosher restaurant in Jacksonville.
INTERNATIONAL
Israeli Parliamentary Panel Examining Chabad House Funding
Israeli lawmakers convened a panel to discuss ways in which the government could support Chabad-Lubavitch activities overseas.
Coming more than two years after the brutal murder of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and four of their guests at their Mumbai, India, Chabad House, the Thursday meeting of members of the Knesset Committee on Immigration and Absorption included Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries around the world.
Speaking to the panel, Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky stressed that funding sources should be identified to help Chabad Houses, many of whom serve large communities of Israeli tourists and expatriates.
“There is nothing in the world like Chabad,” noted Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky. “The recent earthquake in New Zealand is a good example. One of the first things we did when that happened, and we were trying to figure out where our people were, was to call the Chabad emissary there.”
In many ways, Chabad Houses provided a link between travelling Israelis and their home country, he reminded the committee.
“There are 100,000 Israeli soldiers every year wandering the world after their army service,” he said. “Chabad helps us keep track of them,” provides them with resources, encourages them to return home and helps them to hang on their Jewish identities.
Sharansky hailed Chabad’s role in helping Jews in the former Soviet Union strengthen and reawaken their Jewish identities.
“Give me a young emissary with a wife and one child, and stick him in Siberia where there are 50 Jews,” the former refusenik and Israeli Cabinet minister stated. “In five years you will have a family with three children and 200 Jews. And in 10 years you will have a family with seven children and 500 [reawakened] Jews, and that, my friends, is Chabad in Russia.
“There are many places in the world that we do not have the resources to reach or maintain on our own,” continued Sharansky, “but Chabad exists there, like the college campuses in the United States.”
Pointing out that campus emissaries and their students are on the front lines of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment, Sharansky asserted that an investment in Chabad Houses represented an investment in the Jewish future.
“We must ensure that we don’t have to renew this struggle afresh every year,” he said.
Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar testified that although the public hears most about Israelis getting in touch with Chabad Houses overseas following natural disasters, the network of such institutions serves – in addition to their vital roles in fueling Jewish education and pride among local community members – as a touchstone for Jewish travelers looking for kosher food, a way to call home, or even to find a place to stay.
The government should be willing to fund Chabad’s activities, he contended, because they are indirectly performing foreign-service activities on behalf of Israel.
Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm, director of Chabad of Bangkok, concurred, adding that the expense of securing Chabad Houses hosting Israeli travelers falls upon the shoulders of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
Committee chairman Danny Danon of the Likud Party also had high praise for Chabad, adding that “every Jew in any remote part of the world knows that he will have a place to be for the Sabbath and the holidays.”
Danon called on Religious Affairs Minister Yaakov Margi to prepare a proposal to determine criteria with which to provide funding for security and education expenses at Chabad institutions. He recommended that the committee reconvene in three months’ time, telling members: “We are not helping [just] Chabad; we are all emissaries, and we are all engaged in these activities.”
Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch, told the committee that it was “gratifying to see the concern” of legislators.
“I’d like to also remind you,” he added, “that there are Chabad institutions here in Israel as well that also are working hard to serve Israeli Jews.”
Israeli lawmakers convened a panel to discuss ways in which the government could support Chabad-Lubavitch activities overseas.
Coming more than two years after the brutal murder of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and four of their guests at their Mumbai, India, Chabad House, the Thursday meeting of members of the Knesset Committee on Immigration and Absorption included Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries around the world.
Speaking to the panel, Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky stressed that funding sources should be identified to help Chabad Houses, many of whom serve large communities of Israeli tourists and expatriates.
“There is nothing in the world like Chabad,” noted Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky. “The recent earthquake in New Zealand is a good example. One of the first things we did when that happened, and we were trying to figure out where our people were, was to call the Chabad emissary there.”
In many ways, Chabad Houses provided a link between travelling Israelis and their home country, he reminded the committee.
“There are 100,000 Israeli soldiers every year wandering the world after their army service,” he said. “Chabad helps us keep track of them,” provides them with resources, encourages them to return home and helps them to hang on their Jewish identities.
Sharansky hailed Chabad’s role in helping Jews in the former Soviet Union strengthen and reawaken their Jewish identities.
“Give me a young emissary with a wife and one child, and stick him in Siberia where there are 50 Jews,” the former refusenik and Israeli Cabinet minister stated. “In five years you will have a family with three children and 200 Jews. And in 10 years you will have a family with seven children and 500 [reawakened] Jews, and that, my friends, is Chabad in Russia.
“There are many places in the world that we do not have the resources to reach or maintain on our own,” continued Sharansky, “but Chabad exists there, like the college campuses in the United States.”
Pointing out that campus emissaries and their students are on the front lines of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment, Sharansky asserted that an investment in Chabad Houses represented an investment in the Jewish future.
“We must ensure that we don’t have to renew this struggle afresh every year,” he said.
Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar testified that although the public hears most about Israelis getting in touch with Chabad Houses overseas following natural disasters, the network of such institutions serves – in addition to their vital roles in fueling Jewish education and pride among local community members – as a touchstone for Jewish travelers looking for kosher food, a way to call home, or even to find a place to stay.
The government should be willing to fund Chabad’s activities, he contended, because they are indirectly performing foreign-service activities on behalf of Israel.
Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm, director of Chabad of Bangkok, concurred, adding that the expense of securing Chabad Houses hosting Israeli travelers falls upon the shoulders of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
Committee chairman Danny Danon of the Likud Party also had high praise for Chabad, adding that “every Jew in any remote part of the world knows that he will have a place to be for the Sabbath and the holidays.”
Danon called on Religious Affairs Minister Yaakov Margi to prepare a proposal to determine criteria with which to provide funding for security and education expenses at Chabad institutions. He recommended that the committee reconvene in three months’ time, telling members: “We are not helping [just] Chabad; we are all emissaries, and we are all engaged in these activities.”
Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch, told the committee that it was “gratifying to see the concern” of legislators.
“I’d like to also remind you,” he added, “that there are Chabad institutions here in Israel as well that also are working hard to serve Israeli Jews.”
RABBI’S NOTES
Sitting Down with the Devil
Seating arrangements are kind of a big deal. How awful is it when you finally take your seat at the shindig when to your horror you discover that you’re seated directly across the biggest nudnick this side of the Mississippi. Oy is it awful! This minor oversight means you are stuck at the $180 per plate ordeal trying to enjoy the evening as you listen to the shmendrick’s cheesy, recycled jokes while desperately attempting to avoid the wafting stench of his cheap cologne. Like I started saying, seating arrangements are kind of a big deal.
On Passover millions of Jews sit down for the Seder and partake in the annual Holiday experience. “Seder” means order as the rabbis painstakingly and deliberately layout the 15 step program. In fact if you look carefully in your Hagadah (Passover Seder book) you may discover all sorts of minute instructions like “lean to the left while downing 4 ounces of red wine,” or “dip vegetable in salt water and eat in an upright position.” Seemingly the great sages of old thoroughly thought this event through and even regimented the smallest of details like the Queen’s staff obsess over ceremonial banquets.
Despite all the formalities and instructions, it seems like the rabbis missed something. Something rather significant – kind of a big deal. It appears that the ball was dropped when it came to seating arrangements. You see, when we seat the Fab Four (the four sons of the pesach seder: the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the one who doesn’t even know to ask) at the highly anticipated Passover shindig we seat the wise son, this upright, pious and saintly chap immediately beside the wicked son, this charlatan cheat – the lowlife whom the Haggadah specifically iterates as irredeemable. Had he lived during the exodus, he’d have been left behind!
Isn’t there already enough drama having the whole family at the same table? Must we stick these two guys next to each other? Are the rabbis trying to create fireworks at the Seder or is there something deeper behind this seeming lapse in the all-important seating department. Perhaps this wasn’t a lapse after all. Perhaps this seeming oversight provides cover to a highly classified mission, a task charged to the wise son because he’s got what it takes to pull it off.
You see, as much as the wicked son appears to be the lowlife he is paraded to be, beneath that mask lies a fellow Jew, a child of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Buried in the depths of the wicked son is a soul - the vivifying “veritable part of G-d above” that animates his very being. So in keeping with the times let me leak this highly covert operation: the wise son’s mission is to tap into the depths of his brother’s being – to re-ignite the spark plugs and to engage his essence. It’s a tall order.
Can he pull it off?
In fact the sages are sending us all a message here. Initiate operation. Don’t write off our “irredeemable” brethren. Engage. Show him some love. Give him a seat at the table. Break some bread-of-faith.
Can you pull it off?
Seating arrangements are kind of a big deal. How awful is it when you finally take your seat at the shindig when to your horror you discover that you’re seated directly across the biggest nudnick this side of the Mississippi. Oy is it awful! This minor oversight means you are stuck at the $180 per plate ordeal trying to enjoy the evening as you listen to the shmendrick’s cheesy, recycled jokes while desperately attempting to avoid the wafting stench of his cheap cologne. Like I started saying, seating arrangements are kind of a big deal.
On Passover millions of Jews sit down for the Seder and partake in the annual Holiday experience. “Seder” means order as the rabbis painstakingly and deliberately layout the 15 step program. In fact if you look carefully in your Hagadah (Passover Seder book) you may discover all sorts of minute instructions like “lean to the left while downing 4 ounces of red wine,” or “dip vegetable in salt water and eat in an upright position.” Seemingly the great sages of old thoroughly thought this event through and even regimented the smallest of details like the Queen’s staff obsess over ceremonial banquets.
Despite all the formalities and instructions, it seems like the rabbis missed something. Something rather significant – kind of a big deal. It appears that the ball was dropped when it came to seating arrangements. You see, when we seat the Fab Four (the four sons of the pesach seder: the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the one who doesn’t even know to ask) at the highly anticipated Passover shindig we seat the wise son, this upright, pious and saintly chap immediately beside the wicked son, this charlatan cheat – the lowlife whom the Haggadah specifically iterates as irredeemable. Had he lived during the exodus, he’d have been left behind!
Isn’t there already enough drama having the whole family at the same table? Must we stick these two guys next to each other? Are the rabbis trying to create fireworks at the Seder or is there something deeper behind this seeming lapse in the all-important seating department. Perhaps this wasn’t a lapse after all. Perhaps this seeming oversight provides cover to a highly classified mission, a task charged to the wise son because he’s got what it takes to pull it off.
You see, as much as the wicked son appears to be the lowlife he is paraded to be, beneath that mask lies a fellow Jew, a child of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Buried in the depths of the wicked son is a soul - the vivifying “veritable part of G-d above” that animates his very being. So in keeping with the times let me leak this highly covert operation: the wise son’s mission is to tap into the depths of his brother’s being – to re-ignite the spark plugs and to engage his essence. It’s a tall order.
Can he pull it off?
In fact the sages are sending us all a message here. Initiate operation. Don’t write off our “irredeemable” brethren. Engage. Show him some love. Give him a seat at the table. Break some bread-of-faith.
Can you pull it off?
IN FOCUS
Rabbi Levi Vogel was born and raised in Rochester N.Y. where his parents established the Chabad Center for Jewish Enrichment in 1981. He went through the Chabad educational system, studying in Yeshivot in Detroit, London, Israel, Morristown N.J. and the Central Yeshivah in Brooklyn N.Y. where he received his Rabbinic Ordination.
While completing his rabbinical and postgraduate studies, Levi was an active participant in Chabad’s outreach programs, serving in summer camps throughout the United States as well as Russia, Belgium, France and the Ukraine.
Rabbi Levi and his wife, Fraidy, moved to St. Augustine in October of 2007 to establish the Chabad Center for Jewish Life. They are joined by their children, Nosson, Mushka and Mendel.
The following is taken from an interview with Rabbi Levi Vogel on Feb. 16, 2011:
Q. What are some of the bigger challenges you face as a Chabad Emmissary in St. Augustine?
A. I’d say, getting past the false impressions that some people may have about us for one reason or another. I think it’s mostly because people don’t know what Chabad is, and therefore draw all sorts of conclusions. Such as, “Oh, look at this guy with the beard and tzitzis! He probably wants to make me Orthodox, or worse yet – Chassidic!” Or, “They probably don’t consider me Jewish because I’m not as observant”, etc. However, once people get to know us, they see that’s not what we’re about at all. There are quite a bunch of people we’ve gotten to know, who initially, were very suspicious of us.
Q. So “what are you about”?
A. Chabad is about love, love of G-d, love of Torah and love of our fellow Jew. To bring the warmth and joy of Judaism to every Jew in St. Augustine - whatever their affiliation or level of observance may be. By creating warm and positive Jewish experiences that everyone can participate in and feel a part of, we believe that each person will find joy and meaning in being Jewish.
[In fact, Lubavitch, the town in Russia where Chabad Chassidism originated (hence “Chabad Lubavitch”), means “City of Love”. Chabad doesn’t judge people. The Torah teaches that every Jew has a neshamah, a Jewish spark, which remains holy and pure and is precious in the eyes of G-d.]
Q. What’s it like keeping kosher in St. Augustine?
A. Very easy! Many dry goods in the local supermarkets are already kosher, and we ship in meat from Miami with the kosher co-op with Chabad of Jacksonville. Actually, this service is available to everyone who wants kosher meat. But we recently decided to make it even easier for people in St. Augustine. Since the meat comes in bulk, for someone who doesn’t have the room or the resources to purchase an entire case of meat at a time it’s not really a great option. So we hit upon this idea: we will order in bulk, and you can purchase in any amount that you like! This way, even if you don’t have the space or the money for an entire case of meat, you can still get kosher meat right here in St. Augustine, in any amount, at a very reasonable price.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. Connecting with many different people from various walks of life and backgrounds. In this position, you get to meet all kinds of people. It’s really fascinating! I love schmoozing, learning about and getting to know people.
Q. What do you like most about St. Augustine?
A. There is so much to like! But most of all, I like the Old City with its art galleries and the history…. the weather! Being from Rochester, NY, I’ve had enough of the snow! I love the warm weather. And, of course, I love being near the seashore!
Q. Tell us about some things that are on the horizon.
A. We are currently getting ready to launch the new Jewish Lending Library which will include a wide range of Jewish topics in the form of books and DVDs. In the near future, we plan to start a Hebrew reading course, a Shabbat day service followed by a delicious kiddush luncheon and hot chulent, and a series of special guest speakers to lecture on a variety of Jewish subjects. We are also planning some exciting new cultural events with a focus on Jewish art, music and history.
The long term goal is to create a warm and vibrant center for Jewish life in St. Augustine, which will serve as a place for Jewish learning and celebration, and provide for the many different needs of the community. We envision it to be a place where every Jew, regardless of background, will feel welcome and a sense of belonging. Thank G-d, we are well on our way to achieving this goal!
While completing his rabbinical and postgraduate studies, Levi was an active participant in Chabad’s outreach programs, serving in summer camps throughout the United States as well as Russia, Belgium, France and the Ukraine.
Rabbi Levi and his wife, Fraidy, moved to St. Augustine in October of 2007 to establish the Chabad Center for Jewish Life. They are joined by their children, Nosson, Mushka and Mendel.
The following is taken from an interview with Rabbi Levi Vogel on Feb. 16, 2011:
Q. What are some of the bigger challenges you face as a Chabad Emmissary in St. Augustine?
A. I’d say, getting past the false impressions that some people may have about us for one reason or another. I think it’s mostly because people don’t know what Chabad is, and therefore draw all sorts of conclusions. Such as, “Oh, look at this guy with the beard and tzitzis! He probably wants to make me Orthodox, or worse yet – Chassidic!” Or, “They probably don’t consider me Jewish because I’m not as observant”, etc. However, once people get to know us, they see that’s not what we’re about at all. There are quite a bunch of people we’ve gotten to know, who initially, were very suspicious of us.
Q. So “what are you about”?
A. Chabad is about love, love of G-d, love of Torah and love of our fellow Jew. To bring the warmth and joy of Judaism to every Jew in St. Augustine - whatever their affiliation or level of observance may be. By creating warm and positive Jewish experiences that everyone can participate in and feel a part of, we believe that each person will find joy and meaning in being Jewish.
[In fact, Lubavitch, the town in Russia where Chabad Chassidism originated (hence “Chabad Lubavitch”), means “City of Love”. Chabad doesn’t judge people. The Torah teaches that every Jew has a neshamah, a Jewish spark, which remains holy and pure and is precious in the eyes of G-d.]
Q. What’s it like keeping kosher in St. Augustine?
A. Very easy! Many dry goods in the local supermarkets are already kosher, and we ship in meat from Miami with the kosher co-op with Chabad of Jacksonville. Actually, this service is available to everyone who wants kosher meat. But we recently decided to make it even easier for people in St. Augustine. Since the meat comes in bulk, for someone who doesn’t have the room or the resources to purchase an entire case of meat at a time it’s not really a great option. So we hit upon this idea: we will order in bulk, and you can purchase in any amount that you like! This way, even if you don’t have the space or the money for an entire case of meat, you can still get kosher meat right here in St. Augustine, in any amount, at a very reasonable price.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. Connecting with many different people from various walks of life and backgrounds. In this position, you get to meet all kinds of people. It’s really fascinating! I love schmoozing, learning about and getting to know people.
Q. What do you like most about St. Augustine?
A. There is so much to like! But most of all, I like the Old City with its art galleries and the history…. the weather! Being from Rochester, NY, I’ve had enough of the snow! I love the warm weather. And, of course, I love being near the seashore!
Q. Tell us about some things that are on the horizon.
A. We are currently getting ready to launch the new Jewish Lending Library which will include a wide range of Jewish topics in the form of books and DVDs. In the near future, we plan to start a Hebrew reading course, a Shabbat day service followed by a delicious kiddush luncheon and hot chulent, and a series of special guest speakers to lecture on a variety of Jewish subjects. We are also planning some exciting new cultural events with a focus on Jewish art, music and history.
The long term goal is to create a warm and vibrant center for Jewish life in St. Augustine, which will serve as a place for Jewish learning and celebration, and provide for the many different needs of the community. We envision it to be a place where every Jew, regardless of background, will feel welcome and a sense of belonging. Thank G-d, we are well on our way to achieving this goal!
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