I write these words days before Purim, and in light of current events, the story takes on new resonance. Our history is filled with attempts to reduce anti-Semitism by changing our approach to the world outside: be erased by keeping a low profile, or by excelling and contributing double: by integrating and assimilating with the greater society (even to the point of intermarriage) or by keeping to ourselves. Each strategy has sometimes seemed effective in the short-term. But none has consistently worked.
The event brought a measure of consolation and optimism to the 800 people who came to celebrate the grand opening of Rashi’s Campus, the magnificent new Chabad center named in Rashi Minkowicz's memory. Five years after her tragic passing, Rashi’s vitality is missed. But her energy continues to inspire.
Two hundred and fifty Jewish young professionals arrived in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY last week for a weekend dubbed "Encounter: Crown Heights."
Zachary Shapiro, 10, looked out from the stage to his family in the crowd. His hand hovered over the buzzer. The questions came fast, and he was ready: What are the names of the Hebrew months of the year in sequence? What blessing do you recite over freshly squeezed orange juice? What are Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith?
The kosher restaurant, which is open for dinner once a month at Chabad of Poway, is an opportunity for individuals with special needs to learn life skills. Through being responsible for its management, the hosts are taught skills for greeting, serving, cooking,and clearing.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, many segments of American Jewry led protests and rallies under the banner, “Let My People Go,” agitating to bring Russian Jews out of the former Soviet Union. Where do these Russian transplants and their children and grandchildren figure today in the American Jewish community?
Zachary Shapiro, 10, looked out from the stage to his family in the crowd. His hand hovered over the buzzer. The questions came fast, and he was ready: What are the names of the Hebrew months of the year in sequence? What blessing do you recite over freshly squeezed orange juice? What are Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith?
The event brought a measure of consolation and optimism to the 800 people who came to celebrate the grand opening of Rashi’s Campus, the magnificent new Chabad center named in Rashi Minkowicz's memory. Five years after her tragic passing, Rashi’s vitality is missed. But her energy continues to inspire.
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