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Lubavitcher Rebbe’s 123rd Birthday Marked as Education and Sharing Day 

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In houses of legislature across the United States and beyond, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s 123rd birthday — this year on April 9 — is being marked with proclamations honoring his life, legacy and lasting impact—and proclaiming his birthday to be Education and Sharing Day, a day to reflect on the crucial importance of moral and ethical education, as the Rebbe advocated.  

At Binghamton City Hall in Broome County, New York, elected officials and representatives of local, State, and Federal houses of legislature gathered at a ceremony honoring the Rebbe.        

“I don’t think there’s been an event that I’ve gone to [like this one], where you see all of our elected officials, the President of Binghamton University, the representatives from State and Federal levels,” Binghamton Mayor Jared M. Kraham said at the event. “That speaks to the magnitude of today’s event. The Rebbe is really a cornerstone of American history; someone who symbolizes all that is good. The themes that he has been preaching over the years really come home in communities.”

The Rebbe’s work was honored by governors across the country, from Georgia to New Mexico, and from Pennsylvania to Nebraska.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly presented a proclamation to members of the Kansas Jewish community, including Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel of Chabad at KU and Rabbi Mendel Wenger of Chabad of Olathe — the newest Chabad-Lubavitch outpost in the state.  

“The Rebbe promoted education and tolerance by preserving Jewish life and culture in the State of Kansas, establishing a network of Chabad Centers promoting educational values throughout the sunflower State,” the Kansas proclamation states. “Chabad of Kansas has been at the vanguard of Jewish outreach in the State of Kansas, bettering the lives of countless citizens, uniting a variety of faiths and religions for the common purpose of making the world a better place.”

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott presented an Education and Sharing Day proclamation to some seventeen Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis representing communities from across the state—from El Paso to Lubbock to Houston and Dallas. The Texas State House and Senate issued similar resolutions as well.

“… Education entails more than the mere transmission of facts and figures; rather, it must prepare pupils for a life of responsibility, purpose, and honor. Few understood this profound truth better than Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe,” Abbott wrote. “A scholar and leader, he strove to advance a mode of education rooted in both knowledge and virtue. He believed that learning should inspire students to devote themselves to a higher calling and uplift others.”

“His work touched lives throughout the world, and his vision resonates to this day. Each year, on the anniversary of the Rebbe’s birth, leaders at every level of government observe Education and Sharing Day and recommit to the principles he championed.”

Echoing the Rebbe’s call to promote the universal value of tzedakah — giving to those in need — many Education and Sharing Day ceremonies also featured the ARK, a charity box shaped like an ark whose acronym stands for Acts of Random Kindness becoming Acts of Routine Kindness. An ARK was placed on every desk in the Texas House of Representatives, and back in Broome County, it is the centerpiece of an initiative that seeks to bring a spirit of giving into the halls of government.

“We’re proud to bring that spirit into the county workforce through the launch of the ARK initiative,” Broome County Executive Jason T. Garnar announced at the event. “Every County department will receive an ARK, collect change from their staff, and when it’s full, the department will choose where to donate it, and then start all over again.”

“It’s about making kindness routine; about taking small steps together that lead to lasting impact,” said Garnar. “It’s our hope that every time a staff member sees the ARK, it serves as a quiet but powerful reminder to be kind, give back, and be part of something bigger than themselves.”

Today in Jewish History: 11 Nissan, Birthday of The Rebbe

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Tonight and tomorrow marks the 123rd birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn of blessed memory.


On this day, Yud-Alef (11) Nissan, we celebrate the birth of a leader who changed the face of Judaism in the 21st century, who dedicated his life to a mission: to reach out to every Jew, everywhere, no matter their affiliation, knowledge, or level of observance.


Today, more than 6,000 Chabad emissaries continue working toward this goal, providing services to Jews around the globe.


The Rebbe’s legendary achievements focused on filling our world with loving kindness, and elevating our reality so that it is bright, joyful and holy. His legacy is perpetuated by the acts of goodness and kindness that we do every day.


What mitzvah can you do today in honor of the Rebbe?

Want to learn more about The Rebbe? Click here: Lubavitch.com/the-rebbe/

The Annotated Seder Plate: Insights, Tidbits, and Fun Facts

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Haggadah

Since escaping Egypt, the Jewish people have celebrated Passover by telling the story of the Exodus. Over time, the story became more formal and elaborate—the word seder means “order”—as customs developed and coalesced. Around the turn of the previous millennium, a selection of scriptural verses, a Mishnaic-era exegesis, and a guide to the laws and customs of the Seder night were compiled into a single text, and the Haggadah was born. The oldest physical fragments of a Haggadah (literally “to tell”), found in the Cairo Genizah, date back to roughly this time. Since then, the text has gone on to inspire an astonishing array of versions, commentaries, and companion works—more than any other book in the Jewish library excluding the Bible. According to the Encyclopaedia Judaica, since the fifteenth century there have been more than 2,700 editions!

Matzah

On all other nights we eat leavened and unleavened bread—tonight, only Matzah. The puffed-up and inflated character of bread, the Chassidic masters tell us, represents arrogance and ego, the inclination to evil itself. “Master of the Universe,” the Talmudic sage Rabbi Alexandri used to pray, “our will is to perform Your will, yet what prevents us? The yeast in the dough . . .” (Talmud Bavli, 17a). Strange, then, that we are so committed to eradicating chameitz on Pesach, but tolerate it the rest of the year.

The ego is an unavoidable part of the human condition, but it doesn’t need to be its organizing principle. For eight days, we surrender to a higher consciousness, an exercise in extremes meant to reorient our lives toward a higher purpose. Not just the base of the Seder plate, the matzah is the basis of the entire year.  

Wine

The Kiddush cup is only the first of four drunk at the Seder. According to the Jerusalem Talmud, these cups of wine correspond to four promises G-d made to the Jewish people: “I will take you out . . . I will save you . . . I will redeem you . . .” and finally, “I will take you to Me as a people.”

The Israelites were rushed out of Egypt in a daze. Degraded by years of oppression, it would take time for them to process the remarkable relationship G-d had just initiated with them. All four “expressions of redemption” reflect this dynamic: G-d is the active agent, while we are passively acted upon. The last one, however, puts the ball in our court: Whether we are truly worthy of being called a “G-dly people” depends on us.

Zroa

The roasted chicken shankbone, or neck bone, in Chabad custom, represents the paschal offering.

In Temple times, each paschal lamb was brought by, and then subsequently distributed among, a mini-collective, like a large family or a few neighbors. While all other sacrifices are either individual or communal, the paschal offering was somewhere in between, or both at once. 

Passover reminds us that we have both individual and communal identities. At times, these identities can clash, and we are called upon to rise above our narrow personal preferences on behalf of a greater whole. But the inverse is also true: no community is ever too big or important to let the needs of an individual member go unnoticed.

Beitzah

Like the roasted zroa, the cooked egg (roasted or boiled) on the Seder plate symbolizes one of the sacrifices brought in the Temple: the Chagigah, a “festive” offering that ensured there would be plenty to eat on the holiday. In many communities, the egg is peeled and eaten around halfway through the Seder, just before the main meal.

The egg is a symbol of latent birth. It is both fully formed, and not quite there, the birth only complete after the hatching. The Rebbes of Izhbitz explain that Pesach signifies only the beginning of a process that was fully realized with the giving of the Torah on the holiday of Shavuot. Even now, we recognize that the Exodus story remains incomplete until the future, ultimate redemption.

Charoset

From Morocco to Russia to the Italian Piedmont, there have been more takes on charoset than on any other Seder-plate fixture. Chabad’s minimalist version blends apple or pear together with walnuts and wine, although some texts recommend adding cinnamon and ginger, and the Arizal, that great mystic of Safed, was said to use seven kinds of fruit and three spices.

The name of the dish comes from the Hebrew for clay, cheres, since its paste-like texture is meant to recall the mud and mortar that the enslaved Israelites worked with in Egypt. Maimonides makes this clear with the recipe included in his twelfth-century magnum opus, Mishneh Torah: “How is it made? Take dates, dried figs, or raisins and the like, crush them, add vinegar, and mix them in with spices, just as clay is mixed into straw.”

Maror

Bitter herbs, intended to recall the sharp sting of slavery, are eaten twice during the Seder: First alone and then inside Hillel’s famous matzah sandwich. Both times, however, the discomfort caused by the maror is tempered by lightly dipping the horseradish or romaine lettuce into the sweet charoset relish. 

One might wonder: If tonight is all about celebrating the sweet taste of freedom, why are we eating maror at all? In truth, says Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger, the bitter and the sweet often come together. In Egypt, the depths of our suffering prompted G-d’s miraculous intervention, and as we look back, we see how the slavery itself was just a step on the long road to true national liberation—this was G-d’s plan all along. So too, at the Seder, we wrap the bitterness of exile together with the bread of freedom. Suffering has a way of clarifying things, of ultimately leaving us stronger and more determined. 

Chazeret

The Mishnah lists five different vegetables that may be used to fulfill the obligation of eating bitter herbs at the Seder. There is some disagreement regarding their modern-day counterparts, but tradition holds that one, called tamcha, is horseradish; and another, olashin, endives. The most common is chazeret, romaine lettuce. 

According to the Talmud, chazeret is the preferred bitter herb, because, when left unharvested, the sweet leaves of the lettuce turn bitter and unpleasant, much like the Israelites’ experience in Egypt. In colder climates, however, such lettuce can be hard to come by in the spring. So for many Jews in Northern and Eastern Europe, horseradish became the herb of choice, and the custom stuck. In Chabad, the lettuce and the horseradish are used together for both the Maror and Korach stages of the Seder, and are therefore placed on both spots of the Seder plate. 

Karpas

Several reasons have been suggested for the odd custom of dipping karpas—traditionally onion, potato, or parsley—in saltwater on the Seder night. The classic explanation, however, is just that: it’s odd. It is the first thing we do at the Seder that is conspicuously different from a regular Friday night meal: We make Kiddush, wash our hands, but then, instead of eating bread, we veer left, and dip an onion in salt water. This ploy is specifically intended to catch the attention of the younger Seder-participant, “to intrigue the children,” as it says in the halachic literature. 

In our day, efforts to attract the next generation to the Seder continue. There are Passover-themed hand puppets, Martha Stewart-endorsed DIY Ten Plagues kits, and extravagant afikoman prizes. No matter how sophisticated or simple, the object remains the same: to make the Exodus story relevant and engaging to even the littlest among us. It’s the job of every parent and Seder-leader to include everyone at the table—especially those who might one day be leading a Seder of their own.

This article appeared in the Lubavitch International Magazine – Spring 2021 issue. To subscribe and gain access to previous magazines please click here.

The Haggadah Collection At The Library Of Agudas Chassidei Chabad

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The prestigious Haggadah collection of Chabad’s Central Library began in December 1924, when the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, acquired the collection of bibliographer Shmuel Wiener, consisting of approximately five thousand rare books. The acquisition included some four hundred printed editions of the Passover Haggadah. Since then, the Library has added many more to its collection.

Today, the Library houses about two thousand editions of the Haggadah published over the past 450 years—approximately half of all Haggadahs published during this time. Among them are many hitherto unknown editions. In 1938, the Library’s then-director, Rabbi Chaim Lieberman, listed thirty-two editions of the Haggadah not mentioned elsewhere. 

The earliest bibliography of Haggadahs was compiled by Shmuel Wiener himself, who listed 909 editions. A more complete list—from the invention of the printing press until 1960—catalogued 2,717. Bibliographer Avraham Yaari notes in his introduction that he consulted the Chabad Library, among others (Bibliography of the Passover Haggadah, Jerusalem, 1960). Several years later, Theodore Wiener published an appendix to Yaari’s work (Studies in Bibliography and Booklore, vol. VII, Cincinnati, 1965). After searching through sixteen prestigious libraries worldwide, he discovered 330 more Haggadahs, of which over forty were in the Chabad Library. 

In the spring of 1996, the Chabad Library held an exhibition featuring more than two hundred international editions of the Haggadah, including ancient, handwritten scrolls, printed Haggadahs, and bibliographies.

Captions for article main photo:

  • The renowned, magnificent “Kittsee Haggadah,” written and illuminated on parchment by the famous calligrapher Chaim ben R. Asher Anshel of Kittsee, near Pressburg, Hungary, 1760. A facsimile edition of the Kittsee Haggadah is available at kehot.com.
  • Handwritten Haggadah with commentary and Kabbalistic meditations from the works of Rabbi Isaac Luria.
  • The oldest record of musical notation in Jewish literature is in this Haggadah with Latin translation, first published in 1644. The second edition was published in Frankfurt, Germany, 1698.
  • Haggadah with commentary by Don Isaac Abarbanel, with woodcuts, Amsterdam, 1712.
  • Illustrated Haggadah with maps of the Israelites’ travels in the desert, the land of Israel, and the Temple in Jerusalem, Amsterdam, 1695.

This article appeared in the Lubavitch International Magazine – Spring 2021 issue. To subscribe and gain access to previous magazines please click here.

Chabad Opens in Portugal’s Coastal Paradise

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Pristine beaches, world-class golf courses, and a sun-drenched coastline — Portugal’s Algarve region is a place people come to escape. But for Rabbi Menachem  and Chana Wagner and their family, it’s not just a vacation paradise; it’s home. While millions pass through each year, few realize that beyond the picturesque streets and Mediterranean climate, a new chapter of Jewish life is unfolding.

In mid-January, the Wagners moved to the Algarve to establish Chabad of South Portugal, under the leadership of Rabbi Eli Rosenfeld of Chabad of Portugal and with the help of a generous financial grant from the Rohr Foundation.

The Algarve has Jews of all types scattered around its coastal towns and cities. There’s a mix of locals, retirees, and young families, and a significant Israeli presence, partly due to Portugal’s Sephardic citizenship program. But beyond the local community, the Wagners serve the many Jewish travelers that visit the region — some of the 5.2 million tourists the Algarve sees each year.

Since their arrival, the Wagners have focused on connecting with Jews across the Algarve — by bonding over coffee and home-baked pastries, and hosting community events like Friday night meals and holiday celebrations. On Purim, over 75 people attended the parties and Megillah readings they hosted. “With Passover coming up, dozens of people reached out, asking us about a Seder,” says Rabbi Wagner. “We will be hosting a public Seder — and we’re expecting a large crowd.”

Sophie Bibi Roubi, who has lived with her husband and children in Alcantarilha, Portugal for over 9 years, recognizes the tremendous effect that the Wagners have had. “Before Chabad arrived in the Algarve, we would have to drive nearly three hours to go to the closest Chabad center. Now, for the first time, we have that connection right here at home. It’s a huge sacrifice — the Wagners chose to come here, far from their families back home, to help build ours.”

Maital Katar, who has lived in the Algarve with her husband Ron and three children for 5 years, feels Chabad’s presence is exactly what was needed. “The Algarve is a beautiful place to live, but without Chabad, something was always missing. Meeting the Wagners sparked excitement in my heart — a young couple coming here to build their future and uplift the community — it just felt right.” She sees the effect they are having in real time. “In just a few months, they pulled off a beautiful Tu B’Shvat event and a Purim celebration — they really think out of the box and make things happen.” 

Down the line, the Wagners plan to open a permanent, central Chabad center in the Algarve, but for the time being, they are based in Alvor, a town near the city of Portimão — the largest city in the Western Algarve. Their programs and impact, however, are felt and experienced all throughout South Portugal. “Wherever we establish a permanent Chabad house,” says Rabbi Wagner, “it will be a home for Jews from all over the Algarve.”

“For us, Chabad was always part of life,” says Maital Katar. “I grew up in New York, receiving dollars from the Rebbe on Sundays. With Chabad in the area, you know you’re taken care of and have a real family to rely on. When you walk into a Chabad house, you feel like you’ve arrived home.”

Moment of Silence Becomes Law in Kentucky

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A bill to enact a Moment of Silence in Kentucky passed with a majority in both houses of legislature. The new law establishes “a moment of silence or reflection” in all public schools, “encouraging parents and guardians to provide guidance” to their children as to how to utilize  the moment of contemplation. 

Championed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe as a non-sectarian way to instill moral and ethical education, the Moment of Silence is law in dozens of states. In Kentucky, the initiative was promoted by Chabad Rabbi Avrohom Litvin, along with Rabbis Shlomo, Shmully, and Chaim Litvin of Chabad in Kentucky. Resources were provided by Rabbi Avraham Frank, who has brought the program to numerous schools in New York. 

The law stipulates that “The policy shall prohibit district personnel from providing instruction to any student regarding the nature of any reflection that a student may engage in during the moment of silence or reflection” and that it “shall require notification be sent to parents or guardians … encouraging parents and guardians to provide guidance to their pupils regarding the moment of silence or reflection” — both elements that the Rebbe emphasized in promoting the Moment of Silence. More about the Moment of Silence: lubavitch.com/a-quiet-moment 

The bill also enacts a provision for Released Time — allowing students to be excused for an hour each week for a “moral instruction offering.” Thousands of Jewish public school students have benefited from Released Time programs offered by Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters since 1940. Now, Kentucky is poised to take a step in enhancing moral and ethical education throughout the state.

Today in Jewish History: Birthday of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson

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Today marks a notable date in Jewish history: the birthday of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, of blessed memory.

Known simply as the Rebbetzin, she was born on 25 Adar in 1901 (5661), the second daughter of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn.

Growing up in her father’s home, the young girl was witness to her father’s fearlessness against the stubborn religious intolerance of communist Russia. At a young age, she became involved in her father’s communal affairs, including dangerous missions for the underground network of Chabad Jewish educational institutions.

In the winter of 1928, in Warsaw, Poland, she wed Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. The young couple lived in Berlin until the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933, which forced them to flee to Paris. When German forces invaded France in 1940, they again fled to Nice in the south of the country. During this time, the Rebbetzin together with her husband aided many Jews by providing financial and other assistance, allowing them to escape almost certain death at the hands of the Nazis. In 1941 they fled the blood-soaked shores of Europe for the safety of the United States.

After the passing of her father in 1950, the Rebbetzin was instrumental in convincing her husband to accept the mantle of leadership of the Lubavitch movement and become the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe.

In a deeply Chasidic way, she personified dignified modesty. For the wife of a world-renowned figure, she kept a very low profile and seldom appeared in public. But the visitors she received to her home on President Street, in Brooklyn, invariably took note of her wit and wisdom that peppered her conversations, and her maternal concern for the wellbeing of others.

Rebbetzin Chaya Moussia passed away at the age of 86, on 22 Shevat, 1988 (5748). Though she passed away childless, thousands of girls have since been named for her. These young women — and many other Jewish women — look to her exemplary fortitude, her commitment to Jewish life and her dedication as worthy of emulation.

On the day of the Rebbetzin’s passing, the Rebbe established the Keren Hachomesh Charitable Foundation (Kerenhachomesh.org) in memory of his beloved wife, a special fund to support women’s social and educational matters in fields such as Torah study, the construction of mikvahs, and the needs of brides. This fund continues to be administered by Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters, and has aided many thousands in the merit of this exceptional individual.

Waterford, Michigan Welcomes its First Synagogue

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Waterford, Michigan, is a 25-minute commute from the nearest synagogue. Too far for local Jews–many who grew up in urban Detroit with Jewish traditions. 

Enter Rabbi Berel and Chana Grossbaum, who moved to the Detroit suburb in November, 2024 with their two young sons Mendel and Levi. Waterford, located around 30 miles north of Detroit, has an estimated Jewish population of 800 families, many who moved from the city for Waterford’s quieter suburban lifestyle. The city boasts lakes, hiking paths, parks, and skiing in the winter.

“Almost every Jewish person we’ve met here remembers growing up with Jewish traditions,” says Rabbi Grossbaum. But without even one local synagogue, he adds. “many people who used to attend services don’t go anymore — even on Yom Kippur.”

Rochelle Morais, who lives near Waterford, said that Chabad’s Chanukah event this past year, a first for Waterford, “helped us connect with people we didn’t even know lived nearby, including some old students of mine.”

Chana Grossbaum recently hosted a women’s event celebrating the 15th of Shevat, with a nice turnout despite the typically snowy February weather. Rabbi Grossbaum studies Torah one-on-one with several people in the community and hosts study breakfasts and Sunday morning prayer services. “My boyfriend Brian Masserman went to the minyan — something he hasn’t done often,” says Rochelle. “He was surprised to see that there were other Jews in the area. It’s really about those small connections and bringing a little more Judaism into our lives.”

The Grossbaums have big plans for the community. “We envision a full-fledged Chabad center that will host Shabbat services, social events, bar and bat mitzvahs, children’s programs, and more,” says Rabbi Grossbaum.

Lisa Berkowitz says that Chabad came to Waterford at a critical time. “Meeting other Jews in our community has made me feel prouder of my Judaism,” she says. “Lately, I’ve found myself holding back, not being as loud and proud, but I’m working to change that. I’ve encouraged my cousin to start lighting Shabbat candles, and my friend and her daughter have started as well. Chabad is bringing people together and strengthening our Jewish identity. We need that now more than ever.” 

From Northern Israel to Southern California, Purim Celebrations Bring Cheer to Hard-Hit Communities

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As the festive holiday of Purim begins Thursday evening, March 13, Chabad reps around the world will bring the holiday’s joy and observances to Jewish people, including in communities that have been hit hard by war and natural disasters. 

Chabad reps will read the megillah, share mishloach manot gifts of food, coordinate the distribution of matanot la’evyonim – gifts of money for the indigent – and host Purim feasts in more than 100 countries around the world.

In Cancun, Mexico, Chabad will celebrate with hundreds of Jewish college students visiting for spring break. Chabad of Miami Beach is doing the same. The students– facing antisemitic hatred and adversity on campus–will now celebrate their Judaism proudly and joyfully, as they hear the Megillah in Mexico or Miami. 

IDF soldiers stationed at Mt. Hermon may need to bundle up for the chilly mountaintop weather, but the warmth of the holiday will reach them in Syria as well. Rabbi Sholom Ber Hertzel of Chabad of the Golan Heights launched a massive initiative that will deliver 12,500 mishloach manot gifts to soldiers stationed in Syria and Northern Israel.

In Bahia Blanca, Argentina, where many thousands of residents have been displaced by flooding, Chabad is distributing food, clothing and financial aid to people who lost everything days before Purim. With their own soup kitchen destroyed by the floods, truckloads of supplies and volunteers made the 400-mile trek from Buenos Aires

The wildfire-devastated Pacific Palisades Jewish community gathered for a pre-Purim event at Our Big Kitchen in Los Angeles, California, where they baked hamantashen – the traditional three-cornered Purim pastry – and received mishloach manot gifts. On Purim, they’ll gather in Beverly Hills for a Royal Purim Celebration – a chance to forget, for a few hours, the reality of a community turned to ash and the road to rebuilding that lies ahead.

For the megillah reading schedule and to join your local Chabad’s Purim events, click here. You can participate in the mitzvah of giving charity to the needy of Israel here.

Reading the Megillah in Cancun, Mexico
Bringing Purim joy to local Jews in Bahia Blanca

Floodwaters Destroy City’s Chabad Soup Kitchen and Provisions

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After torrential rains flooded Bahia Blanca, Argentina — a port town 400 miles south of Buenos Aires — the country’s Chabad representatives are coordinating a massive aid and cleanup effort together with the city’s Chabad representatives, Rabbi Shmuel and Shterni Freedman.

The Freedmans and their small children were rescued by a military vehicle from the second story balcony of their flooded home on Friday afternoon, March 7. But the rabbi quickly returned to the city with student volunteers, distributing water, food, clothing and shoes. “We are trying to assess the situation here,” the rabbi told Lubavitch.com. “A lot of the city is still without electricity and cell phone service. We will visit as many people personally as we can.”

The flooding hit the city’s poor especially hard, straining the resources of organizations who aid them — including Chabad, which routinely distributes food, medicine and financial aid to hundreds of families. Now, tons of food earmarked for the city’s poor were ruined by the floodwaters, which destroyed the first-floor soup kitchen at the Chabad center. 

Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt, director of Chabad of Argentina, coordinated the delivery of a truckload of critically-needed supplies — accompanied by Chabad rabbinical student volunteers.

Chabad of Bahia Blanca was founded in 1985 by Rabbi Moshe and Sarah Freedman. After Rabbi Moshe’s passing in 2016, his son and daughter-in-law, Rabbi Shmuel and Shterni Freedman moved to the city to serve as its Chabad reps, along with Mrs. Sarah Freedman. The center serves many impoverished people among the city’s estimated 500 Jewish families. 

Rabbi Shmuel’s nine siblings — today serving Jewish communities around the world — used their familiarity with the community and the language to help their childhood hometown, calling every member of the community, triaging needs, and directing volunteers to those affected.

With the floodwaters receding, the long and arduous task of cleanup and restoration has begun. “This is a Hurricane Katrina-level event for the city,” said Rabbi Mendy Freedman, of Lyndhurst Ohio. He’s been helping to coordinate the reconstruction efforts. “The volunteers will be here for weeks, helping restore homes and distribute aid.”

With the holiday of Purim a few days away, they also gave out mishloach manot gift packages, bringing festive cheer to so many struggling to recover.

To contribute to the restoration of Chabad of Bahia Blanca, click here.

New Opening in Martinique

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Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean with a rich and often overlooked Jewish history, is looking forward to a new boost in Jewish life.

Rabbi Reuven and Chaya Naparstek were recently recruited by the community to serve the local Jewish community in Martinique. 

The Chabad reps introduced daily prayer and Shabbat services, and weekly Torah classes for men, women, and teens. They’ve also pioneered a program for Jewish children. “It’s a sight to see,” says Avy Twizer, a resident of the island. “Every day, a bus arrives at the local school during lunch break and picks up the Jewish children, bringing them to the synagogue — where they pray, study, and eat kosher food.” Once a week on Wednesdays, the “Hebrew School” is extended for an extra hour, giving the children more time to learn and grow in their Judaism.

Jewish life in Martinique has waxed and waned over the centuries. The first Jewish settlers came from Brazil along with the colonization of the Caribbean island in the early 17th century, but they were persecuted by trade bans and eventually expelled by royal French decree in 1685. In the early 18th century many Jews returned, but the community once again dwindled after the volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902. During World War II, Martinique fell under the rule of the antisemitic Vichy government, which forcefully expelled many Jews from the island to Europe and North Africa.

The 1970s saw a resurgence of Jewish life in Martinique. Sephardic French Jews from Algeria, who had escaped the Algerian War, sought a familiar Mediterranean-like environment to call home. They migrated to Martinique where they created a community that is thriving to this day, consisting of about two hundred families.

They inaugurated a synagogue in the town of Schoelcher. They called their congregation “Kenaf Ha’aretz,” or, “Corner of the World,”​ a reference to the concept of the ingathering of the Jewish people from all four corners of the world — even this tiny island in the remote West Indies.

This Chanukah saw the first-ever car menorah parade in Martinique’s history, with twenty cars proclaiming the Chanukah miracle throughout the island. Another beautiful initiative recently introduced is “Avot Ubanim” — where fathers and sons come together every few weeks on Saturday night to study Torah.

Looking ahead, Rabbi Naparstek has ambitious plans for the future, not just for the existing community, but for the thousands of visitors to the island who seek a connection to Jewish life. He is working to make accessibility to kosher food easier for locals and visitors.

“We are also looking to build an extensive library of French Torah literature in the synagogue — right now there are practically no resources here for anyone who is looking to further their Jewish knowledge on their own,” he says. “There are many Jewish teenagers in Martinique, so a permanent ‘CTeen Lounge’ — a place where teens can relax and have enjoyable Jewish experiences — is also in the plans for the future.”

“It’s truly incredible what the Naparsteks have accomplished in the short time since they arrived,” says Kevin Aim, a community member. “From the weekly Torah classes to the new programs for children, they have brought a new energy to Jewish life here.”

Jewish Professionals Meet Up in Singapore

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They came from seventeen countries — including Cambodia, Taiwan, Israel, Australia, Austria, and the Netherlands—for a weekend in Singapore. “Encounters,” as the experience is called, creates opportunities for young Jewish professionals to meet, network, and perhaps even find their Jewish soulmate. 

Henna Meltzer arrived from Sydney, Australia. “Joining with other young Jews from around the world to celebrate each other and our heritage was an unforgettable experience. This was really something special that many of us didn’t realize we needed,” she said.

A project of Chabad Young Professionals International, the Jan 30 weekend was hosted by the Jewish Welfare Board of Singapore. To kick off the gathering on Friday, the group took a boat to Pulau Ubin Island, right off of mainland Singapore, where they enjoyed its scenic nature.

Shabbat — a first for many of the forty professionals — featured traditional prayers and kosher home-cooked meals. They also engaged in a Q&A session with local rabbis Mordechai Abergel and Netanel Rivni, examining issues of ethics in business and personal relationships from a Jewish perspective.

“With antisemitism recently on the rise, bringing Jews together — especially those who come from more isolated communities — is an essential reminder of our unity and identity,” said Rabbi Leivy Srugo of Chabad in Taipei, Taiwan. “The dancing and singing during the prayers, the meaningful conversations and connections — this weekend was truly remarkable.”

Raphael Galuz came from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. “Meeting and bonding with Jews from so many different backgrounds and places was refreshing,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get more in touch with my Judaism by starting to keep Shabbat and kosher little by little — this weekend really gave me a boost.

Shabbat was capped Saturday night by a farewell Havdalah ceremony, featuring a live DJ.

For Justin Stein, from Sydney, “It really was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that created lasting memories and friendships with fellow Jews from around the world.”

4,000 Jewish Teens Say: “We Are the Persevering Nation”

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With the giant screens perched above Manhattan’s Theater District flashing images of their beaming faces, thousands of Jewish teens radiated contagious joy as they danced to the music and declared, “We are not the persecuted nation. We are the persevering nation.”

Alan Krasnov, a twelfth grader from Buenos Aires, Argentina who has few Jewish classmates back home never felt more comfortable. “I’m usually explaining who I am and why I do things differently,” he said. “Tonight, no explanations were needed.”

Krasnov joined four thousand precocious teens who met up in New York the Shabbat of March 1st for the annual CTeen Shabbaton, a weekend of inspiration and bonding that culminates in a Havdalah ceremony and concert in Times Square. 

With 841 chapters around the globe, CTeen is the largest network of Jewish teenagers in the world. Eli Tzives connected with CTeen in Shanghai, China, before coming to the U.S. for college. After a video of his confrontation with masked, anti-Israel protestors at UCLA went viral, messages of support poured in from other teens who’d faced antisemitism. 

After a year of adversity, says Eli, “I realized I wasn’t alone—and none of you are alone either,” Speaking at the weekend’s closing event, he added, “Even one small flame can light up a whole room of darkness. That’s why I’ll never hide my Jewish star. I’ll never hide my face.”

Her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, devastated by Hurricane Helene, Rosemary Acker and other Jewish teens joined Chabad of Asheville in volunteering to clean up homes and lift up their community. “Being a proud Jew isn’t only about what you say,” Rosemary told the crowd. “It’s about the way you show up. Want to fight hate?” she challenged her peers. “Do something helpful. Visit a hospital, help rebuild a house, hang a mezuzah. Show what being Jewish looks like through action.”

And speaking for his peers from São Paulo, Brazil, Rafael Heilborn, an eleventh grader, said: “This year, especially, we all feel how important it is to stand proud. The world is watching how young Jews respond—and this Shabbaton is our answer. We’re proud, we’re united, and we’re bringing that strength back home.”