The SHLUCHIM DANCE 5773

Further information HERE !

Live Event - Chabad Shluchim

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All Chabad Shluchim have been gathering in Crown Heights these days. The annual Shluchim Conference is taking place and if you are interested, there will be a live broadcast from the GALA BANQUET tonight. In about seven hours from now on, meaning at around midnight according to Israeli time.  I may be in bed by then.:-)

However, here is the link to the Live Event:

http://www.jerusalemchabad.org/multimedia/live_cdo/aid/221818/jewish/Conference-of-Chabad-Lubavitch-Emissaries.htm

"Meshiach" on the Door

Photo: Miriam Woelke

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A Chabad Meshichist gave me this poster while he was handing out Shabbat candles at the Machane Yehudah Market / Jerusalem last Friday afternoon. As you can easily see at the bottom of the poster, the Rebbe is praised as "Meshiach". I thought about cutting off the bottom but, in the end, I hung up the poster on my door and left the "Yechi ..." just for fun.:-)

International Shluchim Meeting 2012

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Time goes by fast and here we are again: The Chabad Shluchim are going to meet from 7 - 11 November 2012. In Crown Heights, as usual and those of you who are interested in further details can click below !!!

http://www.kinus.com/templates/kinus/default.htm

Chabad Meshichistim in Zfat

The Chabad Yeshiva in HaAri Street in Zfat / northern Israel. Here, all students believe that the last Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Meshiach but I have no idea what exactly the plane is supposed to mean.:-)

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Hachnasat Sefer Torah in Chabad Rehavia / Jerusalem, Part 2, 3 & 4

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Here are the second, third and fourth part of the Hachnasat Sefer Torah ceremony in Chabad (Lubavitch). The Chabad House located in the Rehavia neighbourhood was opened about two years ago and the local Shaliach is Rabbi Israel Goldberg. 

The Torah event already took place on 27 September 2012 / 5773.

The first part included the Si'um of the last letters of the Torah. Part 2 & 3 show the ceremony of taking the Torah scroll to its new destination, the Chabad Synagogue in Rehavia.

Part 4 includes the Hakafot at the Synagogue.  

I am also going to publish some photos of the event in the near future !

Hachnasat Sefer Torah in Chabad Rehavia / Jerusalem, Part 1

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One day after Yom Kippur 5773, on September 27, Chabad Rehavia in Jerusalem was celebrating a Hachnasat Sefer Torah. The local Shaliach is Rabbi Israel Goldberg who is also the first person giving at speech in the video.

The first part of the video series shows the SI'UM of the Sefer Torah. The adding of the last letters before the new Torah scroll is being taken to the Aron Ha'Kodesh at the Synagogue.

Sukkot Forecast

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Sukkot is starting tonight and I just bought my Lulav and Etrog. Everything is ready for the Chag. Being in Jerusalem on Sukkot is just great and in order to transfer the tremendous Jerusalem Yom Tov atmosphere to the Diaspora Jewry, I am going to put lots of pictures and videos into this blog. From the BIRKAT HA'COHANIM to Mea Shearim. 

Apropos Mea Shearim, this year there won't be a gender separation in Mea Shearim Street but many chassidic groups won't let any outsiders participating in the Simchat Beit Ha'Shoeva celebrations. The reason is very simple: Mea Shearim will be flooded with Jewish visitors over the Chag and if all Synagogues let in everybody, there wouldn't be space for the chassidic group members anymore. 

Here, for instance, is the announcement of Toldot Aharon not to let outsiders participating in the Simchat Beit Ha'Shoeva:

Seen in Mea Shearim

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Last Thursday night, I participated in a Hachnasat Sefer Torah at the Chabad House in Rehavia (Jerusalem). The local Shaliach there is Rabbi Israel Goldberg. It was a great celebrations and I am going to put lots of pictures as well as a few videos into the blog in the course of this week. 

Hachnasat Sefer Torah in Chabad - Rehavia

Photo: Miriam Woelke

One of the ARBA MINIM markets in Jerusalem. I am going to publish more photos as well as a video !

And, of course, the Simchat Beit Ha'Shoeva celebrations in Mea Shearim will be a huge subject. 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

I haven't seen it in years. I think the last time may have been back in 1996 or 1997. The weather forecast for Sukkot includes RAIN. It already started raining last night and despite the heat of 33 degrees Celsius, winter is slowly crawling in.:-)

The Talmud states that rain on Sukkot is a bad sign but there is also a Machloket. I just hope that the weather is finally cooling down and we actually do need plenty of rain. 

Have a great Chag, Chag Sameach and Git Yom Tev !!!

A Jew should look at his First - Class - Ticket

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Last night, I went to Chabad for KOL NIDRE and left the Synagogue more than excited. First of all, I liked the service very much but the Rabbi also told a few great chassidic stories and I would like to share one of those stories with you, as it is extremely inspiring.

There once was a poor Jew called Moshke. He had absolutely no money and was hardly able to support his family with his small income. In order to get to work, Moshke had to take a train. Walking would have been too far but he couldn't afford buying a train ticket. What he did was getting on the train and hiding himself under one of the backbenches in the last wagon. Hopefully no conductor would discover him and ask for a ticket.

Everything went well until, one day, Moshke won the lottery. He was so glad that, finally, he was able to buy a ticket just like everyone else. Now he was a rich man but, after buying the ticket and getting onto the train, he, again, hid himself under the bench in the last wagon. This time a conductor discovered him but Moshke stretched out his hand with the ticket. The conductor looked at the ticket and said: "What are you doing here ? This is a First - Class - Ticket and you are sitting under a bench in the regular department".

What we should learn from the story is that every Jew has a First - Class - Ticket in his hand but we have to use it. Instead of feeling so low we should stand up straight and use our G - dgiven potential in every way. Don't make yourself so terribly low and meaningless but show your self - confidence !

Shana Tova ve'Gmar ve'Chatimah Tova to all Jews !

Kapparot Revenge

Chabad Kapparot at Jerusalem's Machane Yehudah Market this morning.

Rebbe posters at Jerusalem's bus stops. Chabad (Lubavitch) wishes a happy and sweet New Year, as well as a speedy redemption, to all Jews.

Erev Yom Kippur shopping at the Machane Yehudah Market

Seen in Jaffa Road / Jerusalem

Copyright / Photos: Miriam Woelke

Belzer Rebbe meeting the Lubavitcher Rebbe

The SHEITEL in Chabad (Lubavitch)

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I just found an interesting online book describing the hair covering in Chabad: "Kissui HaRosh - Properly covering the hair with a Sheitel". The book written in English can either be read online or you can download it for free !

http://www.hebrewbooks.org/15448

Further links regarding Jewish head covers and reasons for doing so:

Sheitel again 

Semachot and head covers 

The Sheitel in Chabad 

Changing Clothes and Identity

Gimmel Tammuz = The Rebbe's Yahrzeit

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Chassidut Chabad (Lubavitch) is celebrating its great day tomorrow: Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson's Yahrzeit. 

Some Chabadnikim admit that the Rebbe really passed away. The Meshichistim within the group see Gimmel Tammuz as a day when the Rebbe became invisible for our own eyes. He still resides in 770 but went up into higher spheres. When the times comes, he will reveal himself as Meshiach.

More information here:

http://shearim.blogspot.co.il/search/label/Messianism

The Secret of TAMMUZ

Seen in Zfat (Safed) / Northern Israel

Photo: Miriam Woelke

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I started reading the Chabad book "Sefer Sha'arei Ha'Moadim" but it was mainly talking about how important the month of Tammuz is for being the month of the Ge'ulah (Redemption). Various Chabad Rebbes or, at least, one was released from Russian prison. Not only that but this Shabbat, Chabad is going to celebrate 3 Tammuz (Gimmel Tammuz). The last Rebbe's Yahrzeit or, as the Meshichistim among Chabad say "The day when the Rebbe became invisible". 

I admit that this was all a bit much for me and I started reading another commentary on the Jewish month of Tammuz. One of my favourite commentators is the SHEM MI'SHMUEL and he delivers an extremely interesting commentary on Tammuz.

While still in Gan Eden, Adam Harishon and Chava (Eve) were ruining the human sense of eyesight when they were looking at the apple and started to desire it. As we know, both of them were provided with the highest kinds of souls ever but lost some of them at the moment they sinned.

Remark: According to talmudic and kabbalistic literature, Adam and Eve didn't sin by eating an apple but the Talmud lists various other fruits or possibilities of what both of them ate. One suggestion is that they got drunk and other claim that there was something else involved. Something we don't understand and the Torah doesn't explicitly explains us further details. As a matter of fact, we don't know what a "Tree of Knowledge" is and stands for. 

When Adam and Eve desired the apple (or whatever), they brought a bad aspect on the human sense of eyesight and, as soon as this happens, the sense (or anything else) needs a Tikun (rectification). We are able to rectify something by using it for the good and thus elevate the level of the messed up sense (or anything else).

The Meraglim (Spies) from last week's Parashat SHLACH LECHA were supposed to rectify the sense of eyesight. The spies were sent out in Tammuz and returned in the month of Av. However, their task was to see the land (Israel) and thus see something good. They missed their opportunity and only referred to the negative. Thus they ruined the chance to rectify the sense of the eyesight and now it is up to us to rectify it. How ? By using our human senses for the good and not for the negative.

"HaRabbi miLubavitch - The Rebbe"

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The book is considered as controversial by quite a few people. Especially by Chabad itself. 

Its been already two years, since the famous book written by Menachem Friedman and Shmuel Heilman was published. The two wrote a critical book about the two last Lubavitcher Rebbes, the sixth and the seventh Rebbe. Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchak Schneersohn and his son - in - law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

The book is called "HaRabbi miLubavitch" (in the Hebrew edition) and "The Rebbe: The life and the afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson" (in the English edition). The book arouse controversy, as it describes the "secular" lifestyle of Rebbe Menachem Mendel while he was studying in Berlin and Paris. Furthermore, the question is being asked how Chabad - Lubavitch could turn from a relatively small chassidic group into a gigantic enterprise ?

I just bought the Hebrew edition but those of you would like to have a look into the English version can go HERE !

Further links:

The New York Times about the book

A critical response to the book

I am going to read the books and will discuss some parts of it on this blog.

Chabad Ramat Aviv is not allowed into the local Mall

Today's article in the Israeli daily MA'ARIV

Photo: Miriam Woelke

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According to the Israeli MA'ARIV newspaper, Chabad Ramat Aviv is not allowed entering the local shopping mall if the Chassidim intent to lay Tefillin. The Chabadnikim usually lay Tefillin for customers walking through the mall.  Even shop owners like to use the Chabad service from time to time.

Yesterday afternoon, the Ramat Aviv Chabad Mashpia, Rabbi Mordechai Wober, wanted to enter the Ramat Aviv Mall in order to set up the regular Tefilling stand. However, the guards of the mall refused to let him enter the building. Rabbi Wober chose another entrance but, again, was held back from entering. In the end, the Rabbi was allowed to enter due to other people complaining about the guard. 

The official response of the mall: The Ramat Aviv Mall is welcoming any customer without making any difference between gender, race or religion. The mall is open to all people. However, the mall has received complaints from various customers and shop owners about Chabad, as there are people who feel being pushed by the Chassidim. Therefore, the mall officials asked Chabad to stop setting up the Tefillin stand. Nevertheless, as customers, the Chabadnikim are welcomed to enter the mall. 

Chabad in the posh neighbourhood of Ramat Aviv has been facing trouble for the past years. Ramat Aviv is located north of Tel Aviv and most inhabitants are totally secular. Furthermore, Chabad Ramat Aviv is extremely Meshichist orientated; meaning that they openly proclaim that Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Meshiach. Some inhabitants may feel disturbed by Chabadnikim driving around on a yellow Meshiach motorbike waving the famous yellow Meshiach flag. On the other hand, Chabad Ramat Aviv is offering a Pessach Seder and when I was participating a year and two years ago, many locals arrived at the Seder, as they had no one else to celebrate with. 

For those of you who are not too familiar with the locations: The Chabad House including a Yeshiva and the Ramat Aviv Shopping Mall are just a few meters apart from each other. 

Being pushed to Shiurim

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Last week I spent a couple of days at the Chabad hostel ASCENT in Zfat / northern Israel. The hostel is a great place I have to say and I always like going there. Not because it is cheap but due to the atmosphere. Furthermore I like certain people working at Ascent as Big Mo (Rabbi Mordechai Siev) or Eli Naiditch. 

If you are staying at Ascent during the week, you will be constantly reminded of participating in classes (Shiurim). In the morning, at noon and in the evening at 8.30pm. In general these classes are supposed to be voluntarily and no one is actually forcing you to participate. When I was there last (more than a year ago), me and some other guests tried to escape certain Shiurim, as the teachers were just boring. As a matter of fact, we were always presented the same content every single evening: TANYA, and most of the volunteer teachers didn't seem to have a deeper clue of what they were teaching.

However, this time, it got even worse. One woman working at the reception was constantly running after me. Why I wanted to walk around in Zfat when there was a Shiur. Why I didn't participate in this and that class ? Why I am so busy doing other things ? 

Honestly, this particular woman almost destroyed my mood and, on the second day, I was ready to leave. In the morning and in the evening she was after me stalking around. I had come to Zfat to relax for a few days. Walking around in the old city, synagogues, anything. However, I didn't go to Ascent in order to be told what to do and to dedicate all my time to the hostel. 

In fact I got fed up and I am considering not to stay there anymore but finding another accomodation at my future stay in Zfat. I think that I am old enough making up my own plans and I definitely don't depend on being pushed around because a receptionist turns out to be a control freak.

I truly love Ascent but if I am going to stay there again, it won't me more than a night or two.

Beyond Yom Yerushalayim

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Some photos from the side:

Blocking the road for the traffic so that the Jerusalem - Day parade could take place.

Lots of policemen (picture above) and border police soldiers (picture below) were taking care of the parade's security.

A Chassid watching the "Zionist" parade

And some Chabad Meshichistim putting on Tefillin further down in Ben Yehudah Street.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Religion at the Machane Yehudah Market (Jerusalem)

Chabad Tefillin at the Machane Yehudah Market

Na Nach Breslover at the Machane Yehudah Market.

Chabad Meshichistim

Entrance to the Machane Yehudah Market

And again: Chabad

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Chabad Meshichistim in Tel Aviv's Shenkin Street

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Shenkin Street in downtown Tel Aviv used to be THE secular symbol of the city. Cafes, restaurants, fashion ... and everything in a very secular Tel Aviv manner. By the way, many cafes there are still open on Shabbat, others are kosher. 

As a visitor to Tel Aviv, people love to stream into Shenkin Street on Fridays. Look at the fashion stores and shop. Prices are ridiculously high but this doesn't keep customers away. Buying at Shenkin is like buying in Paris, Rome or Beverly Hills. 

For some time now, Orthodox Judaism is not that unknown anymore. The Breslover Nanas have been flooding the area and opened a center next to the park. The street is not as short as it looks and goes to Yehudah HaLevi Street, then changing its name into Lincoln leading until Yitzchak Sadeh. 

About two weeks ago I saw this in the middle of Shenkin Street:

Photos: Miriam Woelke