County’s first Jewish mayor says the scroll will serve as a reminder of her “guiding faith” Among the first orders of business for newly elected Miami Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was affixing a mezuzah to her office doorpost. The ceremony, on Friday, November 20, was led by Rabbi Moishe Kievman of Chabad Chayil in Highland […]
Family Time
How good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together (Psalms 133:1). When Jewish people unite in holiness, our tradition teaches that the shechinah rests among us and endows us with the power to evoke Divine blessings. Such was the experience of a farbrengen with the Rebbe. It is now more than a quarter […]
Today in Chabad History: 5 Tevet
Today in Jewish History: 34 Years Since the Victory in Chabad Library Trial On the 5th of Tevet (Hei Teves) in 1987, the extensive library of the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, was declared as belonging to Agudas Chasidei Chabad Lubavitch. The U.S. Federal court issued this ruling after a lengthy, highly-publicized trial. The […]
President of Germany’s High Court Kindles Chabad Menorah
Karlsruhe, Germany, seat of Germany’s Supreme Court and home to some 2,000 Jews, celebrated Chanukah this year, as every year, with distinguished leaders participating in Chabad’s public menorah lighting in the town square. This year, the honor of lighting the shamash (officiant candle) went to Dr. Stephan Harbarth, President of the Federal Constitutional Court (Germany’s […]
California Kids Inspire Year-End ‘Mitzvah Raising’
As part of ‘Project Flame,’ children collect pledges to do good deeds When Jackie Hamer, a retired high school special-education teacher living in Oxnard, Calif., was approached the first night of Hanukkah at the local Chabad outdoor menorah-lighting by a young child, she wasn’t expecting what she heard. “Will you pledge to do a mitzvah?” […]
Despite Pandemic, Hanukkah Shines Bright at State Capitals
Governors found ways to join Covid-safe Hanukkah events, celebrating freedom of religion Despite the difficulties that the coronavirus pandemic has created, the nation’s elected officials found ways to safely continue the Hanukkah tradition of joining public menorah-lightings, many of which took place at state capitols, statehouses and governors’ residences across the United States. Inspired by […]
Chabad Combats Hunger and Food Insecurity
Organizations step in as pandemic leaves financial victims everywhere For Jews across the world, Hanukkah is a joyous time to spend with family and friends, gathering around the warm glow of the candles as boisterous children run around the house consuming inordinate amounts of treats with the adults clucking in mock disapproval. But for others […]
Talmud Teasers: Teacher Training
The word Chanukah in Hebrew comes from the same root as chinuch—education, and, indeed, one of the central messages of Chanukah concerns the significance of education. The Talmud includes discussions and anecdotes underscoring the value that Judaism attaches to education, and the place of prominence it accords the teacher. A. The early sage Rabbi Shimon […]
World’s First Zoom Menorah to Link Tech Professionals Online and in Person
Tech Tribe event a novel Hanukkah party for people from all over Since Erin Lofties can’t host a Hanukkah gathering in her home this year, she’s attending one in another city … remotely. “It’s a good chance to see what other people are up to, to see how they’re celebrating, and to feel connected again,” […]
Celebrants in Record Numbers Flock to Safe Hanukkah Events During Pandemic
‘Festival of Lights’ brings much-needed relief and connection worldwide Every year, a small group of perhaps a dozen hardy Illinoisans brave the wind and snow outside the Grundy County Courthouse in rural Morris, Ill., for a menorah-lighting and brief celebration. This year, 27 people showed up, nearly triple the amount expected. Masked and socially distanced, […]