Chabadnik News
Today marks the 118th 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 […]
In past years, when Jews in his area needed to sell their chametz (leaven) before the start of Passover, Rabbi Levi Dubinsky would meet them in person to fill out forms that would authorize him to sell their leavened products on their behalf. This year, though, with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic people are staying home, […]
5:30 a.m. It’s still dark outside when Chani Benjaminson, coordinator of Chabad.org’s “Ask the Rabbi” and Reader Feedback departments, sits down at her screen, steaming hot tea in hand, and begins to sort through the day’s mail. She’s on the lookout for the kind of questions that cannot wait: “Suicides, end-of-life issues, timely Shabbat and […]
Every year, Ellen Mandelbaum helps distribute Passover goods for needy Jewish families in South Brooklyn, N.Y. It’s a practice she started with the first distribution nine years ago. “I first met Rabbi David Okunov right after he moved to Brighton Beach; he was looking for a minyan, and I helped introduce him to many of […]
Emphasizing the importance of character, conscience and collaboration amid the alarming news of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 virus, the White House released a proclamation designating April 5, 2020, as “Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A,” in honor of the 118th anniversary of the birth of the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. The proclamation, signed […]
Surrounded by my children as we go through the Passover seder, I taste the sweet, delicious charoset. On this night of questions, I wonder about its sweetness. The charoset with its paste-like texture is a reminder of the clay and bricks that the Jewish slaves were forced to make in Egypt. Why is the charoset, […]
If there is one Jewish food that virtually every Jew knows about, it’s matzah, the flat bread eaten at the Passover Seders and for the duration of the eight-day holiday. But how well do you know this food, which has been with us since the dawn of our peoplehood? Here are some of our favorite […]
Preparing the next generation to lead lives of purpose and significance is one of our foremost responsibilities. Education is essential to cultivating a spirit of curiosity and learning, developing character and conscience, and strengthening the will to work collaboratively. On Education and Sharing Day, we pay tribute to the family members, educators, mentors, clergy members, […]
Three weeks ago, after speaking with a physician friend who works for a pharmaceutical company, Rabbi Shmuel Gancz made “a simple calculation” and closed his synagogue before any edict from elected officials. If the coronavirus led to even 1% of the county’s 325,000 residents needing hospitalization, and hospitals in adjoining counties refused Rockland’s cases, Gancz thought, the […]
Aspen-based visual artist Marc Bennett’s debut film will screen at 2020 Aspen Shortsfest. Bennett’s animated short adaptation of the children’s book “The Tattooed Torah” is in the family-friendly Program Nine of the Oscar-qualifying festival, which has gone virtual this year as the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered public spaces including the Wheeler Opera House, where Shortsfest […]