The recent spike in deaths caused an unprecedented rise in holy work When the coronavirus pandemic spiked in California last month, it brought unprecedented numbers of the deceased to local mortuaries. Yet despite a staffing shortage—also due to the pandemic—the members of the local Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society) have been doing everything in their […]

A new library’s priceless collection chronicles the nation’s rich Jewish history The year was 1497. Just five years after leaving his native Spain due to the Edict of Expulsion, Rabbi Avraham Saba stood tearfully beside an olive tree outside of Lisbon, Portugal. There, under what he described as a “tree of tears,” he buried his […]

Everything in Colorado circles back to outdoor recreation, and Chabad of South Metro Denver’s new $6 million campus is no exception. The 23,000-square-foot campus, formerly home of Beacon Country Day School, sits on five acres where the earth’s natural wonders serve as an idyllic backdrop for spiritual connection and Jewish education. Now, the children attending […]

Stories From Around the World Life Sketches is a series of stories, collected from Chabad emissaries worldwide. Here, they share some of the funny, inspiring, and heartwarming events they witness daily. Several years ago, I walked into the 99-cent store on Poway Rd. and noticed a man smiling at me, so I gave him a […]

Mordechai “The Jew” Mordechai was a Benjaminite, but he is called “Yehudi,” literally meaning a descendant of the tribe of Yehudah. Likewise, the Megillah refers to the Jewish people as “Yehudim,” ignoring tribal differences. Why Yehudi? Yehudi is of the same root as “hoda’ah,” meaning to acknowledge, or to accept. The essence of Jewish identity […]

Programs this weekend to be hosted in-person and online at Chabad centers Amid the global coronavirus pandemic and the corresponding mental-health crisis it has exacerbated, Jewish communities around the world are joining an effort to raise mental health and disability inclusion awareness by participating in the global ShabbaTTogether initiative this coming Friday and Shabbat, Feb. […]

Rabbi Yehoshua (Josh) Gordon, 66, Chabad representative of Encino, California since 1973, passed away on Chof Tes Shvat of 2016 after battling an illness. Tonight commemorates his 5th yartzeit. Rabbi Gordon and his wife Deborah were among the Rebbe’s early representatives to the state of California. Under his leadership, Jewish life in the San Fernando Valley blossomed. From […]