A Shabbat Dinner for Wine Country Survivors

With California’s wine country reeling from this week’s horrific wildfires—the most destructive of their type in California’s history—Chabad of Sonoma County is rallying the forces to bring comfort and unity to a community ravaged by disaster.

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 19, 2017

Moving Out

To get her sukkah to Inwood Park in Manhattan on Sunday, artist Shaina Denburg detached its walls. But even in pieces, it didn’t fit in her rented U-Haul.

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 10, 2017

A First for Sukkot in Shanghai

Rabbi Shalom Greenberg has celebrated Sukkot in Shanghai every year since 1998, but this year’s the first that he’s been able to legally import the traditional arbaah minim—four species—into Mainland China.

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 25, 2017

Dinner Raises Money for Free Meals in South Florida

How to raise money for dinner? Why, host a dinner, of course.

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Repost: Chabad Marks Birthdate of Movement's Founder

On 18 Elul, Jewish communities the world over will mark the anniversary of the birthdate Rabbi Schneur Zalman on Liadi...

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, September 8, 2017

In Time for Shavuot: Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Revises Tablet Logo

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, May 21, 2015

Lag B’Omer After The Earthquake

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, May 7, 2015

In Montreal, Communal Seders Not Just for Needy

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, March 29, 2015

Kharkiv's Woes Didn't Stop Purim Pomp

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 9, 2015

Jewish, Deaf and Proud at Historic Chanukah Events

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 30, 2014

IDF’s Lone Soldiers Honored in Jerusalem

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 25, 2014

Florida Stolen Menorah Replaced with Bigger One

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 24, 2014

After Battles Fought and Won, Menorah Lights Shine

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Council of Europe Leader Honors Chanukah

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 22, 2014

Baltimore’s City Hall Unveils Large Menorah

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 22, 2014

#ShareTheLights: Menorah's Message to Millions

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 18, 2014

Menorah at the Kremlin

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 17, 2014

U.S. Vice President Joins Menorah Lighting

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 17, 2014

German Interior Minister Notes Berlin Chanukah Miracle

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Chanukah at Sporting Events

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Texas Gov’s Most Memorable Moment: Dancing with the Rabbis

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 16, 2014

From Banks to Office Buildings: Proud to Have Their Own Menorah

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 14, 2014

As American as Apple Pie: Chanukah at the Stadium

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Vice President to Attend National Menorah Lighting

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Chanukah: Miracle Of The Ages For All Ages

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 9, 2014

A Menorah With A Past Donated To Chabad of Ottawa

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, December 5, 2014

Brooklyn Beat: "Excuse Me, Are You Jewish?"

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 4, 2014

Home Depot, Lowes, Partner With Chabad For Chanukah

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 1, 2014

Have Lulav?

Sukkot begins this Wednesday night, and in the days prior, Chabad-Lubavitch centers are encouraging community members to obtain their own set of the lulav and etrog.

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Shake the Lulav, Save a Life

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 7, 2014

A Woman, A Prayer, A Shofar at the Grand Canyon

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Shofar In The Park

Dovid Zaklikowski | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 24, 2014

The Rabbi and The Bees

Lubavitch.com Staff | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Rugrats Chanukah Special Screenwriter Turns to Jewish Roots

San Buenaventura, California is a picturesque middle class town draped in Spanish-revival stucco homes and wide, palm-lined avenues. More commonly known as Ventura, the city lies fifty miles west of Hollywood

Chaim Emanuel | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 2, 2010

After 20 Years, the Sukkah Reunites Old Friends

Schechter noticed a familiar face when he entered the Sukkah with the other guests...

Mendy Rimler | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Rome Officials Join Chabad Rep in City Sukkah

On Monday, September 27th, dozens of dignitaries joined Rabbi Yitzhak Hazan, Chabad representative to Rome, Italy, for the "Sukkah of Peace" inauguration ceremony.

Yaacov Behrman | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Celebrating Judaism in a Changing Europe

According to Prof. Robert S. Wistrich, head of Hebrew University's Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism, the Jews of Europe must brace themselves for a new reality.

EJ Tansky | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 20, 2010

Pollinating New Holiday Growth

In Israel, honey jars fly off store shelves during the High Holiday season, when Jews pray for and wish each other a New Year filled with sweetness.

R. C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, September 19, 2010

A Rosh Hashana Moment for Mom [Blog]

Jodi Brody | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 13, 2010

Getting A Head Start On Rosh Hashana With Chabad

Rosh Hashana is probably the best known and most widely observed Jewish holiday. And, with hundreds of thousands of free seats available and prayer services

C. R. Lundy | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, September 2, 2010

Lag B'Omer: Of Mystics and Merriment

More than a million people visit annually, but it is during the 24-hour period of Lag B’Omer that the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai really gets festive.

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 30, 2010

Passover Parade In Chicago

Stocked with Passover Matzos and informative literature, the students worked up a Passover spirit on the streets of Chicago.

Mendy Rimler | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, March 25, 2010

Paying for Passover

In a tight economy, it takes smarts and efficiency for Chabad representatives to bring Passover to their communities. Purchasing Passover staples, and helping out families in need adds up.

R. C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Purim Journal Part II

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 1, 2010

Purim Notes From The Chasidic Rebbes

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.

Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, February 26, 2010

Purim in Hollywood

With its weekend parties and packed bars, outlandish clubs and celebrity-studded Sunset Strip, Chabad of Los Feliz has learned how to compete for a crowd.

Amy Klein | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Crunch Time: Rolling Out Passover Matzahs in December

Until the last few decades, they were available only at select Judaica shops or in Brooklyn storefronts. These days, the crispy confections can be had at more than 200 major supermarket chains..

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Chanukah First At Staples Center

"Fans came out to support their team and were privileged to witness the first Menorah lighting at Staples Center," said Rabbi Backman.

Levi Margolin | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 22, 2009

At McGill University, Jewish Students Host Inaugural Shabbat Dinner

On a recent Friday night, Rabbi Shmuly Weiss and his wife Rashi were guests in their own Montreal home. Roles were reversed as university students at Chabad of McGill became the masters of ceremony during

David Lipson | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 21, 2009

Uruguayan President Vázquez meets with Chabad

Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez met last Monday with members and friends of Chabad-Lubavitch of Uruguay, headed by Rabbi Eliezer Shemtov.

Mendy Rimler | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 13, 2009

Menorah Lights To Shine At the Games

Chabad’s holiday awareness programs including olive presses and dreidel houses, and menorahs carved of ice, chocolate and every conceivable material...

Levi Margolin | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A Hakafah for Daniel Pearl

The Jewish American journalist murdered by Al Qaeda terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2002, would have celebrated his 46th birthday on Simchat Torah...

Baila Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 8, 2009

In Central Africa, Chabad Helps Jews Celebrate High Holidays

Several hours before Rosh Hashanah set in, Chabad Rabbi Shlomo Bentolila found himself in the offices of Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, October 2, 2009

Sushi in the Sukkah, Pizza in the Hut, Hookah in the Sukkah . . . It's Holiday Time on Campus

The recent University of Colorado graduate will spend the entire Thursday and Friday assembling 300 rolls of sushi. “The numbers [30 pounds of fresh fish and several gallons of rice] are absurd,” laughs Zeldner, “but it will all get eaten. Definitely.”

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 1, 2009

Submariner At Sea Calls On Chabad For High Holy Day Prayer Texts

What’s a submariner at sea to do on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur without a prayer book? Shortly before the Jewish New Year set in, Chabad representative to Norfolk, VA, Rabbi Levi Brashevitzki..

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Israeli Children Explore Rosh Hashanah at Bee Farm

On a recent field trip with south Tel Aviv’s Camp Neve Eliezer, eighty children, all clad in shorts, sandals, and matching baseball caps, clapped and laughed at the antics of “Itchele...

Sarah Bronson | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Getting Ready for Rosh Hashana: Adults, Children Learn Hands-On With Chabad

Shofar Factories are popping up in cities across the globe, attracting children to explore the significance of the shofar and the holiday it represents...

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 14, 2009

Chabad of Israel Prepares To Welcome 130,000 More Jews To High Holiday Services

Chabad-Lubavitch of Israel is expecting to greet an additional 130,000 Jews—many self-described as non-observant—at prayer services this Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

S. Fridman | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Purim Spring Break

Sun. Surf. Scuba. Nightlife. Ancient Mayan civilization. Ancient Persian history. Ancient Persian History? Well yes, if you are spending Purim with Chabad in Cancun.

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 9, 2009

Purim In Israel: No Holds Barred

The Jewish festival of Purim begins sundown on Monday, but the celebrations and preparations in Israel have been underway since the start of the month. Candy displays and colorful costumes of characters, modern and ancient have filled the shop windows for weeks. Days before the holiday, young and old costumed characters—pirates, superheroes, princesses and cowboys—take  to the streets with parades, parties and carnivals.

Zalman Nelson | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 9, 2009

Once in a Rare Sun: Birkat Hachamah

The waxing and waning of the moon is regularly celebrated in Jewish life. The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle, familiar to Jewish children even as preschoolers who learn to welcome the new moon with regular Rosh Chodesh celebrations. In a popular depiction by Jewish painters, a minyan of men stand outside the shtetl shul and bless the new moon under a dark sky

Miriam Davids | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Coming Back for Seconds: Friday Nights with Chabad on Campus

Students on 340 college campuses worldwide say that a highlight of their (stressful) week is Friday night at the local Chabad. While the current economic crisis is causing some Jewish campus organizations to cut back and charge for their meals, Chabad is continuing to provide the same service, at the same price: free.

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, February 23, 2009

Father of Slain Terror Victim Kindles Menorah on Liberty Island

(lubavitch.com)-- Freezing temperatures and icy winds whipped Liberty Island off the New York harbor Tuesday night. Hardly a night for a boat ride with the kids, and several hundred adults and children, plus distinguished city and state officials came out into the cold to celebrate a unique Chanukah lighting.

Miriam Davids | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Lightning Up Chanukah

(lubavitch.com) Some 500 Jewish fans noshed on Glatt kosher hot dogs Thursday as Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche played an intensely tight game

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 21, 2008

UNITE THE LIGHTS: Jewish Organizations Coordinate Chanukah Memorial Lighting Campaign

(lubavitch.com) “Unite the Lights,” a grassroots, nationwide menorah lighting campaign will honor the memory of the Mumbai terror victims this Chanukah.

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 15, 2008

On Campus, A Females-Only Shabbat With Chabad

(lubavitch.com) Friday, November 21st is Michelle Bentsman ’s 19th birthday. It will be her first birthday as a student at the University of Chicago. And she has chosen to spend it with Chabad. 

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, November 20, 2008

Lost in The Andes, Found by Chabad

(lubavitch.com) Roey Sadan , a 26-year-old old Israeli, was looking for adventure after he had finished his mandatory three years in the Israeli Army. Looking to explore the world and to expand his horizons, he took a job to pay for his travel expenses.

Mordechai Lightstone | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, November 5, 2008

After A Polarizing Election, Jewish Women To Share A Shabbat of Unity

(lubavitch.com) On December 5, Jewish women from zip codes across America and from diverse backgrounds will participate at a Shabbat retreat in Boulder, Colorado.

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 30, 2008

In Ravaged Gori Jewish New Year Began On A High Note

(lubavitch.com) Tensions continue to flare up between Georgia and Russia, with Gori still a city in shambles where many wait in refugee camps for Red Cross food drop-offs, and bombed houses color the landscape.

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tuesday The Rabbi Was Late

(lubavitch.com) It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon in Austin. The sun beamed overhead in a cloudless blue sky, and throngs of Austinites were outdoors enjoying the balmy temperatures.

Malka Phillips | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Smart Publicity and Messages of Empowerment Draw Greater Numbers To Chabad's Rosh Hashana Services

(lubavitch.com) Wall Street bailouts, iPhones, and stratospheric gas prices are bringing more marginally affiliated Jews to Rosh Hashanah services say rabbis across the United States.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, September 28, 2008

Chabad on Kauai Island Celebrates Giving of Ten Comandments

If you think that the secluded island of Kauai is the last place on Earth that a crowd would gather to hear the Ten Commandments read…

R.C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, June 13, 2008

Chabad And The Orthodox Union to Host Shabbaton for the Deaf

(lubavitch.com) Motivated by an ideal that aims to make Jewish life accessible and meaningful to all, Chabad-Lubavitch is a natural fit for outreach to any segment of the Jewish population.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Accra, Esquel, Pervoo . . . Jews Connect Despite Distance

(lubavitch.com) It was a rocky start for two of the hundreds of Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical students dispatched by Merkos, the Lubavitch educational division (with the support of regional Chabad centers) to create a Passover experience for Jewish people in some 150 locations exotic and obscure. Among them: Esquel, Argentina; Nipawin, Canada; Hong Kong; and Pervoo, Finland.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Poland: Chabad Seders in 8 Cities, President Receives Matzah

(lubavitch.com) Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski recently took time to learn about the holiday of Passover and its rituals from his country’s director of Chabad activities, Rabbi Sholom B. Stambler .

Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 25, 2008

Seoul's Jews Invited to First Civilian Passover Seder

South Korea’s Jews, which number about 250, are responding to colorful invites showing up in their inboxes, to the first civilian Passover Seder there by their new Chabad representatives.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, April 16, 2008

From Ethiopia to Estonia, From Pulpit to Potatoes, Chabad Students Toil for the Seder

Two hundred eighty three young rabbis updated their passports for their Passover assignments that will see them producing Seders in Goa, India; Varna, Bulgaria; Dresden, Germany, and 150 cities in between and beyond.

R. C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, April 14, 2008

500 Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical Students Set Out On Passover Tour

(lubavitch.com/lns) As part of its traditional Passover outreach, Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational division of Lubavitch Headquarters, is sponsoring the itineraries of 500 rabbinical students who’ve been accepted to arrange and lead seders in designated locations worldwide.

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, April 13, 2008

Passover With Chabad Round the World

Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 11, 2008

Ukraine: Children, Adults Get Passover Crash Course with Touring Chabad Rabbis

Rabbi Shmuly Brown of Tzivos Hashem in Dnepropetrovsk, trains Chabad rabbinical students before they embark on a 3,700 kilometer tour in Ukraine, with the model matzah bakery.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, April 9, 2008

In New Hampshire, Kids, Parents Prepare for Passover With Chabad

An article in the Nashua Telegraph Tuesday on Chabad’s model matzah bakery in New Hampshire, by Dean Shalhoup featured a lively profile of New Hampshire’s Rabbi Levi Krinsky in action.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Photos: Operation Message in A Matzah For US Army Troops Abroad

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Largest Food Bank in Israel Prepares To Feed 25,000 Families

Volunteers in a Kiryat Malachi warehouse are busy packing canned goods, fruits and vegetables, oil, matzah, and wine into hundreds of thousands of boxes. Within the next few weeks the Blavatnik Colel Chabad Food Bank

Dvora Lakein | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Chabad Draws Thousands To "The Biggest Jewish Party in LA--Ever"

Two thousand students from four southern California colleges partied to a live band and snapped up Purim mitzvahs until 3 AM at a Chabad sponsored mega event that earned its billing as the “biggest Jewish party in LA – Ever.”

R. C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 24, 2008

Novosibirsk: Purim Will Be Joyful Despite Anti-Semitic Posters

Authorities in Novosibirsk have yet to determine who was behind the anti-Semitic posters put up on the doorways of residential buildings earlier this week.

Miriam Davids | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, March 20, 2008

When Purim Meets Shabbos . . .

Shabbat as a day of rest goes head to head with Purim parties this year. Chabad centers the world over are working creatively so Jewish people do not miss an opportunity to participate in the holiday.

R.C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Of Heroines and Beauty: Women's Purim Pageant To Explore Jewish Themes

The upcoming holiday of Purim celebrates the heroics of Queen Esther, and Chabad of Eugene is determined to give Esther her royal due.

Dora Chernock | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, February 25, 2008

On College Campuses, Purim Partying Begins Early This Year

Counting down to spring break cheers sleep-deprived and paper swamped college students. But the timing of the vacation has some Chabad campus representatives pulling sleepless nights.

R.C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, February 18, 2008

Princess Anne Visits Chabad Menorah in Leeds

Rabbi Reuven Cohen and Rabbi Yirmya Angyalfi , Chabad-Lubavitch representatives to Leeds, England, welcomed Princess Anne , the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth, to the public Menorah in Leeds last week. This Chanukah, the city celebrated  25 years of the first giant Menorah in Europe.

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 16, 2007

Chabad of Upper Midtown Launches Building Campaign

On a chilly Sunday night last week,  just across the street from the U.N., New York City moms and dads and their preschoolers, museum patrons and smartly attired professionals--listened intently as Rabbi Shmuel and Raizy Metzger talked with them about Chanukah and its timeless message.

R.C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 13, 2007

10,000 At World's Largest Chanukah Festival

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 13, 2007

Update: London's Mayor Celebrates With Anglo Jewish Community

“If ever we get tired of the name London it actually would enshrine a lot of what make s London a great city if we renamed it Chanukah," said Mayor Ken Livingstone when he lit the Chabad city commissioned menorah in Trafalgar Square.

M. Phillips | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 13, 2007

Update: Chabad Raises Jewish Profile in Poland

In an event rich with implications for Jewish life in Poland, Chabad-Lubavitch introduced the tradition of Chanukah's menorah lighting to the Polish Parliament this Chanukah.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Governor Corzine Celebrates Chanukah With Hoboken's Jews

Miracles were on NJ Gov. Jon Corzine’s mind when he kindled Chabad of Hoboken’s 6-foot tall menorah at City Hall before a crowd of 300 on Sunday.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Menorah's Light Warms the Antarctic Chill

As a Jewish pilot on a four month mission to facilitate scientific research in Antarctica, David Wakil has broken many records in the past two months of his assignments.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 11, 2007

EU President Pottering Meets With Chabad Reps

The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering met early this week with Rabbi Levi Matusof at the EU center in Brussels. Chabad rabbis representing the Jewish communities of Milan, Italy; Vienna, Austria; London, England and Munich, Germany, were part of an entourage that visited with Mr. Pottering.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Chanukah Makes Friends: London's Mayor Reaches Out To City's Jews

According to London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone ’s office, which is co-sponsoring the event with Chabad-Lubavitch of Hendon, 5,000 are expected to attend as he joins Chabad’s Rabbi Gershon Overlander on the cherry picker.

M. Phillips | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 10, 2007

Menorah Lights Kindled in Omaha

Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, December 7, 2007

Chabad To Light Menorah In Polish Parliament (Sejm)

Yet another addition to the roster of public and prominent spaces now displaying giant menorahs, Chabad-Lubavitch of Warsaw will be conducting the first  menorah lighting in the Sejm, or the Polish Parliament on Monday.

Staff Writer | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, December 7, 2007

6 Year old Pianist, Musician and Composer to Perform at Gulfstream

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 6, 2007

Menorah-Topped Cars A Growing Trend

Like chocolate coins in plastic mesh bags, Chabad rabbis driving around with menorahs strapped atop their cars are familiar sights during Chanukah. A surprising trend is the many “civilians” who follow suit.

R. C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 2, 2007

Tampa Bay Lightning to Host Jewish Heritage Night on Chanukah

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, November 29, 2007

Macy's and JCM Bring A Chanukah Wonderland to Children

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, November 29, 2007

Chabad of California Takes Chanukah On the Road

Commuters gnashing their teeth in traffic on the 405, the 5, the 101, the 134 or anywhere from Sacramento to San Diego will have reason to lighten up this Chanukah, because Chabad of California’s going on a road trip.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The Chabad Chanukah Coca Cola Challenge

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, November 20, 2007

In Denmark, Chabad-Lubavitch Draws Assimilated Jews Back In

Of the 30 children who will be attending Copenhagen’s Chabad-Lubavitch Vinter Lejr, winter overnight camp, a good many will arrive a day late, after December 24, because their parents want them home for the holiday.

R. C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, November 19, 2007

Chabad Promotes Chanukah With Help of American Gothic Couple

The famous “American Gothic” couple that once stood staunchly for Midwestern ideals has now, with the help of Rabbi Yisroel Rubin--Chabad-Lubavitch representative to Albany, NY, and to University Art students--launched a massive Chanukah promotion in 200 cities across the US, Canada and England.

Rabbi Israel Rubin | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, November 16, 2007

Soldiers and Civilians With Chabad in Hebron

Danny Cohen , Chabad-Lubavitch representative to Hebron with his wife Bat-Sheva , insists that if you want to experience Hebron, you must come for Shabbat.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Chabad Representatives Evaluate Creative Efforts in Sukkot Outreach

With the booths used on the holiday on their way back into garages and sheds, Chabad representatives from Dayton, OH, to Toronto and Winnipeg are among the thousands of centers now evaluating the impact of their innovations.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, October 12, 2007

Ottawa's Largest Sukkah Expands

Ottawa’s largest sukkah, part of the Chabad Jewish Youth Library, has now expanded its walls to include a living room and fireplace to bring warmth to the city's Jews during the Festival of Sukkot.

R.C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 26, 2007

President of Brazil Meets Chabad Delegation

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, September 23, 2007

At Johns Hopkins Chabad: Students and Non-Students Come For Yom Kippur

On Yom Kippur, it's not only students who come to Chabad at Johns Hopkins University. Non-students who want to experience meaningful Yom Kippur services will make their way to Chabad's of Johns Hopkins services at the Inn at the Colonnade. . .

R. C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, September 21, 2007

A First for Jewish Inmates in a Texas Prison: High Holy Days Plus Sukkot

Rosh Hashanah kicked off what should be a year of great progress for religious expression in Stringfellow. Chabad rabbis conducted prayer services and traditional kosher, Rosh Hashana meals for the Jewish inmates. Friday, they return for Yom Kippur services, and next week, a sukkah hut will be built on the prison grounds for the weeklong holiday of Sukkot.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 19, 2007

New Jersey Chabad Rabbi Uses YouTube to Mark High Holy Days

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 17, 2007

Inspired by Rosh Hashana, Children Carve Shofars for Yom Kippur

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 17, 2007

In Small Brazilian Neighborhood, One Thousand March With Chabad Rabbi To Tashlich

Less popular than the apple-dipped-in-honey and other Rosh Hashana traditions, Tashlich resonated well with 1,000 Jews in a small Sao Paulo neighborhood, who walked with their local Chabad-Lubavitch representative to act out the symbolic gesture of beginning the new year afresh.

N. Margolis | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, September 16, 2007

In Odessa, Chabad-Lubavitch Prepares for 2,000 At Rosh Hashana Services

Chabad-Lubavitch of Odessa attracts Jews en masse to its activities. Municipal authorities will be closing streets off to accommodate thousands who will be coming to the Chabad center to hear the shofar, among them local Jews, students from the country's first Jewish University recently opened by Chabad, and children from the Chabad orphanage.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Chabad-Lubavitch Brings Rosh Hashana Preparations To A Small New England Town

Even a small town like Sudbury, MA, deserves to have Rosh Hashana given a proper welcome. Chabad-Lubavitch reps to the city are teaching adults and children how to greet the Jewish new year.

R.C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 10, 2007

Chabad Offers CIA's Chefs A Sampling of Rosh Hashana

In the run up to Rosh Hashana, Rabbi Hanoch Hecht is preparing to offer the (Culinary Institute of America) CIA’s Jewish Culture Club a sampling of the holiday’s symbolic foods.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Asleep at Sinai? Chabad Raises Shavuot Awareness

What if the Torah threw a party and nobody came?

R.C. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, May 20, 2007

Lag B'omer 2007

Always a children's spectacular, it's especially grand when Lag B'Omer falls on a Sunday, as it did this year.

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, May 6, 2007

Chabad Seders Around the World: 4,340 And Counting

Back in 1998, Israeli-born Shachar Zefania felt drawn to return to trekking the Himalayas, where he backpacked after his mandatory army service seven years earlier.

Lisa Alcalay Klug | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Russian Jews and The Matzah Factor

It’s a yearly ritual that has a mysterious tug on hundreds of Russian Jewish families across New York City.

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, March 18, 2007

One Million-Plus Pounds of Matzah To Be Distributed in FSU

(FJC.RU) More than one million pounds of matzah and 150,000 bottles of wine are being distributed to Jewish communities of the fifteen republics.

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, March 11, 2007

A Once-Obscure Holiday, Purim's Popularity Soars

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, February 28, 2007

This Chanukah, How Many Saw The Light?

Editor's Note: There's no way of gauging how many were reached these past eight days of Chanukah. In addition to Chabad's public menorah displays, rabbinical students and high school girls from Chabad Lubavitch schools everywhere hit the pavement distributing chanukah menorah kits with candles, literature and other holiday materials, facilitating the participation in the holiday celebration by countless passersby.

Julie Subrin | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 25, 2006

News Briefs: Flying Challahs Spread Jewish Traditions in Upstate NY

Rabbi Yossi Rubin of Clifton Park, followed by Rabbi Abba Rubin of Saratoga Springs, have started a weekly tradition of surprising Jewish residents with a freshly baked challah before Shabbat.

E. Silberstein | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 24, 2006

Menorah: A Symbol of Religious Freedom

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that placing Chabad-owned menorahs in public spaces did not violate the establishment clause, it set a slab of precedent for Chabad centers to rest their menorah requests upon. But as seen with the hullabaloo over Seattle-Tacoma Airport’s menorah, the Supreme Court’s ruling, as well as numerous other federal and state decisions in favor of the menorah, is no magic bullet.

R. Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Mega Events Look to Reach Mega Numbers This Chanukah

Long famous for lighting giant menorahs in public squares, Chabad has, in recent years, taken the experience a step further with mega-events that bring the light of Chanukah to thousands in amusement parks, on stage and screen.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 12, 2006

A "Tent of Peace" On the Korean Peninsula

North Korea’s Kim Jung II may be detonating nukes and playing war games with the international community, but Jewish U.S. troops in South Korea are not in duck-and-cover mode. With Uncle Sam’s blessing, they’re out in the sukkah Chaplain (Col.) Jacob Goldstein built on the Yongsan Military Base in Seoul.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Fun and Festive After Praying and Fasting

The holiday of Sukkot commemorates the makeshift huts that the Jewish people dwelled in for forty years in the desert. Alternatively, it's the clouds of glory that protected the Jews during their travels. Either way, the idea is to spend time in the Sukkah, and take meals there throughout the eight-day festival.

MORDECHAI SHINEFIELD | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Davening With the Stars

Joanna Breckner spotted John Lithgow on Yom Kippur. “According to Jim” cast and crew showed up for parts of morning prayers. Religion was in the spotlight when CBS Studios hosted Chabad of Studio City’s High Holiday services.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 5, 2006

Canoe Team Member Chooses Rosh Hashana Over Race

To build the abs, the muscle and cardio endurance it takes to cross 41 miles of Pacific blue in an outrigger canoe race, Karen Dunai maintained a punishing fourteen hours a week training regimen, but a spiritual crisis that pitted her sport against Rosh Hashanah nearly pushed her to the limit.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 25, 2006

Passover In Cuba: A Tale of Two Synagogues

Editor's Note: The Passover holiday is now over, but if the news reports on this widely celebrated holiday are any indication, Chabad's worlwide Passover Seders have brought numerous far-out and "forgotten" Jewish communities into the limelight. In places like China and Ghana, in Bolivia and Tasmania, Chabad's rabbinical students and representatives conducted Seders that generated spirited joy and numerous stories. The following, on the Seder in Cuba, appeared in the Jerusalem Post.

Jaron Gilinsky, The Jerusalem Post | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, April 20, 2006

Around the World, Countdown to the Seder . . .

With passports in hand and suitcases filled with matzah and kosher meat, 700 Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical students are making a mass exodus from their yeshivas and teaching positions to bring Passover to the far corners of the world.

E.J. Tansky | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, April 10, 2006

A Seder in the Land of Midnight Sun

Most of the Seder with Chabad will be conducted in English, but the sixty or so guests of Finland's polyglot Jewish community will all feel at home as they hear Finnish, Russian, Hebrew and English around the Seder table.

Rebbeca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Children . . . Rolling in Dough

In the weeks before Passover, there's a Chabad representative firing up a 700-degree oven in nearly every time zone. One of the many innovative staple-programs of Chabad Houses, the Model Matzah Bakery has become a traditional pre-Passover event for thousands of children worldwide.

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, April 2, 2006

Passover Joy Begins Early in Nepal

This tiny mountaintop kingdom has one of the largest Passover Seders in the world, with more than 2,000 guests. But getting the Passover goods onto the table is usually an ordeal with all the elements of a hi-suspense drama and breathless, 11th hour resolution.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, March 30, 2006

Purim In Lithuania

This year's Purim in Vilnius, Lithuania, will long be remembered by the city's Jewish community.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Happy Purim!

It's that time of year when seriousness gives way to partying, and partying is taken seriously.

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 13, 2006

Purim for Children With Special Needs

Autism, cerebral palsy, Asperger's syndrome, Down syndrome, and ADHD are no longer obstacles to Purim fun as Friendship Circle programs sponsor events for children with special needs.

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Chabad of South Broward Tops Ekaterinburg's 6,000!

With its December 28 posting of a 6,000 person turnout at a Chanukah celebration in Ekaterinburg, Russia, Lubavitch.com challenged Chabad Shluchim worldwide to top that number next year. It didn't take a year, but merely a day, for Chabad of South Broward to up the stakes with 8,000 people . . .

Reuven Arazi | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, January 2, 2006

Chanukah Chabad Style at Camp Victory

The U.S. Army took control of Al-Faw several years ago, but there's still something surreal about the idea of a grand Chanukah celebration at Saddam Hussein's palace. Yet that's precisely what happened on the first night of Chanukah, when 70 troops celebrated around a 12 foot menorah in the palace.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 29, 2005

Top This: Six Thousand Attend Chabad Chanukah Celebration

Will Chabad Shluchim top this one?Chabad representative to Ekaterinburg, Russia, Rabbi Zelig Ashkenazi , reported to Lubavitch.com that 6,000 people attended Chabad's Chanukah event yesterday.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Chabad Gives Chanukah 2005 Greatest Exposure Ever

Grabbing spotlights for Chanukah menorahs may not sound like a very Jewish thing to do, but it is actually the point. Striking a match and lighting the menorah is expressly for the purpose of publicizing the miracle of Chanukah

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 27, 2005

From the Brooklyn Bridge to the Great Wall of China: Chabad Lights Up the Skies

It's hard to litigate against light, which explains why despite scattered attempts around the country by church and state purists to take down the eight-armed menorahs from public spaces, America's skies are illuminated with the Chanukah lights beginning tonight, the first night of Chanukah.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 25, 2005

Governor Schwarzenegger Joins Chabad's Chanukah Celebration

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger performed a symbolic menorah lighting at the State Capitol today as part of the 12th annual Chabad Chanukah celebration. The Governor joined with Rabbi Boruch S. Cunin , Director of West Coast Chabad-Lubavitch.

Bradford Wiss | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 22, 2005

Menorah Lights Triumph Yet Again

In Shrewsbury, MA, a Chanukah miracle took place when the town Board of Selectmen voted to reverse their original vote to deny the Chabad Jewish Center permission to light the menorah on the town common.

Rebecca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Chanukah To Light Up Universal Studios

Will the ten thousand people who flood Universal City Walk's cinema square to witness Chabad of the Valley's menorah lighting and watch the giant Astrovision screen beam scenes from Chanukah around the world on Tuesday, December 27, from 5-9 p.m., know where to look first?

E.j. Tansky | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 12, 2005

Jewish Students Bond With the Torah

Minutes to midnight on University of Pennsylvania's fraternity row, as the 'Sox were on their way to trouncing the Astros in overtime, the guys at Sigma Nu got a knock at the door.

E.J. Tansky | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 27, 2005

Celebrating Simchat Torah, Hurricane and All

As Hurricane Wilma walloped Hallandale, Florida, the local Chabad weathered the storm without wavering from their Simchat Torah holiday plans.

Rebbeca Rosenthal | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, October 24, 2005

Lulav, Etrog, Sukkah--Familiarity With The Festival Grows

Again, this Sukkot, branches of Chabad- Lubavitch spread out far beyond the comfort of their centers to offer Jewish people, wherever they may be, an opportunity to get in touch with their Jewish roots.

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, October 24, 2005

Sukkot at the IDF Bases in Israel

With its mobile Sukkahs, Chabad in Israel visits IDF bases countrywide, to offer soldiers the opportunity to participate in the holiday, and celebrate together.

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, October 20, 2005

Forward, March, Together!

To Jewish boys impatient for the chance to beat a drum in a marching band, and little girls who fancy twirling a tasseled baton, Lag B'omer could not come soon enough.

Miriam Davids | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, May 27, 2005

Countdown to The Seder: Passover With Chabad

Lubavitch is on a search for that fifth child. Indeed, one of the more intriguing aspects of Chabad's Passover outreach program is the exotic locations where Chabad rabbinical students travel to find Jewish people who would otherwise not be at a Passover seder.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, April 21, 2005

Post Tsunami Pesach in Thailand

It is 5:00 a.m. and dawn has not yet broken in Bangkok. The typically teeming streets are bathed in the stillness of morning and there is nary a soul astir... except for Rabbi Yosef C. Kantor , the Chabad representative to Thailand.

Fay Kranz Greene | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, April 18, 2005

A Palpable Passover Experience

Clad in "Egyptian" attire, the children are transported through time as they visit scenes of our slavery in Egypt, to the ten plagues, the splitting of the Red Sea and the founding of a nation at Mount Sinai.

Fay Kranz Greene | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Mansichewitz and Chabad Reach Thousands in Lithuania, Ukraine and Beyond

A gaggle of teenage girls are packing up their sleek holiday skirts into small valises in anticipation of the Passover holiday. But they won't be spending the Passover Seder meal slurping down their grandmother's chicken soup or sunning at a popular European resort. They will be at school.

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Passover Programs to Reach 437 Communities in the FSU

As in years past, the the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS is implementing a comprehensive Passover campaign designed to facilitate observance of this festival among Jews in the Former Soviet Union.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Purim In The Emerald Isle

Chabad's representatives in Dublin, Rabbi and Mrs. Zalman Lent learned that planes chartered to fly jet set Irish soccer fans to Tel Aviv would be returning near-empty to the Emerald Isle. They found travel agents willing to sell them the open seats for a few Euros and the promise of a great good deed . . .

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, April 7, 2005

Purim at Cambridge Takes An Orwellian Turn

Six-foot tall roosters, a charming butterfly and dancing cows lumbered through Chabad of Cambridge's backyard barnyard for their Animal Farm Purim celebration.

Rivka Chaya Berman | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Bringing the Joy of Purim to Lithuania

It's all part of a dramatic revival of Jewish life in this region, where Chabad's religious, educational and social outreach programs are inspiring Jewish people to become involved and experience a Jewish triumph of their very own.

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 28, 2005

1300 Students Celebrate Purim With Chabad at Columbia U

"Judaism's all about breaking barriers, transcending limits, and that's really the idea here behind my music," said Matisyahu , renowned Hassidic-reggae singer, to a crowd of some 1,300 students on Thursday night, at Columbia University's knockout Purim celebration.

Shoshana Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, March 27, 2005

Governor Bush Celebrates Opening of 101st Chabad Center in State of Florida

It was not a typical scene in the office of Florida Governor Jeb Bush last Friday, when the governor danced the Hora with rabbis wearing black fedoras.

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 16, 2004

Chabad and Chanukah: How Many Saw The Light?

How many people worldwide during the past week, were reminded that it was Chanukah? To get a rough estimate, we'd have to add up every one of Chabad's public menorahs-and there were at least 1,843 of them in 559 cities in 65 countries worldwide.

Baila Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, December 15, 2004

At Israel's IDF Bases: Getting Into the Spirit of Chanukah

This Chanukah, Chabad of Israel intends to cover all its bases. Fanning out the length and breadth of Israel, Chabad Shluchim are bringing the light of Chanukah to IDF soldiers with Chanukah menorah lightings, hot donuts and dancing.

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, December 12, 2004

Hundreds Watch As Tallest Menorah in Ukraine is Kindled

They were tears of joy shed by many among the 400 who gathered at Lenin Square in Dneproderzhinsk on the first night of Chanukah.

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 9, 2004

Chabad Honors the Reagan Legacy with a Fiery Tribute

An estimated 1500 people attended "The Triumph of Freedom - Chanukah and the Reagan Legacy," a pre-holiday, last Sunday, December 5 at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley.

Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 9, 2004

Chabad Lights the Menorah at Brandenburg Gate

When Rabbi Yudi Tiechtal , Chabad representative to Berlin, sought permission to put up a large public menorah at the Brandenburg Gate, the response he got was that "only things relevant to the German nation are permitted here."

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 7, 2004

There's A Menorah Lighting Near You!

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Illuminating Poland With the Lights of the Menorah

Cracow, Lodz, Warsaw -cities synonymous with vibrant Jewish populations that would find their bitter end in Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek , draw thousands of Jewish visitors today.

Baila Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, December 6, 2004

Chanukah Festivities from the Sublime to the Spiritual

The Chanukah programs being offered this year are a multi-hued and colorful kaleidoscope of the old, the new and the new-fangled. From New Hampshire to Texas and from Connecticut to California . . .

Fay Kranz Greene | Holiday & Shabbos | Thursday, December 2, 2004

Chanukah On The River

"Chanukah On The River" a much-anticipated annual event will be staged once again this year on December 12th, the fifth day of Chanukah and will bring almost 1,000 people to the beautiful downtown riverfront area for a menorah boat ride, menorah lighting and Chanukah concert.

Fay Kranz Greene | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Chabad and Chanukah: Let The Sparks Fly

With its celebratory spirit toward Jewish life and a penchant for partying, Chabad-Lubavitch and Chanukah are a perfect pairing. Admittedly, this is not an occasion for nuanced outreach, and Shluchim mine the possibilities of this eight-day festival, delivering bold, high impact messages of Jewish warmth and spiritual illumination.

Baila Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, November 29, 2004

Chabad and The Reagan Library: Celebrating Triumph of Freedom This Chanukah

On Sunday, December 5, 2004, a unique event billed "The Triumph of Freedom - Chanukah and the Reagan Legacy" will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, November 23, 2004

The Priest In The Sukkah

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 12, 2004

. . . and For Those Who Couldn't Come . . .

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, October 6, 2004

Bikers Take To The Lulav

Jewish bikers identifying as The Tribe Motorcycle Club (DC), Chai Riders (NY), Hillel's Angels (NJ), The Stars of Davidson , King David Bikers (FL) and the S.O.B's - Semites on Bikes (MD) all met at the largest Harley dealership on the east coast - Mikes' Famous Harley in New Castle, Delaware, yesterday.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 5, 2004

. . . and at the University of Arizona at Tucson

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Sukkot: On the Sea, At the Army Bases, and In the Preschools . . .

When it's time to celebrate, few match the get-up-and-go spirit of Chabad. Around the world, Chabad Shluchim have devised some of the most creative ways to put some zing into the Sukkot festivities.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Pizza-in-a-Hut: Sukkot in Clarks Summit

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Sukkot and The New Europe: Parallel Themes

Father and son, Chabad representatives Rabbis Shimon and Mendel Samama , put up the first sukkah in Strasbourg, home to the European Parliament.

Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, October 5, 2004

After the Hurricane: A Sukkah BBQ

The sight of the sukkah--the humble hovel assembled in the aftermath of two devastating hurricanes--that stands surrounded by debris of solidly constructed structures, seems layered with irony.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, October 4, 2004

. . . and in Lithuania

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, October 3, 2004

Sukkot With Chabad in: Riga, Latvia

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, October 3, 2004

Sharing the Festival: With the IDF in Hebron

When the Chabad mobile Sukkah arrived at the IDF army base in Hebron earlier today to share the mitzvah of lulav and etrog with the soldiers stationed there, they could not get in.

Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, October 3, 2004

Sukkah Hopping Round the World

It's that time of year when those odd looking, ramshackle huts appear on every other porch and yard in Jewish neighborhoods around the world. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, is the eight day festival . . .

Baila Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, September 28, 2004

A Yom Kippur Tradition Returns to the Former Soviet Union

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, September 27, 2004

Hundreds Braved Ivan To Get To Rosh Hashana Services

To the hurricane-weary Jewish communities of Florida and the Gulf Coast, these words from the High Holiday prayers resonated more deeply than ever as they ushered in the New Year 5765. The tree branches and debris which littered the streets around the synagogues . . .

Fay Kranz Greene | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, September 22, 2004

400 Jews Forced To Conduct Rosh Hashana Services In The Cold

In contrast to events that barred 400 Jews from entering the only synagogue in Lithuania's capital, forcing them to conduct Rosh Hashana services out in the cold, even communism's stranglehold on Jewish expression, it seems, respected certain limits.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, September 19, 2004

Lubavitch Prepares for New Year

For Jewish communities everywhere, this is the most highly charged time of year. The intensity is thick as hearts spill over with prayers for a New Year that is blessed and sweet.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, September 12, 2004

Children Parade for Jewish Unity

Some 25,000 people from across the Tri-State area turned out early this glorious Sunday morning to watch a Jewish unity parade make its way along Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue.

Raizel Metzger | Holiday & Shabbos | Sunday, May 9, 2004

Passover In Uzbekistan

Jewish communities across Uzbekistan celebrated Passover this year, many of them experiencing the richness and joy of this holiday for the first time in their lives.

Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 16, 2004

Seders Around the World

Eritrea and Namibia are exotic, far, and don't rank high on the map of Jewish demographics. But there are Jews in the Sub-Saharan African region . . .

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 9, 2004

30 Tons of Matzah To Reach Jews in Eastern Europe

Herbert Hoover's goal of "a chicken in every pot" was tame by comparison. The Chabad Lubavitch Organization wants to provide matzah this Passover for every Jewish man, woman and child . . .

Fay Kranz Greene | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Got Purim?

If the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch Purim experience were to be summed up, perhaps a postcard gimmick from a newly-opened Chabad branch in Ponte Vedra, Florida would do it best.

Raizy Metzger | Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 10, 2004

FSU Jewry Celebrates Purim In Record Numbers

On March 7th and 8th, Jews from 420 communities throughout the Former Soviet Union, members of the Federation of Jewish Communities, celebrated Purim.

Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 8, 2004

Personalized Purim Gifts For 40,000 Children

An enormous outreach project led by Chabad-Lubavitch representative and Chief Rabbi of Odessa, Ukraine, Rabbi Avraham Wolf, will give 40,000 Jewish children in the region good reason to celebrate on Purim.

Holiday & Shabbos | Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Purim Goes Mainstream

It's hard to imagine a time when most American Jews didn't know what Purim was. But if you remember the sixties, you'll recall that by and large, Jewish holiday observances were limited to Yom Kippur and Passover.

Fay Kranz Greene | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, March 1, 2004

Global Warming

On Friday May 30th, at 18 minutes to sundown, a little girl in Oklahoma City will light her first Shabbat candle ever. Down the block a young mother will be doing the same thing. A Russian immigrant in Magdeburg, Germany, and a university student in Austin, Texas, will too.

S. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Tuesday, May 6, 2003

An Oasis in Paradise

A curious thing happens with the arrival of young Chabad Rabbis who bring the Jewish students together in a celebration of their faith

R. Wineberg | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, May 5, 2003

Manischewitz Partners with Chabad

With the largest shipment of Matzah received since the independence of Lithuania, Manischewitz matzah literally assured Jews countrywide the ability to have a kosher Pesach . . . including the five lone Jews who live in Svencionys . . .

S. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 25, 2003

Passover Campaign Reaches Millions

Greater numbers of Jewish people reached by Chabad's ongoing Passover campaigns than in years past.

B. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 11, 2003

All Floured Up

Until last week, Teddy Hector thought matzahs came from a box.But then Teddy came home from school covered in flour and positively glowing with the knowledge that "matzahs are made!" and more-he had made one himself.

R. Wineberg | Holiday & Shabbos | Friday, April 11, 2003

A Seder to Go: By Land By Air By Sea

For a country that prides itself on its separation of Church and State, the United States makes an unusual exception in matters relating to the military.

S. Olidort | Holiday & Shabbos | Monday, April 7, 2003

Chanukah with Chabad

Once upon a time, Jewish children got short shrift when December came around. Most of them were taught to be shy about their Jewish identity and they kept a low Jewish profile.  The old metal menorah in the attic never saw the light. They didn't much celebrate Chanukah, or even know what it was all about. But things have changed since. The first time Chabad decided to put up a giant menorah in a public square, the adults were shocked. Some even protested . . . But the kids, they were delighted. And passersby loved the light That is of course, what Chanukah is all about: light and warmth and Jewish pride. Today, there are thousands of giant menorahs in public squares round the world. There are Dreidel Houses and Macy's Chanukah Parades and eight days packed with Chanukah pomp and circumstance that make the adults proud and keep the kids engaged and animated educated about their Jewish history.

Holiday & Shabbos |