Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov photographed in Crown Heights by Elimelech Goldstein in a Spotlight Design production.
Dvar Malchus
A Global Effect
The story of Adam Harishon’s creation reminds each of us of our personal responsibility
By the Grace of G‑d Motzoei Shabbos Kodesh
18th of Elul,1 5733 Brooklyn, N.Y.
To the Sons and Daughters of Our People Israel, Everywhere G‑d bless you all!
Greetings and Blessings,
At this time of preparation for Rosh Hashanah—the day when the First Man Adam was created, whereby the entire Creation was completed and perfected;
The day which is the beginning and “head” of the whole year, which means that Rosh Hashanah is the source of instruction, guidelines, and direction for all the days of the year—I wish to dwell on one particular teaching that has to do with the central place that man occupies as the “crown” of Creation, and the one on whom depends the fulfillment of the entire Creation, as indicated above.
* * *
Rosh Hashanah teaches and reminds every individual about the tremendous powers which have been vested in him; powers which enable him not only to attain personal fulfillment in the fullest measure, but also to influence and direct—and transform, if need be — the whole world around him.
Together with this comes also the tremendous responsibility not to underestimate the powers with which he has been endowed, and to utilize them in the fullest measure
for his benefit and for the benefit of the world around him.
The very fact that Rosh Hashanah, which is also the Day of Judgement of the entire world, has been set not on the day when everything was created yesh me’ayin (ex nihilo), but on the day when man was created, clearly indicates that the outcome of the judgement of the entire creation depends on him,
From which it follows that he has been given the capacity to influence and direct the whole of Creation….
* * *
From what has been said above follows a crucial point, which though really self evident, needs to be emphasized nevertheless, especially in the present day and age: The abovementioned conception in general, and the conclusions that follow from it as to the extraordinary Zechus (privilege) and responsibility—all of this is not a “private” matter which concerns the individual alone. For, as has been stated, it is the duty of every individual to elevate not only himself to the expected height, but to elevate also the whole of the created order, for which purpose he was created and endowed with tremendous powers.
As for the claim that the task of elevating the environment can be accomplished by others, leaving the utilization of his capacities as his private affair—the Torah tells us that the first man was created single in order to impress upon everyone of us that each individual is, like Adam at creation, an only one.
Consequently, just as Adam had no one to shift to the G‑d given task of bringing the whole world to the realization of “Come, let us accept the
kingship of Him Who created us,” so it is also with every individual regarding his responsibility; it is not transferable.
And when one comes to recognize this responsibility and privilege, all hindrances and difficulties encountered in the way become negligible. For, considering the far reaching implication of every action of each individual, not only for himself, but for everyone else, reaching to the very end purpose of creation—surely all difficulties must be trivial by comparison.
* * *
This—as mentioned above—is one of the basic teachings of Rosh Hashanah as the “head” of the year—in the sense of directing all the days of the year as the head directs the functions of all the organs of the body: That a Jew must every day be permeated with the awareness that his every deed, and even word, and even thought affects not only himself and the immediate environment, but also the totality of the world, and into the highest worlds. At the same time he must remember that being “A branch of My planting, the work of My hands,” he is given the fullest capacity to carry out, his task as it was given to the first man, Adam, “formed by G‑d’s own hands” — the task of advancing himself and the world around him to the acme of their perfection.
And this power is given to him generously, the way G‑d generally gives, and even more so in the day and time of which it is written, “And G‑d saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good,” —from His full, open, holy, and ample Hand.
With blessing for a kesivo vachasimo toivo, For a good and sweet year,
/Signed: Menachem Schneerson/
Publisher
Mica Soffer
Editor
Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin
Associate Editor
Mendy Wineberg
Contributing Writers
Asharon Baltazar
Shmuel Blesofsky
Yoni Brown
Libby Herz
Sari Kopitnikoff
Chana Kornfeld
Mendel Levin
Sruly Meyer
Sarah Pinson
Tzali Reicher
Mordechai Schmutter
Gil Student
Motti Wilhelm
Design
Chana Tenenbaum
Photo Credits
JEM/Living Archive
Special Thanks
Rebbe Responsa
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
Following Rosh Hashana, there was buzz that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might visit the Rebbe’s Ohel during his trip to the United States. Such a visit would have been timely, taking place during Aseres Yemei Teshuva, and particularly meaningful given the many challenges that Eretz Yisroel is currently facing.
He didn’t end up coming, but on Sunday afternoon, my friend Chagit Leviev Sofiev texted me that she would soon be going to the Ohel with the Prime Minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu.
It wasn’t the first time Sara Netanyahu had visited, and it certainly wasn’t the first time Chagit brought a ranking official to daven at the Rebbe’s Ohel. Over the years, it has practically become a rite of passage for Israeli government officials, and she is often the one making those visits happen. Chagit is a natural ambassador for all things Chabad and Yiddishkeit. She grew up on the heroic stories of her family’s survival under Communist oppression. She watched her father, Lev Leviev, give generously to rebuild Jewish life in the former Soviet Union and beyond.
During this time of year, when we focus on tzedakah, I can think of no one who better embodies giving, both in heart and action. Chagit is the backbone of the Bukharian Jewish community in Queens and the Bukharian Jewish Congress, to which she devotes her resources, energy, and care.
On Yomim No’raim, we pray for good health and long life in the upcoming year. While we daven for the best, we must also prepare for the unexpected. One way is through life insurance, which ensures that a family is cared for in the event of tragedy. We spoke with an agent from Florida about the importance of this issue and the available options.
With so much time spent in shul this month, we highlight Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov, the newly appointed rov of Empire Shtiebel, one of the oldest shuls in Crown Heights. We also glimpse the history of the Chevra Shas shul on Kingston and Montgomery. And for the first time in several years, our team has created a detailed map of the neighborhood shuls, thoughtfully placed in the centerfold for easy removal and hanging.
Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find reflections on the power of forgiveness, a moving story about a Sukkos night that changed everything, recipes to delight your Yom Tov guests, and two inspiring photo galleries, one from JEM featuring the Rebbe, and the other captured by our photographers.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and we wish you a gut yahr,
MICA SOFFER
Marian Stoltz-Loike, Dean
By Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin
All Packed, Nowhere to Go
Not long ago, our family traveled to the Phoenix International Airport to pick up guests. Arriving a few minutes early, I drove to the cell phone lot and as we waited, a flashy Ford Mustang swooped in. A woman jumped out in a hurry, lifted a carry on from the backseat, placed a large designer purse on top of it, and adjusted a baseball cap on her head.
And then she froze. Her eyes darted around, and her face was clouded with confusion.
It turned out she had a flight to catch and had everything she needed: luggage, ticket, and even the proper travel attire, except she had parked in the wrong lot. There were cars all around, but this wasn't a parking lot, and there was no walking access from where she was to any of the terminals.
We weren't the only ones noticing her bewilderment. A fellow driver kindly lowered her window and pointed the would be traveler to the airport parking lot. The woman quickly got back into her car and sped away, leaving us with the mystery of whether she had enough time to catch her flight.
Watching this, I learned you can have all the resources for a journey, but if you're in the wrong starting point, you won't move forward. This is a point that is emphasized at the conclusion of Simchas Torah, the last of the series of yomim tovim that mark the beginning of the new Jewish year.
In the Russian town of Lubavitch, they would call out on Motzoei Simchas Torah, "VeYaakov holach ledarko And Yaakov went on his
way" (Bereshis 32:2). On a basic level, Yaakov was continuing his journey after being away from home for years. But the Torah never wastes words. If it emphasizes that "...Yaakov went on his way," then that phrase carries a lesson for every person on their own journey.
The root of the name Yaakov is the Hebrew word "ekev a heel." Walking begins with the heel striking the ground. If your footing is off, your step falters, and your journey slows. To "go on one's way," as Yaakov did, is about moving forward and making sure to start with a solid heel, a stable foundation.
Over the first month of Tishrei, we fill our spiritual suitcase with everything we need: blessings from Rosh Hashana, reflection
on Yom Kippur, unity on Sukkos, and celebration on Simchas Torah. After such a month, we have certainly packed everything we need for this coming year, and we are definitely ready for our journey. However, if we aren’t positioned right, we won't be able to soar to the heights to which we aspire.
Neuroscientist Adele Diamond explains that executive functions (EFs) are the mental processes we rely on to focus, plan, and follow through on our goals. Yet they are highly sensitive to our well being — stress, poor sleep, loneliness, or lack of exercise can weaken them (Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 64). Our starting conditions clearly matter.
To help with this, Chassidic thought adds a further dimension.
The third Chabad Rebbe, known as the Tzemach Tzedek, said that the way one positions oneself on the first Shabbos after the Tishrei yomim tovim is indicative of how the entire year will unfold.
On that first Shabbos, we begin reading the Torah from the beginning literally. We begin with Bereshis, reading about Creation and being held accountable for our actions. It teaches us that we live in a universe governed by the Almighty, and it is our duty to live accordingly. This mindset conditions and positions us with the foundation to start the year off right, setting the course for everything that follows.
The Alter Rebbe pointed out (Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei) that
Yaakov’s name combines the letter Yud — which symbolizes Hashem — with ekev, a heel. It reminds us that the first step of any journey must be grounded in awareness of Hashem.
Whether walking or flying, the principle is the same: it all depends on our footing. We may have inspiration, resources, and plans, but unless we place our heel firmly in the right spot and with the right intention, our journey may never get moving. Just as Yaakov went on his way, we too can put our heel to the ground and move forward.
Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin, Editor of COLlive. com and COLlive Magazine, is the Associate Rabbi of Chabad Tucson Young Israel in Tucson, Arizona. He coordinates the annual Yarchei Kallah gathering of Chabad Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva
A Rov is Born
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov's quick ascent as a posek in Crown Heights
By Motti Wilhelm
Photos: Elimelech Goldstein (Spotlight Design) and Shalom Ross
NNearly every Lubavitcher in Crown Heights, and well beyond, has heard of Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov. A young rov, who already in his early thirties has firmly established himself in the world of Chabad rabbanus, he began with a narrow focus, addressing halachic questions specifically in the area of taharas hamishpacha for the Crown Heights community. But it wasn’t long before his role expanded, and today, Lubavitchers from around the world turn to him for guidance across the full spectrum of halacha.
How did a young boy in Hebrew school become one of the most sought after rabbonim in Lubavitch today? How does he view the Crown Heights community, where he serves? And what does he believe is the role of a rov in a world of Google and ChatGPT? This is his story.
As a child, young Tuvia never imagined he would one day become a rov. His family, descended on both sides from Soviet émigrés, was what most would call “traditional.” His paternal grandmother came from a long line of rabbonim, including Rabbi Avraham Dimant (1863 1940), who served as Chief Rabbi of Yurburg (Jurbarkas), a city in Lithuania. Yet the Holocaust and communism left his grandparents, originally from Latvia and Belarus, clinging only to fragments of Jewish life. Even a Pesach seder was observed in secret, under constant risk and danger.
In Canada, Tuvia’s mother faithfully lit Shabbos candles,
the family attended shul on Yomim Tovim, and the children were sent to Hebrew school and Jewish camp.
At the age of 14, after attending a Lubavitcher overnight camp for a few summers and winters, Tuvia decided on his own that he wanted to attend yeshiva. Taking the initiative, he reached out to a shliach, who guided him toward enrollment at the Mesivta of Yeshiva Schools in Pittsburgh.
From there, he continued to Yeshivas Lubavitch Toronto, then to Tomchei Tmimim Montreal, after which he was sent back to Toronto as a bochur shliach. Almost immediately after his shlichus year concluded, he got married to Devorah Leah Soblick.
"I first acquired a geshmak in learning Halacha when learning in Toronto, thanks to the incredible shiurim given by Rabbi Avrohom Mann," Rabbi Kasimov recalls. "He taught us how to learn Halacha properly, how to approach a piece in the Shulchan Aruch, and how to be medayak in the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch."
That enjoyment of studying Halacha led him to begin studying semicha during his shlichus in Toronto and sparked his desire to devote his life to its study. Since he married right afterward, he completed his studies while in kollel, earning semicha from Rabbi Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg, one of the foremost rabbonim and poskim of the generation. He later also received semicha from the Belzer Dayan of Boro Park Rabbi Asher Eckstein, Crown Heights Rov Rabbi Yosef Braun,
the Svoliva Rov of Boro Park Rabbi Shloime Appel, and the Debrecener Dayan Rabbi Shaul Yechezkel Schwartz.
Rabbi Kasimov immediately continued to the next stage of his studies and received "Yodin Yodin" – semicha to become a dayan – from Rabbi Goldberg, Rabbi Braun and Rabbi Appel. The next crucial step to becoming a rov is shimush –hands on, hands on training and practical experience in halachic decision making under the guidance of experienced poskim. Rabbi Kasimov approached Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Schwei of the Crown Heights Badatz, who referred him to Rabbi Braun and personally advocated for him. "I gained a tremendous amount from the time I spent with Rabbi Braun," Rabbi Kasimov says. "He gave me hundreds of hours of his time."
During that period, he also did shimush with Rabbi Chaim Kraus, an Av Beis Din in Kensington and the Debrecener Dayan. He joined an exclusive shimush group under the Faltishan Av Beis Din Rabbi Yitzchok Stein, where he was the youngest member. His studies also included time under Rabbi Yaakov Menachem Shteif, dayan in Hisachdus Harabbonim of Satmar, Rabbi Yona Reiss, Av Beis Din of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst, one of the foremost students of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.
Under these rabbonim, Rabbi Kasimov studied a wide range of halachic areas, from everyday queries to complex cases such as medical halacha or yuchsin
determining Jewish status. He remains in contact with many of them today, consulting on questions and cases that arise.
Approximately six years ago, Rabbi Kasimov was approached by a group of Crown Heights community members. The neighborhood was growing rapidly, and they felt there was a need for additional rabbonim, particularly in the area of taharas hamishpacha. The existing rabbonim were overwhelmed, and these delicate, time sensitive questions required immediate and discreet responses. They asked Rabbi Kasimov to step into a role specifically focused on this area.
“I consulted extensively with my mashpi’im, rebbeim, and other rabbonim, and they all encouraged me to take the position,” Rabbi Kasimov shares. “There was one person I spoke to who laughed when I told him I was asked to be a rov only for taharas hamishpacha. He said there’s no such thing. Once I stepped into the role, I would start receiving sha’alos in every area. And he was right.”
Rabbi Kasimov accepted the position, and ever since, he has spent each day at the shul at 613A East New York Avenue, where community members drop off sha’alos or come to speak with him directly. As predicted, his role quickly expanded beyond taharas hamishpacha to all areas of Halacha. Known for his warm and approachable style, his reputation soon spread far beyond Crown Heights. Today, he receives halachic questions from across the U.S. and even overseas, from wherever a Lubavitch community can be found.
Despite his packed schedule, Rabbi Kasimov still finds time to write chiddushei Torah, usually late at night after his long day of
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov (left) with Aryeh Lavner on Merkos Shlichus in Berlin, Germany, in 5774 (2014)
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov, alongside Toronto Shliach Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman, at his L'Chaim to Devorah Leah Soblick in Crown Heights, in Sivan 5776 (2016)
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov joins Rabbi Yosef Braun, Member of the Crown Heights Beis Din, in comforting Rabbi Shmuel Felder, Dayan of Bais Din of Lakewood in New Jersey, in Cheshvan 5783 (2022)
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov (right) attends a reception for Israel's Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau at the offices of the Badatz of Crown Heights, on Tammuz 5783 (2023)
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov (standing on the right) helped Bris Avrohom in New Jersey wed Jewish couples according to halacha in Cheshvan 5785 (2024)
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov hands out certificates to graduates of Hilchos Nidda at Machon Lemaan Yilmedu on Tishrei 5785 (2024)
answering sha’alos, shiurim, and time with his family. In 2021, Rabbi Kasimov published his first sefer, Divrei Tohar, a collection of essays on topics in hilchos tahara, covering many of the common issues that rabbonim face. Earlier this year, he released the first volume of his responsa, titled Sha’alos Uteshuvos Divrei Tuvia, both of which feature haskamos from leading rabbonim and poskim. More recently, he was appointed as Moreh Hora’ah of Empire Shtiebel, one of the prominent and established shuls in Crown Heights. In this role, he began davening in Empire Shtiebel twice a dayhe will daven in the shul, answers any sha’alos that arise, and delivers a halacha shiur once a week.
When Rabbi Kasimov speaks about the Crown Heights community, his admiration is unmistakable. “Crown Heights is a beautiful kehillah, filled with talmidei chachamim, vibrant limud haTorah, and many Yidden dedicated to avodas Hashem and gemilus chassadim. Baruch Hashem, it’s a shining community within Klal Yisrael. We see so many people constantly working on meaningful, uplifting initiatives to strengthen Torah, to strengthen mitzvos, and to strengthen the Rebbe’s inyonim. There’s no doubt in my mind: Crown Heights is one of the finest kehillos in Klal Yisrael.”
There is much to learn from the community, which serves as a model for others, Rabbi Kasimov says. “There are so many beautiful aspects of the kehillah kedoshah of Crown Heights, and it would take many articles to list them all. But one
area I’ll highlight is the tremendous abundance of shiurim. Whether on a community wide scale, within individual shuls, or in more private settings, there is an exceptional amount of Torah learning taking place. In fact, many of the shiurim broadcast live via Zoom or other platforms originate right here in Crown Heights. This is one of the many areas where the community truly shines spreading Torah and strengthening harbatzas haTorah.”
But even in such an incredible community, the rabbanus comes
"The very purpose of having rabbonim is for them to be available to their communities, and no one should ever hesitate to reach out."
with its share of challenges. It’s part and parcel of the role. When asked what he finds most difficult, Rabbi Kasimov answers without hesitation.
“The load of rabbanus is sometimes more than any average person can carry. The constant flow of calls, texts, WhatsApps, whatever the medium, can be overwhelming at times.”
He emphasizes that the very purpose of having rabbonim is for them to be available to their communities, and no one should ever hesitate to reach out. At the same time, he explains, this is why
rabbonim establish schedules and designate times when they are not available. “Chas v’shalom, it’s not because the rov doesn’t want to answer,” he says. “It’s because if a rov doesn’t take care of his own physical and mental well being, then even during the hours he is available, he won’t be able to serve people properly, just like a doctor or any other professional. And of course, the rov also has his own family, who need his time and attention as well.”
He adds, “Sometimes a rov might miss a message or a phone call. It’s never intentional. He may be answering someone else, dealing with another issue, or simply taking a few moments to turn off his phone and care for himself. He will respond as soon as he’s able.”
When discussing sha’alos, Rabbi Kasimov pauses to emphasize an important point: he strongly encourages anyone with a question not to hesitate and “just ask.”
“Whenever a question arises, the best thing is not to overthink or make calculations, just ask the rov,” he says. “If you’re unsure, that’s exactly what he’s there for.”
At the same time, he notes that many time sensitive questions can, and should, be asked in advance to avoid unnecessary stress and last minute pressure.
“Questions about fast days, giving birth on Shabbos, and other similar topics are often predictable and can usually be addressed well ahead of time,” he explains. “Erev Shabbos and the hours before a fast are already high pressure times for both the person asking and the rov the phone doesn’t stop ringing. By asking early, you are ensuring
that you will have your answer in a timely manner.”
Another point Rabbi Kasimov emphasizes as crucial for the broader Chabad community is the urgent need to increase the number of rabbonim and morei hora’ah within Lubavitch.
“The reality is that we have shluchim all over the world, and many of them are already functioning, at least in part, as rabbonim,” he explains. “People turn to them with halachic questions, and if they have ba’alei teshuva or frum families in their communities, they’re getting many of the same she’eilos that a rov would receive in a regular kehillah.”
He adds, “Even just looking at Lubavitcher communities here in America, based on the size and growth of these communities, we need far more rabbonim. It’s a serious void that must be addressed.”
Even in an age where any question can be entered into Google or ChatGPT, the role of rabbonim remains absolutely essential, Rabbi Kasimov emphasizes. Quick searches or on the spot AI answers simply don’t suffice.
“A doctor would never input
a question or procedure into ChatGPT and follow its instructions, and if he does, it’s time to find a new doctor,” he says. “That’s because there are so many variables and subtle details that need to be considered, based on real life experience and precedent, to arrive at the right treatment. Answering a halachic question is no different.”
Yet, he draws a distinction between using Google and AI tools like ChatGPT.
“With a Google search, you’re often led to original sources or research, assuming you skip the AI generated overview, which comes with the same risks as any AI. In some cases, you might find a primary source that’s relevant and helpful. But ChatGPT and other AI platforms take whatever they find and present an answer. There are times it might be accurate, but far too often it’s incomplete, contextually off, or just wrong.”
Either way, he says, none of these tools can replace a rov. “It’s absolutely crucial for every person to have a rov they feel comfortable turning to. No technology can substitute that human, halachically grounded guidance.”
Fortunately, Rabbi Kasimov sees
to teach in, that are guiding yungeleit, shluchim, and even baalei batim through the study of halacha, and in some cases, preparing them for roles in rabbanus. I’m hopeful that within the next five to ten years, we’ll see a very different landscape, with many more rabbonim and morei hora’ah serving every Lubavitcher kehillah.”
To those considering or pursuing a role in rabbanus, Rabbi Kasimov offers a few pieces of heartfelt advice.
“First and foremost, anyone aspiring to be a rov must find a moreh derech, someone who will take you under their wing, provide direction, patiently answer your questions, and help you grow,” he says. “They’ll help set a seder halimud, give you opportunities for shimush, and guide you through the process. This is extremely important.”
He explains that it’s nearly impossible to become a rov on your own. “You always need to learn from the previous generation, to hear how they learned from their rebbeim, how they paskened, how they approach the real life situations. Having a moreh derech is absolutely essential, not just at the beginning, but throughout your entire journey in rabbanus.”
Equally important, he says, is one’s motivation.
“If you're going into rabbanus for kavod or as a job, my advice is: stay far away. This work is demanding, it’s 24/7, and you need tremendous siyata d’Shmaya. The only way to truly last in rabbanus is if your goal is to strengthen Torah and mitzvos, and to sincerely help another Yid.”
And that, Rabbi Kasimov emphasizes, is the essence of what it means to be a rov. He illustrates this with a powerful insight he once heard from his own teacher.
“I once asked the Debrecener Dayan, Rabbi Schwartz, my primary teacher in rabbanus, ‘What is the role of a rov? What’s his purpose?’”
Rabbi Schwartz responded with a story about R’ Shimon Sofer, who was once asked the very same
question. R’ Shimon Sofer answered that the role of a rov is l’hachayos ruach shefalim v’nidka’im to uplift those with broken and low spirits.
“At first, that answer struck me as surprising,” Rabbi Kasimov reflects.
“It sounds more like the role of a mashpia or an activist, but a rov?”
And yet, he says, therein lies the true essence of the role.
“A rov’s job is to ensure that his kehillah, the people he interacts
with, are able to connect with the Eibeshter. And in order for that to happen, they need to be healthy, they need to be happy, and they need to feel uplifted.”
He concludes, “The rov is here to raise up his kehillah, to uplift Klal Yisrael, to uplift the Yidden he serves. And once you have a strong, healthy community, then you can have frum, ehrliche Yidden walking in the right path.”
Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov attends the Global Yarchei Kallah at Camp Gan Israel in Parksville, New York in Menachem Av 5785 (2025)
Photo: Shalom Ross
By Chana Kornfeld
Polished & Poised
Inside Chagit Leviev-Sofiev’s
balancing act of family, philanthropy and a diamond empire
It is a warm Wednesday morning when I sit down for a Zoom interview with Chagit Leviev Sofiev. I am at home in Florida, with a baby asleep upstairs. Chagit appears onscreen from her New York office where summer sunlight streams through wide windows beside her. She sits tall at a modern desk, dressed elegantly in a floral dress, smiling. Open and engaged, she speaks with confidence, occasionally searching for the English word that comes less naturally than her native Hebrew. She is both fierce and feminine, frank and friendly.
The space around her echoes this balance. Her office is sleek and spacious, but what catches my attention are two framed Rebbe reminders of a connection that runs deep. She tells me that they came to her at providential times, affirming a guiding presence
“I visit the Ohel often,” she says. “I love bringing people with me, especially those who are new to the experience. There is a special and holy energy there.” appointed ambassador for the Ohel. If you follow Chagit’s Instagram account, you will have seen her documentations of the dignitaries she has brought to the Ohel, including Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Education Minister Yoav Kisch and Tourism Minister Haim Katz.
As we speak, it becomes clear that Chagit’s success isn’t just a result of ambition or acumen it’s rooted in purpose. billion dollar global company, heads numerous charitable causes, and leads a full and rich family life as the wife of her husband, Greg, and a mother to five children. It’s a lot, and yet she moves through it all with intention. “People assume that being observant restricts you but being observant gives me the freedom to prioritize my family,” she says. “I love to work! I love to make money, to orchestrate deals, to figure out problems and bring new ideas to fruition. My job is multifaceted, there's lots of excitement and I have a hand in many different areas of business and philanthropy. I’m always meeting new people, being introduced to new ideas and causes, and I could work all day and night and never get bored. Shabbos, holidays and Judaism in general force me to take a break
Chagit’s work ethic was developed in her youth. From an early age,
Greg and Chagit Sofiev and their children visiting Yerushalayim
her parents, Lev and Olga Leviev, gave her real responsibilities and entrusted her with large sums of money. “I was the house manager at home. My mother would tell me, the AC guy is coming tomorrow at this time. The gardener will be here at 12. She’d give me money to pay for everything and I’d keep a record of all the money that went out and how much was left. At the end of the week, I’d show my mother my ‘books’ and she would give me a tip for managing the house finances so well. That was how I made money as a young girl.”
Chores were a steady part of the household routine in the Leviev home. Chagit remembers setting the table every erev Shabbat for about 50 guests at every meal and being tasked with baking all the cakes and cutting up all the salads. “It was a big job,” she laughs. “My mother never knew how many people were going to be coming to a meal. My father would bring home anyone and everyone who needed a meal. Our table was always full with new immigrants and needy people.”
When I ask Chagit if her home in Queens is as open as her parents’ home was, she laughs. “Times are different. Today every shul serves a kiddush, there are Chabad houses that have big meals. When I was growing up, there were no options. People really had nowhere to go. My home is open, I have lots of guests, but I can also have a quiet Shabbat if I had a long week. It’s a choice. There were no ‘hard weeks' for my mom. Every week she hosted. Really, you should interview my mom. She is an iron lady!”
Chagit is proud of her Bucharian roots and particularly of her paternal grandparents who bravely and steadfastly served their community at great personal risk. Her grandfather, Avner Leviev, was the only Mohel in Communist Tashkent and her great grandfather, Zevulun Leviev secretly taught Torah to young children. The Previous Rebbe sent shluchim to their community in Samarkand to support the Leviev’s efforts in spreading Yiddishkeit and encourage them in their activities in spreading Yiddishkeit. Chagit’s great grandfather, Zevulun, was eventually reported on and arrested. For his crimes of Jewish observance, he was sent to Siberia, where most prisoners died. Fortunately, he was released after Stalin died and in 1971 the family was able to escape and make aliyah to Israel.
In Israel, the family settled first in Kiryat Malachi and later Bnei Brak, eight children in a one bedroom apartment, where they struggled to make ends meet. Chagit’s father, Lev Leviev found work as a teen in the diamond cutting business. By 18 he opened his own
diamond cutting firm and at 19 married Chagit’s mother, Olga. Chagit describes her father as very ambitious and very hard working and impresses upon me the truth that success does not come easy. “My father worked very hard, we really rarely saw him during the week. He was always traveling for business and my mother focused on raising nine children.”
When asked if her father’s big aspirations and success posed any challenges to her childhood, Chagit shares that the family moved a lot when she was young.
“When I was in second grade, my father took us on a trip to Belgium. He showed us around the city and asked us if we liked it. We said yes and he said, ‘Do you want to move here?’ And that was it. We moved to Belgium. It was really hard because the language, Flemish, is a difficult one, and being a new Israeli student on top of the language barrier with the added rumors circulating that my family was wealthy, made me an easy target. I was bullied.” Chagit remembers the Queen Bee in her Belgium class threatening all the other girls that if they went to Chagit’s birthday party, they would not be invited to hers. “Looking back, it's hard to believe I was bullied. But, I was. There was a lot of jealousy.”
Chagit moved back to Israel in her early teens and says she witnessed the painful reality of discrimination, especially in high school. “In the school I attended, there was clear discrimination towards the Sephardi students. Teachers and students alike really didn’t treat the Sephardi girls nicely. It pains me to say it. They weren’t included. I didn’t experience the discrimination directly because my father was wealthy. That's how it was. I was let into the ‘cool girls’ club because of my family. I'm sad to say it, but it's true.”
When I ask Chagit if she thinks discrimination against the Sefardi community has eased, she says not enough.
“But that is why I love Chabad and the Rebbe’s teachings. Chabad is so accepting of everyone, exactly as they are. I went to a Litvish high school and I resented the fact that they only judged you on the way you looked and dressed and forced you to do things the way they want. Chabad is the opposite judgment and there’s no force.”
Chagit illustrates the difference between choosing Judaism and forcing it down people’s throats with a personal experience.
“Our accountant from Israel came to New York to do reconciliations over our books. She's been our in house accountant for over 30 years. We were working for hours on Friday and I had to run home to prepare for Shabbat. I asked her, where are you for Shabbat? Do you have any plans tonight? She had no plans, so I invited her over. She came home with me, watched as I quickly cooked and my kids were setting up the table. She was amazed. She couldn’t believe my daughter was baking a cake, and my other daughter was helping set the table. During the meal she told us it was the first Shabbat Kiddush she ever heard in her life. She loved the meal and told me, ‘From now on, I want to do this every week at my house too.’ This is what drives me,” says Chagit.
I am struck by the continuity of Chagit’s family legacy of outreach, of sacrifice and an open home. As Chagit shares more about her passion for sharing Judaism in positive ways and her father’s instruction to her, to be a light even in the darkest of places, I imagine her grandfather, who was a light in Communist Russia, beaming at his granddaughter who is a light in the global business network and the often frivolous world of social media.
Chagit was initially reluctant to become the icon of the frum and fabulous girl boss. She started out her career in New York privately.
“I started my career at Deloitte,” she shares, “one of the top accounting firms, but after two years, and while still on maternity leave with my first child, my father called. His CFO had quit, and he wanted me to replace her. It was 2009, still in the middle of a global financial crisis, and I was only 23. I didn’t feel ready, but I said yes. After two years as CFO, he asked me to move to New York to oversee his diamond business. I had just had my second baby and didn’t really want to go, but he asked again. Eventually, my husband and I decided to give it a try. We moved to Queens where my in laws live and it was very different, coming from modern Israeli style homes to the old houses in New York. It took time to find a house and settle.
Work was incredibly difficult. I was not welcomed into the business and getting access to anything was almost impossible. But the more they pushed me out, the more determined I became. The leadership in the company quit as soon as I started asking questions they didn’t want to answer and I was left running the company alone. I didn’t even have a proper office to work out of. We went through five years of intense litigation, but in the end we won big one of the biggest cases in the history of the diamond industry.
On top of that, my father also asked me to take over as CEO of our real estate firm, Africa Israel USA, which held over a billion dollars in U.S. assets. At the time, it
Chagit’s grandfather, Avner Leviev, by the Rebbe during Kos Shel Bracha
was in chaos poor negotiations, lawsuits, wasteful spending. At 25, I had to strategize how to turn things around. Baruch Hashem I was successful. One of the most notable deals was selling the retail portion of the Old Times Square Building to Jared Kushner for $300 million, despite pressure from the board to sell earlier for a lower number. My father always trusted my instincts. He told me, “You’re there, you know what’s going on.”
During those challenging first years in New York, Chagit says she was very private, immersed in work, with no time for anything else. The Chagit you see on social media now did not exist in 2017. She was grinding day in and day out, oblivious to the social world surrounding her. But opportunity knocked in the form of Chabad Shluchim Rabbi Naftali and Sori Rotenstreich of Chabad of Gramercy Park.
“Rabbi Rotenstreich was very persistent,” Chagit chuckles. “He would not give up, he wanted to meet with me and eventually I agreed. He told me, “You’re a rare woman an Orthodox Jewish CEO. You could inspire so many others.” He asked if I would agree to be an honoree at the first gala for his organization, Batsheva. Eventually, I agreed, only to be told that as an honoree, I would need to speak at the event in front of 500 women. I was terrified. I’d never given a public speech in English.
“I worked hard on that speech, and the morning of the event, I walked into my office to print out my speech and found a dollar from the Rebbe that had fallen onto my chair overnight from a top shelf. It felt like a blessing. That night was a turning point I met so many women who connected with my story and wanted to have coffee with me and talk to me. It inspired me to start sharing more, including on social media.
“People say social media is dark and toxic but that’s exactly why I want to be there. Women have so much more to offer than just how they look. We have voices, talents, and real strength. Today, I use my platform to be a light, to show that character, values, actions and purpose matter more than appearance.”
I’m curious how Chagit’s family reacts to her Social Media presence. When I ask, Chagit smiles and says that at first they were unsupportive and wary, but they’ve come around as they hear how uplifting and inspiring Chagit is to so many followers.
“But,” Chagit cautions, “Instagram can be a fake and dangerous place. People try so hard on social media to show that they're rich or to show that they have it all, when in truth, they don't really have those things. It's all about the show. My father always told me that an empty tzedakah box with one cent or two cents inside makes so much noise, but a tzedakah box that is completely full doesn't make any noise. When you're full on the inside,
Lev Leviev speaks with the Rebbe at a Machane Yisrael yechidus at 770 Eastern Parkway
Chagit accompanies Sara Netanyahu at the Rebbe's Ohel
(Top left) Chagit as a 5 year old child with her mother Olga in Israel
(Top right) Chagit with her parents during a family trip
(Bottom) Lev Leviev (standing left) as a child in Tashkent, Uzbekistan with his parents Avner & Chana Leviev and family
you don't feel like you need to get validated from the outside. You know what you're worth.”
Chagit clearly knows her worth. It is clear that she knows she is a competent, clever and successful CEO. It is also clear that she sees her wealth as a means to a greater purpose. She is deeply committed to continuing her father’s charitable legacy, overseeing Ohr Avner USA Jewish schools, helping children transition from Public Schools to Jewish Day Schools. She is the first female president of the Bukharian Jewish Congress, supports Mikvaot, shuls, and welfare programs and is passionate about empowering and supporting women through organizations like the Jewish Women Entrepreneurs (JWE) and Ezras Nashim.
“I love making money,” says Chagit. “I also love donating money. I promise you, what drives me to work, to work more and make more, is the fact that I have so many charities to support.”
We end our conversation talking about lab grown diamonds. I want to know if the Levievs have ventured there.
“Well, I would not marry a guy who proposed to me with a lab diamond,” Chagit quips.
“They’re not real,” she explains. “I see a diamond as something that comes from the hand of Hashem. It's a natural resource that is created over many years under pressure and it has value for a reason.”
Once again, Chagit sees through the sparkle and glitter to the core truth. A real diamond is the work of Hashem that doesn’t happen in a flash. It takes time, it develops under earth, crushed with no visible beauty at first much like the story of her life. To shine and sparkle takes time, effort, humility and the hand of Hashem.
Chagit and her husband Gavriel (Greg) with the directors of Ohr Avner USA Rabbi Zalman Zvulunov and Rabbi Yitzhak Wolovik, during a tour of one of their institutions in Queens with Israel’s Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis
By Rabbi Gil Student
The Price of Forgiveness
How halacha defines the boundaries of mercy in light of the October 7 massacre
OOn Simchas Torah 5784 October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists invaded Eretz Yisroel and committed horrifying acts of sadistic brutality, murder, and kidnapping against thousands of people. As religious Jews striving to do the right thing, we face the theoretical yet piercing question: Should we ever forgive the terrorists? The attacks move us on such a basic emotional level that this question can only evoke powerful feelings. This, too, is part of the question, but here we will engage in a legal and theological discussion that only tangentially addresses its important emotional aspect.
Forgiveness is on our minds during the days of Elul and Yomim Noraim, as we recognize that forgiveness is a powerful tool for moving forward, overcoming the past and repairing what is broken to make our lives better and our souls more complete. We can better understand how and when to use forgiveness in our lives if we explore what forgiveness means and why it is necessary. Perhaps most importantly, to understand when to forgive and when not to, we need to understand why forgiveness works.
Forgiveness, in Jewish thought, is not merely a kindhearted gesture; it is a profound spiritual tool. The Torah’s first explicit narrative of forgiveness appears in the story of Yosef and his brothers. Betrayed, sold into slavery, and nearly killed, Yosef rises to power in Egypt and holds in his hands the fate of the very men who wronged him. In a dramatic revelation, he declares, “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, for Hashem sent me ahead of you to preserve life” (Bereishis 45:5). In that moment, Yosef offers them reassurance and absolution. Yet the narrative does not end there. After Ya’akov’s death, the brothers once again plead for forgiveness, fearing
Yosef’s retribution. Yosef again reassures them. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks notes the significance of this repetition: the first moment resembles forgiveness but lacks important characteristics, while the second records an actual request and grant of forgiveness. The Torah’s double telling teaches us about the difference between forgoing an offense and truly forgiving it.
This distinction is critical. To forgo is unilateral. Like canceling a loan, the victim simply releases the offender from obligation, even without acknowledgment or repentance. Forgiving, however, is bilateral. It requires that the offender undergo repentance and that the victim accept the apology. Forgoing may soothe the victim’s heart, but forgiving rebuilds a relationship. One can live with the damage and move on, but forgiveness entails both parties undergoing a transformation. Forgiveness goes further than forgoing. It takes two to forgive. The offender must repent and attempt to undo the harm, if at all possible. And he must apologize. Taking responsibility for an offense involves apologizing and trying to heal the harm he has caused.
Additionally, a sinner must undergo personal change. The Rambam lists four steps of repentance: regret, cessation of the sin, confession and commitment to refrain from this sin in the future. These steps are the outward signs of a profound inner transformation. As the Rambam writes, the sinner must be able to say, “I am not the same person who committed this act.”
However, all this suffices only for sins between a person and Hashem. The Mishnah teaches that teshuva and Yom Kippur together can atone for such sins. But even this powerful combination
of personal change and divine mercy cannot atone for wrongs committed against another person without the victim’s forgiveness. An apology is not merely a formality, but the culmination of a moral transformation known as teshuva.
Why Forgive?
We understand why we seek forgiveness: we want atonement, wholeness before Hashem and relief from divine punishment in this world and the next. But why should we forgive those who hurt us? On the most basic level, the reason is selfish. Human survival depends on taking care of our own needs before others’. The Torah says, “And your fellow shall live with you” (Vayikra 25:19). The Gemara explains that you must first ensure your own survival—put on your own air mask before you can help another.
In this spirit, the Gemara adds, “Whoever forgoes his reckonings with others, the Heavenly court will in turn forgo his punishment for all his sins.” By forgiving the wrongs done to us, we hope others—and Hashem—will do the same for us. The baseball player Yogi Berra once quipped, “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.” The Gemara puts it more seriously: “One who eulogizes others will be eulogized; one who weeps for others will be wept for; and one who buries others will himself be buried.” We forgive so others forgive us. If we all insist on strict justice, none of us would stand innocent.
Another answer is outward facing: we forgive for the sake of the sinner, to help him achieve atonement and return to wholeness with Hashem. If forgiveness is for our own sake,
then even an unrepentant offender might be forgiven. If it is for the sinner’s sake, forgiveness without repentance is meaningless. A third answer blends the two: forgiveness serves as a means of reconciliation. The goal is not just the victim’s peace or the sinner’s redemption, but the repair of a broken bond. Yosef’s first words to his brothers offered comfort, but it was only their later plea and his forgiving response that healed the relationship.
Other narratives in the Torah deepen our understanding. In Bereishis 20, the King of Gerar, Avimelech, takes Sarah, not knowing she is Avraham Avinu’s wife. Hashem strikes him and demands that he return her and ask Avraham to pray for him. Only Avraham’s prayer halts the punishment. The Mishnah reads this as a model of forgiveness: Avimelech’s restoration of Sarah was not enough. He needed reconciliation with Avraham.
Rav Yonasan of Lunel, one of the baalei hatosfos in France, writes in his pirush to Bava Kamma that the fact that Avraham was willing to pray for Avimelech’s recovery shows that he forgave him for taking Sarah. In other words, the apology and the forgiveness are assumed in the text. Perhaps this could be seen as not an apology but appeasement –Avimelech gives Avraham valuable gifts. However, the rabbis see from Hashem telling Avimelech to speak with Avraham that this was an apology, and from Avraham’s prayer on Avimelech’s behalf that the apology was accepted and the offense was forgiven. Avraham shows that he has fully forgiven Avimelech by taking up his case before Hashem through prayer.
Similarly, the story of Dovid Hamelech and his son Avshalom ends not with words but with a kiss. Dovid silently reconciles with his
estranged son. Forgiveness may come in many forms, but always involves more than letting go—it requires restoring some measure of peace.
But are we obligated to forgive? Here, the sources diverge. In a halachic teshuva, Rashi holds that forgiveness is a moral obligation—commendable, but not commanded. The Rambam, by contrast, writes that refusing forgiveness is itself a sin. Yet both limit forgiveness to cases where the offender has repented. Sincere apology, restitution and change are prerequisites. Without them, forgiveness is neither required nor even meaningful. Some sins, such as slander, illustrate the difficulty. A malicious word can spread far and is impossible to fully retract. The Maharshal rules that a slanderer must attempt to correct the record, even if it takes years and travels to distant towns. Yet he also admits that such sins may never be fully undone. In such cases, forgiveness is not obligatory. At most, it is an act of extraordinary humility.
Responsa literature preserves countless stories of betrayal and repentance: men who stole and later returned, adulterers who begged to be readmitted to their communities, enemies who insulted each other in song until the ridicule spread from town to town. The pattern is consistent. True forgiveness cannot occur without an effort to repair the damage. When restitution is impossible, victims are not compelled to forgive. A victim may choose to forgo, for the sake of his own spirit, but he cannot be forced to reconcile with an unrepentant sinner.
Facing a Nazi
This tension becomes stark in the story told by Simon Wiesenthal, the well known Holocaust survivor who became a Nazi hunter. While imprisoned during the War, Wiesenthal was summoned to the bedside of a dying Nazi soldier. The soldier, gravely wounded, confessed his participation in massacres of Jews—hundreds shot, families burned alive, children killed before their parents’ eyes. He described the atrocities in chilling detail, tears streaming
as he begged Wiesenthal, a Jew, for forgiveness. He wanted, before he died, some assurance that he could leave this world unburdened by his crimes. Wiesenthal sat in silence. He listened. Then he rose and walked out of the room without a word. Later, Wiesenthal posed the question to thinkers of many faiths: had he acted rightly? His account, published in his book The Sunflower, gathers responses from theologians, philosophers and leaders worldwide. Some urge that he should have granted forgiveness for the sake of his own soul. Others argue that he could
not forgive crimes committed against millions who could not speak. Within Jewish thought, the matter is clear.
One correspondent tells the story about the gaon Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, known as Reb Chaim Brisker, who was once treated disrespectfully by fellow train passengers who did not recognize him. When they arrived in town and realized he was a famous rabbi, the other passengers repeatedly begged for his forgiveness to no avail. Reb Chaim explained that he can forgive an insult against the rabbi of Brisk, but this insult was against a common man, which he
Dr. Simon Wiesenthal in 1982. Photo: Rob Bogaerts/ANEFO
The gaon Harav Chaim Soloveitchik, known as Reb Chaim Brisker.
Photo: National Library of Israel, Schwadron collection
has no right to forgive. Wiesenthal’s correspondent learns from this that we cannot forgive offenses that were committed against others. No one has the authority to forgive on behalf of another. Forgiveness is personal, bound to the victim. Since this repentant Nazi had not harmed Wiesenthal, the latter could not forgive him. Even for his own anguish, he chose not to forgo. His silence was itself a moral statement: that the burden of guilt must remain with the sinner.
The Reb Chaim Brisker story crystallizes the limits of forgiveness. It highlights the difference between personal injury, which one may choose to forgive or forgo, and mass atrocity, which cannot be absolved by proxy. It shows the unbearable weight placed upon victims, who must decide not only whether they can release their pain but whether doing so might cheapen the memory of those who perished. It embodies the Jewish insistence that forgiveness cannot be separated from repentance, restitution and respect for the dignity of those harmed.
Against this backdrop, we return to the question of terrorism. Jewish tradition looks forward to a future when enemies will live together in peace, when the wolf will dwell with the lamb. Until then, we recognize that forgiveness of unrepentant murderers and rapists is neither a moral nor a religious duty. Some wrongs may be partially repaired—captives returned, homes rebuilt—but until sincere teshuva occurs, forgiveness is not mandated. The Rambam even
suggests that some sinners, like Pharaoh, may lose the capacity for repentance altogether. Perhaps terrorists, steeped in barbarism, fall into this category. If so, forgiveness becomes not just unnecessary but impossible. Yet individual victims retain the personal choice to forgo. One may decide to release the offense for the sake of inner peace, for freedom from the corrosive power of anger. But even this choice must be weighed carefully. Forgiving an unrepentant offender can embolden further evil or mislead others into lowering their guard. Sometimes, refusing to forgive is itself a religious responsibility. The memory of the victims, the safety of the living and the demands of justice may all require withholding forgiveness.
Forgiveness in Judaism is never simplistic. It is not the automatic erasure of atrocities nor the easy absolution of unrepentant sinners. It is a demanding process involving teshuva, restitution and reconciliation. Forgoing may soothe the heart, but forgiveness requires transformation from both sides. In confronting terrorism, Jewish law and theology affirm that forgiveness is neither obligatory nor, in most cases, possible without sincere change. Until the day when nations live in harmony and enemies truly repent, forgiveness remains conditional—an aspiration for the future, not a mandate for the present.
Rabbi Gil Student is the Editor of TorahMusings.com, a website on Orthodox Jewish scholarly subjects, and Director of the Halacha Commission of the Rabbinical Alliance of America / Igud Harabbonim. This article is an excerpt from Articles of Faith: Traditional Jewish Belief in the Internet Era (Kodesh Press, 2024)
By Tzali Reicher
& Shlichus Shiraz
Shluchim Dovber Berkowitz and Chaim Hilel are crafting superb kosher wine in California’s wine country
Photos: Valcohen Photography
Rabbi Dovber Berkowitz, director of Chabad of Contra Costa in Walnut Creek, California, oversees the winemaking process
For generations, Chabad chassidim have made wine. The wine they made didn’t bear labels, win awards or boast of the vintage of the grapes it contained, but in damp basements across Eastern Europe, in the lead up to Pesach, it was common practice for those mehudar in the laws of chometz to make their own wine. Wine then wasn’t a luxury like it is now, and the finished product would confuse a modern sommelier. But now there is a new cadre of black hat clad winemakers, this time, their wine is of a higher quality.
Rabbi Dovber Berkowitz, a Montreal native, arrived on shlichus in Contra Costa County, Calif. in 2010 just as the economic downturn was battering Chabad houses nationwide.
Seeking for a way to “pay the bills,” he took on a part time gig as a mashgiach at a local winery. Early on and eager to impress, he asked the owner when they added “the stuff” for flavor, like he saw his grandfather, the prominent Montreal rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Hendel, add to his homemade (slightly less sophisticated) wine. Laughing at his own naïveté years later, Berkowitz recalls the vintner staring blankly back at him, and explained that different grapes make different flavors a fact Berkowitz had never known.
Nearby, Rabbi Chaim Leib Hilel, Director of Chabad of S. Luis Obispo (SLO) and
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), similarly has winemaking in his genes, having watched his grandfather’s basement operation in Montreal. “It was more like gasoline,” Hilel recalled. “That’s what I thought wine was.”
But Hilel, who moved to the region with his wife Miki in 2009, with the goal of building community in a county where Jews were scattered across a sprawling landscape, now moonlights as a winemaker. California has a way of drawing people into its culture, and Hilel finds himself ankle deep in grape mush, operating forklifts and punching down fermenting vats at all hours, not as a hobbyist but as the only shomer Shabbos Jew in the county qualified to make kosher wine.
Today, Berkowitz and Hilel are part of a growing cadre of Chabad shluchim who’ve found that wine—while a Jewish staple and California feature—is more than just a drink. It’s providing a bridge to building connections to their communities.
From a Basement to Building Businesses
Hilel’s story as an accomplished winemaker begins with his friend and cousin, Levi Chitrik of Atlanta, who from the early 1990s, was developing his own wine story.
Chitrik grew up watching his great grandfather, the legendary chossid Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik make wine at home, and a fascination was born. As a teenager, he began lugging grapes from New York’s markets back to own basement, tinkering with fermentation and cobbling together equipment. As a bochur in 770 and aided with a small investment from his grandfather Rabbi Hirschel Chitrik, he launched what he dubbed the “Kletzker Winery”, named for his ancestral town. His Pesach vintages earned a small yet devoted following, and some notable clients of those years include the Rebbe’s secretary Rabbi Binyomin Klein and Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’iyonei Chinuch.
By 2010, Chitrik was ready to take things further. He approached a group of entrepreneurs starting a winery in Brooklyn and pitched himself as their first kosher client.
Narrow Bridge Winery was born, its name drawn from Reb Nachman’s famous teaching that “the whole world is a very narrow bridge.” Their first three barrels sold quickly, proof that the concept worked.
But opportunity soon pulled him westward. In California, winemaker Josh Klapper was looking to expand into kosher production and reached out to Chitrik, offering him the opportunity to build a partnership. Chitrik, in turn,
called his cousin Hilel, who had moved on shlichus to the region.
By Hashgacha Pratis, Klapper had already offered Hilel the role, but he had initially declined, not knowing the first thing about the wine business and busy enough with his own shlichus. When Chitrik called and mentioned Klapper, Hilel saw the Divine Providence.
The cousins joined forces, and Narrow Bridge Winery moved west.
Their first vintage in 2012 produced 900 bottles of merlot from literally a ton of grapes. Priced at $23 per bottle (reduced from $30), the wine sold out quickly to community members eager to support their local Chabad while trying something unique.
300 miles away, in Contra Costa County, Berkowitz's entry into winemaking began more pragmatically. In 2010, after enjoying the hashgacha work, a local family with a 40 acre vineyard offered Berkowitz free grapes if he was interested in making kosher wine. Despite his inexperience, he agreed, partnering with Michael Kay, who had provided hashgacha for the OU at area wineries.
Their first attempt was a disaster. Fermenting grapes in an uninsulated garage during 100 degree weather, using inadequate equipment and poor quality grapes, they produced wine that went bad entirely.
Undeterred, they invested in temperature control equipment and tried again
the following year with better grapes. The results were dramatically different. Their white wine won a double gold at California's home winemaker competition.
“We were like, 'Hey, wow, this is great,’” Berkowitz recalls. “And it takke tasted good.”
The Rabbi in Overalls
Kosher wine production isn’t glamorous. It isn’t sipping vintages in Napa or swirling glasses in tasting rooms. By Jewish law, every stage, from crushing to bottling, must be handled or directly overseen by a shomer Shabbos Jew, with frequent supervisory visits. In San Luis Obispo County, that meant one man: Rabbi Hilel.
He became a forklift operator, a grape puncher, a barrel cleaner, and a bottler. “From the moment the grapes arrive until the wine goes in the bottle, it’s us,” Hilel explained to the Kosher Wine Podcast. “There’s no outsourcing. It’s literally me and my wife.”
The work has forced him to be hands on in ways few rabbis ever are. He consults with professionals, sure, but when it comes down to it, he and Chitrik are the actual winemakers.
The busiest time, of course, collides with the busiest season in the Jewish calendar. Harvest begins in September, just as the Tishrei season arrives and the school year kicks off at Cal Poly. For two months, Hilel is at the winery
Rabbi Chaim Leib Hilel, Director of Chabad of S. Luis Obispo (SLO) and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), inspects his wine barrels
daily, sometimes splitting time between a packed Friday night dinner for 150 students and a midnight punch down at the vineyard. “It’s crazy,” he admits. “But we make it work.”
Narrow Bridge grew slowly but steadily, carving out a niche in the kosher wine world. Pinot Noir remained their passion, but they produced different wines suited for communal audiences, too. Their wines were quickly showing up on Shabbat tables, at seders, and even at academic tastings.
For all the sweat, wine has given back in ways that go beyond dollars or medals. Hilel recalls a woman who had long distanced herself from Jewish life. One day, she walked into the winery and saw the rabbi, apron on, checking in on the wine. “She lit up,” he said. “She realized religion doesn’t mean you can’t have hobbies or be part of the world. That moment made her rethink what Judaism could be.”
The same has happened with Cal Poly faculty. A philosophy professor who had written about wine and religion invited Hilel to lecture, which led to faculty tastings and even seminars on kosher wine. Students who might never set foot in a Chabad House were suddenly interested in conversations about wine and Torah.
“It opened doors I didn’t even know existed,” Hilel said. For Berkowitz, who together with Kay launched their commercial label “Invei” in 2015, operating in California's wine country creates natural conversation starters.
“When I start schmoozing with someone, I could speak to someone at a Shabbos dinner for three, four hours about wine,” he noted. “It makes a bridge to individuals who otherwise aren’t ready to talk to a rabbi about anything related to Torah just yet. Having the ability to talk wine builds and sets the foundation for a relationship that can evolve into something more meaningful.
Invei, which started with 40 cases, has now scaled to 200 annually. Still tiny by industry standards, the operation was enough to gain traction. Their reds, priced at $49.99, helped offset the razor thin margins that plague small winemakers. “After distributors, shipping, credit card fees—you’re making maybe $5 a bottle,” Berkowitz said.
‘We Trust in G-d’
Both rabbis are clear: they are shluchim first, and anything else is secondary. Berkowitz runs a bustling Chabad house, while Hilel and his wife host massive student Shabbat dinners for the students at Cal Poly and recently welcomed a second set of shluchim to serve Jews on the north side of the county. To them, wine is a tool, not the mission.
But it’s a tool that works. “It’s not like I’m a winemaker and I do shlichus on the weekends,” Berkowitz emphasized. “It’s the opposite. Here and there I make wine. But it’s another way to connect.”
The parallels between winemaking and Torah
haven't been lost on either rabbi. At Jewish Learning Institute retreats, Berkowitz draws analogies between the winemaking process and personal growth – the stages where everything seems to fail before turning around, the patience required for proper development, the work of revealing what's hidden inside. Hilel speaks about a new appreciation for Hashem’s amazing world, the cycle of seasons, and davening for rain and the growth of the harvest has taken on a whole new meaning since he became a winemaker.
During one harvest season, Rosh Hashana, Sukkos and Simchas Torah fell on consecutive Thursday and Friday combinations, meaning that with Shabbos observance, Hilel couldn't touch the wine for three straight days during crucial fermentation periods. His partner was anxious about the extended absence and what effect it would have on the wine.
“We are believers,” Hilel told his concerned partner. “We put our wine in the barrel, say our prayers, and trust in G d!”
The wine turned out excellent.
As both rabbis prepare for this year's Tishrei season, their guests will have the unique opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of four cups with wines produced in their own neighborhoods by their own rabbis and learn more about their heritage.
In California's wine country, that's a connection that resonates far beyond the bottle.
By Chana Kornfeld
The Dollars and Sense of Life Insurance
Mendy, how did you get into the insurance industry?
I fell into it accidentally. I wanted to go into financial services, saw a job opening, and walked into the interview blind. 18 years later, I’m still here, enjoying what I do.
Let 's start with the basics - what is life insurance?
Life insurance is the most affordable way to financially protect your family in case of your untimely passing. You’re transferring the risk of the financial liability of your death to the insurance company. They’re betting you’ll live a long life and you get peace of mind. Instead of an individual carrying the burden of being prepared financially for his untimely death, he pays an insurance company a much lower amount to assume that risk and potential responsibility. There are many different types of policies a person can buy to ensure that upon death, his beneficiaries are financially taken care of.
There are two primary types of life insurance: Term and Permanent or Whole Life, as it's commonly known.
• Term is kind of like renting. You get coverage for a certain period of time 10, 20, or 30 years. If something happens to the policyholder in that window, his family gets the payout of the policy. Once that window of time ends, the person is no longer insured.
• Permanent/Whole Life is like owning. The policy is yours for life, so no matter when the person dies he could live until 120 his beneficiaries get paid on his policy. Plus, with permanent life insurance, you can build equity, because your policy will have a cash value that grows over time that the policyholder can benefit from while he is living.
Why all the talk about life insurance? Why is it so important?
Life insurance is so important because it offers protection to the people who depend on you in the event that you can no longer be depended on, G d forbid. Life and death are not in our hands they are in G d’s, but we all do have the free choice to use our resources responsibly and in a way that best takes care of ourselves and the people who rely on us, first and foremost our family.
There are 3 main purposes to life insurance:
1. To make sure your family is taken care of financially if, G d forbid, something happens. This is the most pressing and important reason. A responsible person should make sure that his or her family will be taken care of financially in the
event of his or her untimely passing, especially considering how easy and affordable it is to ensure this.
2. Beyond ensuring that basic needs are covered, more life insurance can provide the family with at least the same lifestyle they would’ve had if the deceased were still alive and working.
3. Additionally, people of all ages purchase and hold onto life insurance to leave a legacy—even if the beneficiaries don’t rely on the policy holder’s income anymore, life insurance can leave them with a proper yerusha (inheritance) and help offset estate taxes.
How much does insurance cost?
Asking how much life insurance costs is like asking how much does it cost to drive a car. There are so many options. You can rent a car for a day, a week or a month. You can lease a car or buy a car. And then there are different makes and models.
Life insurance is the same. There are many different types of policies a person can buy to suit his particular needs and financial ability.
Term Life Insurance is the most affordable option. Additionally, the younger and healthier a person is, the less expensive it is to buy. A healthy and young person is much less likely to die than an old and sick one. Being low risk to the insurance company means it costs you less to have them carry your financial liability. Buy it young while you’re healthy—it’s cheaper and you lock in your health rating.
A healthy 25 year old can get a 30 year term 1 million dollar policy for under 50 dollars a month.
How much insurance does someone actually need? What if what they want is too expensive for them?
Old school thinking was “get a million bucks of coverage.” But today? With the size of our families and higher costs of living, that’s usually not enough. In the old days, a million dollars invested with 5 percent returns would give a family 50,000 a year. Today, that wouldn’t go very far. Now people are looking at $2, $3, even $5 million policies.
To help determine the amount of insurance someone should buy, I ask my clients: If G d forbid you didn’t wake up tomorrow morning, how much money would you want to leave your wife and children?
If the client says 2 million, the question is, how much would that cost?
You can start with a ten year term policy, which is very inexpensive.
If they can only spend 30 dollars a month on life insurance, you can get a 10 year, $2,000,000 policy.
The highest priority is to cover yourself for the appropriate amount if you were to pass tomorrow.
I think it's more prudent to insure yourself properly for a shorter time than improperly for longer. Don’t get a 20 year policy for 500k over a 10 year policy for 1 million. If your family would need 1 million, buy 1 million for ten years. You can always extend the policy in ten years. Sometimes it’s the right move, especially if the budget is tight. But make sure the policy allows for conversion. Because if in 10 years your health isn’t as good, you’ll be grateful you can switch to a permanent policy without another medical exam.
Ok, let 's say Sam buys a 2 million dollar, ten-year policy at age 25 for 40 dollars a month. At the end of the ten years, he developed sleep apnea and now has a lower health rating. What are his options now? Would it have been better for him to have bought a million dollars for 30 years?
His options now would be to either apply for new term insurance and pay an increased premium because of his health condition or convert his term policy to a whole life policy and save his original health rating. It’s true that in hindsight, knowing how the chips fell, it would’ve been better to get a 30 year term policy, but if
traditional investments like stocks or real estate. But that’s not really the point. People buy whole life for three main reasons:
It’s a guaranteed death benefit no matter when you pass. So you are increasing the size of your estate from day one until your passing. For people who want or need to leave money to their dependents after their passing, this is a stable and guaranteed way to ensure there is a sizable estate left to their beneficiaries. Parents of special needs children who need continued care after the parents pass, often buy Whole Life as a way to financially take care of them after their passing.
Whole Life can be used to offset an estate tax liability and to fund certain trusts, like a Special Needs Trust. These are complex matters and should be discussed with appropriate professionals.
Whole Life Insurance has a cash value that can be accessed tax free, often at a better rate than a savings account in the bank. This means that aside from owning a policy that pays no matter when you pass, your payments have a portion that accrues as your personal savings during your lifetime that you have access to and grow at a guaranteed rate. The growth in these cash value accounts can offset future premiums, so in 15 years and sometimes even less, your policy can
be paid up and require no future premium payments. Think of it like this: You work your whole life to build assets—business, real estate, investments. Life insurance is just another basket to carry your eggs. Plus, the benefit is tax free.
I’ve met people who only bought term insurance because they thought in their old age they wouldn’t have dependents and would have alternate investments, but when they reached their 70s or 80s, they really wished they still had some coverage. I personally have never met someone in their old age that regrets owning a properly structured and funded whole life policy.
Whole Life has many options have clients that buy policies of whole life on each of their children in case something happens to them as they get older and as a place to build a savings account for them.
goes to cover the cost of insurance. The rest is allocated to a cash value account. As the years go on, more of your payments go to the cash value. So for example, the first year of a $10,000 premium, the cash value may only be a few hundred dollars, but over time, your cash value will grow to the point where its annual growth exceeds your annual payments. This growth is due to the cash value growing with a declared interest rate and in many cases a dividend payment from the insurance company to the policyholders. Dividends are a portion of the insurance company's profits paid to the insurance policyholders.
Old-school thinking was
You’re 18 years in the field. Any moving Life Insurance stories to share?
How much more expensive is Whole Life Insurance vs. Term Insurance?
Let's use our 25 year old healthy man to compare.
A 25 year old purchasing 2,000,000 of Whole Life costs
$10,500 a year. A $2,000,0000 term policy for 20 years would cost $600 a year.
Whoa! That 's a big difference, no?
“get a million bucks of coverage.” But today? With the size of our families and higher costs of living, that’s usually not enough.
Yes, it is and it's also a big difference to guarantee that no matter what age the person dies, his family will get $2,000,000 vs. your family will only get $2,000,000 IF you die between the ages of 25 and 45 G d forbid. One situation is highly unlikely and so it costs much, much less. The other situation is definite and guaranteed, and the price reflects that.
Whole Life Insurance is not a necessity. It is a nice thing to have, if you can afford it. There are other financial objectives that should be accomplished before one purchases a Whole Life policy.
How does the Whole Life cash value work?
In the early years of your policy, most of your premium
Any moving life insurance story is a sad one. A client of mine called one morning, a young woman, that her father died in a drunk driving accident. She didn’t have the best relationship with him, but he left her with a $500,000 death benefit and it was life changing money for her. She told me he may not have been the best father, but he took care of me in his own way, in his death. Sad, but that’s what she said.
Any final wisdom for someone thinking about life insurance?
First and Foremost. Buy YOUNG. The younger you buy it, the less expensive it is.
Secondly: Don’t overlook buying insurance for your wife. The loss of a wife and mother, d forbid, creates a big financial hole. Think about child care, cleaning help, cooking, rides for children and the extra income a wife may bring in if she works. There is always a financial hit to a family when a parent passes and if you don’t need to be on the receiving end of charity, why go there?
And lastly: At the end of the day, every situation is unique, so sit down with your accountant, attorney (if you have one), and a good insurance agent to build the right plan for you.
May we all carry insurance responsibly and may we all never need it!
A Community’s Answer to Protecting Families
When tragedy strikes a family, the financial burden often adds unimaginable stress to an already unbearable loss. For years, the Jewish community has been forced into urgent charity campaigns whenever a breadwinner passed away, raising funds to help the surviving spouse and children. It’s always heartbreaking; heartbreaking for a family to lose a parent, and to add to the distress, the community needed to use the heartbreak to pull at the donor’s heartstrings.
In 2009, something revolutionary began: Areivim USA, a nonprofit, volunteer run initiative that turned communal responsibility into a dignified, structured system of financial security.
Areivim is like communal life insurance, but it’s not an insurance company at all. No one profits, and no premiums are collected in advance. Instead, members commit that if another member passes away, their credit card will be charged $10 per orphan. That money goes directly to the family.
• If a parent leaves behind 2 children, each member contributes $20, which is then distributed to the orphans.
• To keep things affordable, Areivim caps each family’s contributions at $42 per month.
• If more tragedies occur in a single month, the excess is rolled over to the next month.
The result: families receive a lump sum of $150,000 per orphan, and if three or more children are left behind, the surviving spouse also receives an additional $150,000.
There are no profits and no overhead costs at Areivim.
The Viner Foundation sponsors the administrative costs. There is complete transparency, where every decision is put to a vote and payments are only collected when there is a need. On average, members are charged 10 out of 12 months in a year. Both parents
are covered and in cases of three or more surviving children, the living spouse is supported too.
Rabbi Yosef Menachem Fishman, who helped bring Areivim to Crown Heights after a tragedy, stresses this point: Areivim should not replace life insurance, it should supplement it.
Life insurance provides guaranteed lump sums and is backed by large companies. Areivim, meanwhile, is powered by community responsibility and can only function because of collective participation. Because it is powered by community generosity, Areivim doesn’t just give the payouts directly to the grieving family. Instead of handing over a lump sum that could be mismanaged, funds are placed in an account overseen by three signatories: a family member, a trusted rabbi, and a financial professional. This ensures money is used wisely and safeguards the future of the children.
Because Areivim USA relies on communal responsibility and communal oversight, it only services families in the USA and Canada where there is the ability to properly check references on Rabbis and financial professionals. The exception to the USA and Canada rule is Chabad Shluchim. Areivim allows shluchim to join its community because they consider Shluchim to be under the auspices of Merkos Linyonei Chinuch, which is based in New York.
The impact of Areivim has been tremendous. To date, Areivim has distributed over $7 million to Chabad families alone, on top of the millions provided to families in other communities. Areivim has tens of thousands of families across the U.S. and Canada— along with shluchim abroad—who are committed to each other and form a community pact: “If, G d forbid, tragedy strikes your family, we will be there for you. And if it strikes mine, you will be there for me.”
By Libby Herz
A CUT above
Crown Heights Butcher's quality meat is second to none in the neighborhood
The Crown Heights Butcher, opened by local resident Levi Kabakov and his brothers, was established with a clear mission: “My goal is to offer the highest standard of kashrus,” Kabakov says. The operation started small, with only two modest storefronts on Troy Avenue in Crown Heights.
From the beginning, every step was carefully overseen to ensure top quality and kashrus, beginning with the meat production process and sourcing healthy animals, to supervising every stage of shechita.
The small venture of selling top quality meat quickly gained attention, and demand for a wider variety of cuts soon followed. Building on this momentum, the Kabakov brothers turned to a model they admired from their time in Israel, where it's common for butcher shops to have an
attached restaurant, offering a more authentic experience.
Two years later, they opened Butcher Grill House, an upscale restaurant known for its fine ambiance and exceptional cuts, right next door at 411 Troy Avenue in Crown Heights.
“We have access to the best meat because we are the actual butcher,” notes one of the butchers, emphasizing the quality and freshness that comes straight from shop to kitchen.
With the restaurant firmly established, the next move was to make signature flavors accessible in yet another way—this time, at home. Now, the team is expanding with a line of premium, frozen meat filled pastry products. The lineup includes ready to cook items such as cigars, kibbeh, empanadas, and lachmagine—a
traditional Middle Eastern meat flatbread. They are also introducing biltong, a dried meat snack from South Africa, and jerky, an American snack favorite. Just fry or bake the pastries, and they’re ready in minutes. What makes these items unique is that they carry a Lubavitch hechsher, not found anywhere else on similar products. They offer the convenience of at home preparation without compromising strict kosher standards.
The mission is to ensure that all Lubavitchers have access to the best tasting meat. “There are a lot of establishments that I can’t eat at because I'm not satisfied with the level of Kashrus,” says Mendel, a staff member. But a high standard should never get in the way of a top quality meal. While the products are available to everyone, the crew at The Butcher is committed to maintaining the highest hechsher to meet the strict standards of the Chabad community. “We’re not limiting ourselves to Lubavitch customers only, but we make sure everything has the proper hechsher and adheres to strict Chabad guidelines.”
The business motto of CH Butcher is, “We are the Crown Heights butcher, and we are for Crown Heights.” This reflects their dedication to the Lubavitch community. By focusing on providing the products people want and need, the aim is to someday expand nationally but the top priority remains serving Crown Heights and responding to its needs.
This focus on serving Crown Heights also shapes the atmosphere of the CH Butcher restaurant, which exudes sophistication, blending modern
elegance with generous, plush seating designed for comfort. The menu is carefully crafted to impress, with each dish prepared with meticulous care and precision. Attentive staff add a personal touch, elevating the entire dining experience. By the time you savor the final bite on your plate, you will have enjoyed a meal that is as memorable as it is tasty. This attention to detail isn’t limited to the food on the table it begins long before, at the source, they say.
Because of their intense focus on kashrus standards, full oversight is maintained from start to finish. “We don't just buy meat; all the meat is our own. We know the shochtim, the bodkim, the whole way through the process,” Levi explains. To maintain freshness and quality, the CH Butcher staff performs a weekly shechita, working directly with farmers. Assessing the health of the animal is crucial; the healthier the livestock, the better chance it will meet kosher standards and produce top quality meat. Once the kosher meat is secured, they bring it back to their location to kasher it themselves, ensuring full control over the product.
At its core, The CH Butcher remains Crown Heights’ own, committed to serving the community with products and experiences that honor tradition, elevate taste, and meet the high standards of Chabad kashrus. By overseeing every step from farm to table, the establishment ensures the highest hechsher, whether for their delicious frozen foods for your home or for a night out at their beautiful restaurant. They truly deliver the very best kosher experience Crown Heights has to offer.
The Shuls of Crown Heights
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By Mendel Cohen
Photos: JEM/The Living Archive
10 Yom Kippur Moments with the Rebbe
Yom Kippur with the Rebbe was a surreal experience for all who had the privilege of being present over the years. Joyful and heartfelt niggunim, souls elevated, and at the center—the Rebbe, clothed in a white kittel and wrapped in a tallis, appearing like a malach Hashem. From the preparations beginning early on Erev Yom Kippur to the finale of singing Napoleon’s March at Ne’ilah, each moment is etched in memory. The following gallery from JEM/The Living Archive provides a glimpse into that transcendent experience.
Kaparos
9 Tishrei 5751 (1990)
After performing kaparos privately in his room, the Rebbe emerged from 770 with a serious expression, gently holding the chicken. That year, the shochet, Rabbi Yisroel Shimon Kalmenson, performed the shechita on the steps of 770. At the moment of the shechita, the Rebbe turned his head away from the sight. Afterwards, the Rebbe recited the bracha al kisuy hadam and covered the blood with sand, then returned to his room.
2
Mikvah
9 Tishrei 5743 (1982)
Following kaparos, the Rebbe would go to the mikvah. Here, the Rebbe is seen walking out of 770 and approaching a group of children and young bochurim to give them coins for tzedakah. After the mikvah, the Rebbe would daven Shacharis with a weekday minyan—one of the rare times in the year that he davened with the public during the week.
Lekach
9 Tishrei 5745 (1984)
One of the highlights of the day was lekach, when the Rebbe personally distributed honey cake to the thousands of men, women, and children lined up outside 770. Placing a piece into each person’s hand, the Rebbe blessed them with a Shana Tova U’mesuka—a happy and sweet year. The distribution often lasted several hours.
Tzedakah
9 Tishrei 5746 (1985)
The Rebbe would return to the shul to daven Mincha, carrying an envelope or bag of coins. Dozens of pushkas were spread across the table for contributions, and the Rebbe made it a point to place a coin in each of them. He would also give additional coins to the poor and to children. The Rebbe’s Shmoneh Esrei at Mincha would continue for many minutes after the crowd had finished.
Bracha #1
9 Tishrei 5752 (1991)
After Mincha, while still on the elevated platform, the Rebbe would turn to the large crowd gathered and give a special bracha for the new year. Over the years, this bracha grew longer and more elaborate.
Bracha #2 7
For the yeshiva bochurim, the highlight of the entire year was undoubtedly Birchas Habonim, when the Rebbe gave a fatherly bracha to his children—the bochurim. The Rebbe would enter the upstairs zal of 770 several minutes before shekia. The room and surrounding areas were packed with bochurim, all crowding to catch a glimpse. Wearing a kittel and with his tallis covering his eyes—and often his entire face—the Rebbe would begin with Birchas Kohanim before continuing into a bracha in a deeply emotional tone, often becoming choked with tears.
Spontaneous Dancing
9 Tishrei 5752 (1991)
The Rebbe’s bracha on this Erev Yom Kippur was unforgettable. In a sicha that lasted a full hour (!), the Rebbe spoke with rare intensity about Moshiach’s imminent arrival,when Yom Kippur will be celebrated with a festive meal instead of fasting. While many rushed home to eat before the fast, a group of chassidim danced with palpable joy, reveling in the anticipated geulah.
Motzoei Yom Kippur
10 Tishrei 5747 (1986)
“How splendid was the Kohen Gadol as he left the Holy of Holies... The Rebbe is now wearing a hat, tallis draped over his shoulders, over the white kittel,” Mrs. Leah Namdar recounted in her diary. “The Rebbe turns to the olam, his holy face lit up with joy, and with a swing of his hand: ‘Gut Yomtov!’ The crowd joyously echoes: ‘Gut Yomtov!’ Another swing: ‘Gut Yomtov! Gut Yomtov!’ And the last ‘Gut Yomtov!’ explodes into the joy filled niggun, Vesamachta Bechagecha. In an instant, zman simchaseinu had arrived.” On to the Next
11 Tishrei 5737 (1976)
Kiddush Levana
10 Tishrei 5750 (1989)
Following havdalah, the Rebbe would come out of 770 for Kiddush Levana when the moon was visible, wearing a kittel, tallis, and hat. The atmosphere was filled with the sense that the tefillos of Yom Kippur had been answered, and the joy of Sukkos approaching was palpable.
As Yom Kippur concluded, the Rebbe’s sukkah was immediately begun, transitioning from the solemnity of Yom Kippur to the joyous spirit of Sukkos.
Watching it being built that year was the mashpia, Reb Mendel Futerfas.
BE A GIVER EVERY DAY WITH
“All those who wish to trust me, may contribute the said amount to the General Fund under my auspices...”
-The Rebbe, 24 Tishrei, 1953
Photos Year 5785 of the Sadya Liberow
Helping hand
Jewish teens cover their heads in a moment of unity during the Cteen International Shabbaton in New York.
Mendy Krief
Between heaven and earth
Captured by drone at 500 meters, this hidden Alpine village lies along a winding road between Italy and France—a truly breathtaking sight.
Yossi Kurant
Am Yisroel Chai in ManhattaN
At the close of the CTeen International Shabbaton, participants filled Times Square on Motzei Shabbos for a mass Havdalah and a vibrant celebration of Jewish pride.
Itzik Roytman
Faith in action
At a demonstration in Tel Aviv for the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Jews paused to put on tefillin. It added a mitzvah to the call for freedom because every prayer matters.
Shalom Ross
The awe of Niagara Falls
Standing before the famous waterfall, I was reminded of the words: Mah Rabu Ma’asecha Hashem — how manifold are Your works, G d.
Aharon Gellis
Quiet majesty
On a summer trip with Chabad on Campus students, I witnessed a full moon rising over the mountains of Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah. The desert’s red cliffs and vast skies were transformed under its glow.
Tzvi Levenhartz
A cabin in the woods
Along Seven Lakes Drive in the Hudson Valley region of New York, what seemed ordinary revealed hidden serenity — a soft ray of light breaking through the trees. For me friends and I, it felt like a discovery.
Muli Berger
Big moments
At a double Bar Mitzvah at the Kosel, two 13 year old boys and a father adjusted their hats and yarmulkas for a picture perfect pose, capturing the excitement of a milestone celebrated together.
Levi Kolton
A quick word with Hashem
Between sirens from rockets launched by terrorists at Eretz Yisroel, a few rushed to daven at the Kosel, surely for their families and for the entire nation under fire.
Chinuch atters
Presented by Sarah Pinson and the Menachem Education Foundation (MEF)
Ask the Mechanech
My child has reached the age where he should be in shul for the tefilos, but he has a hard time sitting still. What can I do to make the experience meaningful and manageable for him?
Getting children to daven has become one of the greatest challenges today. Davening demands a substantial amount of focus on the text to be read correctly. Reading the words without necessarily knowing their meaning adds to this challenge.
The mix and blend of time and focus spent on davening needs to be carefully planned. If we overshoot, it will backfire. More often than not, we expect children to daven large parts of davening for long periods of time. This creates unnecessary frustration and stress for the child, generating a negative feeling about davening and going to shul. Many parents are well meaning when “pushing” their children to daven longer than is appropriate for them, without realizing the negative consequences.
Here are some practical suggestions to make davening a special and enjoyable time for children, whether at home or in shul, to be adjusted according to age:
• The amount of time spent on davening should not exceed the time he davens in school or Yeshiva. To determine that, ask him what he davens daily or inquire from his teacher. Don’t add anything to that. If he chooses to add a little extra on his own, that’s fine.
• Compliment your child for his efforts in davening and how proud you are of him.
• If a child isn’t up to davening on a particular day, shorten the amount and time of davening, or let him participate in other shul activities.
• If you bring a child to shul for Mincha and Maariv before he has become fluent in those tefillos, show him an age appropriate part of the tefillos. For example, a child can daven Ashrei and the first 3 brochos of Shemoineh Esrei, or the first part of Shema.
• Encourage children to make brochos whether on food or on Mitzvos with joy and meaning. This will enhance their connection to Hashem and will ultimately help them with davening as well.
• Children learn by example. It’s important for children to observe how meaningful davening and making brochos are to their parents. A living example is the best teacher.
May our tefillos, and especially those of our children, be answered and fulfilled for a gemar chasima tova.
Answer by Rabbi Yosef Simpson, Principal of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva in Crown Heights
The Rebbe’s Words
"LUCKY TO BE AN EDUCATOR
“I was amazed at the content of your long let ter, and on every page that I read, my astonish ment grew more and more, because you cer tainly believe in Hashem, and know that Torah and Mitzvos are the conduits and instruments for receiving Hashem’s blessings in all that a person and his family need.
“And when the Master of the world granted you success, and established for you such a beau tiful portion, that even your physical suste nance is derived through working in Chinuch al taharas hakodesh, meaning through draw ing close the hearts of the sons and daughters of Israel, that you should be grateful for this every single day.”
(Excerpt from Igros Kodesh vol. 9, page 187)
Meet the Chinuch Shlucha
Mrs. Devorie Blasberg
First-grade Judaics teacher at Desert Torah Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada
Tell us about how you got into teaching.
I grew up in Crown Heights, and since ninth grade, I spent my summers as a counselor at both sleepaway and day camps. Without realizing it, that was prob ably the foundation for my excitement in Chinuch. In my high school yearbook, my friends wrote that I was most known for thinking about my campers all year. I would spend the months of the school year preparing Shiur booklets for my campers. I never thought of that as Chinuch or teaching, but looking back, that’s essentially what it was.
After Seminary, I spent a year running Bnos Chabad programs at Bnos Menachem High School, my alma mater, and then served as a first grade as sistant teacher there. After marriage, we lived in Crown Heights before moving to Boston on Chinuch Shlichus for three years, where I worked in Hebrew school. Later, we moved to Las Vegas, where I be came a first grade Judaic teacher, and my husband was a middle school teacher and later the principal. We've been here for eight years.
How do you create an inclusive environment with students of all backgrounds?
Desert Torah Academy, run by Rabbi and Mrs. Shea
and Dina Harlig, is a day school that has students of all different levels of observance. I create an overall loving and safe environment in the classroom, as well as a loving environment towards Yiddishkeit, so that all students feel excited about it. When students know more, they serve as a mini Shliach to help their friends by sharing information during circle time or assist ing with a specific project. It’s a beautiful learning environment, and together it feels like one big happy family.
Give us a glimpse into your classroom.
My classroom is a good balance between structure, where we follow our routine and schedule, and excite ment, where the lessons come to life. For example, we study the “My Jewish Home” curriculum, discussing mitzvos that can be done in each room of the home. Afterwards, students tour my house where they see a kosher kitchen, Mezuzos, and seforim. For Elul, we dressed up as farmers in a field, and my husband came in dressed as the king. Or, after finishing our Moshiach curriculum, we put candies on the tree in our classroom. Structure is very important, but so is bringing things to life.
Can you share a story of impact that happened in your teaching?
Last year, my students were decorating graggers before Purim, and a student named Yaakov asked, “Morah Devorie, when am I going to put the neshama into my gragger?” My heart sank because I realized he must have misunderstood the point of the neshama I had taught them about the week before. So I asked him what he meant, and he said, “You know, the little beads that go inside to make the gragger come to life.”
I realized he actually understood exactly what a ne shama is. A neshama is a part of Hashem that is drawn down into us; that gives us life and energy. Without it, we are just skin and bones, lifeless. Like that lifeless gragger without the beads, it has no purpose. It was so precious to hear a boy from a not yet frum family con nect what he learned to understand that his gragger didn’t yet have a “neshama” to bring it to life.
Who do you look to for Chinuch inspiration?
I attribute my teaching skills to my grandfather, Rabbi Yosef Goldstein, also known as Uncle Yossi. Whether it’s storytelling, which he was famous for—since he inspired so many Jewish children through his ra dio program way back in the day—or the attention I learned from him to give to each student. I feel blessed
that he passed that down to me.
How do you deal with challenges that come up in the classroom?
I try to anticipate challenges early by reading students’ body language at the start of the day. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a student misplacing something, having a bad hair day, or a parent leav ing town. A quick chat and validation often resolve issues. At times, I use positive reinforcement with challenging students. If additional help is need ed, I will coordinate with the principal to develop a plan, which may include a sticker chart, daily parent check ins, or outside behavioral or academic support.
Tell us about your life outside of school.
I enjoy biking, sewing, and spending time in nature. Near Las Vegas, there's plenty of nature, and we often go on trips to Zion, the Grand Canyon, Red Rock, or Mount Charleston. We're lucky to be able to be here to enjoy it.
As a busy mother and teacher, how do you manage a work-life balance?
Mrs. Rishe Majesky, who was my principal at Bnos Menachem (and now in Phoenix), would always say that a mother’s number one Shlichus is her family. It is the benchmark I use for how much I can give to my Shlichus. When I keep in mind that I’m taking care of my family first, it allows me to also fully be there for my shlichus as well. Pivoting is totally okay – some years allow for more involvement, while others might require a bit more focus on family or personal needs.
Any final message on chinuch?
My message to parents is to show genuine interest in what your child is learning. Let them come home excited to share, and that will give them excitement in what they’re learning. The second thing is that parents are partners with teachers. We both ulti mately want to help each child reach their potential. We need to work together in order to get there. We’re on the same team and we have the best interest of your child in mind.
To fellow teachers, I would like to bring out the message that we don’t always get to see the fruits of our labor, but we need to know and believe we are having an impact. Years ago, my husband planted a tree in our yard, and we are finally able to enjoy the fruits. It’s the same way with Chinuch.
Rabbi Yosef Goldstein (Uncle Yossi) OBM teaches a class
Chinuch Happenings
12 Schools Implement TOMIM SEL Curriculum
This year, 12 Chabad schools across the U.S. are teaching Project TOMiM, a curriculum that provides students with emotional tools to thrive, including connection to Hashem and Torah, resil ience, emotional maturity, and social skills. Endorsed by Rabbanim and Mashpiim, it’s rooted in Torah and Chassi dus, with lessons, activities, and multimedia content.
“I’ve witnessed the impact Project TOMiM has on both the emotional and spiritual growth of students, and I truly believe this program has the power to shape the next generation in a meaningful and lasting way,” shared Rabbi Dovber Engel, LMFT, Teacher and Social Worker at Lubavitch Hebrew Academy in Margate, Florida. For more, visit mymef.org/projecttomim
50 New Teachers Receive Complimentary Mentoring
To honor Fifty years since the Rebbe launched the Chinuch campaign, the Menachem Education Founda tion initiated a program supporting first year Chabad teachers with free mentorship and welcome gifts. All received coaching, resources, and a gift box. fifty teachers were raffle selected for a 10 session Chi nuch coaching package. These new
teachers from the US and Canada appreciated the guidance as they started in Chinuch.
New teacher initiative and gifts are dedicated in loving memory of Mr. Richard Slifka OBM. Mentor ing is generously sponsored with seed money by Avremel and Chevy Bernstein.
Mark Moscowitz to Train Experienced Mechanchim
As part of the Menachem Educa tion Foundation’s goal to build the capacity of the educators in Chabad Chinuch, Mechanchim with 10 or more years of experience can learn to become Chinuch coaches in an exclusive cohort led by master
leadership trainer, Mark Moscowitz. In addition, Mark leads a monthly Chabad principal support group and also coaches principals one on one to help each school leader bring their school to its highest education al potential.
Morah Tiechtel to Go on Chinuch Tour
Morah Shana Tiechtel will be vis iting schools across the country to give tailored Professional Develop ment advice to teachers, speaking engagements to your parent body, and workshops to students, on im
portant Chinuch messages relevant to today. Schools can book slots to elevate the Chinuch in their commu nities. To arrange a visit to a school, email info@mymef.org
Five Upcoming Webinars for Teachers
The Menachem Education Foundation’s Parent Webinar series offers monthly ses sions with Chinuch experts, Mashpiim, Rabbanim, and professionals on parenting topics. Educator webinars cover lesson planning, stu dent engagement, classroom management, Chassidishe Chinuch, technology, and more, providing ongoing professional development.
Matching clouds: top right and bottom middle Backwards joke: What did one sukkah wall say to the other? Meet you at the corner!
Noach was considered a Tzadik only in his generation, but he nonetheless mirrored the qualities of Tzadikim in generations to come, specifically Avraham, Moshe, and David. For example, just like Avraham stood up against the entire world in his belief in one G-d, so did Noach stand up against his whole generation, refusing to be dragged into their immoral ways.
4. FUN FACT
Noach was given his name because it comes from the Hebrew word Lenoach “to rest.” They said of him, “he will give us rest (Yonach) from the work of our hands,” which came to fruition as Noach invented plowing tools, easing the amount of work people had to do in their fields.
1. LIFE STORY SNIPPET
Noach was the only one in his generation to follow in Hashem’s ways, while the rest of society was immoral and evil. To reset mankind with a clean slate, Hashem sent a flood that destroyed the entire world, except for Noach and his family. He instructed him to build a Teiva where they would find refuge until the flood was over. A year later, after being instructed to leave the Teiva, Noach offered Karbonos to Hashem. A rainbow then appeared in the sky, a sign of the promise that Hashem would never destroy the world.
3. BRINGING IT DOWN
We can stay strong in our values, and not be swayed by people around us. For example, if your class decides it would be funny to draw pictures on the bathroom walls, you can tune in to your inner voice and recognize that ruining someone else’s property is not right. If you decide not to join them, it may make you feel unpopular, but know that you are just like Noach and are doing what Hashem wants of you.
5. QUESTION TO CONSIDER
What is a motto to keep in mind that can help you stand up to negative peer pressure?
Begin by filling the large container with water until ¾ full.
Pour small amounts of your cups into the bottle and watch how they slowly travel through the water!
In each of the 3 small cups, pour 2 tsp. of water with a few drops of food coloring, and mix well.
Pro Tip: leave some time in between pouring different colors to get the rainbow effect.
Spray shaving cream on the entire opening, making sure it’s covered.
Enjoy watching your rainbow rain! And if you want, you can empty the container… and do it again!
Clouds hold tiny water droplets. When too much water collects, depending on the temperature it falls as rain or snow. In this experiment, the shaving cream is like a fluffy cloud, and the colored water is like raindrops. As the cloud fills up, it gets too heavy, and the colored water falls down through the shaving cream, showing how rain forms!
-Food Coloring; Red, Yellow and Blue -3 Small Cups
TASTES OF TISHREI
Sruly Meyer runs a marketing agency in Hollywood, Florida. He is also a home cook, recipe developer, and online influencer. He is passionate about food, travel, and Jewish parenthood.
@srulycooks
By Sruly Meyer
KosherSpread
Four delicious recipes to add to your Yom Tov menu
Sticky Sesame Pomegranate Chicken
@erin.eats.mtl
Erin Grunblat is a recipe developer from Montreal. She helps busy families create fast, easy, healthy(ish) recipes!
1. 1. Place chicken pieces in a large roasting dish.
2. 2. In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, mint, salt, and pepper.
3. 3. Pour marinade over chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate at least 1 hour (or overnight).
4. 4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Roast chicken uncovered for 50–60 minutes, basting with pan juices every 15–20 minutes.
5. 5. For the final 10 minutes, raise oven to 425°F so the sugars caramelize and the chicken turns glossy and sticky.
6. 6. Transfer to a platter, spoon over pan juices, and finish with toasted sesame
Maple and Mustard Baked Flanken Ribs
@anotherchayainthekitchen
Ingredients:
• 1 strip of flanken ribs (@koshercarnicery)
Chaya Kiesel, originally from Argentina and now based in Miami, discovered her love for baking after getting married. What began as a personal journey quickly evolved into a deep passion, especially for crafting delectable desserts.
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ginger powder
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (160°C).
2. Place the meat in a baking dish, add all the ingredients, and cover with foil.
3. Bake for 3–4 hours until tender.
Turkey Breast, Sweet & Smokey
@SrulyCooks
Ingredients:
• 1 half turkey breast, about 3 pounds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup apricot or orange juice
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup dried apricots or golden raisins, chopped
• Salt
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and dry turkey; place skin-side up in a roasting pan.
2. Combine olive oil, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Brush over the turkey. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
3. Place turkey in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350°F. Roast 20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, mix the juice with honey (or maple syrup). Pour over turkey along with the dried fruit if using.
5. Continue roasting 40–65 minutes, basting occasionally, until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F.
6. Rest 15 minutes before carving.
Honey Graham Cracker Cake
@SrulyCooks
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan or line with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together Graham Cracker crumbs, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In another bowl, whisk oil, non-dairy milk, eggs + yolk, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined. Fold in optional chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
5. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 32–36 minutes (check early), until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
6. Cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups honey Graham Cracker crumbs
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar (or 1/2 white + 1/2 brown)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 large eggs + 1 extra yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
By Asharon Baltazar
A Father's Promise, A Son's Miracle
The Rebbe’s blessing, and a Sukkos night that changed everything
In 5746 (1986), the Hakkim family of the central Israeli city of Holon welcomed a long awaited second child. Michael’s arrival filled their apartment with the sounds of another infant. Yitzhak ran a local business, and his wife managed an academic office. Their days revolved around diapers, toys scattered across the floor, and the laughter of a toddler running to greet his father at the door.
When Michael turned two, he began to complain of headaches and stomach pain. A pediatrician brushed it off as the flu. Soon his weight dropped. A specialist ordered blood tests, and the family found itself waiting in corridors, carrying stacks of test results from one department to the next at Wolfson Medical Center. After weeks of tests, doctors told them the word they
dreaded: leukemia.
His parents planted themselves beside Michael’s hospital bed. They watched as chemotherapy drained him, each round thinning his body further. By his fourth birthday, physicians said only one option remained: an aggressive course of treatment that might kill what was left of his strength.
Before starting, the family flew to Florida for a retreat created for children with cancer. Doctors approved the trip, and Professor Ami Ballin, head of pediatrics at Wolfson, traveled with them. In Orlando, Michael smiled again, and for the first time in months, his parents saw him outside the shadow of IV poles and white coats.
On the way home, the Hakkim family stopped in New York to see Yitzhak’s sister Yaffa and her
husband Yaakov, a trumpeter who had played for years with the Piamenta band. Yaakov urged them to take Michael to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Through Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner, one of the Rebbe’s secretaries, they learned that the Rebbe no longer held private audiences. But if they waited after morning prayers, they would have a moment as he walked to his office.
On the 8th of Av, the family pressed into the crowded lobby. The elevator doors opened, and a hush fell over the lobby as the Rebbe stepped out, tallis and tefillin in place. Rabbi Groner pointed to Michael and explained his illness in a few words. The Rebbe turned to the parents and said, “Good news. You will merit to raise him to Torah, to marriage, and to good deeds.” They answered “Amen” through tears. The Rebbe
entered his office, and the moment was over.
Back in Israel, Michael was admitted once more to the oncology ward. His body faltered. After the third treatment, he collapsed. The head of the department told Yitzhak and his wife bluntly, “I don’t see how he will recover.” He urged them to prepare for the worst.
Desperate, Yitzhak phoned his sister in New York and begged her to send another message to the Rebbe. “We received a blessing for recovery,” he pleaded. “Where is that promise?”
After a few hours, the telephone rang. On the other end of the line was Rabbi Groner, passing on the Rebbe’s reassurance: there was no reason to worry, especially with Sukkos approaching. His words
puzzled the family. It was mid summer, still months from the Yom Tov.
Michael’s condition remained grave. His doctors considered each day he survived an open miracle. On the eve of Sukkos, Yitzhak sat at his son’s bedside. Then, from the stillness, Yitzhak heard a faint rustle from the bed. He turned his head and saw Michael stir. A moment later, the boy whispered, almost inaudibly: “I want to go to the sukkah.”
Yitzhak leapt to his feet, shouting in a mix of disbelief and joy. The nurses called for doctors. Something had changed in Michael's vital signs, though they could not explain what. That night, Michael sat in a wheelchair beneath the sukkah’s branches, dozens of teary eyes fixed on him as he lifted the kiddush cup. He lifted a cup of grape juice to his
lips. He took a spoonful of food. His stomach rejected it immediately. He tried again, but he vomited it out again. The third spoonful, however, stayed down.
Within days, his strength began returning. Blood tests showed improvement that defied the medical team's experience. The disease that had consumed years of their lives simply receded.
Michael grew up. He served as an officer in the Israeli army, studied electrical engineering, built a career, and started his own family. Today, he has a son of his own. Every year at Sukkos, the Hakkim family gathers and celebrates what they call their “personal Sukkos miracle.”
(Translated from Sichat Hashavua #1710)
Based on letters of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Includes a list of postpartum Chabad minhagim and inyonim.
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By Mordechai Schmutter
Hay! It’s a Sukkah!
Built in Tammuz. Still shedding in Tishrei.
This year, I built the most passul sukkah I’ve ever built in my life. And I built it in Tammuz.
Every year, my kids’ school has some kind of academic fair, which is when you do a craft project at home with the help of your kid. Or not. And then he brings it into school in a flimsy box or the bottom of his knapsack, and then all the parents come in and look at their own kid’s project and that’s it.
So toward the end of the last school year, my wife and I had to make a sukkah with our third grader. You’d think Tammuz would be a weird time for this, but it was actually supposed to be built in time for their siyum on Mishnayos Sukkah. The idea was that each kid in the class had to bring in a passul sukkah. For those who don’t know, almost half of Mishnayos Sukkah talks about the different ways you can screw up building a sukkah. And I don’t just mean because most Jews don’t know how to build anything, even indoors, that can survive a slight wind.
What you have to remember is that in those days, you didn’t just go to The Sukkah Depot/Center/Outlet and get a pile of pre made pieces with instructions. You had to look around your backyard on Motzoei Yom Kippur, in the dark, and try to figure out what you were going to make your sukkah out of this year, because you had to use last year’s walls as firewood.
“Um… What about some fence posts, a bike with a broken chain, a dead lawn mower, and a humane animal trap?”
“I don’t know; let’s check the Mishna.”
And as a result, the Mishna includes cases that, to the untrained eye, look like people were going out of their way to build questionable sukkahs just to keep the Tanaim on their toes.
So my initial thought for this project was that I want to build the sukkah from the first Mishna – the one that’s less than 10 tefachim high. But it turns out that everyone was
assigned a specific sukkah. Ours was the haystack, from the Mishna that talks about how, if you hollow out a haystack, it’s a passul sukkah.
So my first thought was: How do we hollow out a haystack? And then transport it to school? The Mishna doesn’t seem to talk about the patience and skill it takes to actually hollow out a haystack and not have it collapse on you or blow away in a light breeze. One breeze on the way to school and we’re done. And then I thought: Who says our sukkah has to actually be hollow? The rebbi’s not going in there.
And to be honest, we could have gotten harder Mishnayos. I had no idea how to illustrate a sukkah gezulah, for example.
Actually, I do just write another kid’s name on it.
So we took a paper bowl and cut a little door in it, and then we dipped the bowl in glue and then in clipped grass. My son was very concerned about this, because in his mind, clipped grass was not hay. So I tried to convince him that hay is actually
dried out grass. I don’t think there are any farmers out there who, when you ask them, “What do you grow?” say, “Hay.”
“Hey. So what do you grow?”
But here’s something I did not know: Cut grass stuck to a bowl takes forever to dry out. I have no idea how long that takes. Definitely longer than the advance notice we had on this project.
So my wife, at the last minute, found hay at a local women’s clothing store that is currently doing construction. I’m not sure what they need with hay, but they have several bales lined up. Probably to make cement, if I know my Chumash. So she walked in and asked, “Can I have a little bit of hay?” and they said, “Why?” and she said, “We’re building a passul sukkah!” And they said, “In Tammuz?” So they gave her a little official store baggie to carry it home in, like this was our fancy hay.
Then we cut the fancy hay into tiny pieces and glued it over the still green grass, and to be honest, it did not quite look like a sukkah. It
looked more like a yarmulke that a scarecrow would wear.
As it turns out, our sukkah was smaller than almost any other sukkah in the class – even smaller than the one that was less than ten tefachim. And actually, all the sukkahs were less than ten tefachim, except for the one that was supposed to be twenty amos tall, which was actually about ten tefachim.
We still have our sukkah. We’ve been keeping it on the parsha table in our dining room since Shavuos, and it’s been shedding like crazy. I sweep a little bit of hay off the floor almost every day, which is why I have no real desire to put it away in the arts and crafts box. It’s also covered in challah crumbs.
We’ve mostly been keeping the sukkah around as a conversation piece, because none of our guests know what it is. Most people think it’s Har Sinai. With a door in the side, for some reason. But then, a couple of months ago, we had this family from Brooklyn at our house for Shabbos, and the father took one look and said,
“You have a sukkah too?” He knew what it was.
And I said, “Yeah, we had to make a passul sukkah from the Mishna.”
And he said, “So did we! We had to make the haystack. What’s this?”
So I asked, “How did you make your haystack?”
And he said, “Well, we live in Brooklyn, so we had to order the hay online.”
The annoying thing is that the schools never do this at a time of year when it’s easy to get hay. We could be sneaking it off the hay rides in our pants when we go apple picking.
“How much for the hay?”
“The hay isn’t for sale.”
“How much for that scarecrow?”
“I don’t think you people understand what apple picking is.”
“What do you mean by ‘you people’?”
“There was a guy here from Brooklyn last week.”
AND
Then Now
by Shmully Blesofsky
Chevra Shas
398 Kingston Avenue
Chevra Shas may never have been the most exciting place to go. Even today, it’s not what comes to mind when you think of a new age, popular shul. It doesn’t represent an up and coming demographic of Crown Heights, and until recently, it was not a fancy, modern building. However, Chevra Shas is a story of building, survival, endurance, and success.
The 19 x 65 foot building at 398 Kingston Avenue that today houses Chevra Shas was built in the 1920s by Rothschild Mason Workers Inc. It was part of a row of six two story red brick buildings built at the cost of $60,000, with shops below and apartments or offices above.
Its first documented tenant was the Paramount Beauty Shoppe, owned by Rose Feldman, with a striking glass entrance that was very modern for the time, letting passersby see directly inside when most storefronts were recessed. This “show window” style projected glamour, while the decorative gable above added a touch of elegance and
likely once held painted signage.
After Paramount closed in 1941, Kingston House Furnishing Center, opened by Avrohom Zilber, took its place. Zilber kept the glass storefront, and people living in Crown Heights at the time fondly recall seeing the furniture displays as they would walk by. He later relocated his business to 18th Avenue in Boro Park.
The side entrance on Montgomery Street, which leads to the second floor, was originally listed as 659 Montgomery Street and hosted various families over the years.
In 1963, Chevreh Shas U’Mishnayes purchased the building.
The name ‘Chevreh Shas’ carried an old European spirit. In Eastern Europe, Chevra Shas societies were grassroots brotherhoods of tailors, wagon drivers, and shopkeepers who pledged to study the entire Shas (Talmud) together. Immigrants brought the model to America, where many such groups opened up.
The first shuls in Crown Heights began to appear in the 1920s as
Jews started moving into the neighborhood. Larger institutions like the Brooklyn Jewish Center and Chovevei Torah stood proudly along Eastern Parkway, but beginning in the 1940s, Holocaust survivors and more “heimishe Yidden” settled in the neighborhood and opened shuls everywhere—in storefronts, basements, and private homes. Crown Heights was dotted with vibrant congregations, from Chassidish to Litvish and everything in between.
One of those shuls was Chevreh Shas U’Mishnayes, founded in the early 1940s. It was first housed above the shops at 539 Empire Boulevard, in the same building as the old Empress Theater, today Empire Kosher. Its president, Max Myers, reportedly a lumberyard owner, lived at Kingston and Lefferts.
In 1950, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Halperin, a respected Rov and shochet from Worcester, Massachusetts, moved to Crown Heights with his son Shabsi. An impressive Talmid Chochom, Rabbi
1940 2025
Halperin was also a gifted teacher who would deliver excellent shiurim in Yiddish. Notices in the Yiddish press announced his arrival, and soon he was delivering Shabbos shiurim and a popular Mishnayos class that drew people from across the neighborhood.
After two decades of steady growth, Chevreh Shas was able to purchase the property at 398 Kingston Avenue. At the time, Crown Heights was thriving. The congregation believed their future there was secure. They converted the once commercial corner into a beis midrash and the side door on Montgomery Street became the shul entrance with a Magen David along its outer wall. In 1966, they hosted a young Chazzan Moshe Teleshevsky and posted an ad in the newspaper to express their heartfelt thanks to the well known and distinguished cantor.
Just a few short years after relocating to their new Kingston Avenue home, the neighborhood began to change. Rising crime drove many Jewish families away, and the once bustling
Shabbos afternoons—when Jews of every background filled Kingston Avenue—grew quiet. By 1969, nearly all had left. Only Lubavitch remained.
“Every shul was a fight,” recalls longtime resident Rabbi Yossel Katzman. Many congregations wanted to sell their buildings to non Jews or even churches. Even shuls along Kingston Avenue were in danger. The Rebbe took this very seriously and urged people to go to their local shuls and keep the minyanim alive.
By 1973, Rabbi Halperin was no longer the Rov and the shul was in decline. A delegation turned to Rabbi Mottel Gurary, urging him to take over leadership of the shul. With the Rebbe's encouragement, Rabbi Gurary accepted. Under his guidance, Chevreh Shas not only survived but began to thrive again. Over the decades, renovations transformed both the interior and exterior. The brick façade came to echo the warmth of Jerusalem stone, and the beis midrash regained its
dignity.
Rabbi Gurary remained at the helm until his passing in 2020, after serving the community for 47 years. His son in law, Rabbi Gadi Blizinsky, succeeded him. In his memory, the shul was renamed Chevra Shas Beis Mordechai.
Today, Chevreh Shas has been completely renovated and uses all three floors of its building. The main floor continues to hold daily minyanim and shiurim while the kiddush is held in the basement.
Rabbi Alexander Heppenheimer leads a Daf Yomi shiur in the morning and there is a shiur in Ein Yaakov between Mincha and Maariv.
From its early days as a beauty shop, later a furniture store, and through its struggle for survival during Crown Heights’ decline, Chevreh Shas is a shining example of Jewish resilience and continuity over the past 80 years.
(Reprinted with some information from the book Crown Heights Shuls by Chaim Dalfin)
