COLlive Magazine - Shevat 5785

The singer who cannot be seen or named

Kings Broke

First the hospital, now the shul? East Flatbush fights to keep history

770 Mashpia explains the meaning of Yud Shevat

Rochel Goldman inspired family and Johannesburg

Bishvat

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SHEVAT 5785 FEBRUARY 2025 8 From the Publisher Editorial I Mica Soffer

The Definition of a Nasi A letter from the Rebbe

The Rebbe's Strategic Disruption

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin 12 The Panoramic Photos

JEM gallery

18 Our Rebbe, Our Mission Mendel Cohen 22 Kings Broke Tzali Reicher

34 Staying Put Tzemach Feller

42 Shluchos + Influencers

Danit Schusterman

50 Green and Good Dovid Zaklikowski

Publisher Mica Soffer

Editor

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin

Associate Editor

Mendy Wineberg

Contributing Writers

Asharon Baltazar

Shmuel Blesofsky

Mendel Cohen

Mushka Cohen

Tzemach Feller

Sari Kopitnikoff

Menachem Levy

Sruly Meyer

Tzali Reicher

Mordechai Schmutter

Danit Schusterman

Dovid Zaklikowski

Design

Sheva Berlin

Photo Credits:

JEM/Living Archive

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

During these frigid days, the evenings come early, and winter seems to stretch on forever. Cold days in New York are no surprise, yet every morning, I check the weather app in the distant hope that today—or even this week—won’t be as cold or windy. Perhaps we’ll even begin to see a rise in temperature, a hint of spring’s arrival.

That’s why Tu Bishvat, the Rosh Hashanah for Trees, is such a welcomed occasion. Though it falls in the heart of winter, it reminds us that renewal and growth are already underway, hidden beneath the surface, preparing to bloom.

We celebrate by eating a variety of fresh and dried fruit, reciting the Shehecheyanu blessing over some of them, and thanking Hashem for what we have and what is yet to come. As Shlomie Klein of Mr. Greens in Crown Heights shares in this issue, bringing fresh produce to our tables is no simple task. His work begins the night before—taking orders, mapping delivery routes, and heading to the 24/7 wholesale food market in the Bronx to carefully select the finest produce.

Others who always look ahead—planting seeds of growth even when the results aren’t immediately visible—are the Rebbe’s Shluchos. This month, they will once again gather in Crown Heights for the annual International Kinus Hashluchos.

Many of us are honored to host them in our homes, and we are excited to feature their stories in this issue. Among them is Mrs. Rochel Goldman, who tells us about her years of investment in the Jewish community in South Africa and the work of her children, who follow her example. We also feature five Shluchos who inspire not only their local communities but also thousands worldwide through their social media platforms.

What these dedicated women do—whether in their homes, Chabad Houses, or schools—is cultivate Jewish life with tireless devotion. Like farmers in winter, they sow and plant, nurturing families and communities with emunah in the vibrant future to come.

In truth, our entire lives are preparations for something greater. The Rebbe has guided us toward this goal since the very first Yud Shvat of his leadership, exactly 75 years ago—to prepare the world for the ultimate renewal, the final redemption, and the coming of Moshiach. That will be the eternal springtime of the universe.

MICA SOFFER

Dvar Malchus

The True Definition of a Nasi

More than being a tzaddik, a Rebbe is connected with every Jew in his generation.

B”H, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, 5710

Many people seek to pinpoint and characterize the vir tues and preeminence of each of the Rebbeim of Chabad, and in particular of the Nasi of our generation — my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, מ"כה — in various terms: the paradigm of self-sacrifice, a gaon, a man of exemplary character traits, a tzaddik, an individual endowed with divine inspiration, an individual accustomed to [performing] miracles, and so on.

When one considers how the teachings of Chassidus define what self-sacrifice really means, what being a gaon really means, and so on, these are indeed extremely laudatory terms.

Nevertheless, the essential point is missing here. Apart from this being the essence per se, it is especially important because of the vital effect it has [in general], and in particular upon us, the community of those who are his chassidim and who are bound to him. That essential point is the fact that he is the Nasi, and the Nasi of Chabad.

By definition, a Nasi is referred to as the head of the multitudes of Israel; in relation to them, he is the “head” and “brain,” their nurture and lifeforce reach them through him, and by cleaving to him, they are bound and united with their Source in the Supranal worlds.

There are various categories of Nesiim: some Nesiim convey their influence in an internalized manner; others diffuse their influence in an indirect and encompassing manner. These differences may be further subdivided: some Nesiim endow their recipients with insights into the revealed plane of the Torah (Nigleh); some endow their recipients with insights into the mystical plane of the Torah, and some do both together; some instruct their followers in the paths of avodah and Chassidus; some direct material benefits to their followers; and so on.

And there are Nesi’im who comprise several of these attributes, or even all of them.

This [essential] quality [of a Nasi] has characterized the leadership

of the Nesiim of Chabad from the very beginning, from the Alter Rebbe up to and including my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, מ"כה. They incorporated all the above attributes: they radiated both inward and encompassing influence — in Torah, in avodah, and in the practice of good deeds; [and they conveyed blessings both] spiritual and material. Consequently, [the Nesiim of Chabad] have been bound with all 613 organs of the soul and body of those who were connected with them.

Every single one of us must know — i.e., must think deeply and fix his thought on this — that [the Rebbe Rayatz] is indeed the Nasi and the head; from him and through him are directed all material and spiritual benefac tions; and by being bound to him (in his letters he has taught us how this is accomplished) we are bound and united with the spiritual root, with the ultimate Supernal spiritual root.

Menachem Schneerson 3 Tammuz, 5710 [1950] Brooklyn, N.Y.

By Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin

THE REBBE'S STRATEGIC DISRUPTION

From Canada to Arizona, a lesson from the Rebbe’s first Maamar

As a youngster in Montreal, Canada, my friends and I would often go to the Van Horne Shopping Center and offer Jewish passersby the opportunity to put on tefillin. It was a bit intimidating to stop a stranger and ask, “Are you Jewish?” We never knew whether we would receive a welcoming smile or a gruff comment. These days, my daughter Goldie and her friends often visit the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Arizona. In a similar fashion, they ask passersby if they are Jewish, and if they are, they hand them a pair of Shabbos candles to light on Friday night. They, too, get a mixed range of responses.

Despite a 30-year gap, our Mitzvot outreach activities share a common goal and benefit. They provide fellow Jews with opportunities to perform a

mitzvah, while empowering Chabad youth to step out of their comfort zones.

Both of these objectives were initiated by the Rebbe and articulated by him in his very first Maamar—Bosi Legani—recited on Yud Shvat 5711 (1951).

Opening with the verse “I have come to my garden…” (Shir Hashirim 5:1), the Rebbe encouraged and empowered us to transform the world for the better. Drawing on the teachings of Kabbalah and Chassidus, he interpreted the “garden” as our physical world and explained how it is specifically here that Hashem ultimately desires to be felt and experienced. The true spiritual essence was concealed following Creation, and it is our task to reveal it through our actions.

The “dibbur hamaschil” – the opening verse of the Maamar – offers additional insight into this concept. It speaks of “coming to the garden” rather than “coming home.” This distinction is significant. A home represents stability, comfort, and seclusion; a garden represents growth, discovery, and uncertainty. By entering the garden, one ventures out of their comfort zone and uncovers the divine presence in the universe.

We all desire comfort, yet that is not the goal Hashem has for us. A joke is told about a Jewish man visiting the chiropractor due to his painful bones and joints. While treating him, the chiropractor inquires, 'Are you comfortable?' to which the man answers, 'I make a living...'

In his book “Stay at Risk and Live

Forever,” the late Byron Richard Wien—one of Wall Street's most prominent market strategists— warned against feeling too comfortable.

Wien held that the most dangerous development in a career is success because the better you become at something, the more likely you are to stop growing. Sustained success requires something different: the courage to remain perpetually at risk so that you are always growing. This mirrors the Rebbe's teaching that engaging with the “garden” means embracing the unknown to achieve spiritual and personal growth.

Rather than waiting for external forces to demand change, Wien wrote that the most successful professionals actively create disruption in their careers. For

example, they proactively put themselves into new roles as a preemptive measure against stagnation. It's part of an approach that Wien calls “strategic discomfort.”

Success comes from learning to recognize and seize moments when the potential for growth outweighs the risk of change. This requires a mindset that treats discomfort as a tool rather than an obstacle. Again, the goal isn't discomfort for its own sake—it's the expanded capabilities and insights that come from consistently operating at the edge of one's comfort zone.

And so, we go out. We go out to shopping centers and businesses and homes, and we ask the question that has been asked millions of times by Lubavitcher Chassidim:

“Are you Jewish?” And as we grow in age, we learn to also keep growing in observance, practice, and understanding.

Chabad-Lubavitch, as a movement and as individuals, is renowned for constantly being innovative. We picked this up in our youth, standing on the streets and engaging in outreach work despite the feelings of discomfort. The Rebbe encouraged us to venture out of our homes and into the worldly garden because it is only in the garden that things can grow.

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin, Editor of COLlive. com and COLlive Magazine, is the outreach director of Chabad Tucson, and Associate Rabbi of Cong. Young Israel of Tucson, Arizona. He coordinates the annual Yarchei Kallah gathering of Chabad Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva.

CAPTURING THE SEA AT 770

Panoramic scenes from the Rebbe’s Farbrengen

You've probably seen this special photo at some point. Here's the story behind it.

In 1982, the Washington Post assigned photographer Donal F. Holway to 770 Eastern Parkway to photograph the Rebbe for an article. “I got the shock of my life when that door opened,” he later recalled.

“I had never seen anything like it before.”

“I had been expecting something more like a synagogue—nice rows of pews, a big aisle, and a lectern. Instead, I saw an enormous sea of people. My first thought was: “How am I going to fit into this room?

“I sensed in the Rebbe a very intense yet charismatic individual who was trying to relate to everyone in the room. He was looking at almost every individual there—which, of course, is physically impossible.

“When he spoke, you could see that he was addressing people directly, as if he was speaking to

them personally, while at the same time addressing the entire world. I didn't understand what he was saying, but I could feel that this was a man deeply committed to what he was saying. And I began to understand why everyone in that room was so intent on catching every word and every phrase.”

Holway returned to 770 in 1987 with a large panoramic camera he developed. The result was some of the most unique perspectives ever captured of a farbrengen with the Rebbe.

“Though I'm not Jewish, I felt an affection for the movement,” he said. “When you look at the photos, you can rotate around and see the entire room, as if you're standing there at that very instant. I'm very glad that people can, even to a small degree, experience the incredible sensation of being in that room with the Rebbe—and how amazing that was.”

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By Mendel Cohen

Our REBBE , Our MISSION

770 Mashpia Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi reflects on 75 years of the Rebbe's leadership

In honor of the seventy-five years of the Rebbe’s leadership, we spoke with Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi, Head Mashpia of the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, to gather insights and inspiration regarding this exceptional day, the historic Ma’amar of Bosi Legani, and its significance for us as Chassidim today.

COLLIVE: RABBI ZARCHI, THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING WITH US.

YUD SHEVAT IS VITAL FOR EVERY CHOSSID, AND YOU SPENT MANY YEARS WITH THE REBBE ON THIS DAY. CAN YOU SHARE YOUR MEMORIES OF YUD SHEVAT?

RABBI ZARCHI: Yud Shevat was a very serious day. When the Rebbe came into the Shul for Ma’ariv, we felt like it was Rosh Hashana. The way the Rebbe davened before the amud was very serious but also special.

The following day, the Rebbe would go to the Ohel. In those years, when he traveled to the Ohel, he would go in a car with elder Chassidim, such as Reb Yisroel Jacobson, Reb Shmuel Levitin, and Reb Shlomo Aharon Kazarnovsky. I remember one time when the car even stopped on Eastern Parkway, between Albany and Troy, to pick someone up! It was a distant cousin of the Rebbe who needed a ride.

On Yud Shevat, many Chassidim were at the Ohel when the Rebbe went there. There was no heating in those days, and the weather was often very cold. But the Rebbe stood for hours there and davened with intense concentration for Klal Yisroel.

At night, the Rebbe farbrenged. It was a special farbrengen, and

The farbrengen of Yud Shevat 5737.

Credits: JEM

every year, the Rebbe would focus on a different part of the Ma’amar Bosi Legani. As bochurim, we would start preparing days in advance to make sure we were familiar with that part of Bosi Legani.

DESCRIBE THE FIRST TIME THE REBBE SAID A MA’AMAR ON YUD SHEVAT 5711 (1951), INDICATING HE ACCEPTED THE LEADERSHIP AS THE 7TH REBBE OF CHABADLUBAVITCH.

RABBI ZARCHI: During the year after the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe, there was a lot of uncertainty and guessing about whether the Rebbe would agree to take on the nesius and officially become Rebbe. Even at the farbrengen on the first yahrtzeit of Yud Shevat, Chassidim waited nervously for the first hour, not knowing what would happen.

It was only when the Rebbe began saying the Ma’amar Bosi Legani that the Chassidim felt a sense of relief. It was based on an earlier Ma’amar of the Frierdiker Rebbe, which included twenty oisiyos (sections) in total. (Interestingly, the concepts of this Ma’amar were first given over by the Frierdiker Rebbe in a Ma’amar with a different title when the Rebbe visited him for the first time in Rostov 27 years earlier).

After the Ma’amar, the chossid Reb Avraham Sender Nemtzov jumped onto a table and shouted, “We have a Rebbe!” He said the bracha Shehechiyanu out loud, and everyone in the room answered with a very loud Amen.

IT SEEMS THAT THIS MA’AMAR SET THE TONE FOR THE REBBE’S NESIUS. WHAT IS IT ABOUT BOSI LEGANI THAT MAKES IT THE “MISSION STATEMENT” OF OUR GENERATION?

RABBI ZARCHI: Bosi Legani is not just any Ma’amar. First of all, the Rebbe mentioned all of the Rebbeim

by name. On top of that, the Rebbe told a story about each Rebbe’s mesiras nefesh for Ahavas Yisroel.

I heard from Reb Moshe Groner that on the night before the farbrengen of Yud Shevat, he was learning in the office of Mazkirus (the Rebbe’s secretariat). Suddenly, the phone started ringing and ringing. After a while, he picked it up and was shocked to hear the Rebbe on the line. The Rebbe asked him to come to his home since none of the Mazkirim (secretaries) were in the office.

When Reb Moshe got there, the Rebbe told him, “There’s a man in the hospital that I want to visit, but I don’t have the number of the doctor in charge of him.” The Rebbe asked Reb Moshe to get the number and let him know once he had it. Reb Moshe gave the number to the Rebbe, who called the doctor, asking him to visit the sick man despite the late hour. The doctor agreed, but only if the Rebbe would be coming.

Before the Rebbe left, he asked Reb Moshe to find certain seforim and put them on the table. The table was full of seforim from the Rebbeim, handwritten notes, and on top of everything was the Ma’amar Bosi Legani from the Frierdiker Rebbe. It was clear the Rebbe was preparing for the Ma’amar the next night. But even at such an important moment, the Rebbe still made time to visit a sick Yid in the hospital!

This is Bosi Legani. The Rebbe taught us but also showed us how to live by being an example. In the Ma’amar, the Rebbe explained that we are dor hashvi’i (the seventh generation), and it’s our job to reveal Hashem’s presence in the world and bring Moshiach. The Rebbe asked all of the Chassidim to join him in this Shlichus, to have mesiras nefesh for another Yid, to reveal

Elokus (G-dliness) in every place, and to bring the Geulah.

I just want to say one more thing. When people wrote to the Rebbe about struggles or challenges they were facing, the Rebbe would sometimes suggest that they learn Bosi Legani. This Ma’amar is maybe the sha’ar, the gateway for Dor Hashvi’i.

YOU MENTIONED THAT EACH YEAR THE REBBE WOULD DISCUSS A DIFFERENT PART OF BOSI LEGANI. THIS YEAR, CHASSIDIM HAVE BEEN LEARNING PEREK TES VOV OF THE MA’AMAR. WHAT KEY POINTS STAND OUT FROM THIS SECTION?

RABBI ZARCHI: The Ma'amar has twenty perokim, and each year at the Yud Shevat Farbrengen, the Rebbe would say a Ma'amar starting with Bosi Legani, and would focus on one of the perokim. In the year 5730, the Rebbe finished going through the entire Ma'amar and began the cycle again. This continued until 5748. After that, the Rebbe no longer had farbrengens during the week.

I remember that before Yud Shevat of 5730, we were unsure what would happen after the Rebbe finished going through the Ma’amar. In general, there was a lot of excitement in the air. The Rebbe had been speaking about how the past twenty years were still connected to the Frierdiker Rebbe’s life, and now we were entering a new tekufa (era).

The Rebbe also gave the approval for the Sefer Torah of Moshiach to finally be completed, and they called the Siyum for Erev Shabbos, the day before Yud Shevat. Chassidim from all around the world came to be by the Rebbe that Yud Shevat.

The feeling among most of us was that the Rebbe was about to get up and lead us all out of Golus as

Moshiach. In fact, I was supposed to get engaged that week but I pushed it off - who wants to be busy with a shidduch when Moshiach is coming…

Anyway, in Perek Tes Vov of the Ma'amar, the Rebbe talks about the highest level of Elokus—”above and above, without end”—that’s where the treasure comes from that Hashem gives to each of us, even if we are very far and in very low places. It is similar to a king who, in order to win the war, takes out all of his most precious treasures and gives them to his soldiers on the front lines. We need to use the treasures we were given and do our job to win this milchoma (battle) and bring Moshiach.

AS WE MARK 75 YEARS OF THE REBBE’S NESIUS, A MOMENTOUS MILESTONE, WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

RABBI ZARCHI: I remember one year we asked an elderly Chassid to farbreng for us, and he spent

the entire night crying about the histalkus of the Frierdiker Rebbe. In the middle, Reb Bentzion Shemtov came in with a big bottle of L’chaim and announced, “Today is the “hachtoras hamelech - coronation of the king!” We farbrenged and said L’chaim the whole night about this.

Yud Shevat is the day we received the greatest gift, we were given our Rebbe. The Rebbe gave us, and continues to give us, all the kochos we need. The Rebbe took the treasures that were hidden and protected for thousands of years by tzadikim of all the generations and handed them to us.

The Rebbe stood in line for hours on end, giving us dollars, kuntresim, kos shel bracha and so much more. The Rebbe said thousands of sichos, answered tens of thousands of our letters, and used every last bit of his koach and energy to give us what we need to get this job done.

It’s in our hands. If the Rebbe is the king, we are the anshei chayil (foot soldiers). Gimmel Tammuz didn’t

change the rules. The Rebbe gave us a Shlichus and the tools, and now we have to finish the job.

Look at the thousands of young bochurim who never saw the Rebbe but are still preparing very seriously for Yud Shevat. Look at the hundreds of couples that are continuing to leave their homes and comfortable lives to have Mesirus Nefesh for another Jew. These are the soldiers who are going to win the war and bring Moshiach.

When Avraham Avinu was 75 years old, he received the Shlichus from Hashem to leave his Golus and go towards “the land that I will show you” - Eretz Yisroel. Now we are celebrating 75 years of the Rebbe’s nesius, and it is only continuing to grow. The Rebbe told us that we are all ready to enter Eretz Yisroel and that everything is ready for the Geulah. The Rebbe is only asking that we do our part, at least a little bit more, to bring the Shechina down here, to bring Moshiach.

THE KINGSBROOK SHUL

IS SET TO BE SOLD AND DEMOLISHED EVEN WITH THE REVIVAL OF THE EAST FLATBUSH COMMUNITY

By Tzali Reicher

Photos by Shalom Burkis and Muli Berger

A recent photo of the interior of the Kingsbrook Shul reveals its neglected state and that it was repurposed as storage. The hospital said they promptly cleared the garbage bins upon being informed of the issue.

n 1991, members of the Board of Trustees of the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, arrived together at Lubavitch World Headquarters - 770 Eastern Parkway. The group intended to receive a blessing from the Rebbe and the dollar to pass on to Tzedaka.

The Rebbe wished the hospital success in providing good healing for all its patients. Speaking to the hospital’s president David Minkin, the Rebbe noted that that day was Pesach Sheini, a day of second chances, and told Minkin that if there were things that he should’ve done but didn’t, he could still do it.

The short yet meaningful interaction reflected the changing character of the area.

The Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Centre was founded in the mid1920s as the Jewish Sanitarium for Incurables and later the Jewish Hospital for Chronic Diseases. The motivation behind its establishment - and its funding by individuals in the Jewish community - was the antisemitic treatment that Jewish patients experienced at the nearby Kings County Hospital.

As befitting a Jewish institution, work began in 1928 to build a shul in the facility. On September 2, 1928, the Brooklyn Daily Times reported that “contractors, working day and night, are rushing construction on the interior synagogue” at the hospital to be ready for Rosh Hashana. Ultimately, construction was only completed for Yom Kippur.

Over the next decades, the shul grew, and with it, the community built around it. There were regular minyanim and events, and the community was invested in its growth, donating

sifrei Torah to use for the growing community and hosting their Jewish lifecycle events there.

In 1950, community members built a standalone building on hospital grounds to house the shul. It was adjacent to the hospital wings, surrounded by a beautiful garden, and accessible from the street. It was named Congregation Joseph Chaim Albert in memory of the father of the hospital’s longtime president, Issac Albert.

In the 1980s, as demographics around Crown Heights changed, many Jewish residents left, leaving the shul mainly for patients and doctors at Kingsbrook. Nonetheless, a dedicated group of Chabad Chassidim, led by Reb Shmuel Tanchum Shuchat, kept the shul active. He would walk to the hospital each Shabbos, gather a minyan of patients, and bring them to the shul to daven and sing joyfully.

Shuchat, who passed away from Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) in 2008, inspired others to do the same. Mendy Rendler, a Crown Heights resident, says: “When I was a young student, my friends and I were on our way to another shul in East Flatbush when we were told that the Kingsbrook Shul needed help with a minyan. From that Shabbos, I was hooked on helping keep this beautiful shul alive. I went back the next week without my friends and have been going since. It’s been over 25 years.”

THE WINDS OF CHANGE

As young families in Crown Heights faced a housing crunch, many settled near the Kingsbrook Shul, revitalizing it. Jewish staff used it for weekday prayers, and attendance grew to 40 on Shabbos and Yom Tov in the mid-2010s as transplants to nearby Remsen Village joined until they established their own shul. The Kingsbrook Shul hosted annual celebrations and breakfasts, often honoring elected officials and hospital

leaders. Two Torah scrolls were dedicated during its last decade of use, reflecting the community’s commitment.

Menachem Moscowitz, who moved to the neighborhood in 2015, became deeply attached to the shul. “I loved coming with my six sons, and between us and the other families that came, we always had a minyan,” he says. “We had a beautiful kehila, with a welcoming and warm atmosphere that greeted everyone that walked through the doors.”

The hospital supported the shul for years, providing a Shabbos door, directional signage, funding for weekly kiddushim, and a chazzan for the Yomim Noraim. In a 2012 Jewish Press column, Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum, Director of the Rabbinical Alliance of America, described it as “a full-service synagogue” with “high vaulted ceilings, tall stained-glass windows, and over 7,000 memorial plaques,” representing a rich Jewish past.”

Along with the growth of the community came the demise of the hospital.

In 2018, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration merged Kingsbrook with two other struggling hospitals - Brookdale University Hospital and Interfaith Medical Center - under a $664 million plan, forming One Brooklyn Health.

The new board closed departments to cut costs. Leading the board are businessman Alexander Rovt, representing Brookdale, Reverend Robert Waterman, representing Interfaith, and Henna White, a Lubavitcher resident of Canarsie, who is representing Kingsbrook. (White did not respond to the request for comments on the matter.)

With Kings County Hospital and SUNY Downstate Medical Center just a mile away, the board decided in 2023 to cease all medical services, leaving only the nursing home active. The board began selling portions of the campus, including a parking lot that was sold to develop low-income housing, despite community objections. Initially, Kingsbrook Shul remained active,

with guarantees of preservation in a 2019 state document. It said the “synagogue is not part of the redevelopment of sites on the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, and the Synagogue building will be preserved.” It promised that “access to the synagogue will be preserved throughout and after development is complete.”

However, community members felt pressured under restrictions imposed by the new administration, such as security measures requiring visitors to submit photos for clearance. A number of issues were brewing, but the shul persevered until the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a halt.

LOCKED OUT

It was the Friday night after Purim in March 2020 when congregants at Kingsbrook Shul were hustled out of the building and told that the shul was indefinitely closed. People came the next morning to find a security guard blocking the Shabbos gate and refusing to let them in the complex. They cited the public health threat of COVID-19 and said the hospital was now closed to everyone but patients and staff.

“While we would've appreciated better communication, we respected the need to keep vulnerable patients safe and quarantined while COVID was running rampant and understood the hospital’s position,” says Rabbi Zalman Goldstein, an active congregant who has been one of the leaders of the efforts to reopen the shul.

Goldstein, a member of the faculty at Cheder Ohr Menachem Boys School in Crown Heights, moved with his family to East Flatbush in 2005. “There weren't a lot of options where frum people could daven with a minyan in our area, but there was one place where we found our community: the Kingsbrook Shul,” he remembers.

For a year following the outbreak, the community in the area davened safely in outdoor minyanim

and then broke apart to daven at different shuls as they began to reopen. After a year away, Goldstein contacted hospital officials in April 2021, looking to reopen the shul and unite the community once more.

At an in-person meeting, hospital executives said COVID was still a threat to their patients and that the shul must remain closed. Goldstein says that this was despite the hospital already allowing in visitors and the fact that the shul was located in a stand-alone building with no interaction with patients or staff. They also mentioned there were issues with the building, but Goldstein offered to bring in people to fix them and help the shul reopen once again.

Over the next few years, whenever Goldstein would check in, he was consistently rebuffed by the hospital executives without any timeline or explanation of when the shul could be reopened. In May 2024, ahead of the holiday of Shavuos, Goldstein once again requested permission to reopen the shul.

In a subsequent meeting between hospital executives and community members, in the presence of a Crown Heights Community Council representative, Goldstein says the executives dropped a bombshell. They shared that the hospital was planning to sell the building because it was failing financially, reversing the guarantee from 2019. Minutes recorded from the meeting show the board members were concerned that an active shul could deter investors, and so the shul would remain closed.

According to Goldstein, who argued that they should be allowed to use the shul until it was sold, the hospital executives requested assurances that the shul would vacate the premises when asked. Goldstein responded by agreeing if it was a short-term closure to fix the shul, and asked for a written agreement to formalize the arrangement. Follow-up meetings were scheduled to discuss the details.

“But none ever happened,” says a person involved.

a

and a Shul without a community.

A community without

Shul

East Flatbush residents (from left) Mendy Rendler, Meir Gurkov, Menachem Moskowitz, Mendy Junik and Zalman Goldstein stand in front of the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center on January 23, 2025.

Photographed by Shalom Burkis for COLlive Magazine

“A

slap in the face to the storied Jewish history of the hospital”: Congregation Joseph Chaim Albert on the campus of the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center that is destined to be sold.

Photographed by Muli Berger for COLlive Magazine

ONE BROOKLYN HEALTH RESPONDS

Juanita Scarlett, a spokeswoman for One Brooklyn Health, said in a statement to COLlive Magazine: “Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and One Brooklyn Health treasures their rich Jewish history and relationship with the Jewish community for 100 years. We look forward to celebrating the centenary with the community in May.”

When asked about the reason for the current inactivity of the shul, Scarlett said: “One Brooklyn Health was advised by structural engineers that the building is unsafe for the community to hold services in the space in its current condition.” (Goldstein said they are willing to bring an independent engineer to see how the issues can be solved).

Scarlett confirmed that they are “in discussions with the State about the future and disposition of the property, which is expected to be sold by the end of the year.” On the assurances from 2019 that the building wouldn’t be closed or sold, Scarlett did not address the documents, but noted that a lot can happen in six years, and since then, the engineers informed One Brooklyn Health that the building is unsafe, leading them to consider the future of the property.

Since May, Goldstein and other community members say that the hospital has ignored their communications and efforts to find a solution.

According to community representatives, executives have stopped responding to calls and emails, including those from members of the Crown Heights Community Council.

Scarlett disputed this, saying, “The community

has been in regular, ongoing contact with One Brooklyn Health and board representatives.” Goldstein says this isn’t true.

Last year, photos circulated in the community showing that the shul was repurposed for storage, with trash cans placed in the center of the sacred space. Scarlett clarified that as soon as the issue was brought to the hospital’s attention, the shul was cleaned up immediately.

Meanwhile, the shul remains inactive and abandoned.

Goldstein, and other members of the community, say they aren’t giving up hope. They continue to campaign for the shul’s reopening and held a menorah lighting outside the hospital this past Chanukah, an event organized by Jay Sorid, an activist who has been spearheading the effort to save the shul. They say that the new leadership refuses to acknowledge the proud Jewish history of the hospital as a whole and the special legacy of the shul in particular.

“Right now, we’ve been davening in houses and basements,” Goldstein says. “It really is a shame because we have a beautiful, young and vibrant community, and we want to be able to be together in our shul. This has been our community center where we prayed, celebrated yomin tovim, made simchos, and held shiurim. We’re a community that needs a shul, and this shul needs a community.”

“It is a slap in the face to the storied Jewish history of the hospital,” he adds. “This hospital was built by Jewish people, for Jewish people, and this shul served as the heart of our community for almost 100 years. The thousands of memorial plaques on its walls tell the story of the generations who built and sustained this place. They celebrated here, they mourned here, and they poured their souls into this shul. We owe it to them to find a way to bring it back to life. No one has the right to condemn and sell off their legacy.”

To learn more, visit www.kingsbrookshul.com

A security guard at Kingsbrook denies entry to Jewish residents of East Flatbush wishing to celebrate Chanukah on premises, December 2024

By Tzemach Feller

Staying Put

Mrs. Rochel Goldman didn’t give up on South Africa or its Jewish community

“You’re crazy!”

That is not the greeting that a young Chabad couple hopes to hear upon arriving in their location of Shlichus, filled with motivation and commitment to connect Jewish people with Torah and Chassidus. Yet that is precisely what Rabbi Yossy and Mrs. Rochel Goldman heard upon moving to South Africa in March of 1976.

“We're all leaving. We’re sitting on a volcano!” members of Johannesburg's Jewish community told them. The country was on the brink of a major transformation as black South Africans were agitating against the racist government’s apartheid policies which enforced racial segregation. Mrs. Goldman recalls seeing park benches, restaurants, and buses marked with signs that read “whites only.”

During this time, 120,000 Jews lived in South Africa, and many feared a revolution could lead to unrest. Three months after the Goldmans arrived, 20,000 students protested in the Soweto Uprising, a violent challenge to the government, resulting in hundreds killed or injured by police. “People were leaving by the plane loads,” she recalls.

The Goldmans were committed to the Rebbe's mission. Two years after marrying in Crown Heights, they received Shlichus options, including one from Rabbi Mendel Lipskar, the first Shliach in South Africa, who knew Rabbi Goldman from Chabad Yeshiva in Montreal. Reviewing the options in writing, the Rebbe underlined the word “Johannesburg,” and the Goldmans had their marching orders.

Mrs. Goldman was born in France to Rabbi Zalman and Shula Kazen, who would become one of the Rebbe’s early Shluchim in Cleveland, Ohio. Her paternal grandmother was Sarah Katzenelbogen, known as “Mume Sarah,” who rescued countless Yidden from the Soviet Union. Her maternal grandmother was Bubbe Maryashe Garelik, whose mesiras nefesh in the Soviet Union was legendary as well. Caring for others, even at great personal risk, was in her genes.

The Goldmans got to work, directing South Africa’s first Chabad House and organizing adult education, women’s events, yom tov celebrations, and Camp Gan Israel in the summer.

In the 1970s, the Lubavitch Foundation opened a school for Jewish children called Torah Academy. As the school

Mrs. Rochel Goldman with her husband Rabbi Yossy Goldman, South Africa's Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein, Rabbi Yehuda Stern and Sydenham Shul Chairman, Nachi Kay, at a printing of the Tanya in her honor

Mrs. Rochel Goldman (standing, second from right) with her legendary grandmother Bubbeh Maryasheh, her mother Bubbeh Shuleh, sister Dvonya Alevsky and daughters and nieces

outgrew its space in the old Jewish suburb of Yeoville, the Rebbe encouraged them to purchase a 22-acre campus in the northern suburbs. Mrs. Goldman taught at Torah Academy for 18 years, nurturing thousands of talmidos.

As Lubavitchers moved to the new area, the Rebbe instructed the Goldmans to lead the Torah Academy Shul on the school campus. Under their leadership, it grew from a startup to the largest Anash shul in the city, with over a hundred attending.

Mrs. Goldman also taught for seven years at the Mizrachi Yeshiva College School. Mrs. Goldman naturally incorporated Chassidic teachings in her lessons, which led one student named Rebecca to declare: “I'll never be Chabad.” Mrs. Goldman would reply, “You know, I’ve learned in life to never say never.”

One day, Mrs. Goldman sat down with Rebecca. “Right now, you have so many questions; so much uncertainty. Why not go somewhere where you’ll have the environment to get the answers?” Rebecca agreed to spend a year in seminary before joining the IDF.

The girl is now Mrs. Rebecca Sarchi, and for the last 25 years, she has been serving as the beloved Principal of Chabad's Torah Academy Girls High School in Johannesburg — one life touched by Mrs. Goldman; one life which has in turn touched thousands of others.

The Sydenham Shlichus

After ten years heading up Chabad House, Rabbi Goldman was invited to become the spiritual leader at the Sydenham-Highlands North Hebrew Congregation—or the Sydenham Shul—the largest Orthodox congregation in the city with 1,200 families as members. With the Rebbe’s advice and encouragement, the Goldmans accepted the position of Rabbi and Rebbetzin, and their Shlichus changed course.

It was here that Mrs. Goldman’s insight, initiative, and influence truly began to flourish. Partnering with event organizer Ingrid Seeff, she launched the Rosh Chodesh Women’s Forum, hosting monthly events for women. She initiated “Sunday Stretch” to “Stretch Your Mind, Body, and Soul,” combining an exercise class with Torah study. Inviting families to her Shabbos table weekly, she hosted thousands over the years and taught countless people how to bake challah.

However, the community faced challenges. Many children weren’t getting a sufficient education, and

many families continued to move out of South Africa, afraid of the changing political and social landscape. So, Mrs. Goldman founded Women of the World, or WoW (and, as she points out, “MoM” upside down).

The organization supported education by funding Jewish and disadvantaged schools in South Africa with resources like libraries, computers, books, mezuzahs, and tuition assistance. It also promoted a positive South Africa by sharing the Rebbe's optimistic vision for the country's Jewish future, with Mrs. Goldman giving talks encouraging community investment.

She organized spa brunches and inspired hundreds of mothers to uplift their families. Her gala dinners included auctions with valuable prizes and speakers like the First Lady of South Africa, the Cape Town Premier, and the Reserve Bank Governor, along with leading Chabad speakers from around the globe. “Everyone knew that whatever Women of the World did was always ‘WoW!,’” her husband noted.

In her personal example, Mrs. Goldman was an inspirational role model to women of all ages—she changed the perception of what a rebbetzin is, Rabbi Goldman says. The Goldmans would prepare brides and grooms for their weddings, and married them off at the rate of more than 50 chuppahs a year. They’d host concerts and bring groups to visit Israel. And over the years, the shul has transformed.

South Africans are known as warm and traditional Jews. They love Yiddishkeit, he notes, but “when we came, there was no mindset of mitzvos maasiyos; of simply doing mitzvos.” So every Yom Kippur, they distributed Mitzvah Cards, encouraging the thousands who came to daven to take on a new mitzvah that year. “When we first came, there were a handful of frum congregants. Today, Boruch Hashem, there are hundreds,” she says.

The Greatest Achievement

Asked about her achievements over the years, Mrs. Goldman quickly points to the family that she raised.

“We came to South Africa with two children, and we had nine more here,” she says. “My greatest achievement is my children, their hiskashrus, and the impact they are having on the different communities that they are building and living in.”

She happily lists her children and what they do (the accolades were naturally condensed for brevity): Rabbi Yochonon and Leah Goldman—Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania. He is the Rabbi of the historic Congregation B’nai Abraham Chabad and she directs the Center City Jewish Preschool.

Rabbi Michoel and Zisel Goldman—Kauai, Hawaii. They direct the world’s westernmost Chabad House. He founded the weekly Chayenu study booklet, and she is a reading and learning specialist.

Mendel and Devorah Goldman—Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a founding benefactor of Chayenu, a member of the Board of Torah Academy. Their hachnosas orchim is legendary.

Zeesy and Rabbi Oshy Deren—Blouberg, Cape Town, South Africa. They lead Chabad of the West Coast, and she directs the Sinai Academy and the Cape Town Torah High School.

Rabbi Shmuly and Frumi Goldman—Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. They are one of the Shluchim at Chabad of Sandton, and she teaches online courses for the Sara Schenirer Institute.

Choni Goldman—Cape Town, South Africa. A singer, chazan and choir director at the Gardens Shul in Cape Town, he is known by his stage name, Choni G. His debut album '5780' was released in 2020.

Sarah and Rabbi Oshy Feldman—Cape Town, South Africa. He is the Rabbi of the renowned Gardens Shul and she teaches Bas Mitzvah girls and kallahs and owns a modest clothing brand.

Yisroel and Batsheva Goldman—Melbourne, Australia. He is a leader at DaMinyan shul and is a member of the board of Yeshiva College, where she is a much-loved teacher.

Musya and Rabbi Mendel Shemtov—Montevideo, Uruguay. They lead Beit Jabad Uruguay, CTeens, and Bar/Bat Mitzvah classes. She also hosts challah bakes and teaches in Spanish.

Rabbi Nissen and Ariella Goldman—Cape Town, South Africa. They are the Shluchim at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch University. She also teaches at the Sinai Academy Preschool.

Bentzy Goldman—Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an entrepreneur who leads Africovery, which offers safari experiences and retreats in South Africa.

After 35 years at the helm, Rabbi Yossy and Rebbetzin Rochel Goldman handed over the reins of Sydenham Shul to Rabbi Yehuda and Estee Stern in 2021. The Goldmans continue their involvement in the shul and community, but they are also able to travel around the

Rochel and Rabbi Yossy Goldman and their 11 children at a Siyum Sefer Torah in Johannesburg

world. To date, they have already been to 50 communities over five continents as guest speakers and scholars-inresidence.

In her talks, Mrs. Goldman often tells audiences of how one voice stood above all others against the predictions of doom and gloom for the South African Jewish community: the Rebbe.

After Mandela’s Release

On the day the iconic anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990—a watershed moment for the country—the Rebbe made a bold statement. Speaking to Rabbi Koppel Bacher OBM, one of the founders of Chabad in South Africa, the Rebbe said: “Tell them they have nothing to fear and that South Africa will be good for Jews until the coming of Moshiach!”

Today, South Africa is a modern democracy, with equal rights for all. And Johannesburg is home to a thriving frum community with kosher supermarkets and restaurants, and state-of-the-art mikvahs, Torah schools, shuls, and yeshivas abound. “When we first moved here, we knew almost every frum person in town,” she recalls. “Now we don't even know every rabbi.”

“Chabad has had a huge influence in South Africa,” she concludes. “Yes, the community is smaller, but we lost quantity, not quality. Jewish life and infrastructure are stronger today than ever before in South Africa. The Rebbe's repeated assurances for our future here guaranteed that we still have a viable—and indeed vibrant— Jewish community that is admired around the world.”

Rebbetzin Rochel Goldman’s Challah Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cubes yeast or 3 packets dried yeast

• 4 ½ cups of lukewarm water

• 1 ½ cups of sugar

• 1 cup of oil (canola)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons of salt

• 3 eggs

• 15-16 cups of cake flour (slightly less than a 2.5 kg bag of flour)

• Optional substitutions—for a healthier version:

• 2 packs of yeast - instead of 3

• Olive oil - instead of canola

• Honey - instead of sugar

• Spelt flour - instead of whole wheat or any other flour.

Method

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and add sugar.

• Add all ingredients, besides flour, and mix well.

• Sift flour and add slowly while mixing.

• Knead mixture well until it has a stiff but smooth consistency. If sticky, add an additional ½ cup of oil.

• Place in a warm spot and cover.

• Allow dough to rise until it has doubled in size (approx. 4-5 hours).

• Punch dough down so that there are no air pockets.

• Separate a piece of dough and set aside in silver foil to bake and discard. (Bake in oven before baking challah.)

• Recite the blessing: Baruch ata … asher kidishanu l’hafrish challah. (Meditate for a moment on your own blessings)

• Grease pans or use baking paper. (You can use cookie sheets, oval or rectangular loaf pans.)

• Divide the dough into pieces and shape into individual loaves.

• 3-braided or 6-braided Challahs are traditional for Shabbos and round shapes are customary for Yom Tov. (For the art of shaping Challah, see The Spice & Spirit Kosher Cookbook.)

• Preheat oven to 180°C [350F].

• Glaze Challah with egg (preferably egg yolk and a spoonful of water).

• Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.

• Bake for 30 minutes or until browned (small rolls may need less time).

Enjoy!

Yields: 6-8 nice sized challahs.

By Danit Schusterman

SHLUCHOS @INFLUENCERS

THE CHABAD SHLUCHOS WHO ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO EXTEND YIDDISHKEIT AND CHASSIDUS PAST THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES

Chavi Bruk

Shlucha in Bozeman, Montana

I started sharing my story because I had so much to express, especially about our journey with infertility and the adoption of our 5 children. It became a way to process and share my life with others.

a Shlucha or a mother sometimes can’t. It’s an important part of my life that I nurture intentionally.

My blog, Clear as Mud, launched just before the pandemic, but it was my Instagram presence that really took off. I began posting whenever I had a new blog entry, and soon, Instagram became my main way of connecting with others. Over time, my community grew, and I built a strong, engaged audience.

Of course, there are challenges. Being public means opening yourself up to judgment and gossip. It can be uncomfortable to know you're being analyzed, but I’ve accepted that it’s part of the deal when you choose to share.

A few months ago, I launched my podcast “Totally Unexpected!” It was something I’d always wanted to do but was too scared to try. Finally, I took the plunge, and now it’s become another way for me to connect. I love talking to people, hearing their stories, and learning from their lives. It’s just part of who I am—I thrive on connection and exploring different perspectives.

I try not to dwell on it. I’m proud of my healthy relationship with social media, curating what I see and making sure nothing toxic slips in. It’s important to me that I engage only when it feels meaningful. I never want to feel resentful, so I make sure I’m doing it because I want to, not out of obligation.

Having passions like social media helps me show up for my Shlichus with more positivity and balance. Shlichus can be overwhelming and all-consuming, so having something else to focus on is incredibly helpful. It gives me energy and prevents burnout, allowing me to approach my work with more enthusiasm.

multiple roles requires mindfulness, and I try not to act impulsively.

What makes my experience with social media unique is that it’s not tied to a business or financial goal. I don’t rely on it for income, so there’s no pressure to create content for a business purpose. I show up because I want to, and I’m grateful for that freedom. There’s no obligation—only passion. It fills my cup. Social media allows me to connect in ways my role as

With my kids getting older, I have more flexibility, but time management remains a challenge. I’m always checking myself to make sure I’m giving the right amount of attention to each area of my life— whether it’s my Shlichus, my family, or my online presence. Juggling

For me, social media isn’t just a way to connect; it’s a tool for education and empowerment. I’ve used it for positive purposes, like teaching a Tanya class on YouTube that had a huge impact on my community. Social media has allowed me to offer knowledge, create meaningful connections, and give back.

Esty Perman

Shlucha in Leawood, Kansas

I’m a third-generation Shlucha—my grandparents, Rabbi Sholom Ber and Blumah Wineberg moved here in 1969 and opened one of the first Chabad houses in the United States, the eighth in the country. The community they built in Kansas City became the foundation of my childhood and the work I do today. My husband also grew up on Shlichus, though his experience was on the other side of the world in

Santiago, Chile. When we got married, we were both excited to move to Leawood and work alongside my parents, focusing on running family programs.

From a young age, I have loved writing. It was my way of expressing myself and processing the world around me. For a while, I shared my thoughts on Facebook, but I eventually decided to make my Instagram page public. It was a space to share ideas beyond private family photos, but over time, it became so much more.

and a half years ago, I gave birth to my son Levi, five years after my daughter was born. It was an incredible blessing, but it also came with a new challenge. From discussing secondary infertility, I was stepping into a new chapter, and I wasn’t sure how to navigate that online.

I was struggling with secondary infertility and Instagram became a lifeline for me—a space to write, process emotions, and connect with others. Knowing that there were people out there going through the same or similar experiences helped me feel less alone. Writing about my struggles gave me clarity, and sharing them brought comfort to others.

Since then, I’ve been blessed with two more children, and my life has shifted yet again. These days, I’m fully immersed in motherhood, and I don’t have as much time to be as creative as I once was. But even though I post less frequently, I still value the connections I’ve made online.

One of my favorite parts of sharing is hearing from others. When someone messages me to say, “Thank you for putting this into words—I thought I was the only one who felt this way,” it reminds me why I started sharing in the first place. It’s humbling to know that my words resonate with others and make them feel less alone.

At the same time, I’m very careful about what I post. I’m naturally a conscientious person, and I always double-check anything I write or share. I rarely work with brands because I won’t promote something unless I can fully stand behind it. This approach can be exhausting, but it’s important to me to maintain authenticity and integrity in what I share.

Life looks very different now. Three

Even though balancing my personal life and online presence is a challenge, I believe in the good that can come from using this platform. Whether it’s helping someone feel understood or creating a space for open conversations, I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with others through my writing and Shlichus.

Malki Rodal

Shlucha in Newcastle, Australia

It’s funny how life works sometimes. My husband and I spent six years as shluchim in the RARA (rural and regional areas) of Australia, traveling long hours on dusty roads to visit small towns and isolated communities. It was an incredible experience, but after a while, we knew we needed to settle down. That’s when we decided to make Newcastle our home.

Newcastle, a bustling port city

three hours north of Sydney, became our “soul station,” the place where we were meant to be. Little did I know this city would also become the backdrop for a completely unexpected part of my online journey.

I wanted a space that’s about connection, not perfection.

Being in the public eye can be exhausting. My days are filled with homeschooling, running programs at our Chabad center, and managing family life. There are times when I hit my max, and that’s when I take breaks from social media. I don’t feel the need to be constantly online, posting, or engaging. I’ve learned that balance is key, and sometimes, I just need to step back and recharge.

I wanted to create a platform where I could share the real, unfiltered version of my authentic experience of being a shlucha. I wanted to show women that I am a frum woman, a mother raising a family in a small coastal city in Australia. I’m just like you—juggling the same struggles, joys, and complexities of daily life.

In 2020, I had a chaotic pregnancy with triplets, and I realized just how important it was to share the struggles, too. So many women go through mental health challenges during pregnancy, but it’s not something that’s talked about. I wanted other women to know they weren’t alone, and I used my platform to break the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in the frum community. But beyond the struggles, I also share the joys of my life—my growing family, the way we celebrate Jewish traditions, and the day-to-day life of a frum woman on shlichus. There’s so much noise on social media, with everyone selling something or promoting a curated image of their lives. Instead,

There’s also a certain vulnerability that comes with sharing your life publicly. Anyone who puts themselves out there knows they’re opening themselves up to criticism, judgment, and differing opinions. I’ve certainly faced my share of that. But at the end of the day, I share my life as I understand it, and if others don’t agree, that’s okay. I’m not here to please everyone.

In the end, my Instagram account isn’t about gaining followers or making money—it’s about building a community of women who support each other. It’s a place where I can be real, where I can show that even though life as a shlucha may seem glamorous from the outside, it’s just as messy, complicated, and beautiful as anyone else’s life. Living in a small city can feel isolating, so interacting with others makes the experience meaningful.

Amanda Spira

Shlucha in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada

My ‘influencer’ journey really took off during Covid. Like most of us, I had more time on my hands, so I started sharing things—simple things like recipes, cooking hacks, and random life tips. It was just for my friends at first, but they encouraged me to share on a bigger scale. I’d already been open about my cancer journey which I was diagnosed with at the age of 21, so it felt natural to share more of my life. That’s when it became an online shlichus of sorts. I remember the first time I posted something real. I thought it would just be one of those posts that gets a few likes and then fades away. But instead, I saw how many people connected with it. It was like I had tapped into something. There’s something powerful about vulnerability and honesty. People resonate with that. And now, I find myself sharing my grief after losing my father. People appreciate seeing how others cope with challenges—how we get through the hard stuff. I think that’s what makes us all influencers, in a way. It’s not about having millions of followers or fancy photos—it’s about real connection. We all have the ability to influence one another in meaningful ways, so long as we keep it real.

The truth is, I really love connecting with people. It feels like an online shlichus. I’ve connected with so many brides through the kallah classes I teach, and I’ve had people reach out to me from all over. They see my vulnerabilities, they see my challenges, and they see that I’m just like them—human, normal, relatable. And that’s what makes these relationships so special. They’re long-lasting and meaningful.

But, of course, putting yourself out there as a public figure comes with its challenges. There are always people who have opinions, who want to give unsolicited advice on what you should or shouldn’t say. It’s tough. I try to be careful. I try not to get too personal, and I don’t share everything. I’m very strategic about what I post. I’ve had many people reach out to me with requests to share things for them, but I always think twice before doing that. It has to feel authentic. It has to align with who I am and what I feel comfortable with.

I think that’s the key to it all— keeping it simple, keeping it strategic, and staying true to yourself. There’s no need to complicate things or overthink it. Just be yourself, and the rest will

follow. That’s how I see my work, whether it’s as a shlucha or as an influencer. It’s all about connection, honesty, and staying real. The rest is just a bonus.

Chana Vigler

Shlucha in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Five years ago, when Covid hit, I realized how central the shul was for many people’s Jewish lifestyle. With so much of that on hold, I wanted to show that Judaism, spirituality, and celebration could thrive at home too. I started sharing on social media how to create a Shabbos atmosphere, set beautiful holiday tables, and experience the joy of living with a large Jewish family.

With my children all home during the lockdown, it was a chance to highlight the warmth and love of our frum family life. Each of my children had birthdays in consecutive months, and I celebrated each one with a special post, showcasing their unique personalities and strengths.

Over time, these posts became a significant part of my social media presence, and people began to connect with our family story.

One of the most meaningful projects I undertook was the Sefer HaMitzvos project. It started on Gimmel Tammuz, coinciding with the Siyum HaRambam. I decided to post the mitzvah of the day, and though I didn’t expect much, over the next year, this became a daily commitment that enriched my online presence.

Through social media, I’ve made incredible connections with women all over the world. When I meet someone in person and they tell me how my posts have impacted them, it’s such a special moment. Social media has allowed me to build a supportive community, and I’ve expanded my circle far beyond Palm Beach Gardens, where most of my connections are through my congregation.

Of course, there are challenges. Social media gives us the power to choose what we disclose, but with that comes the responsibility of protecting our privacy.

Additionally, balancing my role as a Rebbetzin and as an influencer can sometimes blur boundaries. While I strive to maintain a respectful distance within my community, I also want to stay open and authentic with my online followers. It’s a delicate balance, but one that I’m always mindful of.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of being able to connect with others far outweigh them. It’s incredible to see how my content has inspired people’s lives—whether it’s giving someone the confidence to create a beautiful Shabbos table or encouraging a mother to embrace the chaos and beauty of family life.

Social media has allowed us to share our voices, and I believe it’s a tool the Rebbe would have fully supported. The ability to reach so many people instantly is extraordinary, and as an influencer, I find it exhilarating to know I can inspire and uplift others.

As I continue on this journey, I’m excited to be launching a new podcast called Jewish Ladies and Leadership, where I spotlight strong Jewish women and their voices. I've already recorded several episodes, and I look forward to seeing where it takes me. My goal is to show the world that frum women are powerful, capable, and can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

KEREN HACHOMESH FOUNDATION

On the 22nd of Shevat 5748, February 10, 1988, the Rebbe returned from the funeral of his wife of 60 years, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, led the afternoon prayers and recited Kaddish in their home on President Street in Brooklyn. The Rebbe’s profound sadness was palpable.

Immediately upon returning from her levaya, the Rebbe asked Rabbi Krinsky to arrange for the establishing of a charitable organization–Keren Hachomesh–with a mandate to support women in need and various charitable causes related to Jewish women and girls. This was the only time the Rebbe founded a new organizational corporation outside of the three organizations established by the Frierdiker Rebbe.

The Rebbe would encourage donations in the amount of 470 (the numerical value of the Rebbetzin’s name) in order to perpetuate the Rebbetzins legacy.

This past year alone many organizations received grants & countless individuals were helped in a discreet and dignified manner befitting the foundations namesake.

As a fund that holds profound personal significance to the Rebbe, the participation in its efforts is indeed a privilege and honor.

B y Dovid Zaklikowski

Photos by Yossi Kurant for COLlive Magazine

Green and Good

Shlomie Klein pays close attention to the quality of his fruits and vegetables. It influenced his spiritually as well

For most, how the fruits and vegetables arrive at your local produce store is a mystery. For Shlomie Klein it is a way of life. Quick with his tongue, and even swifter in his actions, you may have seen the red bearded Klein at the scene of an accident or burglary, as a member of Crown Heights Shomrim and Chessed shel Emes of New York. “Who needs inspiration,” he likes to say. “When you are needed, you just get up and go.”

But during the hours when you are in bed, he is busy with fruits and vegetables, the food you eat during your day.

Getting produce to stores across metropolitan New York is no easy matter. As a produce distributor, ‘morning’ begins at 5 PM, and his ‘night’ in the wee hours of the morning. It begins with taking orders from his customers, to giving detailed order sheets to his employees and truck drivers. A little before nine o’clock at night he is on the way to the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx.

The Hunts Point Cooperative Market has the largest produce market in the world, which feeds some 30 million people daily. There are a few thousand people who work there, and when Shlomie arrives—as you are telling your

children and friends good night— he is wishing everyone good morning. At one in the morning, people are getting their lunch. “For the normal person it sounds crazy,” says the distributor and store owner of Mr. Greens in Crown Heights. At the market, there is produce from the United States and across the globe - China, Vietnam, Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico. The merchandise comes by train, boat and even by plane. “The world is very small,” says Shlomie. Perhaps most awkward is that he cannot purchase anything from Israel because of issues with terumos and maaser. “If you’re not in the business, it is not something you would ever think of,” says Shlomie, noting that anything can be from Israel, from carrots to grapefruits. “It is strange not supporting your own country.”

The market is a small city of its own, it has a unique culture and even its own police force. After three decades there, Shlomie talks about everyone there as if they are family, and he knows most of the owners of the companies. He helped two of the Jewish business owners put on tefillin for the first time. He has been to many of the workers’ family events, from funerals to weddings. “It is a relationship,” he says.

Exotic Search

While growing up at the Klein home in Crown Heights, fruits and vegetables were a staple food. He knew that his mother Kraindy, a known activist in the Crown Heights N’shei Chabad, together with other women had organized delivery of quality produce to the neighborhood. Much more than that he did not know about fruits and vegetables.

In the late 1990s, a sickly man turned to Mr. Shabse Gordon, who had a huge food wholesale business, and asked him if he would purchase his produce route in Monsey and Monroe. The man had one condition - when he would pass away, a percentage of the profits would go to support his family. By then, sick for a while, his route was falling apart, but he believed that if his former customers knew that some of the profits would go to support his family, they would be loyal to his successor. Mr. Gordon was not interested in taking it on, and he asked his son Shaya if he would want the business. In turn, Shaya turned to Shlomie, who had been working for the Gordons for

several years, and asked if he wanted to join the endeavor. He agreed and they became partners.

The previous owner was meant to train him in, but he died a week after the company was sold to them. It was erev Pesach, and the busiest time of year, and he had no clue what he was doingbut he quickly learned. At first, he says, “It was a total disaster.” It was not easy, but he “jumped into the pool and quickly learned how to swim.”

At first, most of the business was to the chassidish crowd, particularly in Monroe and Monsey. He would have to learn the ropes there, and was guided by local store owners on the local eating habits. “I did not know,” he says, “and I was willing to put in the hours to learn.”

Some examples he gives that are unique to the locals there is the popular habit of canning peaches in the summer for a year’s worth of compote. He was told that they needed cooking peaches, but at the market they never heard of such a concept. It took time for Shlomie to learn which peach is good for cooking.

In Crown Heights, residents tended to eat a lot of lettuce, and at the time, in the chassidish communities, they ate very little of it. And unlike in Crown Heights, they don’t eat strawberries and broccoli. There were also times that they did not eat grapes or even onions. Many don’t make a brachah on seedless grapes, so he discovered he had to carry grapes with seeds.

Among the other concepts he learned from the chassidishe communities upstate was that making a shehechiyanu on Tu Beshvat fruit was not only done on mangoes and carob fruit, but a wide array of exotic fruits. “In the chassidishe world,” he says, “Tu Beshvat is a big deal.”

He learned that having unique fruits was a form of noi mitzvah, the beautification of a mitzvah. In their communities, for many it meant having a bigger display, which drove him to search for more exotic options. Ultimately, it is another way to make the traditions of Tu Beshvat exciting for the entire family.

After some five years in the produce business, he decided to open a store in Crown Heights. He would carry only top quality items, so people would not need to shop out of the neighborhood. “I never had a doubt that opening a store would be successful,” says

Shlomie. “We worked really hard.” He is now reaping the fruits of his labor, with the sales they do on an average Thursday netting much more than a week’s worth of sales two decades ago.

For Tu Beshvat he is always looking for something new to offer his customers. While in other communities, they make a shehechiyanu only on fruits, in Chabad, if a vegetable is pretty, it is recited on that too. He says that while most know of melons such as honeydew, watermelon and cantaloupe, there are some others that are unknown such as Piel de Sapo, Musk, Dino, Crenshaw or Canary. He carries those on the New Year for Fruit.

By now, Shlomie brings in more than thirty different items for Tu Beshvat. “There is so much creativity, growth and investment in the field,” says Shlomie, “that Tu Beshvat can be exciting year after year.”

Unabashed Kindness

In regards to the produce route they took over, Shaya and Shlomie kept up the deal significantly longer than the original agreement. They gave the widow a percentage of the sales until her last child was married. For Shaya Gordon, this kindness is natural. His father would quietly give money to those in need, and once jumped out of his car to give someone $500 to purchase a new coat.

It is unabashed kindness that Shlomie also learned from his parents. His mother was always there to volunteer for many good deeds, and his father, the renowned Sofer and Mohel from Crown Heights Rabbi Moshe Klein of Hasofer, was a volunteer in Hatzalah for over three decades. Once he “retired,” he did not stop, and became heavily involved in RCCS, assisting members

of the community fighting cancer, and their families.

“I grew up in a home where my parents live to help another Jew,” he says. “We are a family of average, hard-working people, who always gave back to the community. The first in line to help another Jew.”

At Mr. Greens, the workers are known to help women with their strollers, and readily help the customers with a smile. It is something they learned from Shlomie, who is kind and understanding to their needs. They also watch when he is there how he goes out of his way to help customers. Because he treats his workers with kindness, many of them are still with him from when they opened.

“When they see that you clean the bathroom,” he says, “that you run across the store to hold open the door for someone, and how you interact with customers, that is what they learn from.”

Changed Life

The life of a fruit distributor is difficult. Klein, 47, who is married to Chani and a father to 5 children, may have to cut short the time he spends at a family simcha. There are few opportunities to take vacations. But as the business and store are more established, it is easier on his family life. In addition, now he takes part in the most enriching part of his life: studying Torah.

His learning Torah began when he went to the siyum hashas of a family member. “I saw the way his kids looked at him,” says Shlomie, “and here I am and I have never opened a Gemara since seventeen years old.”

As busy as he was, he thought, he could also afford to study something every day. At first, he did the eight-

minute daf with Eli Stefansky, but he felt that was not considered to be learning a blatt. Stefansky shared a link to a forty-five-minute class on the daf, and he began to study daily.

“He is a normal American guy,” Shlomie says of Stefansky, “says what he thinks, says what he wants to, and it was a breath of fresh air. It was fun.”

A few months later, after doing mivtzoim on Purim morning with his father at a senior day center, Shlomie made a siyum on a mesechte at his parents’ home. As he was saying the kaddish, his father was in tears, soon joined by his own and others in the home. “It was a huge accomplishment, it felt amazing.”

Today he spends at least two hours learning every day, including Chitas and Rambam. He most enjoys that wherever he goes, whomever he meets, he can share a word of Torah. “It has changed my life,” he says, “learning changes who you are.”

Shlomie shares that he hopes that the person sitting in their home eating that delicious apple understands how much effort it takes so that he has the ability to easily do that.

In the past, during specific seasons, some produce was not available, but through technological advancement, it is possible to get most during any time of the year. With that, companies can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars sowing a crop, and if there are two days of freeze during the wrong time, “It is all gone.”

These unforeseen events, he says, can make the items more expensive. It is a lesson and reminder that with all the advancements, “Hashem still controls the world.”

Dovid Zaklikowski is a biographer and archivist, his latest book can be found at RebbeSchneerson.com. He can be reached at DovidZak@HasidicArchives.com.

Chabad High School Guide For Girls

Across North America, there are 23 high schools dedicated to Chabad girls, providing an excellent education aimed at shaping the next generation of wives, mothers, and leaders. This listing was compiled by the Menachem Education Foundation (MEF) to offer students and parents a comprehensive overview of these institutions. The following is a summarized version of the guide, with details provided by a representative from each school. Neither MEF nor COLlive Magazine are responsible for the accuracy of this submitted information.

Bader Hillel High (BHH)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Principal: Mrs. Chana Friedman, Mrs. Ilana Bassman

Contact: Rabbi Yossi Bassman | ryb@hillelhigh.com | 414-914-4855

Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Accommodations Dorm

Bais Chana Academy High School (BCA)

Orange, CT

Principal: Mrs. Bluma Hecht Secular Studies Coordinator: Mrs. Debi Bertenshaw

Contact: Mrs. Bluma Hecht | 203-795-5261 Website: schacademy.org/bca

Accommodations

Local Family Homes

Bais Chana High School (BCHS)

Wilmington, Delaware

Principal: Mrs. Rochel Flikshtein

Learning Levels Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Contact: Ms. Deutsch | Admissions@Baischanahs.com | 302-319-4389 Website: Baischanahs.com

Average/Grade-Level Classes Dorm Cost

Accommodations

Dorm

Need based, first come first serve

Bais Chomesh High School (BCHS)

Toronto, Ontario

Principal: Mrs. R. Wagner and Mrs. R. Yarmush

Contact: Mrs. R. Wagner | baischomesh@gmail.com | (416) 631-0585 Website: Baischomesh.com

Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Dorm Cost

$7,000

Bais Rochel Leah High School (BRLHS)

Huntington Beach, CA

Principal: Mrs. Rosenbluh, Rabbi Rapoport

Contact: Karen Berger | Kberger@hacds.org | 714-898-0051 ext. 284 Website: www.BRLHS.org

Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Accommodations

Beis Chana High School Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Principal: Mrs. Rishe Majesky

Dorm Cost

Contact: Mrs. Rishe Majesky | Morahmajesky@beischana.com Website: beischana.com

Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes

Accommodations

$6,000 Dorm Cost

$8,000

Beis Chana Miami

Miami, FL

Principal: Mrs. Krasnjanski, Mrs. Selwyn

Contact: Sarah Rieger (Office) | beischana@lecfl.com | 305-653-8770 *2026 Website: Lecfl.com

250 Number of Students 20-25 Class Size

$16,950 Accommodations Parent must make their own arrangements Scholarships Yes Learning

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Beis Chaya Mushka

Crown Heights, New York

Principal: Mrs. Chaya Yecheilov

Contact: Mrs. Reizes | registrar@beischayamushka.com | 718-756-0770 ext 127

50 Number of Students 15 Class Size

Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners | Resource Room Availability Dorm

Beth Rivkah

Montreal, Canada

Principal: Mrs. Batsheva Slapochnik, Mrs. Sternie Mellul, Mrs. S. Oziel

Contact: Mrs. Batsheva Slapochnik | bslapochnik@bethrivkah.com Website: bethrivkah.com

150 Number of Students 25-35 Class Size

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners | Resource Room Availability

Beth Rivkah High School

310 Crown St Brooklyn, NY 1125

Principal:

Mrs. Miriam Heber, Mrs. Baila Klein

9th- Mrs. Surie Marasow

10th- Mrs. Tamara Katzman

11th- Mrs. Blumie Brook

12th- Mrs. Frida Kesselman

Contact: highschooloffice@bethrivkah.edu

Application on website, registration will reach out with following steps. Website: bethrivkah.edu

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

$11,770

Registration fee: $250

Extracurricular Fee, $600

Bnos Chomesh

588 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn NY 11203

Principal: Mrs. Dena Gorkin

Contact: 718-708-7078 | adminassistant@bnoschomesh.com | office@bnoschomesh.com

Website: bnoschomesh.com

Bnos Menachem

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Principal: Mrs. H. Werner, Mrs. R. Karnowsky

Contact: Mrs. Devora Gansburg | dgansburg@bnosmenachem.org | 7184931100 EX 121 Website: bnosmenachem.org

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Dorm Cost $7,500

Chabad Dallas High School

Dallas, Texas

Principal: Rabbi Simon

Contact: Rishi Gurevitch | Rishi@jewishsouthlake.com | 8179332877

Advanced/Accelerated Classes

Local Family Homes

Chabad Girls High School of Atlanta

Atlanta, GA

Principal: Rabbi Isser New

Contact: Rabbi Isser New | inew@chayamushka.org | 404-668-0241

Chabad Girls High School of Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland

Principal: Mrs. Miri Levin

Contact: Sarah Schectman | info@cghsbaltimore.com

Website: cghsbaltimore.com

Learning Levels

Average/Grade-Level Classes

Accommodations Dorm

Cheder Chabad Florida

Boca Raton, Florida

Principal: Morah Chaya Matusof

Dorm Cost

$7,000

Contact: CMatusof@chederchabadfl.com | (646) 330-0851 Website: ChederChabadFL.com

Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes

Accommodations Dorm

Lubavitch Girls High School

Chicago, IL

Dorm Cost

$6,600

Scholarships Yes

Principal: Mrs. Sarah Wineberg, Mrs. Mushka Scharf, Mrs. Sara Perlstein, Mrs. Chaya Epstein, Mrs. Raizel Hershkovich

Contact: Mrs. Sarah Wineberg | swineberg@lghschicago.org | 872-314-6714 Website: lghschicago.org

Learning Levels

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Accommodations Dorm

Dorm Cost See website Scholarships Yes

Scholarships See website

Lubavitch Girls of Kingston

Kingston PA

Principal: Leah Laine

Contact: Leah Laine | mrsllaine@chedermenachem.org | 3475253659

Average/Grade-Level Classes

arrangements

Lubavitch Sparks High School

506 East NY Ave Brooklyn NY 11225

Principal: Mrs. Roch Hildeshaim, Mrs. Chaya Margolin

Contact: Mrs. Chaya Margolin | chayamargolin@lubavitchsparkshighschool.com | 718-962-5033

Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners | Resource Room Availability Learning Levels

Monsey Beis Chaya Mushka (MBCM)

Monsey, NY

Principal: Mrs. Chana Wilhelm, Mrs. Rivkie Ives

Contact: office@monseybcm.com | 8456347400 Website: monseybcm.com

Average/Grade-Level Classes | Resource Room Availability

Ohel Chana High School (OCHS)

Los Angeles, CA

Principal: Mrs. Yehudis Farkash General Studies Principal: Mrs. Danielle Forer

Contact: Mrs. Yehudis Farkash | yfarkash@ohelchanahighschool.org

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Modified Learners

Accommodations

Parent must make their own arrangements Scholarships Yes

$18,700

Rohr Bais Chaya Academy (RBCA)

Tamarac, FL

Principal: Mrs. Malkie Janowski, Mrs. Tanya Rubin

Contact: Mrs. Chana Rabin | crabin@rohrbaischaya.com | 954-788-8781 Website: baischaya.com

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Dorm Cost

$5,600

Yeshiva Girls High School of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA

Principal: Mrs. Rochel Rabinowitz, 7-12 Grade principal

Scholarships Yes

Contact: Mrs. Rochel Rabinowitz | rrabinowitz@yeshivaschools.com | 412-251-7997 Website: yeshivaschools.com

Advanced/Accelerated Classes | Average/Grade-Level Classes | Support for Struggling Learners

Dorm Cost

Smith & Lesson

Zalman Myer-Smith and Yossi Cohen learned how to secure funds to protect Jewish communities

By Menachem Levy

Growing up in the Primrose Hill neighborhood of London, England, Zalman Myer-Smith noticed something odd when people were headed home from Shul. Members of the proudly traditional Jewish community would remove their yarmulkes once they exited Shul, fearing they might draw unwanted attention.

“While we weren’t particularly religious, seeing this always rubbed me the wrong way,” Myer-Smith remembers. “Jewish people deserve to feel safe. They should never feel like they can’t practice their faith because of a fear of reprisal.”

As he grew older, it drove him to join the Community Security Organization (now the Community Security Trust), which provides patrols and static security at Jewish sites and events, while guiding and providing advice on security issues for the Jewish community in Britain. He also began to develop his skills and interest in martial arts and self-defense.

Prior to commencing a decadeslong career in professional security and anti-terrorism, he joined the hotel staff at the historic Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair, near Buckingham Palace. The hotel often hosts heads

of state and notable personalities with their own security. Myer-Smith learned to liaise with security agencies and learned various styles of and best practices in protection.

Years into his security career after working in varied departments, he was assigned to protect Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and his family for several years. Protecting Rabbi Sacks, who was motivated by the Rebbe to follow a path in rabbinics, turned into much more than just a duty for Myer-Smith.

“I was fortunate to have a personal relationship with Rabbi Sacks and was inspired by him to grow

in my Yiddishkeit,” says MyerSmith. “With his guidance, I ended up learning at Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim for baalei teshuva in Morristown, New Jersey, which led to the beautiful family and Chabad lifestyle that I’m privileged to lead today.”

After beginning to build their family in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Myer-Smiths moved to South Florida with their five children in 2011, attracted to the high-quality Jewish education and community. The warm weather upgrade was also a plus, he admits.

In Miami, Myer-Smith once

again gravitated to security and protection and initially worked at a gun store and shooting range for three years. Knowing his expertise, people in the Chabad community asked Myer-Smith to conduct a security assessment of the sprawling Lubavitch Educational Center (LEC) in South Florida, where after seeing the quality of education, eventually enrolled his own children.

After the assessment presentation, LEC Dean Rabbi Benjy Korf invited Myer-Smith to join his team. He eagerly accepted, today overseeing security for six campuses with over

2,300 students. He later began providing Chabad of Florida with security advice for Shluchim across the state.

It soon led him to take on additional responsibilities.

Myer-Smith and Cohen

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the Non-Profit Security Grant Program to provide funding for safety and security projects to

nonprofit organizations and houses of worship against terrorist or extremist threats in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Known as the Homeland Security Grant or more formally, the NonProfit Security Grant Program (NSGP), this program has become an essential resource for shuls and Jewish organizations facing increasing antisemitism. It funds property enhancements like alarm systems, fences, and surveillance cameras. Recently, it has also broadened its scope to support funding for security personnel and additional protective measures.

With the encouragement of Rabbi Sacks, Myer-Smith created United Community Grants in 2016 to assist organizations with receiving the grant. Over the years, he has given security assessments and filed applications for countless shuls, Chabad centers, schools, Jewish organizations, and other non-profits. In 2020, the operation expanded significantly as antisemitic attacks rose around the country.

Joining the team just over five years ago is Yossi Cohen, who is accredited in multiple FEMA grant management courses and proficient

in federal regulations. Myer-Smith manages threat assessments and security guidance, developing community plans to secure their centers, while Cohen oversees application and management documentation and submission to the appropriate authorities with the assistance of a solid team working behind the scenes.

“When I started, the federal government was providing millions of dollars in funding,” Cohen says. “Since then, the funding has quadrupled, and the number of applicants has skyrocketed. Now, we’re seeing over a billion dollars in requests annually, but the available funding is only around $300 to $400 million. This makes it highly competitive.”

Although the grant is federally funded, its management is handed to individual states, each with its own interpretations and requirements. This variability makes the process challenging, but United Community Grant has become adept at building relationships with state grant managers and tailoring applications and paperwork to each unique set of guidelines.

“Over the years, we’ve perfected our approach,” adds MyerSmith. “We’ve developed a deep understanding of the agencies and built relationships with the people behind them. By knowing what they’re looking for, we can give our organizations and non-profits the best chance to succeed.”

Myer-Smith and Cohen have built

Zalman Myer-Smith in tactical gear during an LEC event in Florida with singer Benny Friedman

a reputation for helping non-profits navigate the complexities of federal security grants, maintaining an impressive success rate that is over double the national average of 41%. Their approach ensures clients are positioned to stand out in the highly competitive application process. Cohen himself was recently invited to join the Policymakers’ Oversight Committee tasked with evaluating the success and challenges of the Grant Program and Congress’s role in funding the program, and he will be interviewed by their research team later this month to highlight how the process can be improved and advocate for the many nonprofits they represent.

Thinking Like a Terrorist

Understanding that applications require more than just filling out bland paperwork, the United Community Grants team crafts narratives that articulate the organization’s importance to the community and its vulnerability to targeted attacks, ensuring their applications stand out. A strong assessment forms the foundation of the application, which must justify every expense in detail.

The grant caps at $150,000, and most organizations request this maximum due to greater needs. Success relies not just on the amount requested but on telling a compelling story, explains Cohen.

“Each site has unique needs and risks. With many vying for limited funding, it’s crucial to clarify why your organization is at risk and how improvements can mitigate these threats to stand out.”

As part of the application, MyerSmith runs a thorough security and threat assessment to highlight why the client would benefit from the grant. “I look at a property and think like a terrorist,” he explains. “I consider how I’d break in, how I’d cause harm, and what measures could deter or delay an attack.”

Myer-Smith says while antisemitism is thankfully not a severely institutional issue in the United States, as it is in Europe for example, it is important for shuls and schools to protect themselves from attacks by lone domestic terrorists.

“When we assess a site, we typically start from the outside and work our way inwards, focusing on how to secure the facility. For example, there was an attack in a shul in Halle, Germany, on Yom Kippur in 2019. In that case, the strong door held firm, preventing the armed attacker from entering. Tools like these slow down an attacker’s progress, giving security teams or the community time to respond effectively and secure the area.”

Once vulnerabilities are identified, Cohen’s team guides clients through the grant application process, advising on the types of equipment or infrastructure improvements that meet federal and state guidelines. “We don’t provide the

equipment or steer clients toward specific vendors because there are strict rules against conflicts of interest,” he notes.

Instead, his team helps organizations develop a detailed “shopping list” of critical items— such as fencing, cameras, and lighting—and ensures their requests are supported by accurate cost estimates. The process, however, doesn’t end once the grant is secured. This is where the expertise and experience of the United Community Grants team really becomes critical and a huge asset to each non-profit client they are working with.

Protecting Communities from Pitfalls

The real challenge of obtaining the grant lies in compliance and fulfillment, they both note. Organizations must meet extensive federal and state guidelines, submit paperwork, and follow procurement rules, often dealing with changing requirements or retroactive demands.

“This is a reimbursement grant,” Cohen explains. “Organizations must complete the work upfront and then receive reimbursement based on compliance with state and federal requirements.”

These requirements are extensive, with hundreds of pages of legal

Community Grants specializes in ensuring compliance, providing ongoing support, and addressing any issues that arise in the grant award and fulfillment process. Fraud prevention is another critical element of the process.

“We make it very clear to our clients: there’s no room for fraud in this process, and we don’t want to visit you in jail,” he states. “If anything goes wrong, we’re implicated too, and that’s not something we’re willing to risk. If you’re not going to use the funds, give them back.”

This rigorous approach has paid off. Myer-Smith proudly shares that none of his clients have ever been audited or faced issues with reimbursements and that United Community Grants boasts a spotless track record and are considered leaders in grant fulfillment.

Beyond individual successes, the company continuously refines its

state agencies to improve systems, ensuring an even higher standard of excellence in the future.

They also support organizations struggling with the post-award process.

“Some organizations think they can handle it themselves but end up coming to us for help managing the grant award,” he explains. “Nonprofits often have directors juggling 20 different responsibilities, which is why so many eventually seek our help to get through the process. We ensure everything is done correctly.”

Cohen notes that this funding isn’t guaranteed and says communities need to act while the funding is available. In 2024, federal funding was temporarily reduced due to congressional budget issues before being partially restored.

Myer-Smith emphasizes the importance of acting proactively. “Every time there’s an attack, demand spikes,” he says. “I tell

is before something happens, but unfortunately, many wait until it’s too late.”

The pair remains committed to expanding access to security funding and advocating for increased resources at both the federal and state levels. Currently, about 10 states have introduced similar state-funded programs. Florida, for example, recently launched a pilot program that has provided additional funding to organizations that couldn’t secure federal grants.

“Our ultimate goal is to help these organizations protect their communities,” Myer-Smith says. “When organizations succeed in securing funding, it's more than just a win for them—it’s a win for the people they serve and the values they stand for that deserve to be protected and defended. We’re here to make that happen as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

Zalman Myer-Smith (in the background) British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and his wife Elaine in London, 1994

Chinuch atters

PRESENTED BY MUSHKA COHEN AND THE MENACHEM EDUCATION FOUNDATION (MEF)

Ask the Mechanches

My daughter has friends who are bullying a classmate. What’s the best way to help her navigate the situation—doing the right thing without losing friends?

BY MRS. GITTY MEYERS, A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER (LCSW) WHO WORKS WITH YOUNGSTERS AND FAMILIES IN PRIVATE PRACTICE.

ALSO SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE STUDENT WELLNESS DEPARTMENT AT BAIS CHAYA MUSHKA OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

First, take a moment to appreciate that your child has brought this to your attention. You’ve raised her with the awareness to notice inappropriate behavior and the values to recognize it as wrong. Celebrate this moment of nachas by acknowledging her awareness: “Wow, I’m really proud that you noticed this. Not everyone does, and it shows your maturity - you value treating others with kindness and respect and are bothered when the opposite happens.”

Once you’ve affirmed her instincts, explore the situation together and discuss potential ways to respond. Lay out a spectrum of options and help her choose an approach that matches her courage and comfort level.

The Harder Option: Being an Upstander

She can stand up to her friends by saying, “Ouch! Why are you being rude?” or support the bullied classmate with comments like,

“Actually, those shoes are cool!” or “There’s nothing wrong with her lunch choice.” While being an upstander is ideal, it can risk alienation from friends, so she must feel confident in her response consequences.

The Middle Ground: Addressing Friends Privately

She can speak to her friends privately, saying, “That was harsh. You shouldn’t call her out in public just because you disagree.” She can also reach out to the bullied classmate with kind words, like, “What they said wasn’t fair—I think that was a cool idea.”

The Easier Option: Small Acts of Kindness

If direct confrontation feels too challenging, she can start with small acts of kindness toward the bullied classmate. Sitting with her at lunch, offering a smile, sharing notes, or complimenting something about her can let the girl know she is seen and valued.

Reassure your daughter that even small steps are meaningful. The act of practicing kindness is like exercising a muscle—it grows stronger over time. Praise her efforts, no matter where she starts on the spectrum, and encourage her to honor her instincts to help.

You can also remind her that as we get to know people, we often discover their strengths and wonderful qualities. Even if she starts befriending the bullied classmate out of rachmanus (compassion), chances are she’ll find a genuine friend in the process. This experience will not only benefit the other girl but will also enrich your daughter’s life in unexpected ways.

Mitzvah goreres mitzvah—a good deed leads to another—and by acting on her values, your daughter is already making the world a kinder and better place and leading by example for herself and others around her.

ANSWER

SHE

Meet the Chinuch Shliach

RABBI DOVBER BRYSKI

Please introduce yourself:

I teach fourth grade at Cheder Ohr Menachem in Crown Heights. I’m on Shlichus in nearby Flatbush and have the zchus to have a Chinuch shlichus at the very same time when I go in to teach every day!

How did you first decide to pursue a Chinuch Shlichus?

It began shortly after my wedding when I was in kollel. At the time, there was a vacancy for a fourth-grade teacher at Ohr Menachem. Initially, I wasn’t sure if chinuch was for me. However, I did have experience working with children, having served as a counselor, head counselor, and learning director for many years in camp. That gave me a sense of confidence. Ultimately, the vacancy and the opportunity it presented were what pushed me to take the leap into the ‘pool’ of chinuch. Baruch Hashem, here I am 13 years later, still in the water!

How do you keep students engaged and excited about learning?

From my experience, the key to keeping students engaged and excited is to fill them with toichen (quality content). Children have an incredible capacity to absorb so much when given the opportunity. It’s our responsibility—and privilege—to provide them with that input. With so many distractions in today’s world, there’s often a sense of emptiness that needs filling. When we pump them with positive, enriching content, they soak it all in. Seeing their growth and the results of that effort is a tremendous motivation for me to keep going. What message would you like parents to hear?

When parents are involved—asking their children about what they’re learning, knowing which masechta they’re studying, or which siman they’re up to in Shulchan Aruch—it makes a world of difference. It shows the children that their learning is important and that it’s a team effort. By taking an active interest in their child’s learning and ensuring their physical well-being—such as eating breakfast, getting enough sleep, and staying in touch with teachers—parents can truly propel their children’s success.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a mechanech?

The most rewarding part of being a mechanech is watching my students thrive. Seeing young boys grow in their learning, and especially helping those who’ve struggled—like a student who used to get 40s and 50s now achieving 90s and 100s—is incredibly fulfilling. Knowing that I’ve played a role in that transformation is the greatest reward.

Our Heritage Student of the Month

“In a Jewish school, everyone is nicer and the teachers care a lot more about you. I also like Jewish learning because it is a lot of writing and I love to write. I also like Parsha because I get to learn different stories about the Jewish history.”

- Sabrina L, 4th Grade student at Tamim Academy of Boca Raton, Florida. She switched to a Jewish education last year. Her favorite Jewish Holiday is Chanukah “because I get to eat latkes, and I love latkes.”

Our Heritage, a program of the Menachem Education Foundation, promotes Jewish day school enrollment by offering up to $30,000 in matching grants to Chabad schools enrolling new public school students. Since its inception, Our Heritage has distributed $1,637,000 to 35 Chabad schools wordwide, allowing 704 students to obtain a Jewish education.

Teaching Tip

For more educational tidbits and resources, visit evergrowingeducator.com

5 Ways to Grow Like A Tree & Be An

evergrowingeducator Teaching isn’t just giving over information for the brain. That’s not the real work. Teaching is filling the heart - with a love for learning, a passion for effort, and a desire to always keep growing.

evergrowingeducator What’s a growth mindset? A desire to keep learning and growing, thinking of challenges as opportunities for growth and putting focus on effort and the journey over results. Oh, and it’s for kids and adults.

evergrowingeducator smart!”, try “You’re really and it shows.” This focuses and WORK, and not just with.

Chinuch with the Times

ASAR BISHVAT:

CELEBRATE THE POTENTIAL CHAMISHA

There is a beautiful (unattributed) saying: “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only Hashem can count the number of apples in a seed.” In this sense, parents and educators are partners with Hashem since our work is all about cultivating seeds, with their potential as infinite as it is unknown.

This is both the greatest advantage of Chinuch, as well as its greatest challenge. It is much easier to engage in work where we can quantify the outcomes and see the results, but like a farmer planting an apple seed in the ground, not only does an educator not know exactly what the impact will be - most of the time, we don’t even have the chance to see it.

To stay strong in our mission, we can look to the message of Chamisha Asar Bishvat: potential is worth celebrating.

The Rebbe explains that we mark the Rosh Hashana of trees when the sap starts to develop within the tree, which is the first step to generating a sweet and juicy fruit in the coming months. While we can’t touch or taste the fruits of our labors just yet, we can imagine the impact and not wait to celebrate.

How will I celebrate the infinite potential within my classrooms with the certainty that the fruit will unfold?

EverGrowingEducator

BY MUSHKIE LIPSKER @evergrowingeducator

Instead of “You’re so really putting in effort, focuses on their effort just what they’re born

evergrowingeducator Did you say one of these in the last 24 hours? “I can’t do it.” “I don’t know how to.” “I don’t understand.” Now, go back and add the word “YET” at the end of these phrases. And then reread (and resay!) them. And then give this gift of YET to your students.

evergrowingeducator

Want these coloring sheets? Download them at evergrowingeducator.com

the inside track

By Sruly Meyer

CODENAME: MEM

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE ISRAELI SINGER WHO CAN BE HEARD BUT NOT SEEN OR IDENTIFIED

Ahead of Chanukah this year, Chabad of South Broward announced that a guest would perform at the 45th Annual South Florida Chanukah Festival. There had been some speculation about who would join the lineup of notable names such as Avraham Fried, Shulem Lemmer, Alex Clare, and Itzik Dadya.

The guest indeed took the stage at the Rick Case Arena on Sunday, December 29. He was only identified by the Hebrew letter, Mem, and wore a New York Yankees cap and a tactical turtleneck that only revealed his thick dark eyebrows and a pair of piercing eyes. He sat on a stool and sang with a guitar in hand.

Lemmer, who sang a duet with Mem, told the crowd that Mem is an IDF soldier in the Mista’arvim unit. Because his activities involve going undercover in Arab populations to gather intelligence, conducting hostage rescues, and counterterrorism operations, he must conceal his identity.

Nevertheless, Mem agreed to be interviewed by the COLlive Magazine before returning to active duty against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, covert work that will continue regardless of ceasefire plans.

Question: Can you tell us where you are from?

Mem: I was born and raised in a small moshav in central Israel, but I can’t be more specific than that. I feel a deep connection to our country and its people.

How did you start singing?

Mem: My entire life, I’ve loved music—it always filled me with simcha. I never thought about singing professionally, let alone performing on stage. After finishing my original time in the military service, I traveled the world and worked as a Judo coach.

When the war broke out on October 7, 2023, I was called up for reserve duty, and we went through very tough days. Before one important operational mission, I took the guitar and sang with a mask on my face and someone in my unit shared the video. After the mission ended, we discovered that the video had gone viral and touched many hearts. Many people commented how it brought them comfort during those difficult first few weeks.

So what happened next?

Mem: People encouraged me to continue, so I decided that throughout the war, I would record and release songs whenever I had the chance. That’s how my album “Ani Chozer” (I am returning) came to be. (The title song has over 5 million streams).

It’s uncommon for people not to see the face of the person who is singing…

Mem: It’s the only way I can release music. I understand it might be difficult to connect to someone if you don’t know their real name or see their face, but I also feel the mission of my music is as important, and music finds a way to break through all barriers, even identity.

Should we guess what Mem stands for?

Mem: You are free to guess why I use the letter Mem. In fact, I love it when people try to guess! It’s fun to hear the theories. I do think the level of mystery helps create excitement.

Do you write your own songs?

Mem: Yes. Throughout the war, whenever I had a few hours to rest at home, I went straight to the studio. There were days when I didn’t go home at all—just from the base to the studio and back to the base for another mission. I do also have some covers, but my album is original and all the songs are available on my streaming pages under the name 'מ

SM: What song do you feel represents you the most?

Mem: My song “Mi Yachol Aleinu” is very special to me. This song is one of the tracks on my album that I feel most connected to. It reflects my strong faith in Hashem and optimism for the day when the war will be over.

Was this your first time performing in America?

Mem: This was my first time performing outside Israel.

I was granted a two-week leave from reserve duty in Gaza and performed four shows in Miami and New York. I never dreamed of reaching such a meaningful and emotional moment with such a profound sense of mission. It’s a great privilege.

Do you plan to focus on music full-time after the war?

Mem: G-d willing, it will happen, as I’ve realized that music is my life’s purpose. However, for now, it seems far off. The war is still ongoing, and my top priority is to help win this war and contribute as much as I can as a fighter.

What message would you like to share with our readers?

Mem: We all play a role in this war, and we all have a duty. Just by being active, spreading awareness, davening, or even singing, you will make a difference. Achdus and Ahavas Yisrael are always going to be our biggest weapons in the war against us, and it’s what Hashem loves most seeing from us. Together we will be victorious. Am Yisrael Chai!

7 Fun Facts About… Moshe Tischler

He’s actually a shy person.

People think singers are very extroverted, but I tend to be pretty shy. I never knew I could sing until I was 18.

His hit song is sung at weddings.

I'm very fortunate to have had a song that has become a staple at Chuppahs. I feel like Tefilas Haneros will always be at the top of my list. It carries so much emotion from the many different chupahs where I've had the opportunity to sing. It’s also getting close to 100K on YouTube, which is such an honor!

His favorite song was ‘Levinyomin.’ Avraham Fried was my favorite singer as a child, and my favorite song was probably Levinyomin (composed by Yossi Green). I was obsessed with it. I got to bring back some more of my favorites on the Replay album I released this year.

He bakes sourdough challah. I love sports and skiing, but I take making sourdough challah for Shabbos very seriously. It’s very interesting to me, and I get to contribute to Shabbos.

Abie Rotenberg told him: Be yourself.

I'm fortunate to have received insights from many industry giants. Last year, I had a memorable conversation with Abie Rotenberg in his Toronto home, which I frequently reflect on. Their common theme is the importance of authenticity.

He sang in front of a Hot Air Balloon Menorah.

My most recent visit to Chabad was for Chabad in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they used 9 hot air balloons to create a Menorah. Being that the city is so far out with no direct flights, it created quite the adventure with back-to-back Chanukah performances. It was a really wild trip!

His favorite perk of a concert tour was Shabbos in Utah.

A career highlight was participating in the Am Yisrael Chai tour with Benny Friedman. We performed in many cities that rarely host shows. A memorable moment was spending Shabbos with the Zippel family in Salt Lake City. The dedication of Shluchim around the globe is unbelievable, and it's the ultimate zchus for me to be a part of their events.

THE LATEST IN JEWISH MUSIC

CHANUKAH IS TYPICALLY ONE OF THE BIGGER SEASONS FOR NEW MUSIC ON THE JEWISH SCENE. I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE NEW MUSIC THAT HAS BEEN RELEASED.

• I’ve collaborated in the past with Naftali Schnitzler on various projects, and one that stands out to me is Yingerlich . The choir presents a contemporary vibe while also echoing classic elements. The Volume 4 album features inventive Yiddish lyrics and powerful messages of Emunah aimed at children. My top pick from the album is Siz Du a Bashefer (There is a Creator).

• Speaking of choirs, Baruch Levine released “Off The Record Vol. 3 - The Pirchei Years,” an album that I’m very excited about. This album, with guest vocals by Moshe Mendowitz, is a throwback to my childhood. Growing up in the 80s, I followed the music of the Miami Boys Choir, Tzlil V’zemer Boys Choir, The London School of Jewish Song and the Toronto Pirchei. If you are a fan of these choirs, you will love this new album.

• Speaking of the 80s, a star from that time was Mendy Werdyger with his “Chaverim” albums (and known as the owner of Mostly Music and Aderet Records. He just released a new single “Hasimcha,” composed by R' Yaakov Feingold and arranged by Moshe Laufer. Featuring Mendy’s signature vocals, it is a reminder that the Wedyger family is one of the most impressive family dynasties in Jewish music.

• Another legendary name in Jewish music was Yigal Calek , who passed away this past year. Composer and leader of the London School of Jewish Song, he gave the world wonderful melodies and memories. They paid him tribute by releasing a collection of all of the London projects, including the memorable segment from HASC 4. We’re also thankful to him for giving Yossi Green his first break.

• Yossi Green’s latest release was Dim'oh, a song dedicated in memory of the Chabad Shliach Rabbi Zvi Kogan HY”D, who was assassinated by Islamic terrorists in the United Arab Emirates. Green met Zvi when he spent a Shabbos in Dubai a few years ago. “Whenever I thought of him, I found myself unable to contain my flowing tears,” he said following the attack. Sitting one night at the piano, he composed a song with lyrics from the books of Yeshayahu and Yirmiyahu.

• Shabbos is an opportunity to create memories and Naftali Kempeh released a new album called Shabbos Yeshiva. Naftali has been releasing albums for a long time (this is his sixth album), and he’s best known for Chamol and Sharei Shamayim, both stunning songs. The Living L’Chaim podcast recently called him “The best singer you’ve never heard of.”

• Tzvi Silberstein has once again brought together a feast of famous singers for his second volume in the Voices of the Stars series: Avraham Fried, Mordechai Shapiro, Benny Friedman, Levy Falkowitz, Yitzy Waldner, Uri Davidi, Shloime Kafufman, and Shuky Sadon. One of my favorite songs is “Mamish,” which has a funky beat and a catchy hook. If you love albums with different singers and original songs, you will be a big fan of this project.

• Benny Friedman has been very busy. In addition to working on an all-new original album, he released a trio of singles: “Thinkin' About Thankin',” “The Rebbe's Medley” together with Shulem Lemmer, and “Nothing Holding You Back” with special guest Yossi Hecht. Yossi battled a life-threatening tumor yet remains remarkably upbeat. He seeks to emphasize the importance of expressing gratitude to Hashem for often overlooked blessings.

• Shalom Vagshal, known for his work with Shmueli Ungar and the “Kumzing” series, has produced the debut album of Israeli singer Moti Weiss, titled Hinei Zeh Ba. While we see much from Israel in America, few artists have made breakthroughs here. I believe Moti, with his powerful voice, will succeed and deserves our attention. His music is available on all streaming platforms and is likely to be popular.

• Shmueli Ungar, whom we profiled in past issues, isn’t one for taking a long break. His recent album, “Shalom Aleichem Shmueli,” features the hit song “Fire.” He also collaborated with renowned Yosef Moshe Kahane on their latest release, “L’Chaim Shmueli - Chanukah Tish.” Featuring popular and lesser-known Chanukah songs, along with revived nigunim, it will surely become a staple in your Chanukah playlist.

What did the hamantaschen say to its filling? "You're my jam"

Hidden Purim

words: gragger, Purim, feast, basket, haman, story,

queen

Missing puzzle piece: middle piece

HISTORY’S HEROES

CRAFT. PAINT. BAKE. EXPERIMENT.

NEXT

WEEK’S

SUPPLY LIST

-Canvas

-Printed Template -Pencil -Puff Paint -Scissors -Black Paint -Transfer Craft Foil -Tacky Glue -Large and Small Paintbrush -Toothpick

CONTEST

WIN 2 FREE MUSEUM TICKETS

Finish the weekly project, snap a pic, and email us at info@jcm.museum for a chance to win 2 tickets to the Jewish Children’s Museum. Let’s get creating! YEHUDA 2196-2315

2. THE NUGGET

1. LIFE STORY SNIPPET

In the Parsha, Yosef, as the ruler of Egypt, had the upper hand over his brother Yehuda. Yehuda had to approach him to demand Binyamin’s release. But when Moshiach comes, Yehuda will be greater. This is reflected in that Moshiach will come from Shevet Yehuda. Yosef represents Torah study while Yehuda represents action. During Galus, Torah study is greater because it leads to action. But when Moshiach comes, action will be greater. Since G-dliness will be so apparent, the actions people take will teach them the Torah. For example, if someone tries to pick fruit from a fig tree on Shabbos it will call out, “It’s Shabbos today!”

4. FUN FACT

The term “Yehudim” originally referred to people from Shevet Yehuda, but it became the common term used for all Jewish people.

Yehuda, the 4th son of Yaakov and Leah, had an active role in selling Yosef as a slave to Mitzrayim. To make up for his actions, he led the brothers in their attempt to find and free Yosef upon their arrival to Mitzrayim during the famine. He also proved his loyalty by fighting for Binyamin’s protection. He had 5 sons, 2 of whom died without children. His son Zerach, one of the twins born to Tamar, was the ancestor of Dovid Hamelech, from whom Moshiach will descend.

3. BRINGING IT DOWN

When we learn something new, the most important thing is to act on it. For example, if you learn a new Halacha in school about respecting your parents, find ways to follow this Halacha when you’re with your parents.

5. QUESTION TO CONSIDER

What is a new bit of Torah you learned that you can take action on?

With your sharpie and ruler, mark 1.5 inches on two toothpicks, 2 inches on another two, leave two full sized and mark the rest at 3 inches.

Start placing the toothpicks alongside the rim of the cantaloupe. Begin with the two tallest, then add the second-tallest on either side, followed by the third, and finally, the rest to complete the circle.

Carefully cut the tooth picks on the marks so you have a variety of different sized toothpicks.

Slide a grape down each toothpick, followed by a blueberry, a horizontal slice of banana, and another blueberry. There should be no more space for fruit on the shortest toothpicks.

6 3 8 2 5 7 4 1

On the two longest toothpicks, place a slice of kiwi and a final grape.

SUPPLIES LIST

INGREDIENTS

-1-inch Thick Pitted

Slice of Cantaloupe

-30-40 Grapes

-40-50 Blueberries

-Two Bananas

-A Kiwi

Next, slide another grape onto the toothpicks that have space.

Enjoy your fruit crown! Don’t forget to make a Bracha before enjoying!

SUPPLIES

-Cutting Board

-Sharpie

-Ruler

-20 x 6-inch Toothpicks

-Scissors

-Knife

Peel and cut one kiwi and two bananas into slices.

By Sruly Meyer

KosherSpread

Delectable Tastes for Tu B’shvat

Minty Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

Fruit Salad

- 1 lb fresh strawberries, chopped

- 1 lb fresh pineapple, chopped

- 12 oz fresh blueberries

- 12 oz red grapes, sliced in halves

- 4 kiwis, peeled and chopped

- 3 mandarin oranges, segmented

- 2 bananas, sliced (optional)

Honey Lime Dressing

- 1/8 cup honey

- Zest of 2 limes (about 2 tsp)

- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice

- 3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Fruit: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped strawberries, pineapple, blueberries, halved grapes, chopped kiwis, segmented mandarin oranges, and sliced bananas (if using).

2. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime zest, mint, and lime juice until well combined.

3. Combine: Drizzle the honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and gently toss to coat all the fruit evenly.

4. Serve: Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving for a chilled fruit salad.

Enjoy your refreshing Minty Fruit Salad!

Beth Warren MS, RDN, CDN owns Nourished by Beth weight and wellness programs and hosts seasonal women’s wellness retreats. She is also a cookbook author for healthy recipes, created to keep you eating healthy and feeling full! @nourishedbybeth

Armenian Biscotti

This cookie is very popular in the Jewish community in Argentina and is perfect to enjoy on Tu B’shvat.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup walnuts

1 2/3rd cups chopped dried fruit (figs, dates, raisins, cranberries, dried plums)

2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs cinnamon powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients by hand and transfer the mixture into a pudding can.

3. Bake for 30 minutes.

4. Take it out, squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top, and return it to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

5. Allow it to cool, then unmold and slice it thinly.

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.

@anotherchayainthekitchen

Mixed-Berry Apple Bake

Ingredients

Topping

1 cup crushed flower

cookies (classic sugar cookies)

2 tablespoons turbinado

sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

5 tablespoons margarine, melted

Apple Layer

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Gefen

Vanilla Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Gefen

Cinnamon

3 teaspoons sugar

Mixed Berry Layer

1 cup fresh rhubarb, sliced

1 cup blueberries

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons Gefen

Cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

Rivky Kleiman is a recipe developer, cookbook author of Simply & Simply Gourmet, and coauthor of the Bais Yaakov Cookbooks. @simplygourmetbyrivkykleiman

Instructions:

Prepare the Apple Bake

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

2. Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until it forms large crumbs. Set aside.

3. Combine the apple mixture ingredients and spread on the bottom of a deep nine-inch (23-centimeter) oven-to-tableware dish.

4. Combine mixed berry layer in a medium-sized bowl. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes, then spread it over the apple layer in the baking dish.

5. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the mixed fruit layer. Place the baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 55–60 minutes.

Sweet and Savory Roasted Chicken with Dates and Apples

Ingredients

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 onion, sliced

2 apples, cored and sliced into wedges

10-12 dates, pitted

1/3 cup sweet jam (e.g., apricot, peach, or orange)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional for depth of flavor)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Prepare marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet jam, olive oil, soy sauce (if using), cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

3. Assemble the dish:

- Place the onion slices on the bottom of a large roasting pan or baking dish.

- Arrange the chicken pieces on top.

- Scatter the apple wedges and dates around the chicken.

4. Coat the chicken: Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure it is well-coated.

5. Roast: Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F/74°C).

6. Serve: Plate the chicken with the roasted apples and dates, spooning the caramelized onions and pan juices over the top.

Sruly Meyer runs COLlive Magazine’s food and music sections and owns a marketing agency in Hollywood, Florida. He is a home cook, recipe developer, and an online influencer discussing food, travel, and Jewish parenthood. @srulycooks

By Asharon Baltazar

The Unexpected, Expected Arrival

A story of the Rebbe empowering a London student to make a difference

During the summer break of 5729, Freddy (Ephraim) Hager dedicated himself to hard work. As an economics student at the University of London, he found inspiration in the world of Chassidus and the teachings of Chabad. Eager to meet the Rebbe in person, he saved money for a trip to New York.

By the month of Av, he had booked a ticket and boarded the transatlantic flight. The journey paled against the long wait that followed to meet the Rebbe. All night, he stood in line at 770 Eastern Parkway. For someone running on empty, it felt like the longest night of his life.

At last, his name was announced. Hager entered the Rebbe’s study, exhausted from jet lag. The pair of piercing blue eyes met Hager’s gaze, so intensely focused they resembled expansive pools of water. Instantly, his fatigue faded. The Rebbe emanated a sharp attentiveness that conveyed, I’ve been waiting for you.

The Rebbe asked Hager about his family, specifically his roots in

the renowned Hager dynasty of Rebbes. When Hager shared a photo of his grandfather, Rabbi Shalom Hager of Stryzow, the Rebbe leaned forward and asked, “Do you know what ‘Rebbe’ means?” Without waiting for an answer, the Rebbe explained, “The Baal Shem Tov, the first Rebbe, wouldn’t go to bed if there was money in his house that hadn’t been given to charity.” Then came the suggestion: “Perhaps you should follow in your grandfather’s footsteps.”

That meeting left a lasting impression on Hager. He thought he had come to meet a great leader — but instead, the Rebbe showed him how to discover his personal greatness.

Six months later, Hager returned for another audience. He handed the note with a list of questions and waited as the Rebbe quickly read it. This time, however, the Rebbe wasted no time getting straight to the point. “You didn’t mention

anything about what we discussed last time,” he remarked.

Embarrassed, Hager explained that the secretary, Rabbi Leibel Groner, had instructed him to keep his note short. The Rebbe smiled and said, “How about I ask the questions, and you just answer? That way, Rabbi Groner won’t mind.”

The Rebbe then asked a question that caught Hager off guard. “Do Jewish students at the University of London have access to kosher food?”

Hager explained that a Jewish center, Hillel House, was being built and would provide kosher meals — eventually. But the project wouldn’t be completed until October, ten months away.

The Rebbe’s response was pointed. “And until October, is it permissible to eat non-kosher food?” Hager was speechless.

The Rebbe didn’t stop there. “I understand the University of London is spread across several locations,” he said. Hager was

astonished; how could the Rebbe know this? “I assume only a student highly motivated to find kosher food would trek to Hillel House,” the Rebbe added. Then came the idea that changed everything. “What do you think about starting a catering service to provide kosher meals?” the Rebbe asked.

Hager lit up. “Yes! We could even host events and invite speakers!”

The Rebbe gently corrected him. “That’s nice, but that’s not the main point. Jewish students need a simple, reliable place to eat kosher food. And just gathering there will help reduce assimilation.”

Inspired, Hager returned to London and launched a kosher food service. A local restaurant supplied meals, allowing hundreds of Jewish students to enjoy kosher food daily. “It wasn’t easy,” Hager later admitted. “I had to raise

a lot of money to subsidize it, and my grades took a hit. But it was incredible to see what grew out of a ten-minute conversation with the Rebbe.”

Hager eventually graduated and entered the diamond trade, rising through the ranks to eventually lead London’s Diamond Exchange as its president. But his connection with the Rebbe didn’t end there.

Twenty years later, Hager returned to New York on business one spring afternoon. After his meetings, he took the subway back to Flatbush. At Atlantic Avenue, the train stalled. Hager glanced at his watch, heart racing—Mincha at 770 starts at 3:15! If I switch trains now, I can make it!

He dashed from the stalled train, weaving through the station to catch the next. Unfortunately, it was delayed as well. By the time he arrived at 3:20, davening had started. Disappointed, he consoled himself with the hope of catching a glimpse of the Rebbe as he left.

As the Rebbe exited the zal, he didn’t look directly at Freddy Hager but said to his secretary, “Hager is here for the matzos.” Hager froze. What matzos?

The secretary turned to Hager, visibly relieved. “Where were you? The Rebbe wants you to take matzos to London. We’ve been looking for you all day, but the Rebbe said not to worry—you’d show up.”

Moments later, the Rebbe emerged holding a large bag of hand-baked matzos. He handed it to Hager and appointed him as his emissary to deliver the matzos to the Jewish community in England. The Rebbe then blessed him warmly, leaving Hager awestruck.

Reflecting on that extraordinary encounter, Hager couldn’t shake the feeling: even when he thought he was acting on impulse, the Rebbe was one step ahead, orchestrating it all.

(Translated from Sichat Hashavua #1746)

By Mordechai Schmutter

PETA’s New War on Words

This article will ruffle some feathers (but not literally)

As someone who uses words for a living, I find it increasingly difficult to say anything these days for fear of offending someone. But I don’t complain (about that). After all, our very ability to use words is a gift that G-d gave us. Isn’t that what makes us better than the animals?

Not according to PETA, the world-famous animal-rights organization that, as far as I know, still hypocritically only employs people.

But whatever – in general, their hearts are in the right place. They’re very instrumental in stopping tzar baalei chaim. But recently, they issued a kol koreh against people using animalinsensitive idioms and offered substitutes that we should use, at least when we’re in the presence of those animals.

For example, take the expression, “Kill two birds with one stone.” This seems morbidly anti-bird. Why is this considered a grand accomplishment? Instead, they say, why not replace it with, “Feed two birds with one scone”? Well, for one, I’m not sure what a scone is. I’m not flying to England to buy a scone. But assuming I have a scone, I still think the expression isn’t as strong. How hard is it to feed two birds with one scone? I would say a scone can probably feed more than two birds, so isn’t the expression saying that you’re accomplishing less than you should? Unless we’re talking about ostriches. Or take the expression, “Let the cat out of the bag.” There are a lot of expressions about people doing horrible things to cats. Instead, PETA says, why not say, “Spill the beans”? Okay, first of all, “Spill the beans” is

already an expression. And why are beans such a big secret, anyway? “Oh no, he spilled them! Now people know we have beans!” And second, isn’t letting the cat out of the bag a good thing?

They also take issue with the expression, “Opening a can of worms,” as this is cruel to worms, notwithstanding that putting them in the can is crueler than opening the can. Either way, they want to change the expression to “Opening Pandora’s box.” Yeah. Um, isn’t this offensive to people who don’t believe in Greek gods? Which is basically everyone nowadays? PETA’s really opening a huge can of pre-cut onions with this one. What about – I don’t know — “Opening a fire hydrant”?

They also say that “Bring home the bacon” should be changed to “Bring

home the bagels.” Well, that sounds antisemitic. At least we’re not offending pigs. Not that I ever loved bringing home the bacon. You can’t eat it anyway, and it ruins your whole attaché case. Also, I know they don’t know this, but isn’t bringing home the bagels what you do after a bris if your wife didn’t come?

And finally, they want to turn “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” to “Don’t put all your berries in one bowl.” Isn’t that called a fruit salad? So I shouldn’t make fruit salad? And anyway, it’s not the same at all. We use eggs for everything. There are no berry emergencies. Also, if you drop a basket of eggs, they all break. If you drop a basket of berries, you wash them off and they’re good as new. Even

the bruised ones are still edible. It’s just cosmetic, like all these expressions.

“These expressions really get my goat,” said one PETA spokesperson. “Get my throat? Get my coat?”

And there are plenty of expressions they left out:

- “I could eat a horse” (“I could eat a horseradish”)

- “You can catch flies with honey” (“You can catch guys with money”)

- “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day” (“Give a man a knish and he’ll eat for a day. But teach him how to knish…”)

Here’s the thing: I don’t love the original expressions either. I make fun of them all the time. But if you’re going to come up with a new

expression that you expect to take off, it has to be at least as good. If you say, “Putting your berries in one bowl,” that will inevitably lead to someone asking, “What?” and then you have to explain it by way of using the eggs metaphor, and what did you accomplish? All your eggs will be offended.

Wait. No, they won’t. The animals themselves are not protesting because either

1. They don’t know English, or 2. They do know English, but they don’t care. They have bigger things to worry about, like the food chain. If other animals are hunting you, you’re not worrying about expressions.

The last time animals actually protested in the streets was in Mitzrayim, where they protested the unethical treatment of the Yidden. So I guess they had our backs, and we should totally have theirs.

AND

Then Now

779-781 EAST NEW YORK AVENUE

From Pigtown to Community Hub

East New York Avenue has been a key thoroughfare since before the Crown Heights neighborhood developed. In 1860, legislation opened East New York Avenue to connect the “Plank Road” in East New York to Flatbush. This road, along with Clove Road, linked Flatbush to Brooklyn, a separate city until 1896. Originally part of Flatbush, the area where 781 East New York Avenue stands was a peripheral, undeveloped region of Brooklyn.

The property was situated on the southern tip of a tract owned by Edward T. Backhouse, land which was allocated in the early 1700s. Backhouse, a prominent Brooklynite, was married to Rebecca Lefferts, a member of a well-known Brooklyn family. His land remained undeveloped due to its difficult terrain and location, which allowed squatters to settle, as many landowners avoided building on what was considered a no-man’s-land.

In 1895, East New York Avenue

by Shmully Blesofsky

between Albany and Troy contained over 1,000 pigs, raising health concerns that led to its closure by the Board of Health. South of Empire Boulevard, known as Pigtown or "Barrel of Muck," was infamous for dilapidated housing, roaming livestock, crime, and waste dumping.

In the 1880s, Irish and Italian families settled in Pigtown, forming a chaotic, impoverished community with shanties and high crime rates until urban development began in the 1920s.

Even as development progressed in the 1920s, Pigtown still had dairy farms with pastures where customers could supervise or milk themselves. In the 1930s, my grandfather Reb Zalman Blesofsky would take a trolley from Williamsburg to buy milk from these farms, as Cholov Yisrael was not widely available in America and most Cholov Yisroel companies started after the war.

In 1927, the building at 779-781 East New York Avenue was built as a two-story garage with offices above, designed by Brooklyn architects

Seelig & Finkelstein. It featured terra cotta architecture and served as a parking and repair facility. Despite the residential zoning, the architects secured a commercial occupancy certificate, indicating the area’s limited appeal for homes then.

By the 1940s, six-floor walk-ups housed working-class Irish and Italian families, and the block became a mix of residential and commercial use, including a body shop, knitting mill, junkyard, and supermarket. Across the street, the United Lubavitcher Yeshiva broke ground for a new school in 1963. Despite initial excitement, the project was relocated to Ocean Parkway because donors were worried about the area’s decline.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the building was owned by New York Telephone (a precursor to Verizon Communications Inc.), which used it to park its trucks. It was later sold to an appliance repair company.

In 2007, a Lubavitcher from Crown Heights purchased the property,

1940 2025

transforming it into a thriving community hub.

Today, 781 East New York Avenue has undergone a remarkable transformation. Located a few steps from the Bnos Menachem girls school and its Razag Ballroom, the building now houses medical offices, businesses, and organizations.

The building’s first tenant in 2007 was Freeda Wigs, a pioneer in highquality sheitel production. Founded by Freeda Kugel in the 1960s with the Rebbe’s blessings, Freeda’s business continues to uphold the values of beauty, modesty, and dignity. Her legacy is intertwined with the building’s history, symbolizing its transformation into a center of growth and inspiration.

The rest of the first floor houses ODA Crown Heights Health Center, which provides comprehensive, culturally sensitive healthcare services, including primary care, pediatrics, women’s health, and more. Part

of the ODA Primary Health Care Network, it ensures accessible, high-quality care for the Crown Heights community, catering to diverse needs with multilingual staff and extended hours.

On the second floor, JEM archives and publishes the Rebbe’s works, preserving his legacy through media. Founded in 1980 and now led by Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin, JEM combines professionalism and innovation to produce videos, audio, and interactive tools that inspire countless individuals.

Women with baby carriages can often be seen on the second floor, making their way to Miriam's Motherhood Center, a non-profit organization founded by Mushka and Chaim Leitner. It features a community playroom and offers programs ranging from childbirth education to baby massage and parenting classes. A project of Mothers of Crown Heights, the

center has become a beloved destination for mothers and their little ones. It has also assisted other communities across the country in establishing similar centers, operating as a “tzedakah franchise” of sorts.

Two more occupants in the building are Zlata’s Design bridal shop, run by Zlata Okonov, which makes custom-made gowns and dresses and all kinds of sewing alterations for women and girls, and the fundraising platform Raisethon, which has helped charities, Chabad centers, schools, and other causes to reach broader audiences and achieve their fundraising goals efficiently.

Starting from its modest roots in “Pigtown" and through its industrial era, the building has evolved into a lively hub for community engagement, showcasing the remarkable transformation and growth of Crown Heights.

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