Posted on 07/21/2014 10:39:20 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Rows of candles were set up last week at the home of Rabbi Zalman and Toba Grossbaum, co-directors of Chabad of Livingston, N.J., so community members and family could welcome in Shabbat and pray for the people of Israel.
With the Sabbath approaching, Israel Defense Force troops are on the ground in Gaza, with Jews everywhere praying for their safety.
Throughout the world came calls for prayer and good deeds on behalf of the Israeli soldiers, and all people threatened by ongoing missile attacks, with special emphasis on Jewish women and girls lighting Shabbat candles, and for families to join with their local communities in synagogues for Shabbat services.
At thousands of Chabad-Lubavitch centers and institutions, rabbis have been reaching out during two intense weeks of fighting in Israel, urging community members to increase in acts of holiness, while maintaining a positive sprit, reminding them of what the RebbeRabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memorysaid about the Jewish nation: Regarding Israel, the Torah states that it is a land upon which G‑d has His eyes at all times, assuring that Israel is the safest place in the world.
Rabbi Yossi Korik, co-director of Chabad of Roseville in Granite Bay, Calif., with his wife, Malkie, hosted a program Thursday night focusing on the importance of Torah study, prayer and tzedakah (charity), encouraging people to come together to do something of spiritual significance on behalf of those in Israel.
The core of the message we want to be able to give people is that were onethat wherever in the world we may live, the Jewish people are all one unit, he stresses.
About 120 people are expected at a special Shabbat dinner tonight at Chabad Ventor Shul near the shore in Ventnor, N.J., according to Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, co-director with his wife, Mashie.
Especially at a time where everyones eye and hearts and prayers are focused on Eretz Yisrael, were bringing people together in a positive way for a positive event, and the theme is going to be Israelthe Holy Land of the Jewish people, he says.
People are worried about the situation, continues Rapoport, and this will offer a chance to talk about whats happening, as well as to share the Rebbes message in terms of what people can do by adding positive deeds and acts of goodness and kindness.
Candle-Lighting Emphasized
Also this Shabbat, a campaign called Light a Candle for Israel encourages women and girls worldwide to light candles and usher in the weekly Jewish holiday, adding in a prayer for the safety of Israel.
This campaign is from clear directives of the Rebbeto spread light and dispel all darkness, says Channa Hecht, co-director of Chabad of Brentwood in Los Angeles, Calif., with her husband, Rabbi Baruch Y. Hecht. As our brothers and sisters go to the battlefronts in Gaza, we must go to battle with our ammunition of light, in our corners of the globe.
The Grossbaums were also celebrating the traditional first Shabbat candle-lighting of their 3-year-old daughter, Liba.
She adds that the Rebbe launched the Tefillin Campaign before the Six-Day War in 1967 and pointed out that it is written in the Talmud: The nations of the world will see that the name of G-d is called upon you, and they will fear you. (Deuteronomy 28:10)
Hechts brother, Rabbi Chaim Nochum Cunin of Chabad West Coast Headquarters in Los Angeles, has been in Israel at the Gaza border with the Chabad Terror Victims Project, supporting soldiers there.
And last Shabbat, at the home of Rabbi Zalman and Toba Grossbaum, co-directors of Chabad of Livingston, N.J., rows of candles were set out so family and community members could light them and recite blessings for Israeli civilians and soldiers. They were gathered together for the very first Shabbat candle-lighting of 3-year-old Liba Grossbaum, with about 75 women and girls joining her.
We usually think that we cant make a difference on a global issue happening halfway around the world, says Toba Grossbaum. The Rebbe always emphasized that a little light can dispel much darkness and every mitzvah, every good deed, adds to that light.
Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie, co-director of Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen, North County Chabad Center in Yorba Linda, Calif., with his wife Stella, attached a banner to the free-standing menorah on the synagogue grounds.
The Rebbe encouraged all Jewish girls, from three years of age, to light their own Shabbat and holiday candles, adds Rabbi Grossbaum. Through the lighting of Shabbat candles, women have the unique power to bring peace into their homes, and through their collective efforts reach the heavens and bring miracles into the world.
On the tables were cards explaining this 3,700-old tradition, and also noting that by focusing our collective thoughts and prayers on our brothers and sisters in Israel, the combined spiritual energy of millions of women and girls will make miracles happen.
May these acts of dedication illuminate the world and be a source of eternal peace for all of mankind.
An Intrinsic Covenant
Around the world, Chabad rabbis are bringing their communities together in ways large and small. Mens study groups and tefillin clubs have been especially busy throughout Europe, from national capitals to small towns; solidarity with Israeli soldiers are on their minds as they pray for their well-being and that of all Israel.
In Yorba Linda, Calif., the teen group affiliated with Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen, North County Chabad Center made care packages for soldiers in Israel. And to show their solidarity, congregants slung a huge bannersaying We Stand With Israelon the free-standing menorah on the synagogues wide front lawn.
As part of the "Arms for Israel" campaign, the Men's Tefillin Club at Chabad Jewish Center of Snohomish County in Lynnwood, Wash., recited blessings for Israel soldiers and civilians.
I think people have to realize that the Jewish community around the world is standing strong with Israel, and we should have the pride and conviction to stand up during this difficult time, says Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie, co-director of the Chabad center with his wife, Stella.
He spoke last Shabbat about Israel and the bond Jews everywhere share with the nation, as he did at a recent brit milah as well: Its an intrinsic covenant between G‑d and the Jewish people, reaching back to the dawn of Jewish history.
Rabbi Yosef Posner, director of Lubavitch Chabad of Skokie in Illinois will hold a prayer gathering for Israel on Sunday.
The evening event will seek to help people recognize the miracles that have happened to this pointnamely, the overwhelming success of the Iron Dome defense system protecting Israeli livesand bring the community together to pray for a resolution of the attacks, as well as to reinforce the oneness of the Jewish people, he says.
We are all connected, he says, speaking of Jews around the world.
Students, faculty and local community members, children and adults alike came to stand in solidarity and prayer recently with the Chabad at University of Illinois and Champaign-Urbana.
Rabbi Chaim Nochum Cunin, visiting Israel from Chabad West Coast Headquarters in Los Angeles, wrapped tefillin with a soldier earlier this week while temporarily relieving him of his head gear.
Psalms were led by a diverse group of communal leaders representing Chabad, Hillel and the Jewish Federation, who had joined together for the event. At the prayer gatherings conclusion, Tiechtel urged the participants to add one more mitzvah, emphasizingalong with Chabad centers around the worldthat all Jews are connected, and that a little light dispels much darkness.
It was amazing to see how our community came together in just 20 hours, says Rabbi Dovid Tiechtel, co-director of Chabad at University of Illinois and Champaign-Urbana, with his wife, Goldie. We hosted a packed crowd praying as one from across the entire community. Students, IDF veterans, children and adults gathered to give charity, recite psalms, and show solidarity and support for our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land.
"Kindle a Light for Israel" campaign encourages Jewish women and girls worldwide to light Shabbat candles and say a prayer for Israel's safety.
The purpose of the operation, according to a statement released by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was to destroy terror tunnels in the Gaza Strip leading into Israel. Earlier in the day, Israeli troops bombed the area, killing eight of 13 terrorists who had attempted to enter Israel to murder or kidnap civilians from a nearby kibbutz.
Prior to the ground invasion, the IDF launched a massive wave of combined air and artillery strikes on the Gaza border communities where Hamas is stationed after warning residents to leave the area. Journalists and residents were also asked to leave areas along the Mediterranean coast.
Israel is committed to act to protect its citizens. The operation will continue until its goals are reached: To bring quiet to the citizens of Israel for a long period of time, and to seriously harm Hamas and other terrorist organizations infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, read the statement.
Rabbi Aharon Prus of Tzerei Agudat Chabad Headquarters Israel in Kfar Chabad, Israel, offers support to Israeli soldiers near the border with Gaza.
I don’t think the Chabad fellows are willing to join the IDF. I know there is one group there that won’t and it upsets a lot of the people.
I stand with Israel.
Ams Israel Chai!
it’s hypocritical to say you stand with Israel ... and also vote for 0bama
if you vote for 0bama and support the administration, you are against Israel
IDF youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk
Chabad are Orthodox Jews and they vote republican..the Jews that your referring to are the American Jews for whatever reason don’t give a crap about Israel, only their interests here in America..for them politics is more important than the security of the Jewish state
there is a smallish group of orthodoxy jews who won’t defend Israel.... (they believe that God will personally come and do the job for them)
then again, there are ... as Golda Meir used to say,
all kinds of Jews.....
or in her words,
from every two Jews, I get at least three opinions...
Code Red over now.
That newsreader is H-O-T like lava. Oh, to be 28 again.
Are they actually GUSHING over the Clintons? oy
She’s amazingly poised and articulate too. Quite a contrast with US newsBarbies.
I must’ve missed that. What did they say?
Don’t all Israelis, male & female (with certain exceptions) have to do military service?
They were discussing Bill’s interview on CNN. Hilary’s interview with John Stewart. In a nutshell....Bill knows of what he speaks and Hilary is looking presidential. They seemed very pleased.
For about ten minutes, they ran a panning shot of the city, and audio from the sirens. Reminded me a bit of that first night of the first Gulf War when one outlet had a night vision shot of Baghdad with the same sounds. Chilling. I’ve had the Red Alert app for the last few days, and the frequency of alerts is so high that I shut off the audio and just watched the popups appear every ten minutes or so. Really brings things home.
It did occur to me that showing the enemy where their rockets were hitting might not have been the best of tactics, although those things are so inaccurate at the moment that even if they corrected there’s no guarantee they’d actually get to the corrected spot.
I am surprised with the amount of people I have spoken to locally that are in support of Israel - some of these people are the type that are normally swayed by pictures of injured kids etc and by reports that portray Israel as the big bully and the Palestinians as constant victims. I think a lot of people have heard about the extent Israel has been going to to warn those in Gaza about where they are going to attack etc - even one of our local news stations reported that. I and a few people I know do all we can to get that message out too!
As a Christian I say, GOD BLESS ISRAEL!
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