Rabbi Menachem Kutner, Chabad Terror Victims Project, IsraelFrom Tragedy to Hope, Part IBy: Chaya ChazanMy shlichus was born of tragic necessity. In 2001, the second intifada resulted in hundreds of terror attack victims all over Eretz Yisrael. At that time, I was on Sabbatical from an 8-year teaching position, looking for a shlichus that spoke to me.After the Six Day War, Mrs. Shafra Morozow of Kfar Chabad contacted the Rebbe, asking for help and guidance. Her husband was a casualty of the war, and she felt lost, unsure how to navigate the new life that
Yom Kippur Illuminations Rabbi Sholom Ber and Devora Hertzel, Chabad of the Golan Heights, IsraelLiving the Lech Lecha LifeBy: Chaya ChazanI consider myself extremely lucky. Through lots of siyata dishmaya, hashgacha pratis, and guidance from my elders, I was zoche to have experiences with the Rebbe none of my childhood friends received.When I was just five years old, my father and grandfather thought it was time for me to experience a Tishrei with the Rebbe. Since many chassidim had the same idea, not everyone was able to meet privately with the Rebbe i
Rosh Hashanah Illuminations 5785Rabbi Eliezer and Devorah Lea Klain, Chabad on Campus Hanamal, Haifa, IsraelOur Students on the Front LinesBy: Chaya ChazanChabad on Campus came to Israel just before our marriage in 2013, and Chabad student centers were popping up at universities throughout the country. The organization had their eye on a college in Haifa, and was looking for the right couple to begin. Fifteen other couples had already applied and visited before we were offered the position. Although it has its challenges - its deep downtown, so everythin
Rabbi Binyamin and (Hinda A”H) Avigayil Scheiman, Lubavitch Chabad of Niles - F.R.E.E., Niles, ILTrue and Eternal TeshuvaBy: Chaya ChazanThe Rebbe spoke so strongly about shlichus, I was ready to skip kollel altogether and move out the day after our final sheva brachos! My mashpia advised me to wait a while and give our shana rishona my full attention.My association with Chabad began in 7th grade. I was attending the yeshiva of Brighton Beach, when a new group of young Lubavitch Rabbis joined the teaching staff. Rabbi Dovid Rimler was my seventh
Rabbi Avraham and Channy Lapine, Chabad at Missouri University, Columbia, MOMitzvos in MissouriBy: Chaya ChazanI knew I wanted to go on shlichus before it was even a conscious decision. My father encouraged me to be a shliach from when I was a young boy, and my time in the yeshiva system was punctuated by farbrengens and asides about the importance of shlichus and carrying out the Rebbe’s mission.My own life was indelibly influenced by the Rebbe’s shluchim, even before I was born. My father was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri to a traditiona
Rabbi Oshy and Liba Goodman, Chabad of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, AustraliaA Ripple Effect of GoodnessBy: Chaya ChazanOur shlichus adventure first took us to the cold of Russia for five years, near my wife’s childhood home. We led youth programming for another shliach, but we were soon ready to strike out on our own. Originally, we wanted to stay close to home, but we soon realized we needed to broaden our horizons. Even so, Australia was a bit too broad. When the option first came up, we almost dismissed it out of hand. Australia was too far. All
Rabbi Yisroel and Leah Engel, Beis Menachem, Denver, COJust One Candle, Just One ShabbosBy: Chaya ChazanMy wife and I both knew we wanted to dedicate our lives to shlichus. When we got married in 1981, we were perfectly poised to fulfill our dream. Many states and countries already had established shluchim, but with the Rebbe’s recent push to grow his army of shluchim exponentially, it felt like the sky was the limit. We could strike out on our own in unchartered territory and open the first Chabad house in miles! Or we could join another shliach and h
Rabbi Amos and Hadasa Azizoff, Chabad of Mishkafayim, IsraelThe Long Short JourneyBy: Chaya ChazanI grew up in Borehamwood, England, in a traditional Jewish family that observed the basics of Shabbos and kashrus. My grandfather, a devout Jew, played a pivotal role in my early religious upbringing, introducing me to the Chabad community. Even as a young boy, I was well aware of who the Rebbe was and familiar with Chabad terminology. For my bar mitzvah, I asked for and received a set of Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam tefillin, which I proudly carried in a velvet b
Rabbi Yitzchok Meyer and Leah Mindle Lipszyc, Gam Zu ChabadThe Staff of Camp Gan Yisroel By: Chaya ChazanI’ve had many shlichus adventures – however, my very first shlichus was when I was newly 16, in 1963. Camp was about to begin, and I was excited to join my friends for a summer of fun and learning. It was just a couple of days before our departure date, when Rabbi Avremel Korf, then the only shliach in Florida, ran into 770, a look of desperation on his face. I was sitting with a few friends in the back of the shul, and Rabbi Korf heade
Rabbi Anchelle and Bluma Perl, Chabad of Mineola, Mineola, NYA Promise Fulfilled at LastBy: Chaya ChazanIn 1941, the Frierdiker Rebbe began the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education’s flagship program, Released Time. The Wednesday afternoon program took advantage of the last hour of the school day to teach Jewish kids in public schools about Judaism. The program was wildly successful in Brooklyn, and Rabbi Hecht, the organizer, was soon ready to introduce it to schools in other parts of the state.I’d only recently returned from y
