Thousand [sic] of women at the annual International Chabad-Lubavitch Women’s Conference dinner at the New York State Armory in Williamsburg.
WILLIAMSBURG — There are roughly 60 Chabad-Lubavitch synagogues in Brooklyn. A thriving retail corridor along Kingston Avenue hums with shoppers daily, just down the block from the movement’s international headquarters. But where do you get those services when you’re part of the religious sect and you live in China?
That and other service-related questions are what thousands of women leaders joined forces on last weekend during the annual Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries. Now in its 28th year, the 5-day, annual event brings women from 50 states and 20 countries to Brooklyn from as far out as Beijing.
In mainland China, Dini Freundlich heads up a few Jewish-focused businesses in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. Only a few dozen Jews call the city their home, according to the 44-year-old. But for 30,000 Jewish tourists and nearly 2,000 transient residents studying, teaching or working abroad from 6 months to a year, the search for kosher food, a place of worship or religious instruction can be daunting. Freundlich and her family-run businesses that offer some of those services.
“We’re basically the one-stop Jewish address in China, she said of the 18-year-old business.
Onlookers at the International Women’s Chabad-Lubavitch Women’s Emissary Conference at the New York State Armory)
This weekend Freundlich and other women leaders attended workshops throughout Brooklyn during the conference. There they exchanged ideas on how to serve members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement from Chicago to the Congo. Some seminars focused on mental health, from understanding troubled relationships to responding to tragedy or life changes.
The latter of which is the motivation of Chani Friedman’s food-related businesses in Israel. Friedman, 39, and her crew of 50 women make and deliver breakfast for mothers with newborns in her hometown Ashdod.
“You know after birth sometimes you wake up in the morning and all you want is a cup of coffee,” she said. Friedman also provides food delivery services to seniors in a program she equates to the states’ “Meals on Wheels” program.
But sisterhood seemed to drive most of the excitement for Friedman who has traveled to New York annually—except when she was pregnant—for the past 13 years. Like her, many attending the annual dinner at the New York State Armory in Williamsburg describe the 5-day event as “empowering.”
“When I come here it gives me a boost of energy for the whole year,” she said. “I get so inspired when I’m here.”
The international conference is a tribute to the late Chaya Mushka Schneerson, wife of the revered leader of the Chabbad—Lubavitch Jewish movement in Crown Heights—Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Referred to as a reserved woman, Schneerson, is known for her service especially for the careful watch over the only women’s Yeshiva in the country, Machon Chava in Crown Heights. Since 1991, the conference of women leaders from all over has been paying homage to the late Rebbizen (wife of a Jewish Rabbi), who spent her final years in Crown Heights, the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
Esther Winners’ journey to the Williamsburg gathering was just a taxi-ride away. Co-founder of Chabad Neshama Center in Brighton Beach hasn’t missed a conference since its 1991 start. Winners, 62, started her outreach mission 35 years ago when Southern Brooklyn had very few resources for Lubavitchers. Now with 50,000 Jewish families in the area, the shlucha (woman emissary) provides education services from pre-school to adult learning among other community programs.
“It’s very inspirational to see the global amount of women that give up their life — they give up all their personal fun stuff — to reach out and do what the Lubavitch Rebbe wants all of us to accomplish to make the world a better place.”
Of the 4,700 women Lubavitch leaders throughout the world, 3,000 attended the 28th conference.
We received the below from a reader. We would like to thank the proprieter, Rabbi Gad Sebag, for his thoughtful response. We were not given specific permission to publish the response so if asked to remove it, we will oblige.
We wanted fair coverage of this topic, which seems to have sparked significant controversy.
We note, as a correction to the below, that we received the video by MP3 and we posted it to YouTube for the purposes of making it available to a wider audience. The speaker on the video did not appear to speak with malice or anger, quite the contrary. He referred to the proprietors of the stores as “well-intentioned” and we make no claims to the contrary.
We believe that the results were objectively maintained and not intended to do anything more than caution mainly unsophisticated purchasers of Mezuzahs who rely on salesmen for a quality check of their product like one would rely on a salesman when purchasing any other marketed good.
“Outreach Mezuzahs” imply that the buyers are non-observant which in theory means an added duty of care should be required in providing those buyers with Kosher Mezuzah scrolls.
Oraita Inc.
שלום וברכה.
I light of the latest video that was published I was asked to respond.
In my 26 years being a sofer I tried very hard to stay away from מחלוקת especially one that is not לשם שמים.
However in this case….. I have to respond to clarify.
I would like to mention that each mezuzah sold by Oraita is carefully checked by one of our certified magihim in our office.
And while we try our very best שגיאות מי יבין And There is always room for improvement.
And to the report.
I showed to many magihim in the US and Eretz Isroel the issues mentioned by the report and they were puzzled.
The letters צ showed in the reports are not even questions.(clear space between the 2 heads. Kosher lechatchila.
The disconnect parts of letters that are reported as posul are not ניכר להדיא (visible enough) and therefore kosher as is even without repair.
As for the spacing between letters in the same word a couple of them could have be been closer but not posul.
I do have to notice that those same issues appear in the others report that for some reason was kosher there.
דרשני?
I also notice new concepts in halocho such as שאלת תינוק in spacing issues….?
Not mentioned in shulchon oruch.
And that brings me to one conclusion.
A good כוונה might have been there perhaps but ניקיון ידיים איו כאן.
Relying on a single unknown magiah to do a character killing of many people and peoples livelihood is wrong.
The poor choice of how to do this and the public shaming of sofrim is wrong.
The refusal to have a multiple neutral hagoho performed of these mezuzos and then review the outcome is screaming foul.
Putting the rebbe’s name and mivtsoim as a preface to this is unacceptable.
Saying that hundreds of thousands of mezuzos used by yiden around the globe are posul is wrong.
Taking this to YouTube and out to the world with whatsup is so wrong.
What yeshiva and which mashpia or parent taught you that.
The bitterness and anger of this individual and lack of בנחת נשמעים…. is disturbing.
The purpose here was not to educate customers and to have sofrim improve.
It’s wrong to hide behind איצטלא דרבנן and Holy causes when הידיים ידי עשו.
I see a קנאות but no pinchus. However korachs name and his מחלוקת is all over the place.
The damage caused by these individuals is irreversible and may hashem have rachmunus on them and forgive them.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dozens of customers that contacted me in past day showing their support and love.
It’s heart warming and I thank hashem for such great clientele.
No infomercial or money can buy that.
We all the sofrim are unified (a miracle) and will do everything to protect ourselves and families.
I will conclude with hope and pray of ברכינו אבינו כולנו כאחד With achdus. And we should be zoche to the coming of moshiach speedily in our days.
CAVEAT EMPTOR – THE BUYER BEWARE!!! When you Purchase a Mezuzah Scroll, Know What you are Buying
We take no credit for this study. We take no credit for orchestrating it and we take no authorship at all. We would like to thank the person who did the study, which required a remarkable amount of thought and consideration. We would like to thank the people who sent this along to us.
We took the liberty of uploading the video to YouTube on a new YouTube Channel we have begun. We have kept a number of copies along the way.
Please pay attention. The study of the Mezuzah scrolls was a carefully crafted study of 10 Mezuzah scrolls from 10 locations in what would otherwise be a “double-blind” study to determine their authenticity. Two separate Sophers (scribes) were entrusted with the review of the scrolls and both came out wiht the same results.
DO NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER MEZUZAH UNTIL YOU HAVE SEEN THIS.
Update: We received a response from Rabbi Moshe Klein, one of the proprietors of the stores that sold the Non-Kosher Mezuzas. His response, in Yiddish, claimed that his Mezuzas are 100% Kosher, that the standards used to test the Mezuzas are faulty and that his Mezuzas are 100% Kosher. He also maintains that there are different levels of Mezuzah quality but that does not diminish the Kashrut of his Mezuzahs.
A SOMEWHAT MISLEADING, IF NOT ILLITERATE, TRANSLATION
For those of us who can read Hebrew (and Translate) it is so interesting when the Hebrew and the English seem a lose a few words. Here, the Words are circled.
Supposedly, the English is meant to be a direct translation of the Hebrew- far too direct.
When you look closely, you notice that they didn’t translate the 5 times they used the term King Moshiach after the Rebbe’s name.
We have circled the 5 King Moshiach acronyms on the Hebrew side. We assume they did this in order to garner donations from people who are not comfortable with referring to the Rebbe as King Moshiach.
We are witnessing the early stages of this belief in the rebbe’s Messianic identity going underground, not unlike what happened after Sabtai Tzvi.
P.S. Our favorite line, is that each mem-ber of the family should give an amount equal to the number of days in the coming year – a tithe so-to-speak, not to income but to days of the year. Anyone who can’t give that much should donate anyway…
Rubashkin and Mirilashvili to Meet in Rockland County with Unknown Satmar Heads and Maybe Others?
This year’s Chabbad Kinus is proudly featuring the Reb Yitzchak Mirilashvili as the keynote speaker to speak before thousands of ultra-Orthodox, at an event which is scheduled to take place during the first week of November at Rockland Community College, Rockland County, New York.
Sources close to the Kinus have told us that it is attended by thousands, not only members of Chabad but also members of other sects, including the Satmar whose leaders are usually present. This year is expected attract the largest attendance of any thus far and security is expected to be tight. While we had hoped women were also invited, we have been advised that this is a G.O.L.F. (gentlemen only, women forbidden) event.
As to the keynote speaker, while we cannot diminish the importance of the donations that Reb Mirilashvili has made to Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (Mikvahs, Torah Scrolls, etc), we can’t quite shed the feeling that the providence of that money can’t possibly be cleansed within the waters of a Mikvah (or several). Reb Mrilashvili’s father Michael, it is said, “has an unusually colorful history” so too, we would guess does the family fortune. Be that as it may, the Chabad movement has been proud of it’s donors (think Mark Nordlicht, Lev Leviev, etc.) and we cannot forget about Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin, another darling of Chabad, along with Rabbi Berel Lazar, who is quick to tell us how much Putin loves Mazoh. We cannot begrudge Chabad the fame and fortune of such a legendary list of “Philanthropists.”.
Sources close to the community have told us that Rubashkin, whose pardon was supported by thousands both online and elsewhere, is enjoying his fame and good fortune; and as a pardoned man has a significant measure of perceived untouchability. So, it would not surprise us to learn that he is allegedly the bridge between warring Jewish factions, particularly where discussions of financial matters are concerned.
Sources close to the organization of all of the events have told us that there is a planned meet sometime during the weekend of the event to be attended by the heads of Chabad and Satmar and, while we were unable to verify with certainty, there may be other sects represented at that clandestine meeting also.
Guest Keynote At The Banquet: Mr. Yitzchak שי׳ Mirilashvili
We are honored to share that Reb Yitzchak Mirilashvili will be the guest keynote speaker at this year’s Gala Banquet.
Through his Keren Meromim Foundation he supports dozens of revolutionary projects spreading Torah learning, Chessed and outreach while supporting hundreds of Shluchim in Eretz Yisroel and throughout the world.
The Mirilashvlili family have become exemplary partners to Shluchim and communities around the world, committed to perpetuating and expanding the Rebbe’s vision accross the globe.
New York – Just hours after word broke that President Donald Trump had commuted his sentence, Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin received a hero’s welcome at his family home in the New Hempstead section of Monsey.
Thousands took to the streets in Brooklyn and revelers packed Lubavitch world headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, where cases of Smirnoff were rolled in to celebrate the good news, an unexpected gift from the White House that came in the final moments of Chanukah.
But the level of joy in Monsey was off the charts as throngs of people packed the two block long South Gate Drive where the Rubashkin family has been living for the last several years in order to be the first to greet the 57 year old after his release from the federal penitentiary in Otisville.
Police blocked off streets in all directions to accommodate the sudden influx of cars to the area, with some drivers abandoning their vehicles and walking because traffic had come to a complete standstill.
Photographer Shimon Gifter was the first member of the media to speak with Rubashkin after his release in an exclusive VIN news interview that took place aboard a coach bus as he prepared to leave Monsey for a trip to Brooklyn to visit his parents in Borough Park, Lubavitch world headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens.
Free of Otisville and its orange prison garb and surrounded by family members including some grandchildren that he had never met, Rubashkin was dressed in a black jacket, pants and hat and a white shirt as he spoke about the importance of being “b’simcha” at all times.
Asked what message he would like to send to President Trump, Rubashkin said that he prays for Trump every day.
“G-d should bless him and the United States of America,” added Rubashkin.
His life and business career suffered a lengthy interruption when he spent eight years in prison on charges related to the kidnapping of his father. In August 2000, his father, Moshe Mirilashvili, a prominent member of the Jewish community who served as president of the Congress of Georgian Jewry, was kidnapped in broad daylight on a main road in St. Petersburg. He was released just two days later, and a month and a half after the abduction, the bodies of two of the kidnappers were found.
Michael Mirilashvili was arrested and charged with several offenses, including attempted murder. In August 2003, he was convicted of kidnapping and lesser charges but acquitted on the charge of attempted murder, and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The conviction sent “shock waves” through the Russian Jewish community, the Jewish press reported at the time, saying it was widely believed that Mirilashvili was being targeted, either by rival businessmen or by powerful politicians.
Mirilashvili’s legal team fought his sentencing, calling it “enormously unjust” and “enormously severe.” In 2004, Mirilashvili appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, arguing that his rights had been violated and that he did not receive a fair trial. He was vindicated in 2009, when the European court ruled that his conviction and sentencing was unfair. That year he was released from prison and he moved his home base to Israel, where he continued his business activities in Russia and began investing heavily in Israel and elsewhere.
Since his release, Mirilashvili has held an annual party with rabbis and politicians to celebrate his freedom. Attendees this year included Dery, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Environmental Protection and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and former cabinet ministers Gideon Sa’ar and Ariel Atias.
Mirilashvili’s close ties to politicians were also seen in 2010, when businessman Ofer Nimrodi threw Mirilashvili a party for his 50th birthday at his house in Savion – one of Israel’s richest communities. Some 350 people attended that party, which was said to have cost some $1 million, including Edelstein, lawmakers Tzachi Hanegbi and Meir Shitrit, as well as former chief rabbi Yona Metzger.
The indictment filed against Metzger alleged that Mirilashvili gave Metzger $250 thousand in for the wedding of the former chief rabbi’s son. Mirilashvili wasn’t indicted and Metzger was ultimately convicted in a plea bargain and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
Kinus Hashluchim Banquet Keynote Speaker Announced
The organizers of the Kinus Hashluchim have announced the Keynote speaker for this years banquet. The following press release was sent out:
We are honored to share that Reb Yitzchak Mirilashvili will be the guest keynote speaker at this year’s Gala Banquet.
Through his Keren Meromim Foundation he supports dozens of revolutionary projects spreading Torah learning, Chessed and outreach while supporting hundreds of Shluchim in Eretz Yisroel and throughout the world.
The Mirilashvlili family have become exemplary partners to Shluchim and communities around the world, committed to perpetuating and expanding the Rebbe’s vision accross the globe.
Yitzchak Mirilashvili is an Israeli-Georgian billionaire businessman and philanthropist, based in Russia and Israel. Mirilashvili’s family businesses include real estate, construction of shopping malls, casino chains, petroleum industry, diamond and renewable energy sectors. He was known as the youngest billionaire of Israel, following the sale of his shares in a popular news site for $1.12 Billion.
He is also a very active contributor to many Jewish organizations.
LOSTMESSIAH 