The most ambitious Shabbaton in the USA and Canada, “Am Israel Chai,” brought together more than 1,200 participants! The Shabbaton director is the famous and very talented Rabbi Benzion Laskin. Shabbaton is organized by the international organization "HAMA", headed by Rabbis Hillel Salzman, Moshiach Hudaytov and Benyomin Molokhovsky, together with the Lubavitcher Youth Organization, headed by Rabbi Kasriel Castel. Shabbaton is held with the support of the World Zionist Organization. It is always an amazingly organized celebration of Jewish solidarity! The 15th international Russian-Jewish Shabbaton has just ended, but many are already looking forward to the next grand Shabbat celebration. More than 70 lectures, 4 concerts by the most famous performers in the music world took place, and a lot of young people also came. Also at the celebration was the famous matchmaker Aliza Ben Shalom, because it is no secret that many find their soul mate at Shabbaton. Many come to listen to lectures on the Torah, Kabbalah, raising children, family relationships, Israel and the current situation in the world, and, of course, everyone is looking forward to the opportunity to personally communicate with famous lecturers, rabbis or to participate in the already traditional and popular discussion table “ Puzzle the Rabbi.” In a word, the lecturers were special, because listening to Manis Friedman, the chief rabbi of the Rabbinical Court of Sydney Yoram Ulman and many others is worth a lot. The director of Shabbaton, the famous and very talented Rabbi Benzion Laskin, has been holding the largest Shabbaton in the USA and Canada for Russian-speaking Jews and not only for the 15th time... And this event, unique in scale and significance, has become the favorite meeting place for thousands of Jews from the most different states of America and Canada. Shabbaton guest, Israeli Army Special Forces Major Yair Ansbacher, who liberated Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7, said that the unity of our people is the answer to all our enemies. And although the war continues these days, we must remember that in unity is our strength! On Shabbaton, we cried, remembering the fallen soldiers and civilians, prayed and read psalms, took upon ourselves to fulfill the commandments in the name of saving the hostages and for the sake of the victory of Israel. But still, the main thing we should do today is not to cry, but to rejoice together. Nobel laureate writer Elie Wiesel describes in his memoirs his first meeting with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The key question of the conversation was Auschwitz: “How can you believe in G-d after Auschwitz?” “What do you expect from me?” - asked the Rebbe. And after a few hours, an epiphany came: “I want you to teach me to cry.” “Crying is not enough,” the Rebbe replied. “I’ll teach you to sing.” As Rebbe Lev Katzin noted in one of his articles: “This was the purpose of our Shabbaton this year: how to turn our lament into a joyful song, and our pain into the power of our unity.” It is worth noting that Benzion Laskin’s lectures to the music of Zlata Razdolina, a singer, composer and female leader, are awaited in different countries, and this became possible thanks to the Internet. During the war in Ukraine, they managed to organize assistance to those in need: elderly and sick people received food and medicine. Marina Lagunova Photo by Alex Gorokhov
Date Added: 04/18/2024 |
Last Updated: 04/18/2024 |
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Charity event in support of children of Ukraine People have been dying for three years now - without reason, without meaning. This is not a war for ideas, because both Russians and Ukrainians are Christians, in my opinion, brothers and sisters. Many wars in human history have arisen for religious reasons, but this one is fratricidal and inhumane, with the use of the most modern weapons. The terrible bloodshed continues, and the list of victims gets longer every day. It is hard for me to look at the photographs of Kharkov, where my brother, a doctor, lives. My second brother lives in Kyiv. They were not evacuated because people need them. I was honored to meet the mother of fallen American soldier Andrew Weber, who became an advocate for veterans and refugees. She was presented with a portrait of her son, painted by artist Tatyana Khoroshko. Carla Weber is a representative of the American Mothers group. Her son, like other American volunteers, went to Ukraine to fight evil. Unfortunately, Andrew Weber's daughters, Gwyn and Vera, are now growing up without a father. And how many Ukrainian children have been orphaned! It should not be like this. . . Renowned American journalist Mitzi Perdue, known for her unwavering support for Ukraine, was also honored. Perdue is the daughter of the founder of Sheraton hotels, and her late husband Frank Perdue is the founder of a famous poultry empire. She auctioned off her emerald engagement ring for $1.2 million in support of Ukrainian defenders and spoke of her deep respect for the Ukrainian people. "Even in the darkest times, a small light can make a difference," Perdue said. "Tonight, we come together to shine that light." It was not just a concert, but rather a memorial event. Guests made donations for the children of Ukraine, and the children present helped them. In the hall there were Ukrainian servicemen with serious injuries, amputations of limbs, who are undergoing rehabilitation in Philadelphia. An elegy was performed dedicated to the artists who died in the war. The photographs on the screen spoke for themselves: • Artem Datsishin - ballet star, died; • Yuri Kerpatenko - conductor, killed; • Vasily Slepak - opera singer, died in battle; • Alexander Shapoval – ballet dancer, died; • Anton Somov - ballet dancer, killed; • Masha Lebed, Sergey Shkvarchenko and many others. I remembered Pavel Kushnir, a soloist of the Birobidzhan Philharmonic, a Jewish pianist, writer, and dissident who died in a Russian prison while on a hunger strike. In December 2024, an international fund and scholarship named after Pavel Kushnir was established in Israel by Russian and foreign artists. The list goes on. To the music of Miroslav Skoryk it seemed that even the air in the hall was screaming and crying. The event was opened by Lyudmila Fesenko, Honored Artist of Ukraine, who has lived in New York for 30 years and performed at Carnegie Hall and other famous halls. Honored Artist of Ukraine Victoria Vennikova, Honorary Ambassador of Kharkov in New York, performed songs in Ukrainian and French. Drawings by children from Ukraine, sent to Victoria, were exhibited in the theater lobby. All the performances were very touching. Alexander Chaplinsky accompanied the singer Goga Guladze on the piano. It is symbolic that Ukraine and Georgia were close, supporting each other in the fight for freedom. Emily Cohn and Wilson from Philadelphia presented unique ballet numbers against the background of dark clouds. Yuka Iseda performed "The Dying Swan", personifying all the horror of what was happening. It's not just people in Ukraine who are dying. I can't hear without pain about the 1,400 victims of the terrorist attack at a music festival in Israel. There are still hostages, the search for the dead continues. Children... our children... Ukrainians, Americans and Israelis have created a psychological assistance program. People need communication to overcome psychological trauma. Children do not know how to deal with fear and loss. They have been deprived of their childhood. Yoga, joint gymnastics, tea ceremonies, individual and group sessions help to bring back their smile, at least for a moment. Children should not say: "You know how a dog cries..." Michael Kaplan, a representative of the Czech consulate, was present at the event. Americans and representatives of charitable organizations raising funds for children's programs in Ukraine were awarded certificates from the Assembly, which were presented by Assembly member Mikhail Novakhov. It was touching. There were many caring people in the hall: Lyudmila Gladkovitser, lawyer Tanya Segal, Mara Khanukov, Svetlana Zelinskaya, Yuri Viderman and others. But people of good will, like me, still want this fratricidal war to end. For the hostages to be released in Israel. The selflessness of Israel's defenders commands great respect, especially when young men come from different countries to defend their land. And how hard it is to realize how many lives wars have already taken. Marina Lagunova
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