News Blog

Earlier this week heard the shocking news that Rabbi Kogan of Chabad of the UAE had been kidnapped by terrorists in Dubai.

We prayed and held on to a glimmer of hope that a miracle would still occur,but unfortunately this morning we learned that his body had been found after he was brutally murdered,

Rabbi Zvi Kogan - Zvi ben Alexander HaKohen,  was just 28 years old when he was kidnapped and murdered  and leaves behind his wife and siblings, and family members.

His wife who is from New York, is the niece of the late Rabbi Gabi Holtzberg of Chabad of Mumbai who was murdered in the 2008 terrorist attack.

Our daughter Chana is a good friend of the sister of the wife, and their family are a well known family, originally f… Read More »

Thanks to the dozens of teens who showed up tonight for a fun and meaningful Thanksgiving Pie Bakeoff Event!

The pies along with the beautiful handwritten letters for the homebound seniors that the teens wrote will make for an uplifting boost for those who receive these dinners on Thanksgiving this year!

A discussion on the meaning of giving Thanks in Judaism, and how the first words we utter each day are Modeh Ani, and why it is so important, added a layer of meaning and depth to the program.

Thank you to Sonia Litovchick who joined us and shared her experiences at the Teen Shabbaton in NYC several years back!

The day started out which such difficult news out of Dubai which hit us like a ton of bricks, yet the packed … Read More »

Participating in the International Chabad Shluchim Convention is always an inspiration, yet this year more than ever, being together is so important.

With Rabbis from Dubai who just lost one of their own to a terror attack, to Rabbis from Northern, Southern and Central Israel who are still going through so many challenges, to Rabbis from Ukraine and Russia who are dealing with so many challenges of their own, and of course all of my friends who run Chabad Houses on College Campuses and so many small and big communities from around the globe, it is a truly one of a kind experience.

I have had conversations already with my friends from Israel, some of whom just finished army duty, with others who are hoping to finally be able to reb… Read More »

Thank you to the dozens of volunteers who joined us yesterday afternoon to help distribute Catered Thanksgiving Dinners to homebound seniors and others as part of the ChabadSudbury's Thanksgiving Dinner Project.

Along with the pies baked by the teens and the handwritten cards written by the teens of CTEEN Sudbury and the Bar Mitzvah Club, these packages brought not only food, but also a dose of love, warmth and joy to all of the recipients.

Seeing kids home from college, lots of teens, kids and of course adults all work together to help make sure the deliveries were all done yesterday and done in a personal and efficient manner, was truly heartwarming.

Thank you to everyone who so kindly helped sponsor the dinners that reach… Read More »

 Today I visited a new resident in one of the nursing homes which I visit. The resident who is not too old, is bedridden and dealing with a lot of health challenges.  We spoke about life, where she grew up and her own difficult medical history over the last few years. At the end of the visit, I offered to come back another week and bring her some homemade Challah which I didn't have with me this week.

Her eyes lit up and welled up with emotion, as she said "I would just love that". She then told me she hasn't had a homemade Challah in years, maybe since her childhood, and even homemade food it has been a year or more since she had had the joys of tasting something like that.

I told her, I will be ba… Read More »

Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming guests is considered to be one of the cornerstones of Jewish values and Jewish life. It may perhaps be one of the lesser known Mitzvot and it is a Rabbinical Mitzvah based on the Mitzvah of loving one fellow as oneself, but it is viewed as one of the ultimate ways in emulating G-d, as we too become givers as we invite the other into one's personal space and enable them to feel at home and taken care of. 

Throughout Jewish history, this Mitzvah has had a huge place in our tradition, and communities would setup guesthouses for the travelers, and on Friday evening at the end of the services, the community members would make sure that everyone in the synagogue had a home to go t… Read More »

We enjoyed a truly amazing Shabbat at ChabadSudbury this Shabbat with Vered Ben Saadon, Co Owner and Founder of the יקב טורא - Tura Winery in Israel.

A colleague of mine met an older gentleman in a store in the Spring of 2020 when  COVID had just started. The man who was wearing a veteran's hat and looked well into his eighties, was somewhat frail, but seemed to be cheerful and happy as he went about his shopping.

My colleague asked the man how is he able to be so happy when the COVID pandemic is raging and life has got to be very tough for them and the headlines each day are so sad and terrible. The gentleman responded that every day he wakes up in the morning and decides how he is going to make his own HEADLINES, as he decides what nice thing he is going to do that day to brighten the light of his frail wife, or something good that they can do together.

He explained that b… Read More »