This past Sunday May 2nd, Lag Baomer, the Chabad Center of Sudbury held its 4 year Gala Celebration and Fundraiser. Many supporters and friends gathered together for the evening which paid tribute to 4 years of the Chabad Center of Sudbury and to all of its supporters and friends.
(Links to the 90 Pictures and Full Text of the Speeches are below)
The evening began with Cocktails and Hors D'oeuvres, with an open Wine Bar, great food, and an hour of socializing and chatting. At 8pm the evening began with a Prayer for Israel, America, and our own local community which was led by Mr. Arieh Freeman of London, UK.
At this point Rabbi Freeman shared his remarks which included a tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, thanks to the many people and supporters who helped the Chabad Center of Sudbury succeed, and some anecdotal remarks about the work and message of Chabad. (The full text of the speech can be read below).
The Honorees
The first Honoree's of the evening with Mr. & Mrs. Ed & Robin Brookmyer were introduced by Rabbi Freeman and were honored with the Jewish Leadership Award. The award was granted in honor of their support of the work of Chabad and of their initiative in Jewish Leadership, which includes helping Chabad, providing Jewish programming to local TV networks, and providing programs to the wider community in support of Israel and other Jewish causes.
Mr. Brookmyer shared some comments about why he loves Chabad and its work, and how he sees Chabad as a powerful force that brings together so many diverse parts of the community.
The second award of the evening was the Family of the Year Award which was presented to the Dr. Brian & Nancy Schwartz & Family. Shayna Freeman spoke of the warmth that the Schwartz's welcomed Chabad into Sudbury and how they have constantly been there guiding and encouraging the center in its infant years.
The Schwartz's responded with their own remarks beginning from Aby (7) who thanked everyone for this special honor, followed by Jason (12) who spoke of how he loves Judaism and Chabad's programs, followed by Josh (16) who thanked everyone for this special honor and spoke of his interactions with Chabad. At that point Brian and Nancy shared a few words about how they first connected with Chabad through Rabbi Levi & Chani Fogelman of Chabad of Natick 15 years ago and their journey with Chabad since then. They described their initial fears of what Chabad might be and their hesitation with getting involved, and then how amazed they have become with Chabad and its amazing work in all parts of the community, its inclusiveness, its warmth and vibrancy, and its acceptance and welcoming attitude to every person in the community.
Full text of the Schwartz's remarks are below.
The Comedian
Following a Desert Buffet and a short intermission Marc Weiner began his heavy duty comedy show. The laughs resonating from all parts of the room, along with his antics, jokes, and humor left a truly funny impression on the crowd.
The evening concluded with some lively dancing and great music.
Thank you to everyone for coming out and supporting the evening and being part of such a magnificent celebration.
To see over 70 more pictures taken by Oded Burger scroll down to the bottom of this page
Evening Thank You's
The Chabad Center of Sudbury would like to thank the following individuals for their help in making this event a success.
Catering By Andrew for the great food (http://www.cateringbyandrew.com)
Sandy Burr Country Club (www.sandyburr.com)
Jeff Ewald for the Music (JE Teknical Solutions/ [email protected]/ 617.960.6190)
Menachem Freeman @ Vaad Printing (http://www.vaadprinting.com/)
Oded Burger for the Photography ([email protected])
Marc Weiner the Comedian
Aliya Boymel for the Floral Design
Lori Goldman for all her help and support
Tehilla Cherubino for all her help and support
Kerry Weinstein for all his help and the Photography
Stephanie Myara for all her help
Reut Koren
Michael Potash for the Video
Ilana Kleynerman
Mr. Arieh Freeman & Mr. Elozor Plotke
And to all of you who came and participated, who joined in the journal, or who support the work of the Chabad Center of Sudbury throughout the year.
75 Pictures & Full Text of Rabbi Freeman's & The Schwartz's Remarks below
Lag Baomer 4 Year Celebration May 2nd 2010
Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen,
Shehehchiyanu Vekiyamanu VehHigianu Lazeman Hazeh, Our thanks to G-d Almighty for enabling us to celebrate this special moment.
On behalf of Shayna and myself we thank you for joining us this evening’s celebration as we celebrate 4 years of the Chabad Center of Sudbury, say thank you to our supporters and pay tribute to the evening’s honorees.
Today is a very special day in the Jewish calendar as Jews worldwide mark the holiday of Lag Baomer, the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, a day on which we celebrate Jewish unity and our Jewish identity with happy and joyous events. What more appropriate day to celebrate this great gathering of unity, joy, and growth of the work of the Chabad Center of Sudbury.
In 1950 right after the Holocaust the Lubavitcher Rebbe had a vision of sending emissaries to many corners of the world to establish centers and to reach out and inspire the Jewish people. 6o years on, this vision is now 4000 centers strong and is touching hundreds of thousands of lives each year. The Chabad Center of pays tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe whose guidance and teachings continue to inspire the work of this center.
Thank you to our parents Mr. & Mrs. Freeman from England and Mr. & Mrs Plotke from Los Angeles (who have joined us tonight) for all their encouragement, support, and help throughout these last few years, it has been truly heartwarming to have their support, love and help throughout our infant stages in Sudbury.
I would like to give a special thanks to our senior Chabad Rabbi’s in the area both to Rabbi & Mrs. Levi & Chani Fogelman of Chabad of Natick who helped us establish the center and have continued to provide encouragement and guidance throughout our four years in Sudbury and thank you to Rabbi & Mrs. Lazaros who are not here tonight but have also been there, encouraged us, and helped us numerous times since we arrived here.
On a personal note, I give a huge thanks to my wife Shayna who has constantly worked day and night as a mother, wife, emmisary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Director of Hebrew School, Director of Programming and the one who pulls together every program that we do, including tonight’s celebration.
But there is one more thanks which I wish to make and that is to all of you. When Shayna and myself moved here four years ago we could never have imagined the amount of friends who would befriend us and never have imagined the generosity of people in this community who are so generous in their support to our center and its work. So our biggest thanks and appreciation goes to all of you who are our partners and supporters, both to those who are gathered here tonight and to the many that couldn’t come tonight who have constantly helped us, supported us, been there for us, and encouraged us to grow and succeed and to be able to reach this day.
It almost seems like yesterday when we drove up from NY to Sudbury to establish the Center, but these four years have gone by rapidly, full of exciting events, great programs, and with so many new personal friendships and relationships.
While the move was exciting it was also quite daunting as were not sure how to start and what would be the best way to begin networking here. We only had one or two contacts in town that we had heard about and that was it.
Over time we began to find ways to add the unique Chabad flavor of joy, inclusiveness, and lively Judaism all provided in a friendly, non judgmental and warm environment. We began to see where there are needs that aren’t being filled yet, where we can add to, and to whom can we make a bigger difference. Slowly but surely, one program at a time and one person at a time, we managed to reach hundreds of people and touch hundreds of lives through the Chabad Center of Sudbury.
Four years ago today we celebrated our first Lag Baomer in town with our first barbecue with 15 guests and one deer. Today we are extremely grateful and thankful that we have hundreds of friends in the area, who look out for us, help us, and encourage us in every step of the way. To all of you we say a big thank you, as we would never be here without all of your support, encouragement and friendship.
In the four years we are here some events have been more successful than others, some have provided more hurdles and challenges, and some have exceeded beyond our expectations. Some programs such as the Model Matzah Bakery and the New Year Fair, and the other Holiday programs draw large crowds of up to 150 people; and other smaller programs might draw 3 or 4 people. But the goals of our programs and work always remains the same, to reach out to more people, inspire people, and to provide enjoyable and enriching experiences to as many as possible.
Today as we celebrate Lag Baomer a story comes to mind of the great sage Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai whose life and teachings we celebrate on this day. Rabbi Shimon had once commented negatively about the Roman regime who were persecuting the Jews and as a result he was sentenced to death. He fled into hiding along with his son Rabbi Elazar and for 13 years remained hiding in a cave surviving just on Carobs and Spring water. Finally after 13 years word reached him that the Roman’s weren’t after him anymore and he could emerge from hiding.
Well when he came out of hiding, you know what the 1st thing recorded to have happened is? A media press conference? A vacation with his family? Published his story? Well actually it was none of the above. The first thing he did when he exited his hiding was ask a question “is there something that I can be helpful in correcting or fixing”? So the people told him about a certain road that was difficult to travel on for Kohanim since they were unsure where certain graves were located in that area. Rabbi Shimon immediately got to work and helped them figure it out.
Tonight we are celebrating the four years of work and of the many people reached thanks to all of your help, but there are so many people who we did not yet reach and who haven’t yet had the opportunity to connect with Judaism in a way that resonates with them. So perhaps the lesson of the day is more importantly than celebrating the past is our commitment to the future. How can we reach even more people? How can we provide the joyous and positive experiences to even more people? And how can we do more and be even more productive?
There is one more anecdote that I would like to share that took place many years ago with the Lubavitcher Rebbe in NYC which I think encapsulates the message of the Rebbe and of the work of Chabad. At that time right after the Holocaust the UJA were considering initiating a campaign to memorialize the Holocaust victims on that upcoming Passover by having everyone place an empty chair at their Seder to remember the many victims of the Holocaust. When the delegation asked the Rebbe his thoughts on this idea, he suggested that perhaps instead of another empty chair at the table to remember the Holocaust, perhaps a drive to have another full chair and another guest who wouldn’t otherwise have been at the Seder would be a stronger response and eternal memorial to Hitler and the Holocaust. Instead of focusing just on the memory better to focus on providing a response, or energizing another Jew, and doing our part to ensure that Judaism thrives and flourishes once again.
The bottom line with the Rebbe was action, how is tomorrow going to be better, and how can we reach even more people?
So tonight while we are appreciating the past we also realize that we have so much more work ahead of us, and there are so many people who we need to reach and we turn to you our partners in this endeavor and ask you to continue to help us grow, reach more people, and have a deeper and broader impact on the community. We have only gotten this far thanks you and we ask that you join us in continuing this impact on the community.
Thank you to all of you!
To see over 70 more pictures of the event click here.
Text of the Schwartz's Remarks
If they could see me now…These are words from a song that Shirley MacLaine sang in a terrific Broadway show called "Sweet Charity". .
The words of the song paint a picture of a girl living a life different from what she was expected to live. I can relate to those words. Though I grew up Jewish in Brooklyn, New York I never went to Hebrew school because that’s what the boys did. We celebrated the Jewish holidays in the typical “secular” way…Presents at Hanukkah, a special meal at Passover and we would get dressed up as say “Happy New Year” to our neighbors. It wasn’t until I met my husband, Brian and his family, The Schwartz’s that I began to learn more about customs and traditions of Judaism.. My mother in law, along with her mother, would celebrate the holidays on a deeper level and their family was used to this more traditional celebration each time the holidays rolled around. I began to like the get togethers and I enjoyed going to their temple and listening to their Rabbi’s sermons. That Rabbi 2 years later married us in a beautiful and meaningful ceremony.
A few years later we moved to Boston and enjoyed living in Brookline. Three years after that we decided to stay in the Boston area and move to Sudbury with our first child, josh when he was only one. Listed in the community happenings of the newspaper one day I read that the Chabad Center of Natick was holding a community Sukkot dinner. I suggested to Brian that we check it out. We had a nice time, but who know that meeting Rabbi Fogelman and his lovely wife Chanie that night would change my/ our lives? We have known them for over 15 years now and they have made our lives so rich with a love of Judaism! I have learned so much from them in their wonderful, comfortable, non-judgemental way. The funny thing is so many people I know think I was raised in a deeply religious home because I know a great deal about Judaism. And I think about the words of that song..,… If they could see me now….
Now, it has been 4 years and our knowledge of and commitment to the wonderful things the Chabad movement does on a daily basis in the US and around the world has grown even deeper and larger with the Freemans and the Chabad Center of Sudbury. This young, caring, warm couple has accomplished so much and brought so much to our community, that it is hard to remember a time before they were here. Their reach is wide and inclusive-From visiting seniors in nursing homes and assisted living communities to offering multiple options for Jewish community in Sudbury & Marlborough. Adult education programs, speakers, business networking get-togethers, a vibrant Hebrew School, women’s groups… They do it all and they do it well. Strikingly well. How do they manage while raising their beautiful growing family to help everyone, run fantastic programs, be there for all of us…and always with a great attitude and a smile on their faces?
This is Yiddeshkeit! This is what Judaism is all about. How lucky we all are to have the Chabad of Sudbury here for us. How lucky my family is to have the Chabad of Natick as long time friends! How fortunate we are to have met and become friends with The Freemans! And so…I sometimes think of that words from the song…If they could see me now….and I think of my mom who passed away 10 years ago….She was so happy to know I became fond of and friends with this wonderful group of people. She knows I am in good hands-with my wonderful, thoughtful, caring husband and children providing me with happiness on a daily basis and my Chabad friends who encircle me with their good thoughts, good friendship and great and strong belief system. Everyone who knows me well, knows I always say I thank God everyday and I truly do. Thank you Rabbi and Shayna, for this wonderful Honor.
Full Text of the Brookmyer's Remarks
Robin and I are humbled by this recognition. We're still trying to figure out what we've done to warrant this Jewish Leadership Award. Whatever it is, once we figure it out, we'll try to do it again. We've watched many award shows together and we jokingly would ask each other “what would you say in an acceptance speech”. I've promised Robin years ago that if I ever won an award for anything...she would be the first person that I would thank. So, thank you Robin for putting up with me over the past few hectic years. I also want to thank my children Lindsay and Jordan and his wife Dina.
Jordan first introduced me to Chabad just a few short years ago. Over the years since I first became aware of Chabad, I have continued to be impressed with the outreach efforts of rabbis like Rabbi Freeman and the lifelong dedication of Rabbi Lazaros of Framingham and Rabbi Fogelman of Natick.
For a long time, we had been members in other places but Chabad has resonated much more for. It is precisely in Chabad where we have found events of this type...bringing together so many types of Jews be they reform, conservative or orthodox.
I recall one Pesach that I spent in Hong Kong with no place to go for the first night of Passover. I found that the Hong Kong Chabad was the only one sponsoring a small Seder for 500 Jews from all around the world. What other Jewish organization can do such a thing? From Matzah bakeries and Challah making to a broad range of JLI courses, the Freemans' exemplify Chabad at its best. They are always hard at work reaching out to all Jews with tremendous dedication and zeal.
Recently, Rabbi Freeman had the idea to create a Jewish Business Networking group which has grown in participants and speakers each and every month.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge my nemesis in Framingham. Without their Iranian styled, neo-Nazi anti-Semitic holocaust denials and hate speech, I might never have been motivated to throw myself into the fight which continues to rage at Framingham Public Access TV and in the Metrowest.
Finally, there is an upcoming community wide event organized to celebrate the Israel's 62nd year on Sunday evening May 23rd at the Framingham High School auditorium. It is free of charge and open to the public. It will be sponsored by the ADL and will feature Derek Shulman (regional director) and an address by Israeli consul Rony Yedidia with a presentation by Alex Safian the associate director of CAMERA followed by the documentary film The Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz. Please mark your calendars and come out to make this interfaith event a huge success. We look forward to seeing you all there. Thank you.
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