Chabad of Mitzpe Ramon

Where there's life there's Bud;
Where there's Coke there's Chabud.

I've had a number of posts about Chabad events in Mitzpe Ramon, so this seems like a good time to say something about Chabad of Mitzpe Ramon. The Chabad shaliach in Mitzpe Ramon is Rabbi Zvi Haim Slonim. He is a large man, with an even bigger voice. He is fluent in many languages - Hebrew, Yiddish, English, and Russian. His shul congregation is drawn largely from the Russian Jews of Mitzpe Ramon.

 Rabbi Zvi Haim Slonim, Chabad shaliach in Mitzpe Ramon

In addition to the Chabad shul, there is a new Chabad House, The Center for the Study of Judaism in the Desert. The Chabad House has sleeping and eating capacity for a large number of people, around 60. Almost every Shabbat and Holiday, Rabbi Slonim has a large group of Jewish students from various schools in Israel staying over. Individuals and tourist groups also use the Chabad House as a hostel when they are in town, with previous arrangements. One day, not long ago, there was a group of about 40 Jews from Florida who were on tour and stayed over night at the Chabad House.

Both the Chabad Shul and Chabad House are easy to find, and are quite close to each other. The shul only has services on Shabbat, just after candle lighting on Friday, 10:00AM on Shabbat morning, and about the same time as candle lighting for Mincha on Saturday. There is usually no Shalos Seudot in shul on Saturday evening.

Chabad Shul and Chabad House as marked on the map

The shul is small and located in two rooms of a converted apartment building on the ground floor. The men's section is an "L" shaped room, with the women's section in the room behind, separated by a doorway covered with a blanket. Ok, so it's set up mainly for men. Very few women attend the service on Shabbat.

Chabad Shul in Mitzpe Ramon. The entrance is immediately to the left of the "Beit Chabad" sign (As always, click for a full-size image)

The Chabad House is newly converted from an old hotel, and the outside is still incomplete. When finished, it's supposed to look like a reproduction of the famed "770" in Crown Heights. It has room for about 60 guests.

Mark and Uncle Rafi Finkel make the sign for "770" outside the new Chabad House in Mitzpe Ramon.

For more information you should contact Rabbi Slonim himself.

Mobile from US: 011-972-54-4595770

Home from US: 011-972-8-6588415

Fax from US: 011-972-8-6595770

eMail: chabad-m@inter.net.il

My experience is that Rabbi Slonim is not very good at responding to email, at least not in English, so call if you want to contact him.

Rabbi Slonim dances with IDF soldiers in Mitzpe Ramon this Purim