770 Comes To Mitzpe Ramon

770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn is the World Headquarters of the Lubavitch Chasidim. It is where the Lubavitcher Rebbe's offices and shul were and where he would receive his chasidim and visitors from around the world. I remember standing in the long lines there waiting to speak with the Rebbe, ask his advice, and receive a dollar from him to give to tzdakah (charity). It remains the world headquarters of the movement and is as well known and famous to many Jews as the Capitol or Whitehouse in America.

770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY

Because of its fame, it has sometimes been reproduced as the facade of Chabad Houses elsewhere, although the best known one, until now, has been Kfar Chabad in Israel. Now, Mitzpe Ramon will soon be able to boast its own reproduction of 770 Eastern Parkway, as the new Chabad House here is nearing completion after some years of building and remodeling. The new Chabad House in Mitzpe Ramon can house upwards of 60 people, and is the location of seminars, symposia and shabaton's for many different groups of Jews from all over Israel. Seen below is the Chabad shaliach in Mitzpe Ramon, Rabbi Tzvi Slonim, as he stands in the doorway of Mitzpe Ramon's own "770". Kal Hakovod and Mazel Tov to  Rabbi Slonim on this remarkable accomplishment. Let's wish him well in his endeavors to finish raising the money to pay for it!

Mitzpe Ramon's own replica of 770 Eastern Parkway with Rabbi Slonim standing in the doorway.

Update July 21, 2011

The windows of the new "770" Chabad House in Mitzpe Ramon were completed today, and the scaffolding taken down. Getting closer and closer to completion:

Mitzpe Ramon's "770" Chabad House got closer to completion today as the window treatments were completed and the scaffolding taken down. Mazel Tov to Rabbi Slonim and the whole community!

Shmuel - The Chabad Kohen of Mitzpe Ramon

This week's Torah reading, Naso, contains the commandment for the Kohanim to bless the Children of Israel with the beautiful Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24–26):

May Hashem (G-d) bless you and guard you;

May Hashem make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you;

May Hashem lift up his face onto you and give you peace .

If you go to shul to pray with a minyan in Israel, the thing that comes as the biggest surprise is that the Kohanim duchan, recite the Priestly Blessing, every day, twice a day. Having grown up outside of Israel, where the Kohanim only recite the Priestly Blessing during the Sholosh Regalim and High Holidays - especially festive occasions - , it still brings me up short and excites me to hear it recited every day.

Some shul communities are fortunate to have many Kohanim. In Englewood, NJ, the shul we went to had  dozens, seemingly half the shul was Kohanim, a very strange and rare occurrence. Some small shuls can't even count a single Kohen, unfortunate since the Priestly Blessing can only be recited by one of the descendants of Aaron, the first Kohen. More likely, a small shul has a single Kohen.

Shmuel haKohen of Mitzpe Ramon Chabad

Our Chabad shul in Mitzpe Ramon has Shmuel haKohen. At least this is the name I know him by, although I'm sure he has a proper last name. I believe he is originally from North Africa, whether Morocco or Algeria, I don't know. Shmuel haKohen has a kindly but serious look about him and likes to tease the children in shul. He ritually washes his hands before the first Priestly Blessing on Shabbat, and after that is careful not to touch anyone directly with his hands, shielding them with his Tallit when he shakes hands and says "Shabbat Shalom". Others, in turn, shield there hands with their own Tallis when shaking his hand, resulting in a double layer of protection.

I don't know if it is this or the seriousness with which he recites the Blessing or perhaps just the fact that we are in Israel, but when you are in his presence and he duchans, you really feel as if G-d has blessed you through him. Yasher Koach, Shmuel haKohen!

My view of Shmuel haKohen as he duchans.

   

Lag B'Omer Day in Mitzpe Ramon - The Chabad Party

Lag B'Omer day was quiet in Mitzpe Ramon. People who spent the night at their bonfires or who went to Mt. Meron, the site of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's grave, were asleep. Few tourists were in town. The quiet was heightened by the absence of school children, Lag' B'Omer being a school holiday. The only small bit of excitement was the group of anglo-Israeli IDF recruits doing map reading training in Mitzpe Ramon, and that didn't last long.

Things started to heat up around 4:00 when the Chabad children's Lag B'Omer party began. There were several hundred children partying, playing, eating and learning on the large lawn in front of Chabad.

Playing on the Jolly Jumpers at the Chabad Lag B'Omer party.

There were games like bowling...

 Bowling knocks over the Yetzer Ha'rah. I had no idea! I wonder if R. Shimon bar Yochai played?

...and the traditional bows and arrows...

Tradition holds that during R. Shimon bar Yochai's lifetime no rainbow appeared, hence children play with bows and arrows on Lag B'Omer. 

The rainbow is a sign of G-d's displeasure with the world, which He told Noach he would show rather than destroy the world again. In the merit of R. Shimon bar Yochai, none appeared during his lifetime. There is also a tradition that on Lag B'Omer a special rainbow in a new hue will appear to announce the coming of Moshiach. Unfortunately, none was seen over Mitzpe Ramon yesterday. But I am sure that is where it will first be seen, and I will report it here!

There was a raffle for toys at which Rabbi Slonim, the Chabad shaliach in Mitzpe Ramon, presided over while leading the children in various Torah pesukim.

 Leading the children in Torah pesukim.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe asked children to hold parades on Lag B'Omer to show their Jewish pride and unity, especially since Rabbi Akiva's students perished in a plague because of their lack of respect for each other. And so, it was off to the Great Mitzpe Ramon Children's parade to climax the party.

The great Mitzpe Ramon Lag B'Omer children's parade!

   

Shabbat in Mitzpe Ramon

It was a lovely spring Shabbat day in Mitzpe Ramon. The temperature was warm but pleasant, somewhere in the low 90s but the traditional low humidity and light breeze kept things comfortable, at least in the shade.

I count 6 Shabbat minyans, possibly 7. There is the crater shul, just up the street from us, with an Ashkenazic minyan on one side and a Sephardic minyan on the other. Then there is the main Sephardic shul and the Chabad down the street toward the center of town, followed by the kolel yeshiva minyan and the shul just up the street from them. Sometimes the high school yeshiva boys stay in town and they have another large minyan across the park from the crater shul.

The crater shuls -- Sephard on the left, Ashkenaz on the right

The minyans all start at various times, most around 8:00, with Chabad being the latest at 10:00. I almost always go to Chabad and see people going to and fro from shul thorughout the old section of town where we live between 9:30 and 10:00 in the morning. After shul there is usually a large continget that gathers throughout the day at the bird's nest eerie overlooking the machtesh just up Nachal Gerofit. There eveyone seems gaily dressed in white, with the boys wearing white shirts and khaki pants. The women's head coverings are alll white, some spangled with sparklers of various kinds, others with colors. I never thought I would see white as a "gay" color, but it seems to be when everyone wears it for Shabbat. Although Chasidim traditionally wear black, non-chasidic religious Israelis all seem to wear white on Shabbat and holidays.

There is a languid and lazy atmosphere around town in the afternoon. Lots of people walking to and fro, and occasionally the hippies jamming in an apartment near us. The dogs run around and bark at people, while children play in the park. Later, I sleep and wake for minyan, skipping Shalos Seudos.

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

   

Tanya Pun

From the Globus Max movie theater in Beer Sheva:

Tanya Pun
(Click for larger image)

  

Purim Day in Mitzpe Ramon

Again, more megillah readings than you could shake a grager at. I went to the Chabad shul, not least of which reason was because they started davening at 8:30 AM, a most civilized time for me. The Chabad shul in Mitzpe Ramon is a small "L"-shaped room, with a room behind the long leg of the "L" for women and children. Ok, so it's basically set up for men. Most of the regular congregants are Russian, but Rabbi Slonim always has many bochrim who visit for holidays and Shabbat. Purim was no exception.

Davening at Chabad on Purim morning

After the megillah reading Rabbi Slonim and some of the bochrim went to Nafha prison outside of Mitzpe Ramon to read the megillah for the 50 or so Jews there. Nafha is one of Israel's high security prisons and mostly holds Palestinian terrorists, but Rabbi Slonim told me that Jewish prisoners who are hard cases are put there as well. I believe Yigal Amir, Yitzchak Rabin's assassin is held there, so Rabbi Slonim may have read the megillah for him as well.

Rabbi Slonim set up a table at the city center to do a public megillah reading, especially for the Israeli soldiers who come through town. Sunday is the busiest day for them, since that is when they return to base from their Shabbos leave, and since Purim was on Sunday this year, there were hundreds and hundreds who passed through town. Purim clowns were in attendance, and shalloch manos was distributed to the troops. It is always interesting to me to see all of the women in uniform. Israel has a universal service requirement for both men and women. Some of the women are just girls and so slight it looks like they might not have the strength to lift their big boots. But they do, and they carry M-16s, too.

IDF soldires in Mitzpe Ramon on Purim day

 Many hundreds of soldiers pass through Mitzpe Ramon on a Sunday

Rabbi Slonim danced with the soldiers throughout the day and before starting the reading of the megillah in the town center.
  

Dancing with the IDF (Israeli Defense Force)

Then the megillah was read.

Rabbi Slonim reads the megillah in the town center for Purim

 Clowning around on Purim
 

                             Dancing with Tzahal

Latter in the day Rabbi Slonim held a large Purim Seudah at the new Chabad house, but we had already signed up to do our own.

However, no Purim is complete without drinking "ad sheloh yadeh", until you don't know the difference between "blessed is Mordechai" and "cursed is Haman".


               Yeshivah bochers in Mitzpe Ramon

Night Time Megillah Reading at Chabad of Mitzpe Ramon

There are many megillah readings in Mitzpe Ramon. More than I can count, more than I know about. Pam and I went to the one held at the new Chabad House in Mitzpe Ramon. Before the megillah reading Rabbi Tzvi Slonim, the Chabad shaliach in Mitzpe Ramon, lead a spirited round of dancing accompanied to Purim music played on the accordion.

Rabbi Slonim (left) leads the dancing before the megillah reading
(For a full size image, click on photos)

There were clowns, candy and shaloch manos for the kids.

Rabbi Slonim with a 10 foot clown of Mitzpe Ramon

There were all kinds of costumes, including Pam  as a busy, buzzy Purim bee.

Busy, buzzy, Purim Bee Pam

Ladies of Achachveros' retired harem?

In Israel, you get to use a REAL half-shekel for Machaztit ha'Shekel.

Half-shekel

Finally, the megillah reading begins, led by one of the Chabad Yesivah boys.

Megillah reading at the new Chabad House in Mitzpe Ramon

As is the Chabad custom, Haman's name is only blotted out with noise when the megillah gives his full name, Haman the Agagite or Haman ha'Rashah, etc. But when they did, it was a commotion like I have never heard, with the clopping led by Rabbi Slonim as he and the Yeshiva boys paraded around the room, banging large kitchen pots and making cymbals of large pot lids.

Rabbi Slonim gives Haman a shellacking like he has never had before

After the megillah reading and Havdallah, 

Rabbi Slonim gave out gifts, and what better way to pick the winners than by lottery!

 Putting the "Pur" back into Purim

  

Shabbat Bris

This was an eventful Shabbos in Mitzpe Ramon. There was a Shabbaton at the boys' high school and Rabbi Slonim, the Chabad shaliach, made a Bris for his new born son. I joined the boys yeshiva for Kaballat Shabbos at the crater's rim. There was a magnificent sunset and much singing and dancing. It was a transcendent time. Tzfat has nothing on Mitzpe Ramon when it comes to the supernal, transcendent light of the Shabbos.

Rabbi Slonim, the Chabad shaliach in Mitzpe Ramon

In addition to Rabbi Slonim's Bris, it was the Shabbos before Yud Shevat, an important date in the Chabad calendar, which is the Yahrzeit of the previous Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchok, and the commemoration of the the ascent of the current Rebbe, if I can use that expression, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. The Chabad shul in Mitzpe Ramon is small, an L-shaped room with a room behind for women. But we took a second Torah outdoors so everyone could have an aliyah, it being a custom that all Chasidim be called up to the Torah on the Shabbos before Yud Shevat. When the Rebbe was still alive I used to go with Rabbi Levin, the Chabad shaliach in Palo Alto, to 770 for the Fabringen that commemorated the event. There were many thousands of Chasidim and supporters there from all over the world. Sadly, it is just a memory now.

After davening, we proceeded to the new Chabad House where the Bris was to be held. A large community of people packed into the room for the Bris, which was accompanied by singing and dancing by the yeshiva boys, divrei Torah, followed by the Bris itself. The boy was named "Yosef", after the previous Rebbe, but not "Yosef Yitzchok", since one of Rabbi Slonim's sons is already named "Levi Yitzchok".

We had kiddush and a meal after the Bris. Rabbi Slonim speaks in Hebrew, Russian and English. For my benefit he made some of his remarks in English, saying on the first day that we arrived in Mitzpe Ramon I was present for a Bris at the Chabad House, and now I was present for a second soon after.

I was the Sandek for this Bris on the day we arrived in Mitzpe Ramon. Just call me "Godfather".

The desert is a place for miracles. It is where the Torah was given, and the spies, who didn't want the Jewish people to enter the Land of Israel, wanted to stay in the desert. There was another miraculous connection between us and Rabbi Slonim. We had lived in Palo Alto, where Rabbi Slonim had been just a year before for medical treatment for his daughter, and were most recently members at Lubavitch of the Palisades, whose shaliach, Rabbi Shain, was one of the supporters of the new Chabad House in Mitzpe Ramon.

The mohel (ritual circumsciser) was a young Chabad chosid who had three lovely daughters. I guess you could say this was an extreme case of the shoemaker's children not having any shoes. I sat next to him and his oldest daughter in shul. This daughter, about 6 I think, was learning Mishnayot during davening, more assiduously than anyone I had ever seen, slowly going over each word for several pages. Occasionally she would stop and ask her father about a word. It was wonderful to see this little girl learning with her father.

Gut Voch. Shavuah Tov. Have a Good Week.