WELCOME TO CHABAD HAVERING
Chabad North East London & Essex launches the foundation for its latest Chabad Branch.
Chabad N.E. London & Essex are delighted to announce the recent launch of its newest chapter in the area of Havering, which covers amongst others the area of Collier Row, Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster & Rainham.
With the ongoing migration of the Jewish Community across Essex, Chabad locally have been mapping where families are choosing to live outside the well-known areas of Ilford, Redbridge & beyond.
Activities began in January with regular meetings, discussion groups, one to one learning and a Challah bake led by Mrs Devorah Sufrin. Last week a joint Challah bake was held in Romford Synagogue to which there were some twenty five participants. A new website displaying recent and ongoing services is live on www.chabadhavering.co.uk.
Rabbi Sufrin MBE, Exec Director Chabad N E London & Essex says; “continuous requests have been made to us over a fair period of time, asking Chabad to get more involved in the area of Havering. In discussion with my wife Devorah, we decided that we must respond. In addition to three thriving Chabad Houses, based in Ilford, Buckhurst Hill & Epping with full time Chabad Emissaries, regular activities are held in Southend and now Havering.”
For now, these additional areas are serviced in the main by Rabbi & Mrs Sufrin, as the foundations are laid and relationships are built, scouting the wider areas mapping where Jewish people are living. This is often the way that in due course the seeds are sown in order to secure further Shluchim (emissaries) leading to full time Chabad Centres.
Funding will have to be secured to bring these new areas into realities, but as Rabbi Sufrin tells us,
“even though funding is always a concern and a challenge, however, as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Schneerson zy”o taught us so well, that when it comes to Jewish Education and the needs of securing Jewish Communities, we cannot allow funding to hold us back”
Rabbi & Mrs Sufrin celebrate their 37th anniversary of Chabad leadership locally picking up the baton of his late Parents Rev Aron Dov & Hennie Sufrin z”l who laid the first seeds for Chabad back in 1976, from which Chabad across Essex continues to flourish.
Thought for the week from Rabbi A. M. Sufrin MBE
VAYEILICH… and he (Moses) went
The Ninth section of the Chumash of Deuteronomy is the shortest of all the portions in the whole Torah with just 30 verses, said by Moses on the day he is to leave this physical world. Moses installed Joshua as his successor, continuing with how Moses wrote down the Torah and commanded the Jewish people to assemble every seven years to hear it read in the holy Temple.
Moses told the people…”Today I am exactly 120 years old.” (31:2)
The fact that Moses’ last year of his life was not left unfinished, indicates that he lived his life to the fullest, wasting no time or leaving undone any part of the task with which he was charged.
The fact that Moses’ physical life so perfectly mirrored his spiritual life indicated that he successfully overcame the division between his physical and spiritual life. His spiritual perfection was mirrored in this manifestation of physical perfection.
Moses life should inspire us to live our life to the fullest, the consciousness of our Divine mission permeating every minute and every item in our lives. When we do so, we dissolve the artificial division of spiritual and physical, revealing the innate Divinity underlying all reality.
With prayers for our hostages release the wellbeing of our IDF and security of the whole of Israel with the arrival of Moshiach.
YOM KIPPUR: Beginning Wednesday evening at 6.24 through Thursday evening 7.30. There is a place for you in one of our Chabad centres. Be a part of it and feel connected! Shana Tova!
