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
BEHAR – BECHUKOTAI
This week we conclude the reading of the Chumash / Book of Vayikra – Leviticus, with the reading of the double Sedrot of Behar (the mountain) & Bechukotai.(rules)
Behar, begins with G-d telling Moshe at the foot of the mountain, to command the Jewish people to observe the laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years.
Bechukotai, opens as G-d promises the Jewish people that if they follow His rules they will be rewarded with material wealth and wellbeing. The opposite is also true: By neglecting G-d’s laws, they will forfeit His blessings. This is followed by instructions on how and under what circumstances they may donate to the Temple and / or the priests.
(G-d instructed Moses to tell the Jewish people,) “I will remove (harmful) wild beasts from the land”
This blessing will come to its fullest fruition in the Messianic era, when the “wolf will lie with the lamb” in peace. There will indeed still be wolves, but they will not be predatory.
Both, in order to ready ourselves for the Messianic future and in order to hasten its arrival, we should try to live “messianic” lives now to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, instead of destroying the wild and untamed elements of ourselves and of our world, we should transform them and use them for goodness.
Wishing you a meaningful Shabbat and a successful week to follow. With our continued prayers for our IDF soldiers and long term peace for Israel, her neighboring borders and the Jewish community worldwide.
