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 37^th 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

EIKEV – Heal…

In the third section of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses continues his second farewell address to the Jewish people. He implores them to observe even what appears to be minor commandments, which a person might some to figuratively trample with his heel (Eikev – in Hebrew).

Moses says to the Jewish people, “Take care lest you say to yourself, ‘it is my own strength and the might of my hand that have accumulated this wealth for me.” (8:17)

Children often surpass their parents in many ways, even though they inherited their talents and abilities from their parents. The reason that children can manifest capabilities that their parents don’t seem to possess is because these talents laid dormant in the parents and only became active in their children.

Similarly, G-d calls the Jewish people His children. He has indeed left it up to us to bring the world to its completion, granting us a measure of power that He has relinquished. Thus, when we accomplish something that helps bring the world closer to its ultimate fulfilment, we might mistakenly ascribe this accomplishment to our own power.

Therefore, the Torah reminds us that just as children owe their superior powers to their parents, from whom they inherited them, so should we recall that we owe all of our power to accomplish great things in this world exclusively to G-d.

Have a successful week and a peaceful meaningful Shabbat to follow.