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
Parshat Tzav – Shabbat Hagadol….
This Shabbat, we read the second Portion of the Book / Chumash of Leviticus, the third Chumash in the Torah.
This portion continues the theme of last week’s portion. G-d tells Moses to command Aaron and his sons to follow the procedures for offering sacrifices. This is followed by the week long installation rites by which both the priests and the Tabernacle were inaugurated.
The Shabbat which precedes Passover is called Shabbat haGadol, the Great Sabbath, for many and varied reasons.
On the tenth of Nissan, five days before their redemption. the Children of Israel were given their first commandment which applied only to that Shabbat, but not to future generations: On the tenth day of this month [Nissan]… each man should take a lamb for the household, a lamb for each home (Exodus 12:3).
This mitzvah was to prepare a lamb for the Passover offering four days before it was to be brought as a sacrifice. When asked by their Egyptian neighbours, they told them that this was a sacrifice to their G-d who commanded them such.
The Egyptians, for whom the lamb was a deity, gnashed their teeth in anger but could not utter a sound in protest.
Many other miracles as well were performed in connection with the Passover offering, we therefore refer to this day as Shabbat haGadol. A special Haftorah is read.
Wishing you a meaningful Shabbat followed by a successful week.
Passover begins on WEDNESDAY 1st April in the evening, when we celebrate our FIRST of TWO Seder services.
Please check our website for further details.
Our Communal Seder held on the first night is fast filling up, should you wish to join us, PLEASE register today. WISHING YOU A MEANINGFUL PASSOVER FESTIVAL.
