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
Thursday evening, (21st May) this week begins the Festival of Shavuot.
The Chag (Festival) is celebrated for two days Friday and Shabbat, one going straight into the other.
The festival recalls the miraculous events at Mt Sinai in the Jewish year of 2448. The Jewish people gathered around the Mount Sinai to hear the one and only time that G-d spoke to the Jewish people directly, giving the Torah, His prize possession.
The midrash reveals that G-d chose this mountain because it was small and unimposing. With this G-d conveyed a vital lesson: the gateway to Torah is humility.
Seemingly, then, it would have been appropriate for the Giving of the Torah to have occurred on level ground or perhaps in a valley. G-d chose a mountain, albeit a low one, to inform us that together with humility, we must nurture a degree of self-assurance, without which we would fail to uphold the Torah’s dictates in a difficult setting.
G-d empowers us to be filled with uplifting joy at our partnership with Him, and to be confident about our mission to implement His goal for creation.
Please join us or your local Synagogue to hear the 10 Commandments read again as new of Friday, the first day of Shavuot.
Our Chabad Centres all have an array of exciting programmes and “milky” kiddushim to celebrate this special commemorative event.
With our continued prayers for everlasting peace in Isarel the protection of our soldiers and peace across the globe.
Wishing you a joyful and meaningful Chag Shavuot.
