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
Bamidbar…in the desert.
This week we begin a new Chumash / Book, being the fourth of the Torah named Bamidbar.
It begins with a description of the Jewish people’s journey from the foot of Mt Sinai to the threshold of the Land of Israel. The first section begins as G-d tells Moses to take a census of the adult males. The purpose of the census is to form the adult males into an army, should it be necessary to fight the non – Jewish occupants of the Land of Israel.
“The Israelites must camp around the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle)” (2:2)
The people encamped on all four sides of the Tabernacle in order to protect this holy edifice and the Torah that was contained within.
Similarly, we must guard our own personal sanctuary, within our hearts and our homes from all four sides.
- Cool spiritual indifference on the cold north
- Hot, lustful passions on the warm south,
- Self-gratification over brilliant accomplishments on the morning east,
- And from dark despair on the evening west.
Wishing you a meaningful Shabbat and successful week to follow.
With our continued prayers for the IDF, Israel and our brothers and sisters across the globe with Moshiach now.
