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
Va’etchanan….he pleaded
The Second section / Sedra of the Chumash of Deuteronomy opens as Moses pleads with G-d to allow him to enter into the Land of Israel. Moses tells the Jewish People that they will soon enter the land of Israel, without him.
Moses tells the Jewish people at Mt Sinai,
“You were shown in order to know that G-d is the only deity. There is nothing other than Him.” (4:35)
By revealing His essence, which is beyond creation, G-d enabled us to transcend the limits of nature, as well.
In order to overcome life’s challenges and tests, we need only remind ourselves that “there is nothing other than Him,” i.e., that nothing can constitute a real obstacle to fulfilling G-d’s intentions, since everything, in the final analysis, is part of G-d’s essence.
Evoking this awareness elevates our Divine consciousness to the level of truly perceiving G-d’s essence everywhere. This in turn, serves to hasten the Messianic Redemption, when “the glory of G-d will be revealed and all flesh will see it together.”
With the Fast of Av behind us we can now look forward to the coming of Moshiach, when peace will reign for all, safety and security of our IDF and an everlasting peace for Israel and the whole of Jewry worldwide.
