(Written a week ago but only completed now)
At this time of the year the Chabad is very quiet. Camp has ended and the Bochurim of the Yeshiva are on summer vacation. There are Minyanim thrice daily attended by approx. 15 to 25 worshipers. On shabbos the Shul fills up with over 100 people in attendance.
The "Rohr Judisches Bildungszentrum" (Jewish Learning Center) was completed one year ago. For the opening festivities many a V.I.P. were present, including Uncle Fried to entertain the masses. The building is very beautiful and has received an award for its unique architectural design, primarily for the design of the Womens Gallery which is suspended on 3 sides. Included within the "compound" are a restaurant, fest. hall, Mikva, guest rooms, library, and a computer lounge. There is also a special lounge reserved for the important guests who visit Berlin. Past visitors include MK Eli Yishai, R' Lev Leviev, Harav Lau and others.
Also under the auspices of Chabad is a Yeshiva of 10 bochurim who learn during the evening with local Baalei Batim, a school with 130 children, and new for this year, the Torah College, which is a part time yeshiva for Baalei Teshuva. There are currently 13 students enrolled.
To all:
At the moment i find myself in Berlin, Germany, a city which was home to the Rebbe from 1928 up until the Yimach Shimoy'nicks rise to power in 1933, hence the purpose of my journey.
Tonight (last week mon.) will conclude a cycle of seven days that i have been in Berlin and as of late there is not much that i have to say.
Upon alighting the airplane i was surprised to hear a woman, speaking on her cell phone in German, suddenly switch to Hebrew! At the close of her phone conversation I greeted her with a surprised Shalom! and we began conversing in Hebrew. Turns out she is very familiar with Chabad in Berlin, where she currently resides with her husband of 4 months, and happens to be an einikel of the Alter Rebbe. Its always more comforting to meet a fellow Jew in a foreign country.
Berlin is a very clean city comparatively to other large cities. On par with the classic Yecke lifestyle. While driving in the taxi from the airport it seems as if you can hear the buildings. Different from the usual loud boasting of city houses the buildings here seem to be peacefully coexisting. The apartment houses, a collection of resembling blocks, each house matching perfectly to the other, whisper quietly amongst themselves. The residents (at least the majority of them) seem to mirror that too.
At this time of the year the Chabad is very quiet. Camp has ended and the Bochurim of the Yeshiva are on summer vacation. There are Minyanim thrice daily attended by approx. 15 to 25 worshipers. On shabbos the Shul fills up with over 100 people in attendance.
The "Rohr Judisches Bildungszentrum" (Jewish Learning Center) was completed one year ago. For the opening festivities many a V.I.P. were present, including Uncle Fried to entertain the masses. The building is very beautiful and has received an award for its unique architectural design, primarily for the design of the Womens Gallery which is suspended on 3 sides. Included within the "compound" are a restaurant, fest. hall, Mikva, guest rooms, library, and a computer lounge. There is also a special lounge reserved for the important guests who visit Berlin. Past visitors include MK Eli Yishai, R' Lev Leviev, Harav Lau and others.
Also under the auspices of Chabad is a Yeshiva of 10 bochurim who learn during the evening with local Baalei Batim, a school with 130 children, and new for this year, the Torah College, which is a part time yeshiva for Baalei Teshuva. There are currently 13 students enrolled.
The people who come to the Chabad are mostly Russians, as is the local population. The people here are very nice and cordial and enjoy coming to Chabad in spite of the fact that there is another Ortodox shul not too far away. The second shabbos was more lovely as the first as i got to know the people here better.
ok thats enof sed for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment