Illuminating Illinois one soul at at time
Passover celebrates the exodus of our forefathers from ancient Egypt. How much do you know about the historic Jewish communities of Egypt? Read on in this feature from our website. https://bit.ly/3Tv5S4J
A century ago, there was a thriving Jewish community in Egypt, as there had been since before the Second Temple. Learn more about this unique Sephardic community that has all-but disappeared.
Save the Date: May 9.
Lag B'omer Concert with Eig8th Day!
The first month of the Jewish calendar, the month of Nissan, is coming up. How much do you know about the Jewish calendar? Test your knowledge in this online quiz on our site.
The Jewish calendar is the structure upon which all Jewish holidays are based. It follows the lunar cycle, which means that the year is comprised of 12 lunar months (of approximately 29.5 days each).
? Just unloaded 27 pallets of Handmade Shmurah Matzah for your seder! Contact your local Chabad Center or pm for Shmurah Matzah to grace your seder table. Want to sponsor a case or two and give the gift of freedom to others? Let us know.
Bank collapses. Inflation. Extreme weather. The issues feel enormous and we feel so small, so powerless. How can we avoid becoming overwhelmed by global issues? Read more in this inspirational column on our website.
I know that I should have more faith, but as much as I try, I’m still scared and getting more scared by the day.
Area Chabad holds Purim at Buffalo Grove school, bringing families together in-person for Jewish faith celebration
The Northwest Suburban Chabad held its "Purim Carnival" at Aptakisic Junior High School in Buffalo Grove.
And now, if You will forgive their sin, and if not, obliterate me from Your book that you have written.” (Exodus 32:32)
Moses’ plea can be read two ways. The simple reading is to add a single word: “If you will forgive their sin, good, and if not..”
But you can also read it as it is written:
Whether you forgive them or not, obliterate me.
Why? Why would Moses demand not only his physical death, but utter, eternal, spiritual obliteration? Moses, of all people, who certainly was fully cognizant of what this meant!
Certainly it was out of his love for his people. Because G‑d had told him, “Let me destroy them and I will make you into a great nation.”
At this, Moses shuddered with his entire being.
If not for him, G‑d could not destroy the Jewish people. After all, G‑d had promised their forefathers that their descendants would become a great nation.
If so, it was his existence that made possible the destruction of his own people.
Repulsed and horrified, Moses exclaimed, “Such a creature I cannot be! Please! Obliterate me as though I never was!”
This is a Jewish leader. There is no cell in his body that is not made of love for his people.
Purim is tonight and tomorrow (Tuesday)! Please visit our online purim megasite to prepare for the special day! We cover it all, from practical guides, recipes and inspirational videos - you're sure to find something new for this year!
Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from the wicked Haman in the days of Queen Esther of Persia.
Ephraim Moscowitz, 93, Pioneer of Judaism in Chicago - A lifelong educator, mentor and role model
CHICAGO—Looking down from the balcony of his fourth-floor condo every Sukkot, Ephraim (Frank) Moscowitz could see dozens of sukkahs on driveways, balconies, porches and patios. It was a far cry from when he was among the only Jews in the city to build a sukkah near his home, an effort that include...
Purim is next Monday night! Here is everything you need to create the perfect Purim menu. https://www.ChabadIllinois.com/article.asp?aid=4660078&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpilot_ChabadIllinois.com&tdate=3/2/2023
Having a festive meal is one of the four mitzvahs of Purim. Traditionally, this meal begins before sundown on Purim day and lasts well into the evening. The table should be festively bedecked with a nice tablecloth and candles, and we wash for bread or challah, and enjoy a meal featuring meat, wine....
Chicago Megillah Reading Centers. Hourly Megillah reading in Rogers Park, Skokie, Lakeview, and Bucktown. For the homebound register at LubavitchMesivta.com/homereading. Plus, readings throughout the city and suburbs chabadillinois.com/purim/events.
Lecture by R’ Ephraim Moscowitz o.b.m. on the history of Jewish Chicago.
Jewish life in Chicago began back when the city was founded. Since then it has grown to be one of America’s largest Jewish communities, and a crown jewel among Jewish cities worldwide. Take a trip down memory lane and revisit the milestones and landmarks that mark the history of Jewish Chicago...
R’ Ephraim Moscowitz, 93, AH
R' Ephraim Moscowitz, a pillar of the Jewish community in Chicago, Illinois, since the 1940s, and the patriarch of a large Chabad family, passed away on Sunday night, 6 Adar.
Peeling back the layers of the Hamantaschen Purim cookies, also called "oznei Haman"... Read on in this feature from our website.
Art by Sefira Lightstone What comes to mind when you think of Purim? Costumes, the megillah, gift baskets, and of course, those delectable three-cornered pastries, hamantaschen. Called oznei Haman in Hebrew, these treats filled with poppy seeds (or other fillings) have been a part of Purim celebrati...
Lessons learned from the Tabernacle in the desert.
For the first time since leaving Egypt, the people were being asked to become active participants.
It's the new month of Adar! What do you know about this joyous month?
Known as a month of celebration and happiness, Adar contains the joyous holiday of Purim. But that isn’t the only thing that makes Adar special.
A healthy, delicious, one-pot kosher dinner. Enjoy this featured kosher recipe from our website. https://www.ChabadIllinois.com/article.asp?aid=5817699&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpilot_ChabadIllinois.com&tdate=2/16/2023
Main Course Israeli-Style Chicken with Couscous, Butternut Squash & Chickpeas By Miriam Szokovski Meat/Dairy Meat Time > 60 Minutes Difficulty Easy Cuisine Israeli Health & Allergies Sugar-Free, Nut-Free
Who is responsible when kids break other people's stuff? Read the reply in this feature from our website. https://www.ChabadIllinois.com/article.asp?aid=5817708&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpilot_ChabadIllinois.com&tdate=2/14/2023
One of my neighbors’ kids was playing near my home and damaged my property. Are the parents supposed to pay for it?
Why does a bagel with schmear feel so Jewish? Read on in this feature from our website. https://www.ChabadIllinois.com/article.asp?aid=3227501&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpilot_ChabadIllinois.com&tdate=2/9/2023
I always thought that lox and bagels on Sunday mornings is as “Jewish” as apple pie is “American.”
Life lessons learned from trees in honor of the 15th of Shevat, sometimes known as Tu Bishevat https://www.ChabadIllinois.com/article.asp?aid=2460857&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpilot_ChabadIllinois.com&tdate=2/6/2023
Since the Torah compares man to “a tree of the field,” we’ve collected nine lessons from the mystics that we can learn from trees.
LGHS and Bnei Ruven of Chicago to Build $14 Million Building
Chicago’s Lubavitch Girls High School has broken ground on a sweeping $14 million building which will also bring major upgrades to the Bnei Ruven building, which has become too small for the growing community’s needs.
Along the path to Torah is the splitting of the sea.
What is the sea? It is the thick blanket of materialism that smothers the fire of your divine soul.
A miracle comes, splits the sea, and the truth is revealed beneath your feet. Now you can receive Torah.
But don’t imagine you can cling to a coarse, material perception of this world and append to it a Torah consciousness.
An entire sea of delusion must part and the world must be seen for what it truly is:
A divine emanation ever awaiting miracles.
Why does Judaism view prayer in the place of sacrifice? Read on in this feature from our website. https://www.ChabadIllinois.com/article.asp?aid=5778739&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialpilot_ChabadIllinois.com&tdate=1/31/2023
There is another purpose to daily prayer that is relevant to everyone.
Judy Silber, 88, a Pillar of Chicago Jewish Community - Known for her good deeds, kindness and devotion to Judaism
Judy Silber, a longtime resident of Chicago, where she was known for her kindness and personal interest in others, passed away on Shabbat, 28 Tevet, bringing to a close a lifetime of good deeds, kindness and devotion to Judaism.
Popular “Klimovitch” Podcast Tops 100K Downloads
Since Ithaca Shliach Rabbi Eli Silberstein started recording chassidishe maises a year-and-a-half ago, children and adults in seven countries have downloaded over 100,000 podcasts. Read what the hype is all about.
Is prayer actually a meaningful experience? Why do we pray? Read more in this feature on our website.
Through prayer, we draw down G‑d’s essence, unleashing the great light and establishing the reflection in the relationship.
There is no moment more vital
than the one right now.
There is no space more crucial
than the one in which you stand.
There is no act more powerful
than the one you have been empowered to do.
For this is the moment
and this is the place
from which the Moshiach may come.
Lubavitch Mesivta of Chicago
Yeshivas Ohr Eliyahu's current all-boys high school is spread over nine buildings. Its new building will help the school grow its enrollment.
Rabbi’s message of hope behind revamp of Ye mural in Fulton Market
“My mentor always taught us to act in a positive way.”
Why did the Ba'al Shem Tov dance three times? Read this pre-Shabbat story to get in the Shabbat spirit!
The Baal Shem Tov turned to his host and said, “I have a custom to dance during Shabbat dinner. Is it OK to dance now?”
This past Friday was the yahrzeit of Maimonides. How many of these things do you know about his monumental life?
Art by Sefira Lightstone 1. He Was Born Into a Prestigious Spanish Family Maimonides was born circa 1135, in Cordoba, in the Andalusia region of Spain. His family traced their ancestry to the compiler of the Mishnah, Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi, and through him, to King David.1 Encouraged by his father—...
At Skokie Jewish center, this mural by the ‘Pop Art Rabbi’ aims to convey the essence of a ‘mitzvah’
“There is public art in Skokie and Chicago,” says the Lubavitch Chabad of Skokie rabbi who tapped his friend Rabbi Yitzchok Moully to create the mural. “But there isn’t Jewish public art. And that’s what I wanted.”
Here's a story about how my colleague saved an elderly Holocaust survivor on Chicago's South Side from cremation...
Living on the rough-and-tumble South Side of Chicago, it had been decades since Jakob had been in contact with organized Jewish community life, which is mostly concentrated in the city’s northern sections.
We like to believe that with just the right words we can influence anyone to make better choices. But there are limits... Read on in this feature from our website.
The father frequently staggered around in public, even collapsing in a drunken heap in the gutter. He became the object of mockery and ridicule.
He painted a mural of Kanye West. Then a rabbi called.
The Chicago artist envisioned a lasting tribute to the hip-hop superstar. But Ye's antisemitic rants changed his perspective.
A delicious kosher treat and so easy to make! Enjoy this featured kosher recipe from our website.
Dessert How to Make Halva at Home By Miriam Szokovski Meat/Dairy Pareve Time Difficulty Easy Cuisine Israeli Health & Allergies Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free
From the Archives: Chicago Mayor Seeks blessing from the Previous Lubavitch Rebbe (in 1933)
Sakala nr. 24, 28 February 1933
https://dea.digar.ee/article/sakalaew/1933/02/28/11
An interesting story that appeared in several Estonian newspapers in February - March 1933 told how the office of Chicago Mayor Cermak, who died from a bullet intended for FDR, had placed calls to Riga asking the Sixth Rebbe, who was then living in Latvia, to pray for the mayor. The stories went on to say that the phone was picked up by the Rebbe's son-in-law, who directed them to contact the Rebbe, who was then in Berlin.
When one considers that the Frierdiker Rebbe had been in Chicago not that long before, this all makes sense.
A phone call was made from Chicago to Riga's local Jewish Rabbi Schneerson, who is considered the holiest clergyman in the world. The caller was a Chicago socialite Codmar. The latter informed that the daughter of Mayor Cermak had come to him with the news that her father, who was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt against President Roosevelt, was dying in the hospital and was asking for a blessing from Rabbi Schneerson.
However, Schneerson was not at home as he was on a trip to Berlin. The phone call was received by Schneerson's son-in-law, who suggested a phone call to Berlin.
About a quarter of an hour later, another phone call was made from Chicago, this time from Mayor Cermak's apartment. They asked where Schneerson was so that they could talk to him on the phone. The mayor of Chicago Cermak himself wants to talk to him and wants to ask to pray for his soul. The necessary information was provided.
Päewaleht, nr. 58, 28 veebruar 1933
https://dea.digar.ee/article/paevalehtew/1933/02/28/27
Jewish saint - Rabbi Schneerson
Riga, 27.2. As reported, Albert Goodman, a socialite from Chicago, telephoned Rabbi Schneerson's apartment in Riga, to inform the Rabbi that the latter would pray for the recovery of Chicago’s Mayor Cermak, who was seriously wounded.
As it turns out calls were made to the Rabbi's apartment from Chicago already on Saturday morning at 11 o'clock. However, due to Saturday - the Jewish holiday - none of the people at home answered the phone. When the call was made again after a while, the servant answered the phone and informed that none of the Schneerson's talked on the phone on Saturday. The Riga telephone station relayed this message to Goodman in Chicago.
The latter called for the third time at 7 in the evening, when the weekday begins again for the Jews after sunset.
In the past, Rabbi Schneerson has been approached many times from many countries with requests for prayer, but now it was the first time that the request for prayer came from a Christian, because the mayor of Chicago is neither Jewish nor of Jewish faith.
Pictured is Rabbi Schneerson, who is presumed to have miracle-working abilities.
The Chicago Jewish Sentinel, v. 89 no. 9, 3 March 1933
http://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/p16614coll14/id/29038/rec/3
Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneursohn, the world-famed “Lubavitcher Rebbe” who visited Chicago during a world tour he made several years ago, graciously complied with the request of Albert Goodman of Chicago that the venerated Chassidic leader offers a prayer for Mayor Cermak's recovery. Reached by telephone at Berlin where he is now staying, Rabbi Schneursohn last week cabled the following prayer to Mr. Goodman: "I pray to the Lord of all flesh that God receive the prayers of the masses on behalf of Mayor Cermak whose noble deeds should be well received in the time of his distress, so he may be speedily cured." Mr. Goodman immediately wired the message to Mrs. Floyd Kenlay, Mayor Cermak's daughter, in Miami. The intercession was most timely and undoubtedly helped to keep up the spirits of all about the bedside of the stricken Mayor whose clinging to life is nothing short of miraculous. A number of local rabbis joined in offering prayers over the radio for the Mayor's recovery. Rabbi Schneursohn is descended from the wonder-working Prague rabbi who created the Golem.
Thank you Rabbi Menachem Posner & the Tallinn Synagogue for sharing this information.
Where does the name "Israel" come from? Read this feature from our website.
The homeland of the Jews (also called Israelites) is Israel, which means literally, “One who struggles with G‑d.”
Rabbi Moshe Miller, 67, Translator and Teacher of Chassidism and Kabbalah - Prolific author of more than 20 books on Jewish mysticism
With his flowing white beard, Rabbi Moshe Miller looked the part of the scholar and kabbalist. But more importantly, it’s what he was at his very essence: a lifelong student, teacher, thinker, and guide. Poetically, his soul ascended on the Kabbalistically significant final day of Chanukah, Dec. 2...
Kenilworth celebrates Hanukkah with Saturday night menorah lighting
The annual event came to be when two Kenilworth residents, Amit and Joanna Naftali, suggested that the village follow neighboring communities and serve the villages small Jewish community.
2833 W Howard Street
Chicago, IL
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The wider Jewish community of Chicago joined together on Monday for a gathering of tefilla and inspiration in the merit of the Jews of Ukraine. Donate at www.ChabadIllinois.com/Ukraine Over 600 people joined the event in person at the Holiday Inn in Skokie, IL, and 1,200 more joined virtually. Shluchim and Rabbonim let Tehillim and heard words of inspiration, followed by the highlight, a live report from Chabad Rabbi Yechiel Levitansky of Sumy Ukraine. Organizers noted that Rabbi Levitansky’s grandparents fled from Ukraine 100 years and settled in Chicago, and as such, the event was the closing of a circle. The assembled then heard from Rabbi Yechiel Levitansky, Shliach from Sumy, NE Ukraine, who spike via Livestream, followed by Rabbi Levi Notik, Director of FREE of Chicago addressed the audience in Russian. Din cRc, Rabbi Yosef Moscowitz, Executive Director Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, Rabbi Leonard Matanky, Rabbi of Cong. KINS and Rabbi Tzvi Engel, Rabbi of Cong. Ohr Torah. Greetings were then delivered by Mr. Lonnie Nasatir; President of the Jewish Federation of Chicago. The assembled then heard from Rabbi Yechiel Levitansky, Shliach from Sumy, NE Ukraine, who spike via livestream, followed by Rabbi Levi Notik, Director of FREE of Chicago addressed the audience in Russian. Ukraine is a thriving country and in one moment people are left homeless, destitute, and unsure if they can ever return home. Many of the residents are Holocaust survivors who endured seven decades of communist oppression and finally thought they were free only to be on the run again. Ukraine is a thriving country and in one moment people are left homeless, destitute and unsure if they can ever return home. Many of the residents are Holocaust survivors who endured seven decades of communist oppression and finally thought they were free only to be on the run again. Rabbi Yochanan Posner, shliach to Skokie concluded the evening.
The Chicagoland Jewish community gathers to pray for their welfare and for peace in the region. Featuring a live report from a representative of the Jewish community in Ukraine. Donate at www.ChabadIllinois.com/Ukraine
Infant Welfare Society of Evanston
Main Street, EvanstonAlderman Debra Silverstein, 50th Ward
W Devon AvenueLincolnwood Chamber of Commerce
W Touhy Avenue, LincolnwoodCenter for Independent Futures
Davis Street, EvanstonMeals On Wheels Northeastern Illinois/Meals a
Simpson Street, EvanstonFire Consultant Corporation Emergency Medical
N. Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview
Irving Park Community Food Pantry
N. Ridgeway Avenue
McAlpine Consulting for Growth
N Francisco Avenue
Ravenswood Disposal Service, Inc
S Nashville Avenue
