Dear Friends,
We are shocked and horrified by the cruel attacks in Israel. We mourn every one of those killed and pray for all those who have been hurt or kidnapped and for the safety and success of the IDF and our brothers and sisters in the holy land of Israel.
For those of you here on campus:
Let's get together!
This evening, at 5:00pm, we will come together as a community on the Quads.
We will say a prayer, stand united and give each other strength!
We will be at Chabad House all day. Feel free to drop in anytime for a shoulder to lean on, do a mitzvah or just find some comfort and peace.
We’re always here for you. Our numbers are below.
Rabbi Yossi Brackman - 773-218-1108 rabbi@uchicago.edu
Baila Brackman 773-547-1408 baila.brackman@gmail.com
Rabbi Mendel Rapoport 570-892-0170 rabbimendel@chabaduchicago.com
Mussie Rapoport 773-621-7165 mussie@chabaduchicago.com
​
JOIN FOR ISRAEL SHABBAT
All students and their visiting families are invited
to this special Shabbat dinner as a community.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
What can we do?
In this difficult time, we all ask:
What can we do for Israel? How can we help our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land?
Obviously, Israel’s government, army, and police are striving to do all in their power to protect the nation’s citizens. And we pray to G-d for their success.
But there is much we can do as well, no matter how distant we are geographically.
The Torah teaches us (and history has repeatedly demonstrated to us) that the physical protection of each one of us — and, indeed, our very collective destiny! — is intrinsically connected to our spiritual activism.
When we pray or dedicate a good deed to our brothers and sisters in Israel, we create a spiritual defense shield for them that will help them through difficult and dangerous times.
In that vein, we’ve gathered some of the directives that the great Jewish leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, shared with the Jewish people worldwide during times of crisis in Israel; positive action we can each take for Israel and its people.
Pray:
The power of prayer. Our ability to reach the gates of heaven and plead with the Almighty to make things better. Dedicate a daily prayer for our brethren in Israel. Psalms are especially appropriate for times like this. But feel free to go off-script and speak to G‑d directly in your own words, too. While praying, keep in mind those who are held hostage, the injured, and all of Israel.
Click HERE for some Psalms.
Give Tzedakah:
The protective strength of charity is considered to be particularly strong.
Chabad's Terror Victims Project and Colel Chabad Humanitarian Agency, Zaka are some of the many worthy organizations supporting those in Israel affected by terror.
Mezuzah:
Called the “guard” of the Jewish home and the guardian of the Jewish people throughout the ages, the mezuzah is a parchment scroll containing sacred portions of the Torah that is hung on the right side of the doorpost to a Jewish home. They are also affixed on most doorposts within the home.
Do you have a mezuzah? This is a good time to have them checked to make sure they are still in tiptop shape. If you don’t have a mezuzah, please text mezuzah to 773-232-5700 and we'll be happy to stop by with a free Mezuzah for your dorm room.
Join the Unity Torah Scroll:
The Torah is the common denominator that unites all Jewish people. Special Torah scrolls are being written in Israel, in which every single Jewish person may purchase a letter to become part of the Torah and unite together. Besides for fulfilling (at least in part) the Biblical commandment to write a Torah scroll, having a letter in these scrolls connects you and Jewish people all over the globe, in Israel and the diaspora, into one Torah-created unified entity.
Purchase letters for yourself and your family members, and encourage others to do the same. Fill out this form to purchase letters (for a symbolic $1) in the special Unity Torah.
Share the Power of Light:
Join millions of Jewish woman and girls around the globe lighting Shabbat candles every Friday before the onset of Shabbat and on the eve of Jewish holidays. Lighting Shabbat and holiday candles ushers light and peace into the home and the world.
Text CANDLES to 773-232-5700 for your own kit.
Take Up a “Call to Arms”:
Before the outbreak of the 1967 six-day-war, the Rebbe prompted a literal “call to arms” to encourage Jewish men to don the holy heart-and-mind connectors known as tefillin, whose spiritual potency is foretold in the Talmud to help instill fear and deterrence in the enemy.
Don't have tefillin? Reply to this email to schedule a time to stop by to come put on tefillin and say a prayer for Israel.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or just to talk, cry and pray.
With prayers for world peace with the coming of Moshiach now.
Am Yisroel Chai
