Chaim Danzinger | Rostov Rabbi
@RostovRabbi
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🏒Canadian Rabbi living in Russia | Jewish inspiration; stories of past & present | Promoting Chesed - Kindness ♥️
Rostov-na-Donu, Russia
Joined February 2009
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Lev died leaving no one behind. Today is his second yahrtzeit. His memory will live on forever.
"Rabbi, I must urgently see you. Can you stop by my apartment?" 92-year-old Lev asked, his voice filled with urgency.
I hurried over, thinking he needed medical attention. But I was
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I live in a city with a large Muslim community.
After the Oct 7 massacre, our synagogue was burned to the ground by angry mobs.
Things became tense for our community.
Some of our friends left the city, others started hiding their identity.
But not me.
I wore my Magen David
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11-year-old Baila from Donetsk approached me on the last night of camp last year.
“Next summer is my bat mitzvah,” she said. “Due to the difficult situation in our town, our rabbi has left. I won’t be able to celebrate my bat mitzvah. Can I celebrate it at camp next year?”
“It
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Who loves dressing up for Purim? 🎭 May this Purim be the happiest of them all with the safe return of our dear hostages
#jewsofrostov
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Today we laid Ariel to rest.
I met him 15 years ago when I first came to Rostov.
He was a fixture in our synogogue.
When I needed help with my documents, it was Ariel who was there to take care of them.
When we needed to pack 1000 food packages, it was Ariel who took
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Was about begin praying in the Turkish lounge when the minyan suddenly pulled up behind me
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My super adorable and social nephew Nissi from Florida had a dream to be in my reels… He became famous after a book was written about his miraculous journey but wanted a little bit more fame…
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Shavua Tov from the best backdrop in the world! The eternal capital of the Jewish people - the holy city of Jerusalem
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Shavua Tov or Gutte Voch? Either way, may the coming week bring protection, unity, and resilience to our brothers and sisters in Israel. 🙏🏻
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An Italian Chasidic wedding! Mazel tov to Russia’s Chief Rabbi and Rebbetzin Lazar on the marriage of their son Levi to Draiza Raskin.
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Never really been too active on twitter.. but tonight I spent some time with my good friend
@Chusidel
who said it’s time to join the party… so Rostov Rabbi is officially in the house and hopefully I’m here to stay this time around 😂
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I've won the lottery, so I came to Rome!
You heard that right!
Tonight, the Chief Rabbi of Russia is marrying off his son in Rome!
We have a special tradition among the Rabbis of Russia. Whenever one of us marries off a child, we hold a raffle to send one Rabbi to represent us
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What’s the most important thing in life? Nissi knows the answer!!!
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For 70 years under communism, Jewish marriage ceremonies were illegal, and afterwards, they were mostly forgotten. Today, I had the honor of performing the second of three such ceremonies I’m officiating this month. I have a hunch their ancestors are shepping lots of nachas from
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A Jewish wedding in Russia is nothing short of a miracle! After 70 years of communism and with a 95% assimilation rate, every ceremony I preside over feels like a victory for our faith and heritage.
This month, I’ll have the joy and privilege of experiencing this two more times.
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It’s 1 AM, and the lights of our synagogue are still on.
I invited a scribe from Moscow to visit for a day to check our mezuzahs and tefillin as is customary before Rosh Hashanah.
He planned to stay just one day, but the demand was so great that he extended his stay to three
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The last shtetl - heard rumors this place existed - so decided to check for myself.
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Israel has been on our minds, in our hearts and our prayers 24/7! We finally made it here to visit our Rostov hostages, Chayalim and all who made Aliya from our neck of the woods.
Shabbat shalom from our eternal homeland ✡️♥️
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“When I was eight years old, my father, Yosef, was jailed on false charges due to an antisemitic judge in Moldova.
My mother, Sara, single-handedly raised my two siblings and me.
As Pesach approached each year, despite all the stresses in her life, my mother would save
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"Are you the rabbi from Rostov?" a young man inquired as I sat in my favorite Moscow restaurant.
"Yes," I replied.
"Do you remember me? I'm from the Caucasus, from Pyatigorsk. I attended your camp in 2015. When the camp ended, I was so inspired that I decided to enroll in the
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Welcome to Lubavitch ♥️ the city of love
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Have you ever seen such a beautiful synagogue?! How about such a holy Jew? Such people inspire me!
🕍 Grand Choral Synagogue, Petersburg, Russia
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Our Jewish camp in the Russian mountains - our heart is here! I think these two girls have a new Guinness world record…
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Fifteen years ago today, we embarked on a one-way flight to Russia, taking a leap of faith as we began our new Shlichus (mission) to the Jewish community of Rostov. We are immensely grateful to our local community for the invaluable teachings and daily inspiration they provide.
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Shavua Tov! Tomorrow, we're celebrating a beautiful Jewish wedding at our camp! ♥️♥️ May the coming week bring joy and happiness to everyone!
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They were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
After enduring 53 horrific days in the hands of terrorists, they were finally released.
Since then, they have tirelessly advocated and lobbied around the clock for the release of their beloved son and fiancé, Sasha Troufanov.
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Today I had the great fortune to celebrate my grandmother’s 98th birthday with her!
My Bubby went through some difficult times when she was younger. At 6 years old, her mother caught tuberculosis and was sent to the sanitarium for 8 long years to be treated. My grandmother was
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They just celebrated their wedding, but you’ll never believe where they headed the very next day.
No, it wasn’t a honeymoon!
They embarked on a journey to Vladikavkaz.
This city, lacking a Rabbi and Rebbetzin, is where they chose to go, driven by a mission to strengthen the
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These women (originally from Rostov) were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th.
Since their release, they have been tirelessly advocating for their son, grandson, and partner, Sasha Troufanov, who remains in Hamas captivity.
We came to inspire but left feeling inspired by their
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82 years ago, on August 11, 1942, the Jewish community of Rostov faced unimaginable horror.
The Nazis attempted to erase our existence at Zmievskaya Balka, or Snakes Valley.
They sought to silence us forever by burying men, women, young and old together in a mass grave.
They
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The words from the Passover Haggadah struck a deep chord this year:
"In each and every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. And the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands."
Our 152-year-old synagogue in Rostov, Russia
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Shavua Tov from my St. Petersburg bound train - excited to speak for the Jews of St. Petersburg in the grand choral synagogue tomorrow
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Can I have you in mind at the ohel?
Tonight is Beis Nisan - the 104th yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of the 5th Lubavitcher Rebbe - the Rebbe Rashab who is buried here in Rostov.
Our community will gather to pray for Klal Yisroel, and it would be my honor to have you in
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Ever wondered what Texas and Rostov have in common? Yeah, me too! Well that was about to be answered when Shloime invited us to Houston to speak at an event in his hometown.
It was scheduled for Motzei Shabbos at 9 pm, so I figured few people would attend. But, boy, was I
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We made history. For the very first time, we had a minyan at our camp for children with special needs this Shabbos here in the mountains of Adigeya, Russia.
Our camp has been growing, and we’re blessed to welcome more children and their families than ever before. We feel
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Shavua Tov 🔥 so nice having the family back home. May the coming week be filled with only revealed blessings for us all
#bringthemhomenow
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“Who’s never lit shabbos candles before” I asked.
5 little girls from this bunk raised their hands.
This is why we live in Russia.
This is why for 15 years straight we’ve been living and loving our summer camp.
So grateful to our overseas partners for making this camp a
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Oldest Chabad Mikvah (ritual bath) in the world… in the historic home of the Rebbe Rashab in Rostov, Russia
This Mikvah was used by 3 Rebbe’s of Chabad
#jewsofrostov
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Each year I have the honor of attending the Shluchim conference in New York and posing in the famous group picture.
This year, our
#Kinus
is online, I didn’t want to break with tradition. So I decided to join the group picture from the comfort of my office here in Rostov Russia
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Lots to pray for. May we see revealed blessings for safety, return of our hostages and health to us all. Shabbat shalom
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“Behold the Guardian of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalms 121:4
Am Israel Chai ✡️
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Who loves matzah? How about 3.5 tons of it?! We’re adding a personal touch to this years matzah distribution in Rostov…
One week and a day left until the holiday of Pesach ✡️
#passover
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When my father was just a child, tragedy struck. His father was killed in the brutal pogroms, and his mother fled with him to Baku, carrying nothing but their hope for survival.
Both of my parents fought the Nazis—my father, an Ashkenazi Jew, and my mother, a proud Gorski Jew. I
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We traveled to a remote Muslim part of Russia to ski, but instead of snow, we discovered something mind blowing!!
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He survived a heart attack and stroke.
But despite being confined to a wheelchair, nothing could keep Vladimir from our memorial ceremony yesterday.
Vladimir is a man on a mission to remember the forgotten.
For years, he has tirelessly identified the names of Holocaust victims
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Our historic 150 year old synagogue building isn’t the most important Jewish building in town… This is! It guarantees our Jewish future… Rostov, Russia
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They were in middle of the Purim feast when there was a knock on the door.
It was the Bolshevik police, standing with weapons drawn towards the Rebbe’s door in 1920.
All the chasidim were terrified.
They had been gathered illegally during a curfew. They had lechaim on the
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I’m holding in my hands the most precious letters I’ve ever delivered to the Rebbe’s Ohel.
Our young campers sat in concentration on the last day of camp and poured out their hearts and worries into these letters.
Their deepest requests for peace, for health, and for the
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Do you kiss your matzah?
“My grandmother always came here for matzah. When she could no longer leave her home, she would send me,” Alla (85) explained, her voice softening with fond memories. “When I brought the matzah home, she would carefully open the package and kiss the
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Such an honor and privilege representing so many people on this auspicious day here in Rostov. May all our prayers be answered!
Beis Nisan (2 Nisan) - 104th yahrtzeit of the Rebbe Rashab - 5th Lubavitcher Rebbe
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My father was part of the NKVD, Pesach was fast approaching but showing up at the synagogue for Matzah could have spelled trouble for him.
It was 1945, and the Nazis had just been defeated. Despite the risk, my father decided he needed matzah for Pesach, and he brought me with
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“When the community gave me matzah last year, I had one piece left over. So I decided to hang it up as a constant reminder of gratitude for the opportunity to live as a free Jew.”
“You see, my grandfather lived in this same apartment when the Nazis occupied Rostov. He was
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My father, Meir, was born in a shtetl to G-d fearing parents, Vulf and Chana.
Tragically, his parents were murdered by the Nazis along with other family members of ours.
When my father moved to Rostov he joined the Communist Party and ascended to the role of commercial
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KGB, FSB, and… a Bar Mitzvah at 60?
Ilya Lazerson, the celebrity chef known for his hit TV show and wildly popular cookbooks—titled *KGB* and *FSB*—might seem like a culinary star with a clever twist on Russian acronyms. But there’s much more to his story than what you see on
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Wrapped, strapped and ready for landing in…. Istanbul ✈️
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Going offline ♥️♥️ Shabbat shalom from our camp here in the Russian mountains
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Today is Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day. We must never forget!
“These were my ancestors,” Chaya said. “They were shot and thrown in a freshly-dug pit, brutally murdered by the Nazis, 82 years ago.”
“They filled this mass-grave with 27,000 of Rostov’s Jews in just two
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Meet the ‘Tzadik of Leningrad.’
In the winter of 1986, after waiting 14 years, Rabbi Yitzchak Kogan and his wife Sofya received their Soviet exit visas. Despite their desire to leave the USSR and practice Judaism freely, they had become key figures in Leningrad’s Jewish
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These triplets are from Sderot.
They miraculously survived October 7th when Hamas terrorists tried barging into their family home.
It was a traumatic time for all of them, and their parents made the decision to come here to Rostov and be with family until things settled down.
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Gut Moed! Pesach celebrations continue in our historic synagogue here in Rostov, Russia… 152 years and counting ✡️
#jewsofrostov
#amisraelchai
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This Torah is over 150 years old. It has witnessed too much suffering.
It saw pogroms and the Nazi annihilation of Rostov’s Jews. It lay dormant for years during communist times.
Although we have three new Torah scrolls, I always choose to bring this one to our camp.
So it can
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What did you do during the fast? Our amazing campers-turned-volunteers spent hours assembling 1200 shalach manos (Purim gifts) for the community.
Their hard work and joy in giving back warmed my heart!
#jewsofrostov
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We converted our synagogue into a Passover banquet hall - where 500 people came together to support one another and to recite the words of the Hagaddah which strike a deep chord this year:
"In each and every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. And the Holy One,
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Our campers keep Shabbos and want you to join them! They created this short reel on their own initiative 👏🏻
#ShabbatShalom
#jewsofrostov
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My father was an officer in the Red Army who fought bravely against the Nazis. After the war, he continued serving in the army so he was too scared to be seen celebrating Pesach.
But my mother refused to give it up.
So every year she would take me to her friends house to join
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Beautiful Shabbos in Gan Israel Rostov ✨ Wishing Everyone a Shavua Tov - A Week of Blessings! ✡️🙏🏻
#jewsofrostov
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The shofar not only awakens our souls but also serves as a fun and engaging tool for connecting with teens and youth!
Hand them a shofar, and you’re guaranteed some great laughs and memorable moments!
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WWII veteran Yitzchak Kadaner is celebrating his 97th birthday today - he shared this with us:
“When the Nazis conquered Rostov, my grandparents Solomon and Miriam were too old to evacuate the city.
So they stayed behind hoping for the best.
My aunt - Esther refused to leave
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Passover dinner - Rostov style (as sent by a friend in our community) I have a feeling it’s the same menu our forefathers had 3336 years ago 💪🏻✡️
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Pesach is not only about eating matzah and refraining from Chametz… it’s about recounting the Exodus story to our children, passing on our traditions to the next generation.
What better way to engage them than with a fun, interactive experience at our model matzah bakery here
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You won’t see this in any other Synagogue in the world…. Reminder of some dark times during Soviet years…
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“Seventy years ago, my grandmother first brought me here - to our synagogue - to get matzah for Passover.
Back then, a KGB agent was present, meticulously noting everyone who came for matzah.
That’s why mostly grandparents came—they had less to fear.
Today, seventy years
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The greatest honor of our lives: serving as emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Every day, we strive to make our Rebbe proud here in Rostov.
#GimmelTammuz
#Rebbe
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Tamara never refuted her Jewishness!
“The word ‘Jew’ was written on the first page of my passport. People suggested I change my nationality. But I refused.
My father, Moshe, was killed by the Nazis. My mother, Chaya, died shortly after from a heart attack. I was only four years
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No shoes allowed in this synagogue - rare tradition in the last shtetl at the red village of Azerbaijan
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@HilzFuld
Our horrific reality! Thank you for sharing this with the world! May the merit of your holy work for Klal Israel give your brothers Neshama the biggest Aliya.
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This is our Israel branch - the Rostov Jews that made Aliya ♥️ we're here for them now just as before! Once a Rostover always a Rostover!
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Throughout the Soviet years, the determination of our babushkas and dedushkas ensured that Pesach was never forgotten.
They secretly gathered matzah and celebrated within their homes, embodying the enduring spirit of our people.
Today, we’re privileged to deliver matzah to
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Jews also build tunnels… it’s all about the reasoning behind the tunnels.
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Time for the traditional post pesach pizza 🍕
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The Jewish language you probably never heard of…
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Sixteen years ago I left California for Rostov. Today I’m leaving Rostov for California.
Don’t worry, I have a return ticket - our work in Rostov isn’t quite finished.
So why am I coming to California?
Because we’re having an event for Rostov in LA Monday night.
LA and
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On October 7th, Shloime was visiting us in Rostov. While praying in the synagogue, we were shaken by the horrific news of the devastating terrorist attacks in Israel. His visit concluded on this somber tone.
In the subsequent days and weeks, we observed a surge in antisemitism
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Tonight is the 30th yahrtzeit of our beloved Rebbe. Though the Rebbe rarely left Crown Heights, he made two special exceptions: visiting the resting place of his father-in-law in Queens and visiting Camp Gan Israel in Parksville.
The Rebbe founded Camp Gan Israel with immense
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Time to take out the blowtorch… who said being a rabbi doesn’t come with any perks?!
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Shavua Tov - may the coming week bring blessings to us all and the release of our dear hostages 🙏🏻♥️
#BringThemHomeNow
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He wrote the names of all the injured IDF soldiers so we can pray for them during the reading of the Torah. Our Mi Sheberach prayer now takes close to 10 minutes as we recite all these names, but we are grateful to be able to do something for our holy brothers and sisters
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The best way to choose your wine for shabbos - especially when you’re at your friends house 🫣
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A bar mitzvah in the world's last shtetl! I was deeply moved by how the Mountain Jews have preserved our traditions and by their unwavering Jewish pride
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This may be the best borscht in the world!! And it’s only available at our kosher Russian soup kitchen
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