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This is What Am Yisrael Chai Looks Like!

“Am Yisrael Chai” is a phrase that has become enmeshed with Jewish identity and Jewish thriving. Its poignancy has risen to a fever pitch since the attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. The original phrase is “Am Yisrael Chai L’olmai Ad.” The People of Israel Live. The People of Israel Thrive. The People of Israel are Eternal. The People of Israel are the Jewish people.

What does Am Yisrael Chai look like. I would like to demonstrate this in the context of Chabad’s activities over the holiday month that culminated with Simchat Torah last weekend. I am using an example of what took place around Uptown New Orleans. Similar activities were occurring simultaneously in Metairie, other places in the region, around the country, and worldwide.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like hundreds of Jews hearing the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah both in Shul, and because volunteers spread throughout the neighborhood offering to sound the Shofar on the spot for people on the go, visiting homebound folks or the elderly at retirement homes with a Shofar.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like dozens of families and individuals gathered at the lagoon in Audubon Park to hear the Shofar, perform Tashlich, while singing Avinu Malkeinu and Am Yisrael Chai together.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like a Rabbi walking for 45 minutes each way to sound the Shofar for a Jew lying unaware in a hospital bed surrounded by his family. When the man awoke the next day, he cried upon hearing that the Shofar was sounded at his bedside.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the tender moment of when Yizkor was recited by the congregation for those who were killed on October 7 and in the war that followed.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like a congregation thundering the words of Shema at the closing of Yom Kippur, followed by the joyous singing of a victory march and exuberant dancing.

Am Yisreal Chai looks like the thousands who were given the opportunity to make the blessing over the Lulav and Etrog on Sukkot this year, at Shul, at home, on the streets, in stores, on campus, at senior homes and hospitals, including tourists, who would otherwise have no chance to do so in New Orleans.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the hundreds that attended Sukkah-Fest to openly celebrate their Jewishness and the joy of the Sukkot holiday.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the men, women, and children who full-throatedly sang and danced their hearts out on Simchat Torah, knowing that this was our response to the enemies who wish to destroy us.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the children who danced holding their Torahs and flags aloft proclaiming that our future is robust and strong.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the Torahs being brought out to the streets of New Orleans and joining with the Tulane Chabad students for Simchat Torah in dancing and the singing of, you guessed it, Am Yisrael Chai.  

Am Yisrael Chai looks like all the little boys standing under a Tallis canopy in front of the Torah scroll, while the adults sing with tears in their eyes the song of “Hamalach Hagoel,” asking G-d to bless and watch over our children.

Am Yisrael Chai looks like the sanitation workers doing their weekly trash pickup in front of Chabad following Simchat Torah, while laughingly declaring “y’all wore us out.” (On that note, I’d vote for Sidney Torres IV.)

Thank you to our incredible staff and volunteers for your tireless efforts.

Thank you to our supporters for your incredible generosity and partnership.

Thank you to our generous Tishrei kiddush sponsors.

Thank you to all who participated and made this holiday so incredible!

May the energy of these celebrations keep us uplifted throughout the year.

Am Yisrael Chai!
Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

We Will Dance For Them!

We are poised to enter the final phase of this holiday month with the two days of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah that begin tonight. This will also be the first Yahrtzeit (on the Jewish calendar) of all of those who were killed in the October 7 attacks last year. Yet, Simchat Torah is a joyous day, a day to celebrate our connection to Hashem, to the Torah, and to each other. Dare we celebrate on a day that commemorates the cruel murder of 1,200 of our brothers and sisters?

I believe the answer is a resounding yes. First of all, we do so because that is what Hashem commands us to do. Diving deeper into the question, I believe that we have an obligation to celebrate on behalf of the 1,200 who were murdered on that day, the 720 IDF soldiers who were killed in the subsequent conflict, the hostages who were killed, the hostages who are still in captivity, and the members of the IDF who are in combat and cannot participate in person.

Beyond that, celebrating and dancing is our way of showing that we will not allow the terrorists to win. We will proudly continue to live our Jewish lives.

Every single Jew who is able to celebrate and dance this Simchat Torah, has to do so for themselves and to fill the void of the thousands who cannot. Imagine the joy that they would have added to this Season of Rejoicing. We need to make up for the missing joy by increasing our own.

Our theme is “We Will Dance For Them!”

Come to Chabad, Uptown or Metairie, and Dance For Them! Those sacred souls who are looking at us from Gan Eden, those special souls who are still suffering in captivity, those holy souls who risk their lives to protect their fellow Jews, they need us to Dance For Them!

Thursday night, October 24. See below for details of both celebrations.

Chag Sameach
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

The Most Beautiful Sukkah Decorations

A wonderful Sukkot memory for many is decorating the Sukkah. For some it was hanging fruit, for some the paper chains, while others preferred more elaborate tapestries and artwork. If you go to a Sukkah that is associated with Chabad, you will notice the glaring absence of decorations.

There are various explanations for this custom. The Rebbe was asked about this, and he shared the following idea. The Succah is meant to imbue us with certain essential lessons… We should be impressed by the essential character of the Succah without recourse to the 'artificial' make-up; that the frail covering of the Succah and its bare walls, not adorned by external ornaments, should more directly impress upon us the lessons it is meant to convey.

Obviously, this does not negate those whose custom is to decorate, especially as this brings a lot of enthusiasm to the children involved in the decorating.

Recently I saw a video clip of the Rebbe addressing this from another angle that I found to be very powerful and uplifting. He argued that the most beautiful manner of adorning the Sukkah is by bringing as many fellow Jews as possible into your Sukkah. This conveys a sense of unity, and it also gives other Jews who may not otherwise have an opportunity, to fulfill the Mitzvah of Sukkah.

In Isaiah (43:10) G-d declares, “You are My witnesses.” The Hebrew for “My witnesses” is “Edai.” “Eidai” also means my adornments. Here G-d is declaring to the Jewish people, “You are My adornments.” Every Jew is a piece of jewelry that Hashem wears proudly. As Isaiah states (60:21), And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting, the work of My hands in which I will glory.  

So if you want to decorate your Sukkah, what better adornment could there be than decorating with Hashem’s jewelry? This year we are looking forward to hosting many of Hashem’s beautiful pieces of jewelry in our Sukkah and at Sukkah-Fest next Sunday.

I wish you all a very happy and meaningful Sukkot – the season of our rejoicing. May Hashem give us more and more reasons to celebrate and rejoice with good news coming from Israel and the whole world.

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

Yom Kippur Emotions and Mindsets

We are getting ready to observe Yom Kippur in a few days. Yom Kippur is the most intense day on the Jewish calendar. It is experienced variably depending on our emotional state and our mindset or perspective. I would like to share some analogies that might help us appreciate the various mindsets that shape our Yom Kippur experience. This list is by no means exclusive, nor will everyone share the feelings of each/any of these analogies. I am trying to get an experiential conversation going for us as we approach this holy and unique day.

·       A bride on her wedding day. – Her heart overflows with love and fullness as she eagerly anticipates connecting with her soulmate, while nervously praying that everything will go well.

·       A child who has been separated from his parents, now on a flight home. – He keenly awaits the feeling of his parents’ embrace, hoping that there will be no delays or travel mishaps.

·       A defendant on the final day of the trial, knowing that his defense team presented masterful arguments in his favor. – He earnestly looks towards the judge’s positive verdict, with deep hope for a smooth process.

·       An employee at the end of a strong promotion application process. – She excitedly waits for her employer’s decision to grant her a promotion, while humbly expecting that she will not encounter any obstacles.

·       A friend who is reconciling with a previously estranged friend after many years. – She longingly anticipates reconnecting, while tinged with feelings of sadness over the lost years of detachment and worry on how that will affect the reconciliation.

·       A commander of a military platoon on that last day of a battle facing a decisive victory. – He enthusiastically looks forward to the triumph of victory, while reflecting on how much the battle took from him and his soldiers.

·       A cancer survivor on the day of her last appointment on which she will be declared cancer free. – She anxiously awaits the doctor pronouncing those fateful words, while thinking about the long journey behind her, and hoping and praying that it is behind her forever.

I welcome your feedback as well as your own feelings and analogies that you might contemplate that shape your Yom Kippur experience.  

If you are still looking for a place to observe Yom Kippur, the doors at Chabad are open to you. Please see below for our schedules in New Orleans and Metairie.

Wishing each of you a meaningful Yom Kippur, filled with your prayers, hopes, and resolve for a better future. May we experience this individually and collectively, Amen.

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin

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