There is something you may not know about me. I am the least talented of the Rivkin brothers. My three younger brothers are far more accomplished and talented than I am. I am very proud of their achievements and happy to announce that we will be showcasing two of them at an event here in New Orleans next weekend.
Next Friday night, at a Shabbat Dinner being held at Chabad of Louisiana we will be featuring talks by two of my brothers.
Rabbi Eli Rivkin is the director of Chabad of Northridge, CA. The Shabbat dinner coincides with the 19th of Kislev, a day known as the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus. His topic will be “Chassidus is Key” – What the teachings of Chassidus bring to the Jewish table. Eli is an engaging speaker who, in the spirit of our family, often employs the art of storytelling in his teaching.
Rabbi Yochanan Rivkin, of Tulane Chabad Grads and Anshe Sfard fame, is the author of the upcoming JLI Winter 2025 course entitled, Decoding the Talmud. This course will be taught in hundreds of Chabad Centers around the world including regionally in New Orleans, Metairie, and Baton Rouge.
As an exclusive scoop for the attendees of next week’s Shabbat dinner, Yochanan will offer a sneak preview of the upcoming course. In a unique twist, he incorporated Chassidic insights and angles into each of the six lessons of Decoding the Talmud. We will have a chance to explore the relationship between these two aspects of Torah, the exoteric and the esoteric, as they converge to present a splendid picture of Divine Wisdom.
To join and benefit from the talents of these two teachers of Judaism, please go to www.chabadneworleans.com/key.
Malkie and I are extremely grateful to all of those who attended the Upshernish (haircutting ceremony) of our son Shneur last night. We appreciate the outpouring of good wishes to our son and our family. We look forward to reciprocating those good wishes at other special occasions in our community.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin