Over the past month of holidays hundreds of people passed through the doors of the Btesh Family Chabad House (Uptown) and hundreds more at Chabad Metairie and Chabad @ Tulane. Chabad also offered holiday programs in Biloxi and Baton Rouge this year. Serving so many of our fellow Jews is a privilege but it requires a lot of help from a lot of people to pull it off. As they say, “it takes a shtetl.” I would like to thank those that were instrumental in helping us at Chabad Uptown this year! Some gave of their time, some of their resources but we could not have done it without them. On behalf of the Shluchim at Chabad Uptown and their familes we extend our appreciation to those that are mentioned and to those that we will forget to mention.
We thank our event sponsors, Saul and Raquel Hakim, Morris and Marilyn Brum, Allen and Paula (George) Samuels, Dr. Tere Vives, Jon Powell, Morris and Malka Lew, Uzzi and Rivka Kehaty, Gershon and Esther Schreiber, and George and Elaine Haas.
Thank you to: Sion Daneshrad for polishing the Torah crown. Igor Cherny for Synagogue setup. Jason Benillouz, Shayna Blum, Chagit Forsher, Zalman and Tova Borowski, Yosef Rivkin for helping with event shopping. Damaris Kurall, Leti, Jami and Vernica for helping with event prep and cleanup. Sara Rivkin, Mussy Schapiro, Chaya Schreiber and Chaya Rivkin for the children’s programs. The babysitting crew, Georgia, Gabby, Alyssia, Lulu, Morgan, Jennifer, Mollie. Adam and Michelle Stross for leading the Lambeth House delegation. Rabbi Saadya Kaufmann for leading services. Rabbi Peretz Kazen for manning the door for Yom Kippur. Avi Fine for the Sukkah Mobile. Kosher Cajun and Sarah Chaya Pertuit for the help with the Sukkah-Fest. Ben Schenk and Panorama for the amazing music. To the Sukkah-Fest setup crew, baking and cooking crew and the cleanup crew. Peter Fierman, Moshe, Michael and Hillel for the schach cutting and delivery. To Rabbi Leibel and Mushka Lipskier for the Kiddush in the Sukkah. Rabbi Saadya and Chaya Sara Kaufmann, Kotel Sadrusi, Evelyn Rodos for special Simchat Torah L’chaims. To everyone who helped make the holidays – the serious ones and the joyous ones – as meaningful as they were. To all those the contributed and pledged in support of Chabad so that we can continue to offer these wonderful events. To all those that attended and participated.
May Hashem bless each and every one of you in all areas of life.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin