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From the Ashes: Pacific Palisades Rebuilds

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Of all the things they lost in the Los Angeles wildfires, Jessica and Michael Heshel miss their friends most. 

The growing community of young parents surrounding Chabad’s Early Childhood Center was part of what drew the couple to the Pacific Palisades, an affluent beachfront neighborhood. 

Now, months after the most destructive urban fire in the city’s history, the Heshels and their four children are still living in temporary housing, waiting for insurance payments that will allow them to decide how, and where, to rebuild their lives. “A lot of our friends and family have moved out. Some have even moved out of state,” Jessica says. “We’re living day by day,” Michael adds. “Nobody knows what the future of the Palisades will be like.”   

The Heschels’ state of limbo is very familiar to Rabbi Zushe and Zisi Cunin, directors of Chabad of Pacific Palisades. Roughly 70 percent of their community lost their homes in the fire, which also partially destroyed Chabad’s campus and preschool. During the disaster itself and in its immediate aftermath, the Cunins and their staff helped Palisades residents with basic resources like shelter and clean water. Now they’re doing the long, slow work of rebuilding—both Chabad’s physical campus and the morale of the community it housed. “People want to come back,” Rebbetzin Cunin says. “We’re here, and we’re rebuilding bigger and better.”

Life in the Aftermath  

Pacific Palisades was never cheap, but the fires have made it unaffordable to some residents who had built their lives here. Business at Amanda Gruen’s gym in Santa Monica has been slow since the fires, and she has struggled to cover basic expenses over the past year. The toys and supplies that came in from all over the country in January and February were a blessing, says Gruen, whose children attend Chabad’s preschool and Hebrew school. Now, though, that flood has slowed to a trickle: “We’re continuing to go through a lot of hardship.”

Shielded from LA’s urban center by the Santa Monica Mountains and bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Palisades was a quiet, residential neighborhood with a small-town atmosphere. Its “main street,” a strip of Sunset Boulevard, once hosted local boutiques, a weekly farmers’ market, and a July Fourth parade. Though the mansions on the surrounding hills attracted celebrity buyers, the Palisades also drew families looking for a quiet place to raise their kids. “Young couples invested everything in their homes, thinking it would be their nest egg,” Rebbetzin Cunin says. “Some people can afford to rebuild; many can’t.”  

Adjusting to life in the aftermath of the fires has been particularly difficult for Gruen’s two sons, ages six and nine. Like the Heshels, their home was badly damaged by smoke and ash. The family is renting an apartment, facilitated by Chabad, in L.A.’s urban Mid-Wilshire neighborhood while they weigh their options for the future. Her boys miss hiking through the forests near their old home, Gruen says. But one constant in their lives was Chabad’s Camp Gan Israel, which they attended this summer for the fifth time.    

“Belief in the Future”  

The loss of almost all of their physical possessions has made the Heshels appreciate the things the fire could not touch. “There’s so much we do have,” Jessica says. The family celebrated the birth of twins not long after losing their home. There is also, Michael adds, “the sense of community,” which, despite the empty streets in their old neighborhood, continues to play an important role in their lives. 

The Cunins and their staff restarted programming immediately after the fire. For families struggling with frightening memories of the fire, they offered “Mommy and Me,” Friendship Circle summer camp, and women’s programming, including somatic therapy. The preschool is up and running in a renovated building easily accessible to families who are still living outside the neighborhood. And renovations of the Chabad campus will be completed in time for the High Holidays.

The connections Gruen has made in the Palisades make her reluctant to leave: “It’s so rare in L.A. to have a neighborhood where you could walk around all the time and bump into people you know,” she says. “Lots of families would get together regularly.” She hopes to restore her home and stay.  

The Heshels, too, feel hopeful. Michael recalls a dinner Chabad hosted for families two weeks after the fire. Seeing everyone gathered, sharing their experiences, and drawing support made even the cramped, temporary location feel like home. “We came out feeling tremendous relief,” he says, “and belief in the future.”

Chabad Reps Graduate IDF Officers’ Course

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Rabbi Netanel Ben Maas is a Chabad-Lubavitch representative in the town of Mikhmoret, Israel, a small seaside moshav located north of Netanya. 

Like most Israeli citizens, Netanel served his mandatory tour of duty as an enlisted soldier in the IDF, and remained in the IDF Reserves, available for callup in case of any emergency. 

On October 7, 2023, he was called up. 

He and two of his brothers were called to the Shura base, where the bodies of the deceased were prepared for final honors and Jewish burial. For Netanel, a military cantor, “The first days after the massacre were utter chaos.” The rabbi officiated at funeral after funeral, making call after call to bereaved families in a country awash with grief and horror. 

Rabbi Netanel Ben Ma’as recently completed a course to become an officer in the IDF

The horror, the tragedies and the trauma were relentless. He recalls the day a Namer armored personnel carrier was destroyed leaving no survivors and twenty families plunged into deep mourning.

After accompanying dozens of families through their grief — at the shivah, the thirty-day memorial, the eleven month conclusion of Kaddish recital, and the yahrtzeit memorial — Netanel began to notice a pattern. “At every ceremony, when mentioning the name of the soldier, we must also mention their rank. And I noticed that most of the soldiers we were burying were officers. I didn’t understand why, until I asked a friend of mine from the moshav – a lieutenant colonel. He looked at me and simply said: ‘Don’t you know? In the IDF the officers are always at the front. They are the tip of the spear, the first to charge.’”

Rabbi Gershon Shnur serves his community in Ganei Tikva as well as in the IDF Home Front Command

The idea resonated with the Chabad emissary. Netanel chose to enroll in an IDF officer’s course. It was a learning curve for the rabbi, but he adjusted quickly, training in counter-terrorism, night navigation, shooting ranges, and the additional responsibilities that come with being an officer.

Upon completing their training, he and five other Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries were sworn in as officers in the IDF. 

Of the roughly 90 Chabad rabbis who serve in the IDF, twenty are at the rank of seren — captain — or higher. They serve in various reserve and active-duty branches, including the military rabbinate or other divisions. They do what miluim’niks — reservists — across the country do: balancing their year-round obligations — in this case, to their families and their communities — with their drive to serve their fellow Jews serving in the military. 

Rabbi Gershon Shnur is a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Ganei Tikva, a city in central Israel. He works for the Home Front Command, accompanying search-and-recovery elements to ensure the deceased are brought to burial in accordance with Jewish law. 

“My work as a shliach and the rabbi of a large community, and my years of experience allow me  to share my knowledge with fellow soldiers,” Rabbi Shnur said. For young soldiers — many in their late teens — having mature rabbis working alongside them can offer meaningful support.  

And for the rabbis–whether wearing their rabbinic garb or army fatigues, the idea is the same. “It’s about responsibility, courage, and the willingness to stand at the front for others–to be the tip of the spear.”

Rabbi Gershon Shnur leads an impromptu study session with fellow IDF soldiers
Rabbi Gershon Shnur standing guard at a border outpost

Jewish Life Thrives at VCU

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As a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Ariel Binyamin can remember back to when there was virtually no sense of Jewish representation there. Especially since October 7th, the atmosphere on campus often led him to refrain from speaking Hebrew — his native language — or wearing visible Jewish symbols in public.

But in July 2024, Rabbi Menachem and Daniela Lessoff moved to Richmond to launch Jewish Life at VCU — a new Chabad on Campus center — aimed at creating a visible, welcoming hub for Jewish students, under the guidance of Rabbi Yossel Kranz, director of Chabad of Virginia.

The center quickly became a space where students could experience a sense of belonging and connection. “Now there’s a real Jewish presence on campus,” Binyamin said. “It’s not just about feeling safer — it’s about having a community. The door’s always open, and you know you can walk in, see friendly faces, and be yourself.”

The Lessoffs offer programs like Sinai Scholars, Bagels, Lox & Tefillin, and other social/study events. Their Shabbat dinners are the highlight for many students. “It started off as a small thing — ten to fifteen students coming by on Friday night,” said Rabbi Lessoff. “Now we host over fifty students a week.”

“The Shabbat dinners are wonderful,” said Lindsey Adams, a senior studying psychology at VCU. “I’ve met so many people there — almost all my friends at VCU are people I met at Chabad.”

Torah Class at VCU

As president of Chabad at VCU, Adams oversees things like planning large events and handling communications, finances, and campus paperwork. “It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work,” she said. One of the most memorable events she helped organize was last year’s Chanukah Drop. “We had a balloon drop with prizes,” Adams recalled. “Over 100 people came — it was amazing to see so many students come together and celebrate.”

Another standout initiative at Chabad brings together campus police and students for a shared meal. “The former police chief is Italian and suggested making pizza together for the students,” Rabbi Lessoff said. “The officers came and made kosher pizza for everyone — it was really nice. We’ll be doing it again soon.”

Chabad also encourages students to join programs like Pegisha — a meetup of global campus Chabad groups — to give them experiences beyond Richmond. “Rabbi Lessoff took about 10 of us to Crown Heights for Pegisha,” said Binyamin. “I’ve been to Brooklyn before, but I had never been to Crown Heights. It was amazing to be able to see other Chabads and meet other campus leaders.”

On top of all the work they do at VCU, the Lessoffs are now launching a Chabad Young Professionals chapter in Richmond. “Many VCU graduates stay in Richmond — and that’s besides for the locals,” said Rabbi Lessoff. “There’s real demand. We’re going to be offering Shabbat services, social events, and Torah classes.” With just a year behind them, the Lessoffs have already transformed Jewish life on campus and laying the groundwork for a thriving community beyond it.

Tabling on Campus

A Catholic Priest Returns

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His parents named him Sheftil Binyamin. He was born deaf and attended a Catholic school for children with special needs. In his early twenties he converted to Catholicism and was ordained. Father Cyril Bernhard Axelrod became a Catholic priest of the Redemptorist Order, known for his work with deaf and deafblind people. 

He worked to improve the lives of people with disabilities, founding centers and institutions for deaf people in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Macau. Even after he lost his vision to Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic condition, he communicated using a Braille keyboard and finger signing. Cyril was the first deafblind person to become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

He still remembered the Kiddush his father would make on Friday night, the challah his mother would bake. But he had journeyed far. Then one day in December 2024, Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff—who was born deaf and is the Chabad rep to the deaf community in Israel—met up with Cyril in England. Together with the rabbi, Cyril wrapped tefillin.

Now eighty-three, Cyril lives in Macau, in a center he founded some twenty-five years ago. Rabbi Mendy Rabinowitz of Chabad of Hong Kong reached out, and Cyril visited the Chabad House. Cyril donned tefillin again, the words of Shema rising unbidden to his lips, recalled from his youth many decades before. Tracing letters on his palm, Rabinowitz welcomed him home. And then Cyril asked the rabbi to come to his home and install a mezuzah on his door. 

A Floating Home for Jewish Students in Paris

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Nestled on the left bank of the River Seine, Paris’ 13th Arrondissement bustles with college campuses, high-rise apartment buildings, and riverside cafes. Throngs of students fill the streets on the way to and from classes in universities specializing in economics, mathematics, and business. 

More than ten years ago, Rabbi Mendy and Mushky Lachkar moved to the neighborhood to open a Chabad center. As they settled in, they quickly recognized that students formed one of the largest local Jewish demographics. Their tiny apartment would be inundated with students each Friday night for Shabbat dinner, with far more room in the heart than in the cramped quarters. 

So the Lachkars improvised. 

First they purchased a truck, outfitted it as a “Mitzvah Tank,” and parked it near campus, offering students the chance to put on Tefillin, receive Shabbat candles or a mezuzah, or enjoy a kosher bite to eat.

Then one Sukkot, they rented a boat for a couple of hours to build a Sukkah. The boat was one of the few ways to find a decent-sized space open to the sky—as is required by Jewish law for the Sukkah—and within easy walking distance of the district’s campuses. It was a hit. Dozens of students boarded the rented boat and celebrated the holiday.

“At that point, we realized that it would be a dream to have everything here,” Rabbi Mendy Lachkar told Lubavitch.com. 

Five years ago, that dream became a reality. The Lachkars purchased the 40-meter (131-foot) riverboat, and Boat Habad was born. The boat, which had begun its life as a sand-carrying barge, was converted to an event venue by its previous owners, and now became a floating Chabad on Campus center.

Every Monday night more than 100 students board the boat. Their evening begins with a kosher dinner, and continues with an hourlong Torah cruise, delving into Jewish studies as the boat cruises along the Seine. 

In the years since its creation, the boat has become a place to connect and grow for thousands of Jewish students. “I was worried about university life,” said Binyamin Dukan, a Jewish student at the Paris School of Business. “I knew that there could be concerns with exams on Shabbat and holidays; kosher food; Jewish identity. The fact that there’s a Chabad rabbi with a Mitzvah Tank bringing you kosher food, that there’s a place a five-minute walk away with a rabbi always available, is very reassuring.”

Besides for the Monday evening cruises, Boat Habad hosts a wide variety of events for students. There are lunch-and-learns for boys and for girls; game nights; Sunday morning brunches for young professionals; debate nights; Torah classes; a daily kosher meal plan; and of course Shabbat and holiday meals. 

“Every day, we can meet fellow Jewish students,” said Dukan. “There’s a silent study room on the boat, so I know I can always find an open place to work, study, and keep my Jewish identity on campus.”

Dukan says that the rabbi has been a real mentor to him. “Whenever I have questions or doubts in my professional or personal life I can come to him. Boat Habad is not just a place to come to for a kosher meal; it’s a place where any Jewish person can find advice and guidance.” 

Recently, the Lachkars celebrated the milestone tenth anniversary of their unique Chabad center, one which found novel ways to create space for Jewish connection and life. Alumni, students, supporters and friends packed the boat and saluted the work of a couple who put their heart and soul into every student.

“This year, the rabbi made my shidduch—he connected me and my now-wife,” said Dukan. “The rabbi and rebbetzin know me so well, and think about me to the point of helping me find my soul mate.”

“These are the mentors we are privileged to have.”

Jewish Summer Fellowship in Catskill Mountains

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A dozen Jewish students from across the U.S. and the U.K. are experiencing a six-week fellowship of Jewish education in New York’s Catskill Mountains. The fellowship attracts students from across the country and beyond — many of whom had little prior opportunity for formal Jewish education. 

This summer is the first that the Fellowship is taking place on newly-renovated grounds in Ellenville, New York, in the Catskill Mountains. The campus is a converted farm, with the farmhouse serving as a dormitory and dining hall and the barn converted to a synagogue and classrooms. The campus abuts vast forests; a creek runs alongside, with a waterfall’s gentle sounds providing a calming backdrop to the days of study and community. 

“Whenever I’d go to services, I would struggle to follow along,” said Edward Cohen. “I really wanted to read Hebrew.” The U.K. native just completed his freshman year at the University of Leeds, where he is studying accounting and finance. Cohen met Rabbi Michoel and Chana Sorah Danow — directors of Chabad Lubavitch at Leeds Campus.

Cohen was thirsty for more, and the rabbi recommended the fellowship. 

The Jonas M. and Sadie Rennert Jewish Summer Fellowship is a project of the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE). Founded by the Sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, in 1940, the NCFJE is a multi-faceted charity that protects, feeds and educates thousands throughout the New York metro area and around the country. 

The Summer Fellowship — previously known as the Ivy League Torah Studies Program — has been a summer destination for Jewish students for decades. “Designed for students with little to no formal Jewish education, the Fellowship offers a sophisticated and rigorous beginner-level curriculum,” said Rabbi Mendel Brawer, the Fellowship’s Director. “Subjects include Hebrew reading; Jewish prayer; the Chumash; Talmud 101; Jewish history; and Jewish ideas and philosophy. Students also enjoy a bevy of hands-on experiences, including how to put up a mezuzah; what goes into making a kitchen kosher; and how to tie tzitzit.”

Ezekiel Russ’s family lives in Oregon, and the closest synagogue is dozens of miles away, making Jewish study a challenge for Ezekiel. “I would be standing around in the synagogue, looking at the Siddur. I knew that you bow during the Amidah; that you cover your eyes at the Shema, but that was about it,” Ezekiel Russ said.

In the 1990s, Exekiel’s mother Liza spent a summer at the Ivy League Torah Studies Program. “Over time, things kind of got lost, but she remembered how much this program changed her when she was young,” described her son Ezekiel Russ. “And she told me that before I go to college, it’s important that I come here too.”

Ezekiel says the summer fellowship gave him insight into the “whys” of Jewish living. “I really like this program. It gave me the opportunity to learn what the prayers are, the history, how they changed, and why we say them.” 

“It gave meaning to different things I was doing.”

“When the son of an alum joins the fellowship, it’s a powerful reminder that the Torah learning and Jewish pride instilled here continue to shape families and communities for generations,” said Rabbi Shimon Hecht of the NCFJE Executive Committee.

Guest lecturers visit the campus regularly, and Rabbi Berel Bell — an author, dean, and member of Montreal, Canada’s rabbinical court — serves as the scholar-in-residence. “We’re a smaller, tight-knit group,” said Russ. “It gives us the opportunity to get the one-on-one learning, and we can ask questions whenever we want.” 

“I’m very grateful to be here; I’m learning a lot each day,” said Cohen. I’m learning a lot of Jewish ideas I never learned before.”

“I would recommend this program to anyone.”

Machne Israel Announces Grant Funding New “Mitzvah Tanks”

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Machne Israel — the social services branch of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement — has announced a new initiative that will provide grants to three Chabad centers for the purchase and outfitting of three “Mitzvah Tanks.”

The Mitzvah Tank came into use in the early 1970s, and has since become a familiar fixture in many cities, offering Jews the opportunity to participate in a mitzvah on the go. Today these mobile homes are synonymous with Chabad-Lubavitch and its goal to provide Jews everywhere with access to and the opportunity for Jewish engagement. 

The three winners selected from scores of qualifying applications via a randomized lots process will each receive $18,000 toward the purchase and outfitting of a Mitzvah Tank are:

  • Rabbi Yaakov and Tiferes Cahnman – Rural Northeastern AZ, USA
  • Rabbi Yisroel and Sarah Bernath – Montreal, QC, Canada
  • Rabbi Mendel and Musya Shemtov – Montevideo, Uruguay 

“We are so blessed to have the opportunity to build a Mitzvah Tank which will, G-d willing, bring much light and joy throughout Arizona,” said Rabbi Yaakov Cahnman. 

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, who spearheaded the establishment of the initiative, congratulated the winners, wishing them success with their new vehicle that will empower them to bring the Rebbe’s mitzvah campaigns and much more to Jews living off the grid. 

Machne Israel established the Keren Mamosh initiative — which is sponsoring this program — in the days following Gimmel Tammuz 5754 to strengthen Chabad-Lubavitch institutions and advance the Rebbe’s mission. For more than three decades, it has supported initiatives that bring that vision to life.

To learn more and to contribute to Keren Mamosh, visit www.Magbis.org/keren-mamosh.

A Sprawling New Home for Jewish Life in the Berkshires

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This summer, as visitors flock to the Berkshires for mountain views and musical performances at Tanglewood, Chabad of the Berkshires opened the doors to a new facility — the first Jewish space of its kind in over a hundred-mile radius — in downtown Lenox — a magnet for music lovers and nature buffs.

Over the July 4th weekend, nearly seven hundred people, including residents, tourists, and local officials gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the new Chabad building. Among those in attendance were state Representative Leigh Davis and Berkshires Attorney General Timothy Shugrue. One of the highlights of the event was a performance by world-renowned pianist Emanuel Ax.

Bruce Auerbach, who’s lived in the Berkshires for decades, has been deeply involved — both personally and professionally — in helping bring Chabad’s vision for a new Jewish center in Lenox to life, playing a behind-the-scenes role on the construction and fundraising committees.

“There were seven hundred people at the grand opening — that’s huge for a place like the Berkshires,” he said. “People have already been stopping in daily since then — curious, inspired, wanting to connect.”

“Twenty years ago, you couldn’t have imagined something like this — a Jewish center in the heart of Lenox,” said Ellen Silverstein, a lifelong resident of the Berkshires. “Now it feels like it was always meant to be part of this community.” 

Chabad of the Berkshires was founded in 2001 by Rabbi Levi and Sara Volovik, and a few years later, they opened a Chabad house in Pittsfield. 

It wasn’t too long before they outgrew that space, and after nearly eight years of searching — amid resistance from some locals (Lenox has a long history of excluding Jews — even Leonard Bernstein, one of the most celebrated figures in Tanglewood’s history, struggled to purchase a home in the Berkshires due to antisemitism) and high property demand — they found it. 

“This property had only had two or three owners since George Washington,” said Rabbi Volovik. “It was truly Divine providence.” They soon began building a $12 million project funded by hundreds of generous donors. 

The result is a sprawling Chabad center that features a synagogue with panoramic views of the mountains, guest suites and lounges, an art and music room, and sports facilities including a pickleball and basketball court. A kosher steakhouse and preschool are set to open next year. Men’s and women’s mikvahs — a first in the Berkshires in recent history — are currently under construction. A newly-planted garden and an October 7th memorial commemorate community members who survived the attacks.

Silverstein called the new center in Lenox a game-changer — not just for local residents, but for the thousands of Jewish visitors who come to the Berkshires each summer. “Until now, there wasn’t really a place where people could visit and have access to Jewish life at the same time. Now there is.”

Auerbach concurs. “This isn’t just a building. It’s a place where Judaism can thrive year-round, for locals and visitors.”

Living Jewishly in Tatarstan

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Far from St. Petersburg or Moscow, the city of Naberezhnye Chelny in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan is a booming industrial hub. For decades, the Jews there lived without a rabbi, without a synagogue, and often without a clear connection to their heritage.

Eliyahu Meshcheryakov, a lifelong resident of Naberezhnye Chelny, met the Rabbi Chaim Dovid Paer at an event in Moscow. Paer and his wife Chaya Tzippora were soon to become Chabad reps to Naberezhney Chelny. “At the time,” said Eliyhayu, “I only had a vague understanding of Judaism and its traditions. I didn’t even have a brit milah.”

But the encounter moved him. He decided to have a brit milah, and he stayed in Moscow for Shabbat, immersing himself in the experience. “He came back a different person,” Rabbi Paer said. “Since then, he’s been growing stronger in his Judaism every week.”

Tefilin in Naberezhnye Chelny

Now, Eliyahu often joins the Paers for Shabbat meals, prayer, and Torah study.

“We knew we were moving to a city with no Jewish infrastructure, and we wondered if anyone would respond,” said Rabbi Paer. “Then we saw something like this, and we knew we were going exactly where we needed to be.”

Since settling there, the Paers have been slowly building a connected Jewish community where almost none existed. Home to nearly 600,000 people, the city is a relatively young one, established only 50 years ago when the massive KamAZ truck factory was built.

Torah class at Chabad

For longtime resident Nikolai Vetrov, the Paers brought new energy and meaning to Jewish life. “From the first day we met, Rabbi Paer became a close friend,” Vetrov said. “Now we have someone who can teach our community our traditions in depth and help us pass them on to our children.”

The Paers host weekly Torah classes, holiday events, and Shabbat meals in their home or rented spaces, although the construction of the official Chabad center is nearly finished. “We still have a lot more to do,” said Rabbi Paer. “There are more doors to knock on, more Jews to meet and connect with. But that’s why we’re here.”

Mezuzahs going up around town

Chabad Opens on the Dominican Republic’s North Coast

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In the 1930s — when most countries had sealed their borders to Jewish refugees fleeing Europe — the Dominican Republic opened its doors, and a small Jewish community took root in Sosúa. The community has since faded, with most descendants moving abroad or intermarrying. Today, the old synagogue still stands, preserved as a museum and a quiet reminder of the area’s Jewish past.

Now, a new chapter is beginning. With the arrival of Rabbi Daniel and Esther Silco and the founding of Chabad of the North Coast three months ago, Jewish life is returning to this scenic stretch of coastline — home to palm-lined beaches, turquoise waters, and an estimated 150 Jews, including Israelis, Americans, and Canadians. 

For Daniel Suissa, a young Israeli businessman, the arrival of Chabad to the North Coast couldn’t have come at a better time. “We were all waiting for this,” he says.

“Right after they arrived, Chabad hosted a Purim party. It was amazing — over 60 people came. Many of them had never met each other until then. Chabad brought our community together.”

During a recent trip to Israel, Suissa spent time studying in the same yeshiva that the rabbi once attended. “I’ve been trying to deepen my connection to Judaism,” Suissa says. “Rabbi Silco has truly helped me on that journey.”

Since moving to Puerto Plata, the Silcos have turned their home into a hub of Jewish life, hosting a Passover Seder under a massive outdoor canopy, leading weekly classes, and launching a kids’ club. On Friday nights, anywhere from 30 to 80 people — both locals and tourists — gather for Shabbat dinner. Kosher food, which was previously difficult to access, is now regularly delivered with the help of Rabbi Shimon Pelman of Chabad of Santo Domingo.

“People are really thirsty for connection,” Rabbi Silco says. “They want a place to learn, to pray, and to just be together as a Jewish community.”

As the community grows, plans are also underway to establish a permanent space for a synagogue and community center — a place that will give this growing Jewish community a true home for years to come.

Erez Yishai, who has lived in the region for over four years and runs a company employing more than thirty Israelis, says Chabad’s presence has been transformative. “Before, there was no kosher food, no minyan, no Torah — nothing,” he says. “Now we have Shabbat meals, Torah classes, and a community that supports each other.”

Chabad Brings a Jewish Revival to West Adams

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Walking down a street in West Adams, California, on Purim eve, Rabbi Michoel Zajac spotted a couple wearing what looked like festive headgear. “Happy Purim!” he called out.

“Are you Jewish?” the woman asked. Rabbi Zajac, with his beard, fedora, and jacket, nodded.

“I’m not Jewish,” she said, “but my boyfriend is.”

“Have you heard of Purim?” Rabbi Zajac asked him.

He shook his head.

“So what do you know about Judaism?”

“The only thing I really know,” the man replied, “is something I saw on TV a while back — a mezuzah.” He pulled out his phone and showed a photo of one on his doorpost.

He was practicing the only Jewish thing he knew.

For Rabbi Zajac, moments like these capture the reason he and his wife Hindy moved to West Adams several months ago.

Purim celebration in West Adams

Once home to a bustling Jewish community in the 1920s — including Beth Jacob, now the largest synagogue on the West Coast — the historic South Los Angeles neighborhood of West Adams changed over the decades as Jewish families moved to areas like Beverly Hills. For many years, West Adams didn’t have a synagogue or Jewish center of any sort. But recently, a new wave of younger families has begun moving in, including many Jews drawn by the neighborhood’s affordability and central location.

Since their arrival this winter, the Zajacs have connected with nearly 150 families, meeting them one by one — delivering Shabbat candles, challah, mezuzahs, and holiday kits. Rabbi Zajac holds Torah classes and study sessions, while Hindy hosts women’s events like artisanal challah bakes. Their first Chanukah and Purim gatherings drew more than 50 participants.

For longtime residents like Brandon Hirschberger, the Zajacs’ presence has made all the difference.

“When we first moved here eight years ago, we thought we were the only Jews in the area,” Hirschberger said. “It stayed that way for years — until Rabbi Zajac knocked on my door.”

Rabbi Zajac first introduced himself while Hirschberger’s father was in the hospital. “I saw him through the doorbell camera. I told him I wasn’t home, but I’d love to connect,” Hirschberger recalled. “Since then, he and Hindy have checked in regularly, invited us for Shabbat dinners, and helped create a real sense of community.”

Uria Elkouby moved to West Adams at the same time as the Zajacs — and they connected immediately. He now helps organize weekly barbecues and social events, bringing Jews from the community together. “I told the rabbi — I’ve got the space, I’ve got the grill — let’s do it,” he said. “Now it’s become a regular thing.”

“There are more Jewish families here than anyone thought,” Elkouby said. “People who felt alone, who didn’t even know their neighbors were Jewish — now they’re connecting.”

He sees something bigger on the horizon. “This place is really growing — it’s affordable, a good location — all it needed was someone to start.”

For the Zajacs, that means more doorbells, more conversations, more Friday night dinners — one mezuzah, one challah, one connection at a time.

New Chabad Reps in La Plata, Argentina, are “Building Community, Soul by Soul”

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About an hour’s drive southeast of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the meticulously-designed and beautifully-maintained provincial capital, La Plata. Besides being the home to Buenos Aires Province’s government, it has been home to a Jewish community for more than 100 years—a community that today numbers some 2,000 Jews. 

Some 25 years ago, Chabad La Plata was founded by Rabbi Tuvia and Ilana Serber, who recently handed the reins of the organization to Rabbi Aaron and Rivky Rajchman. The Rajchmans joined the community this past fall and launched a bevy of programs aimed at reaching each Jewish demographic in every corner of the “City of Diagonals” as La Plata is known.

Vanesa Stern is an architect specializing in neuroarchitecture, a field that finds much inspiration in La Plata’s grand buildings and avenues. She met the Rajchmans when she was looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of her son Martín.

“We had never participated in a Chabad event before,” Stern said. “From the very beginning, they welcomed us with immense warmth, complete dedication, and a deep love for what they do. They didn’t just guide us through the ceremonies — they turned each moment into something sacred. Every detail was filled with care, tenderness, and meaning.”

For La Plata’s Jewish community of professionals, families, young and old, Beit Chabad—the Chabad House—has become a place to connect. 

Each women’s event carries something alive, genuine and full of soul

“We’ve taken part in many beautiful events at Chabad: the Purim celebration, Sukkot, Shabbat dinners, and especially the women’s gatherings, where connection, spirituality, and inspiration are deeply felt,” Stern said. “Each event carries something alive, genuine, and full of soul.”

Gustavo Pakman is a real estate developer and has been a weekly attendee at Chabad for decades. As a teenager, Pakman received a dollar from the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the new Chabad house in La Plata. “I think that at that moment, the Rebbe knew the importance of maintaining the fire of Judaism in La Plata,” Pakman said. “There are many Jews in La Plata who know precious little about Judaism.” 

Stern reflects on the global hostility to Jews and Israel. “Knowing that Aron and Rivky are here, in our city, leading with joy, purpose, and faith, gives me strength and infinite gratitude. The work they are doing is so subtle, patient, and transformative. They are weaving something eternal — building community, soul by soul.”

A children’s event at Beit Jabad La Plata
A community gathering at Beit Jabad La Plata