Thoughts, notes and happenings...

A Prince is Born

Friday, July 26, 2013 - 12:16 AM

Big week for the Jewish people!

A packed house of young professionals heard fascinating facts stemming from Jewish law on the delicate issue of abortion from Rabbi Lazer Lazaroff of Chabad House at Texas Medical Center. The Torah does not agree with the political pro-life or pro-choice parties. An embryo is a real life, not to be taken lightly. It is a great honor to parent a child and bring a soul into this world.

This week, a much acticipated soul was brought into this world and new prince has been born! As all of Israel are children of royals (Talmud Shabbos 67A) the Chabad of Uptown community extends a hearty, Texas sized, Mazel tov to... Maxine Epstein on the birth of a grandson to her son Rabbi Adam & Clara Chaya!

The Grand Finale of the month of Shabbatons & Events in honor of our Gabbai is here with our final Shabbos with Dr. Alan & Chagit Croock!

July 26-27 Weekend Shabbaton & Shabbos Dinner sponsored by our Gabbi Dr. Alan & Chagit Croock in special honor of Rav Chaim, Chanie & Family, Chabad Uptown Congregation & Chabad Uptown Choir :)
Shabbos Kiddush Lunch Sponsored by Michael Pasternak & Ben Shamooelian in honor of our Gabbai

Thank you to all of our sponsors! See www.chabaduptown.org/gabbai for your last chance to join in sponsorship opportunities.

August "First Fridays" for young professionals is next week, August 2! Join a wonderful group of new and old friends (and bring some too)!
In the upcoming weeks, we are firming up the final details on our ongoing Building Campaign! The steady growth of our programs has us literally bursting at the seams. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about the planned expansion.
The High Holidays are quickly approaching! Services for Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur wil be held at the exquisite Hilton Post Oak - Galleria! We will have a special program called "CKids", making Shul on the Jewish New Year a fun and fulfilling experiene for everyone! Complete schedule and registration form is now posted on www.chabaduptown.org/services

Shabbos Parshas Eikev

Friday, July 26
Services at 7:30 pm
Candle Lighting at 7:59 pm

Shabbos, July 27
PrePrayer Kabbala Study at 9 am
Services at 10 am
Followed by Kiddush
Mincha at 8:00 pm
Pirkei Avos Ch. 5
Maariv, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 8:59 pm
Living Torah

Sunday, July 21
Shacharis at 8:30 am
BLT = Bagels, Lox & Teffilin at 9:00 am

Have a good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube @youngchabad!

Love is Life

Friday, July 19, 2013 - 12:18 AM

Some moments are heartwarming, especially when you get special notes like these...

loaves of love schultz1.jpg "Thank you for starting this [Loaves of Love] program and including us. We have made such a beautiful friendship that spans three generations."

You're the best Rabbi I know and one of my best friends

Essentially, we have been discussing true love for many weeks now in our Thursday Tanya classes and this week's Wed. class for young pros on the subject of romance.

This week in Shul, the most monumental themes of Judaism are expressed in our Parsha, including the Ten Commandments and verses of the Shema, "You shall love the L‑rd, your G‑d, with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 6:5). The Torah has a lot to say about love, check out this article in our online parsha section:

True Love

Why is a transcendent feeling like love so contingent on actions? While the question may sound profoundly philosophical, the answer is quite simple . . . more...

MONDAY: The 15th of Av: Love and Rebirth

Our sages proclaimed the 15th of Av as one of the two greatest festivals of the year, yet they ordained no special observances or celebrations for it . . . more...

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS: On Wednesday, August 24, the weekly class, dinner & social for young professionals will host a special guest speaker, Rabbi Lazer Lazaroff of the Aishel House and Chabad House at Texas Medical Center.

The topic: Abortion in Jewish Law; Facts that may surprise you. See who else is coming here.

We are now on the third of the July month of Shabbatons & Events in honor of our Gabbai! Please help us reach our goal and consider taking an untaken category for this week!

July Shabbatons Underwriter, Allison Roberman
Shabbos Dinner for July 12 by Linda Suib & Mark Stern
Shabbos Kiddush Lunch Sponsored by Tzion Moshe & Yaffa Shamooelian in honor of their daughter Rivka.

Thank you to all of our sponsors! See www.chabaduptown.org/gabbai for sponsorship opportunities.

A LOOK AHEAD:

Wed. Aug. 14: Summer Closeout BBQ for Young Professionals
Wed.-Fri., Sept 4-6: Rosh Hashana @ Hilton Post Oak
Fri.-Sat., Sept 13-14: Yom Kippur @ Hilton Post Oak
Wed., Sept 18: Community Sukkot Dinner Under the Stars
Thurs., Sept. 26: Simchat Torah Grand Hakafot

Shabbos Nachamu, Parshas V'Eschanan

Friday, July 19
Services at 7:30 pm
Candle Lighting at 8:03 pm

Shabbos, July 20
PrePrayer Kabbala Study at 9 am
Services at 10 am with Torah reading including Ten Commandments
Followed by Kiddush
Mincha at 8:05 pm
Pirkei Avos Ch. 4
Maariv, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 9:03 pm
Living Torah

Sunday, July 21
Shacharis at 8:30 am
BLT = Bagels, Lox & Teffilin at 9:00 am

Have a good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube @youngchabad!

Daring to dream | 9 Av Program now at 8:25 pm

Thursday, July 11, 2013 - 8:26 PM

Thursday Tanya Class Do you know that every Thursday two high power groups gather to study Tanya - the map of the Jewish soul? You can join too at any time for the noon or 8 pm class!

Mazal tov to JHV associate editor, Michael C. Duke, who won a second place Simon Rockower Award for Excellence inPhotography, presented by the American Jewish Press Association. The winning photo, featured on the cover of the 2012 Rosh Hashanah magazine, captured a local rabbi’s campaign to bring the sound of the shofar to more Houstonians. More on Chabad.org/News & in the Jewish Herald Voice>

This Shabbos Devarim is also known as Shabbat Chazon - "Shabbat of Vision", when we transform our days of mourning the Temple's destruction to one of seeing it rebuilt with Moshiach. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev taught that every Jew is granted a vision of this Messianic reality on this special Shabbos.

To Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, this "vision" was not merely a paranormal projection, hallucination or hologram; it was a glimpse of the actual Temple in koach (a state of potential), waiting for us only to bring it to a state of "poal" (concrete actualization).

We are now on the second of the July month of Shabbatons & Events in honor of our Gabbai! Please help us reach our goal and consider taking an untaken category for this week!

Super Duper Gabbai - $10,000 NO SPONSORS YET -Your name here?
July Shabbatons Underwriter, Allison Roberman
Shabbaton Weekend Sponsor - $1800 July 12-13 - NO SPONSORS YET - Your name here?
Shabbos Dinner for July 12 by Allison Roberman in memory of Leah bas Rachel and by John Weinberg
Shabbos Kiddush Lunch Sponsored by Dr. Louis & Sheila Train and by the Abrams family in honor of a newborn daughter to Jocelyn & David Abrams
Prayer Service Dedication by Dr. Jerald & Irina Simmons
Loaves of Love Dedications - $180 July 12 - NO SPONSORS YET - Your name here?
Young Professionals Wed. Dinner & Social - $100 for July 17 - NO SPONSORS YET - Your name here?

Thank you to all of our sponsors! See www.chabaduptown.org/gabbai for sponsorships.

By popular demand the program will begin with the fast at 8:25 pm (Fast actually begins at 8:22 pm) This Monday, July 15, Tisha B'Av eve, please join us for an Evening of Film, Study, and Personal Reflection about finding faith during difficult times. Program at 8:25 pm followed by Maariv & EichaMore>.Trailer> Triumph of Hope is an emotionally-gripping and intense documentary featuring holocaust survivors recounting their own memories of bitachon, mitzvos performed, and Jewish identity maintained in the most horrible moments. Join on Facebook

A LOOK AHEAD:

Wed. Aug. 14: Summer Closeout BBQ for Young Professionals
Wed.-Fri., Sept 4-6: Rosh Hashana @ Hilton Post Oak
Fri.-Sat., Sept 13-14: Yom Kippur @ Hilton Post Oak
Wed., Sept 18: Community Sukkot Dinner Under the Stars
Thurs., Sept. 26: Simchat Torah Grand Hakafot

Shabbos Chazon, Parshas Devarim

Friday, July 12
Services at 7:30 pm
Candle Lighting at 8:05 pm

Shabbos, July 13
PrePrayer Kabbala Study at 9 am
Services at 10 am
Followed by Kiddush & sponsored by Dr. Louis & Sheila Train and the Abrams Family
Mincha at 8:05 pm
Pirkei Avos Ch. 3
Maariv, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 9:06 pm
Living Torah

Sunday, July 14
Shacharis at 8:30 am
BLT = Bagels, Lox & Teffilin at 9:00 am

Monday, July 8 - Tish B'av Eve
8:22 pm Fast Begins
9:00 pm Eicha and Triumph of Hope Film and Program More>

Tuesday, July 9 - Tisha B'av
Join for services at Chabad 10900 Fondren at:
6:45 or 8 am morning services and Kinos reading
7:00 pm Mincha in Teffilin
8:51 pm Fast ends

Have a good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube @youngchabad!

Florida, July (4), First Fridays, Triumph!

Thursday, July 4, 2013 - 10:25 PM

We enjoyed a vacation to Florida that included hitting up Epcot, the Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale and, most importantly, the many fantastic kosher eateries the sunny (I mean rainy) Florida has to offer! If you want recommendations, we have it covered :). Oh, and the kids? They stayed home.... Many thanks to Naomi & Shiffy who held down the Lazaroff clan household.

Mazel tov to David & Jocelyn Abrams on the birth of a baby girl!

Enjoy my fireworks! Although Jews have historically experienced freedom in other countries over the past thousands of years, it was limited to a low level of somewhat superficial freedoms. Many times it was due to the perceived gain the locale had for providing those freedoms, rather than a sincere care for freedom for all. Today Americans celebrate unprecedented freedoms for humanity. America has provided true freedom of spirit with access to every level of social and economic status and most importantly, freedom to live as Jew without compromise. I am grateful for this country, to have been born (in Texas) on this great date of July 4th, for this great country and for the many friends who have taken the time to express their love, on my real 19 Tammuz Hebrew birthday and today, in person and on my Facebook wall.

This Friday we kick off the July month of Shabbatons & Events in honor of our Gabbai!

July 5 Loaves of Love Senior Visitation sponsored by Fanny Briceno
July 5-6 Shabbaton weekend is sponsored by Rabbi Shimon & Chiena Lazaroff
Friday night's "First Fridays" for young professionals and Shabbos day kiddush is sponsored by Maxine Epstein
Wednesday's Young Professional's Dinner, Class & Social sponsored by Dr. Zvi & Shirley Friedman. This week's topic: Destruction & Renewal - Tisha B'Av in a Chassidic perspective

Thank you to all of our sponsors! See www.chabaduptown.org/gabbai for available sponsorships.

Monday, July 15, Tisha B'Av eve, please join us for an Evening of Film, Study, and Personal Reflection about finding faith during difficult times. Maariv & Eicha at 9:00 pm, followed by program. Triumph of Hope is an emotionally-gripping and intense documentary featuring holocaust survivors recounting their own memories of bitachon, mitzvos performed, and Jewish identity maintained in the most horrible moments. Join on Facebook

Shabbos Mevarchim, Parshas Matos-Ma'asei

Friday, July 5
Services at 7:30 pm | "First Fridays" RSVP!
Candle Lighting at 8:06 pm

Shabbos, July 6
Shabbos Mevarchim Tehillim at 8:30 am
Services at 10 am
Followed by Shabbos Mevarchim Kiddush & Farbrengen
Mincha at 8:05 pm
Pirkei Avos Ch. 2
Maariv, Havdalla & Shabbos Ends at 9:08 pm
Living Torah

Sunday, July 7
Shacharis at 8:30 am
BLT = Bagels, Lox & Teffilin at 9:00 am

Monday, July 8
Rosh Chodesh Av Minyan - Please reply to confirm your attendance!
Followed by breakfast sponsored by Moshe, Guitel, Ilan & Julliette Melnik

Have a good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube @youngchabad!