This week, Rabbi Chaim  had the honor of being in Israel for a very moving Siyum Sefer Torah, a Torah completion ceremony, in Bat Ayin, written in memory of Dorit Kamman’s parents. Standing in the hills of Eretz Yisroel, watching a new Torah welcomed with song, joy, and tears, was a powerful reminder of what keeps our people alive. No matter where we are, and no matter what we have endured, we return again and again to Torah, to Eretz Yisroel, and to the unbreakable chain of Jewish life.

That message feels especially timely as we enter the Three Weeks, which began yesterday with the fast of 17 Tammuz. These are days of mourning for the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, but they are also days when we look forward with longing to its rebuilding. We do not mourn as people stuck in the past. We mourn as people who know that something greater is still ahead.

Parshas Pinchas speaks about the daily offerings and the special korbanos brought in the Beis Hamikdash. The daily offering is also one of the things we mourn on 17 Tammuz, as it was on this day that the daily korban stopped. Even as we mourn its halting, the Torah reminds us of what we are yearning to return to, a world filled with holiness, closeness to Hashem, and visible Jewish pride.

That is also why our upcoming volunteer mission to Israel matters so much. We have new dates with El Al flights departing from Miami, and we need to confirm by this weekend before the seats are released. If you have been thinking about joining, now is the time to let us know: www.chabaduptown.org/israeltrip

And on a personal note, this week is both Rabbi Chaim's birthday and birthdate. This year, July 4 and 19 Tammuz fall on the same day! As is customary among Chabad Chasidim, we will be making a birthday farbrengen this Shabbos at the kiddush. Please join us to say l’chaim together, share words of Torah, and turn these days into a time of strength, unity, and renewed commitment.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
Your actions speak so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying. 

Children are remarkable observers. They notice far more than we realize, absorbing not only the values we teach but the priorities we live. Tzelofchad's daughters, hearing that portions of Eretz Yisroel were being divided according to male heads of households, courageously demanded their family's rightful share in the Land of Israel. The Sages explain that their father, Tzelofchad, had given his life out of profound devotion to Hashem and the Jewish people. Decades after his passing, that same passion lived on in his daughters. They inherited not merely his beliefs, but his willingness to act on them.

Our greatest influence is not the speeches we deliver but the example we set. If Torah, mitzvos, kindness, and Jewish life are only ideas we admire, our children will admire them too. But if they watch us rearrange our schedules for a mitzvah, open our home to guests, study Torah consistently, or make sacrifices for what we believe in, those values become part of who they are. Children rarely become what we tell them to be. More often, they become who they watch us become. 

Have a terrific Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

UPCOMING EVENTS & CLASSES:

• Friday, July 3, 7:30 pm - All-American 250 BBQ Shabbat First Fridays for young Jewish professionals, with services at 7:30 pm, candle lighting at 8:08 pm, and BBQ themed dinner at 8:45 pm. $20 with promo code advance until Thursday, $36 after. RSVP at www.yjphouston.org/250shabbat
• Shabbos, July 4, 9:00 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Monday, July 6, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
• Wednesday, July 8, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Thursday, July 9, 8:00 pm - Evening Chassidus
• Sunday, July 19, 6:00 pm - Women’s Mahjong Social - Beginners welcome, come alone or bring a friend. RSVP at chabaduptown.org/mahjong
• Sunday, July 26, 5:00 pm - YJP White Party at the Lanes: White Out or Strike Out at Lucky Strike Houston, 925 Bunker Hill Rd. Bowling, drinks, eats and vibes! www.yjphouston.org/whiteout
• Shabbos Weekend, August 21-23 - Men’s Shabbos at the Ohel - Whether it’s your first visit or a return trip, this Shabbos is a chance to recharge, reflect, and connect with the Rebbe’s timeless vision during an inspiring weekend of Jewish growth and brotherhood.
• Sunday, August 23, 12:30 pm - FCYA Shofar Factory with Friends - Create it, blow it, own it! Join volunteers of YJP Houston with FCYA (Friendship Circle of Houston - Young Adults) to fabricate shofars together with Young Adults with special needs for a morning of fun, camaraderie and integration. $10 prepaid with coupon code “advance,” $18 at the door. RSVP at yjphouston.org/fcyashofar.

Mazel Tov Alex and Ally Wolansky on the birth of a baby girl, Sophia Miriam!

SHABBOS PARSHAS PINCHAS

FRIDAY, JULY 3, TAMMUZ 18
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
8:08 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for YJP All-American 250 BBQ Shabbat First Fridays www.yjphouston.org/shabbat250

SHABBOS, JUNE 4, TAMMUZ 19
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen in honor of Rabbi Chaim's birthday!
8:05 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 6
9:07 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, JULY 5, TAMMUZ 20
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, JULY 6 & 9, TAMMUZ 21 & 24
6:45 am Shacharis