The Bee Stings. So Why Is Honey the Symbol of a Sweet New Year?

One of the most familiar traditions of Rosh Hashanah is dipping an apple into honey and saying, “May it be Your will to renew for us a good and sweet year.”

But why an apple? Why specifically bee honey? If the goal is simply sweetness, why not dip a grape in sugar or a peach in date honey?

The apple carries a message. When our forefather Jacob entered to receive the blessings from his father Isaac, Isaac said, “The fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field blessed by G-d.” Our sages explain that the fragrance of the Garden of Eden entered with Jacob. Jewish mystical teaching describes this realm as a holy apple orchard.

The apple therefore represents more than taste. It recalls Jacob’s blessing and expresses our hope for a year filled with warmth, harmony and closeness to G-d. It symbolizes blessings we recognize immediately, such as good health, loving family, meaningful friendships, peace and success.

Yet the apple is already sweet. Why dip it into bee honey rather than date honey?

Date honey comes from a naturally sweet fruit. Bee honey comes from a creature that can sting. Remarkably, the very creature capable of causing pain also produces extraordinary sweetness. The sting is not a problem with the symbolism. It is the heart of it.

Bee honey represents transformation. It reminds us that G-d can not only bring sweetness into our lives, but can also transform what might otherwise sting into revealed blessing. Some experiences begin with disappointment or pain, yet later awaken strength, deepen relationships or open unexpected doors.

Still, Judaism does not ask us to seek hardship or pretend that pain is pleasant. Quite the opposite. We ask for goodness that is clear and immediately recognizable.

That is why we pray for both a “good” and a “sweet” year. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s father, explained that something may be good in its spiritual source without feeling sweet to the person experiencing it. On Rosh Hashanah, we ask for more. We pray for health that feels healthy, relationships filled with visible joy, livelihood without anxiety and opportunities accompanied by clarity and peace of mind.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe also drew a lesson from the bee itself. The bee has a stinger, but its primary purpose is to produce honey. The same should be true of us. Our defining purpose should be to create sweetness, to help, encourage and bring people closer. Firmness may sometimes be necessary, but it should never become who we are.

Perhaps this is why we dip the apple into honey. The apple represents blessings that are sweet from the beginning. The honey represents the power to transform what might otherwise sting.

As we perform this simple custom, we ask for goodness we can see, feel, share and celebrate. May the coming year be good, visibly good and genuinely sweet for us all.

No Jew should be alone on Rosh Hashanah. At Chabad of Uptown, our doors are always open, and you are warmly invited to join us as we welcome the new year together and make the holiday a little sweeter. Check out the full schedule of programming at chabaduptown.org/celebrate

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie Lazaroff

THE COHEN CORNER
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn

In Moshe’s final words to the Jewish people, he teaches them two mitzvos that answer one question: how will Judaism remain alive long after the generation of Sinai is gone? Hakhel gathered the entire nation in Yerushalayim to hear the Torah from the king and relive Sinai, as though the Torah were being given to them at that moment. But Hakhel happened only once in seven years. How could that experience remain alive wherever a Jew might be? The final mitzvah of the Torah provides the answer: write a Torah scroll of your own and keep it with you. Hakhel recreated our national encounter with Hashem; the Sefer Torah makes that encounter personal, bringing Sinai into our own home and life.

There is a Judaism we can know, respect and even practice, yet still experience from the outside, like something studied in a laboratory. And then there is a Judaism that becomes our own story. On this final Shabbos of the year, perhaps we should ask ourselves: Did my Judaism become more mine this year? Was there a moment when Torah spoke directly to me, when a mitzvah became something I genuinely valued? As we enter a new year, the goal is to experience the Judaism we inherited deeply enough that it truly becomes our own. That is how Judaism remains alive.

Have an inspiring Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for holiday dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services.

Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

THIS WEEK AT CHABAD:

• Shabbos, Sept 5, 9:30 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Wednesday, September 9, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Thursday, September 10, 8:00 pm - Evening Chassidus

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS:
www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

• Fri.-Sun., Sept. 11-13 - FREE Rosh Hashana Services, RSVP for Dinner and Luncheons
• Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
• Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm -  Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
• Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
• Tues. Sept. 29, 7 pm - Sukkot Men's Social: Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah - Join us in the Sukkah for a relaxed guys’ night with fresh sushi, a great selection of Scotch, and plenty of good company. Enjoy a l’chaim, catch up with friends, meet some new faces, and spend a great Sukkos evening together under the schach..
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
• Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm -  YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah
• Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm -  Shemini Atzeret Yizkor  with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
• Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

SHABBOS SELICHOS PARSHAS NITZAVIM-VAYELECH

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, ELUL 22
7:22 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
RSVP for Sweet & Sour Sept. First Fridays Shabbat Dinner www.yjphouston.org/sweetsour

SHABBOS, SEPTEMBER 5, ELUL 23
8:00 am Shabbos "Mevarchim" Tehillim
9:30 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Selichos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen 
7:20 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 5 & 6
8:15 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SELICHOS
Saturday night, Sept. 5 / Sunday, Sept 6
Farbrengen at 11 pm
Selichos at 1:15 am

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, ELUL 24
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, SEPT. 7 & 10, ELUL 18 & 21
6:15 am Selchos
6:45 am Shacharis

During the month of Elul:
We reciting Psalm 27, L’David Hashem Ori, daily
We blow the Elul shofar after Shacharis each day through Erev Rosh Hashanah.
We recite the daily chapters of Tehillim as divided by the Baal Shem Tov for the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur.

Friday, Erev Roshana, Sept. 11: Selichos, No Tachanun, No Shofar, Hataras Nedarim (Annulment of Vows)

New Year. New Beginning.

School is back, routines are starting again, and Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner. What better way to get ready than with a meaningful and uplifting Shabbos together?

This Shabbos, join us for a special Community Shabbaton with Rabbi Yechiel Krisch, “When Science Meets Ultimate Power.” Friday night we will explore Can Science Prove G-d? and at Shabbos lunch, The Nuclear Question, looking at nuclear power through a Torah lens.

And we cannot have a complete Shabbaton without YOU!

A heartfelt thank you to our Shabbaton sponsors: the Benjaminov Family, in honor of the community; the Pfrenger Family and Daniel Casslasy in memory of Yona David ע״ה ben Yaffa; the Mesulati Family, in memory of Fortuna bat Gemila; and the Van Dam Family, for a refuah shleima for Moshe ben Arieh.

Looking forward to having you join us this Shabbos! www.chabaduptown.org/shabbaton

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie Lazaroff

THE COHEN CORNER
The way to love anything is to realize it may be lost.

The tribe of Levi always occupied a unique place within the Jewish people. They were set aside for Divine service and Torah study, and while every other tribe would receive a portion of the Land of Israel, the tribe of Levi would not. “Hashem is their inheritance.” That distinction could easily leave an ordinary Jew wondering whether closeness to Hashem really belonged to everyone equally. So when Moshe, on the final day of his life, gave the Torah scroll specifically to the tribe of Levi, the Jewish people objected. We also stood at Sinai. The Torah is ours too. Moshe was thrilled. Their protest revealed that Judaism had become personal to them. They could no longer tolerate the thought that Torah might belong more to someone else than to themselves.

This message begs us to reflect: What really matters to us? The answer is often found less in what we say and more in where we express passion, what we participate in regularly, and what we make room for even when life gets busy. Where does Judaism fit into that picture? Do we approach Shabbat dinner as something meaningful that we want to be part of, or as a burden to fit in when convenient? The Jews in the desert cared enough to protest when they feared Torah might not fully belong to them. Their reaction challenges us to do the same.

Have a fantastic Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka and Mendel Cohen

Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for holiday dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services.

Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

CHABAD IN PHOTOS:

• A beautiful evening of food, friendship and inspiration as women from across Houston gathered for our annual Pre Rosh Hashana Cooking Demo. We enjoyed delicious recipes, great company and meaningful ideas to help us prepare for a sweet and meaningful New Year. CLICK FOR PHOTOS
• Residents at Brookdale Galleria got into the Rosh Hashana spirit with a special Honey Cake Bake. Together we mixed, baked and shared the sweetness of the upcoming New Year, along with warm conversation, Jewish tradition and plenty of smiles CLICK FOR PHOTOS

THIS WEEK AT CHABAD:

• Friday, August 28, 8:30 PM and Shabbos, August 29, 1:00 PM – Community Shabbaton: When Science Meets Ultimate Power with Guest Rabbi Yechiel Krisch - Explore a rational case for G-d and a Torah perspective on nuclear power over Friday night dinner and Kiddush lunch. RSVP required.  www.chabaduptown.org/shabbaton
• Shabbos, August 29, 9:00 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Monday, Aug. 31, 7:00 pm – Building a New Day Benefit Dinner – Celebrate nearly 50 years of Jewish education in Houston, honor community leaders, and help launch the next chapter of the Chabad Lubavitch Educational Campus. BuildingANewDay.com
• Tuesday, September 1, 12:00 pm - Lunch & Learn: Tehillim, Faith in Uncertain Times - RSVP at chabaduptown.org/lunch.
• Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 PM – Grand Challah Bake - A pre-Rosh Hashanah evening of braiding, bonding and live music. A joint partnership of the Chabad centers in Uptown, Bellaire and Medical Center. RSVP at GrandChallahBake.com
• Wednesday, September 2, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Thursday, September 3, 8:00 pm - Evening Chassidus
• Friday, Sept. 4, 7:30 pm -  September First Fridays: Sweet & Sour Shabbat - Join Young Jewish Professionals for a Sweet & Sour themed Shabbat dinner at YJP Houston with great food, new friends, and a lively Shabbat atmosphere. www.yjphouston.org/sweetsour

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS:
www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

• Fri.-Sun., Sept. 11-13 - FREE Rosh Hashana Services, RSVP for Dinner and Luncheons
• Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
• Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm -  Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
• Tues. Sept. 29, 12 pm - Sukkot Lunch & Learn - Enjoy an upscale lunch in the Sukkah with like-minded friends for a spirited Torah class and meaningful discussion.
• Tues. Sept. 29, 7 pm - Sukkot Men's Social: Sushi & Scotch in the Sukkah - Join us in the Sukkah for a relaxed guys’ night with fresh sushi, a great selection of Scotch, and plenty of good company. Enjoy a l’chaim, catch up with friends, meet some new faces, and spend a great Sukkos evening together under the schach..
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
• Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm -  YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah
• Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm -  Shemini Atzeret Yizkor  with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
• Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

SHABBOS PARSHAS KI SAVO

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, ELUL 15
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
7:31 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner with Guest Rabbi Yechiel Krisch chabaduptown.org/shabbaton
Topic: Can Science Prove G-d?
Shabbaton Sponsored by the Benjaminov Family, in honor of the community; the Pfrenger Family and Daniel Casslasy in memory of Yona David ע״ה ben Yaffa; the Mesulati Family, in memory of Fortuna bat Gemila; and the Van Dam Family, for a refuah shleima for Moshe ben Arieh

SHABBOS, AUGUST 29, ELUL 16
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen with Guest Rabbi Yechiel Krisch
Topic: The Nuclear Question
7:30 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 3 & 4
8:24 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, ELUL 17
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 & SEPT. 1, ELUL 18 & 21
6:45 am Shacharis

During the month of Elul:
We reciting Psalm 27, L’David Hashem Ori, daily
We blow the Elul shofar after Shacharis each day through Erev Rosh Hashanah.
We recite the daily chapters of Tehillim as divided by the Baal Shem Tov for the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur.

After an extraordinary week in Israel, we returned home to Houston and jumped right back into the energy of Elul.

It was wonderful to have so many women together last night for our Pre Rosh Hashanah Cooking Class, and now, hello from New York, where a group of the guys is heading into a special Shabbos together at the Ohel.

This week’s parsha, Ki Seitzei, tells us, “Ki sivneh bayis chadash” — “When you build a new home.”

The Torah goes on to tell us that even before the home is complete, we have to think about how it will be lived in and make the proper preparations.

That feels very much like Elul.

The new year has not started yet, but this is our time to prepare for it. To think about what we want the coming year to look like and what we can do now to begin building it that way.

For us, that preparation has taken a few different forms this week. Coming home inspired from Israel. Women gathering together to prepare for Rosh Hashanah. And now a group of men spending Shabbos at the Ohel.

Rosh Hashanah may still be a few weeks away, but the building of the new year has already begun.

Wishing you a good Shabbos and a meaningful Elul.

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie Lazaroff

P.S. Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for holiday dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services.

P.P.S. Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

THE COHEN CORNER
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

“When you go out to battle against your enemy, and G-d delivers him into your hands…” Our parsha begins with an important sequence. First, you go out to battle. Then Hashem delivers the enemy into your hands. Anxiety can reverse that order. We want to know that we will succeed before we are willing to act. When we cannot see that certainty, we retreat into our own mental fortress. What was meant to protect us from failure can become the very thing preventing us from moving forward.

The Torah says we go al oyvecha, “over your enemy,” rather than simply “against” it. Chassidic teachings explain that we enter the struggle already knowing that we have the advantage. If Hashem placed this challenge before us, then the challenge itself is part of our path and we have been given what we need to meet it. The practical work is getting ourselves off the diving board. Instead of waiting for certainty, identify what fear is keeping you stuck and take the first real step anyway. Once we move forward, we create the space for the Divine assistance that the verse promises.

Have an empowering Shabbos!

Have a joyous Shabbos! 
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka and Mendel Cohen

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• Wednesday, August 26, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Tuesday, September 1, 12:00 pm - Lunch & Learn: Tehillim, Faith in Uncertain Times - RSVP at chabaduptown.org/lunch.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• 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.
• Friday, August 28, 8:30 PM and Shabbos, August 29, 1:00 PM – Community Shabbaton: When Science Meets Ultimate Power with Guest Rabbi Yechiel Krisch - Explore a rational case for G-d and a Torah perspective on nuclear power over Friday night dinner and Kiddush lunch. RSVP required.
• Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 PM – Grand Challah Bake - A pre-Rosh Hashanah evening of braiding, bonding and live music. A joint partnership of the Chabad centers in Uptown, Bellaire and Medical Center. RSVP at GrandChallahBake.com.
• Friday, Sept. 4, 7:30 pm -  September First Fridays Shabbat Dinner - Join Young Jewish Professionals For a Themed Shabbat Dinner at YJP Houston – where spirits run high! www.yjphouston.org

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES & EVENTS:
www.chabaduptown.org/celebrate

• Fri.-Sun., Sept. 11-13 - FREE Rosh Hashana Services, RSVP for Dinner and Luncheons
• Sun.-Mon., Sept. 20-21 - Yom Kippur Services and Break Fast
• Fri. & Sat. Sept. 25 & 26, 7 pm -  Community Sukkot Dinners Under the Stars
• Thursday, October 1, 6:30 pm - Smoke, Mirrors & Sukkot w/ YJP, YAD & Olami - Join young professionals in their twenties and thirties for an evening of magic, dinner, drinks and joy in the Sukkah under the Stars! www.yjphouston.org
• Friday, Oct. 2 6:45 pm -  YJP October First Fridays Shemini Atzeres Edition - Simchas Torah warm-up brief dancing and dinner in the sukkah
• Shabbos. Oct. 3 12:15 pm -  Shemini Atzeret Yizkor  with special Service to Honor the Memory of the Oct. 7 massacre
• Shabbos, Oct. 3, 6:45 pm - Saturday Night ALIVE! Simchat Torah Uptown - Dance like a Star!

IN PHOTOS

Volunteer in Israel Summer Trip - See the photos from our unforgettable Volunteer in Israel trip and relive the incredible week of giving, connecting, and experiencing Israel together. Click here.

SHABBOS PARSHAS KI SEITZEI

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, ELUL 8
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
7:38 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner

SHABBOS, AUGUST 22, ELUL 9
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen
7:35 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 1 & 2
8:32 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, ELUL 10
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, AUGUST 24 & 27, ELUL 11 & 14
6:45 am Shacharis

During the month of Elul:
We reciting Psalm 27, L’David Hashem Ori, daily
We blow the Elul shofar after Shacharis each day through Erev Rosh Hashanah.
We recite the daily chapters of Tehillim as divided by the Baal Shem Tov for the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur.

Shalom from the Anava Vineyards in the Judean foothills near Jerusalem, between Kiryat Gat and Chevron!

As I write this, we are sitting in the shade of the olive groves, about to begin helping with the grapevines.

We began our day with Rosh Chodesh Elul Shacharis and, for the first time this month, the sound of the shofar.

Standing here among the olives and grapes, there is a beautiful Elul message all around us.

Olives must be crushed to release their oil. Grapes must be pressed to produce their wine. Sometimes, a little pressure is exactly what brings out something deeper and more precious.

And then there is the shofar.

The shofar begins narrow and opens wide. We blow from the narrow end, giving physical expression to the words of Tehillim:

“Min hameitzar karasi Kah, anani vamerchav Kah.”

“From the narrow place I called to G-d, and He answered me from the wide open space.”

That feels especially meaningful after the extraordinary week we have experienced here to Volunteer in Israel with Mayanot Birthright-Israel.

We packed mikvah kits in Tzfat for the wives of IDF soldiers. We danced and sang with residents of an old age home in Tiberias. We packed food for families in need at Colel Chabad’s Pantry Packers in Jerusalem. We worked the land at Kibbutz Re’im, clearing an area that will become a beautiful new grove. We visited Sderot and heard about the remarkable strength of the community. We traveled through the Gaza Envelope to pay our respects at the Nova Festival site, where we heard the incredible firsthand story of Nova survivor Barak Nixon, and visited the Tekuma memorial of vehicles destroyed on October 7. Throughout the week, we have met Israelis whose courage, warmth and determination have inspired us.

One of the highlights was visiting an IDF base near Nachal Oz, where we brought a huge barbecue for the soldiers of Paratroopers Battalion 202. We sang, danced and ate together, spoke with the soldiers, put tefillin on several of them, and had the privilege of expressing our gratitude to those protecting Am Yisrael. Their spirit and appreciation made it an incredibly uplifting experience.

Everywhere we have gone, we have seen the same thing: the strength, warmth, and determination of Am Yisrael to keep building.

Planting. Building. Volunteering. Singing. Helping one another. Protecting one another. Living Jewishly with tremendous pride.

And now, on Rosh Chodesh Elul, we find ourselves literally among the vines of Eretz Yisrael.

And then we discovered one more remarkable bit of Divine Providence.

One section of the vineyard we were working in is now in its fourth year. Today is Friday, and in today’s sixth portion of Parshas Shoftim, the Torah speaks about soldiers preparing to go to war and says:

“U’mi ha’ish asher nata kerem v’lo chil’lo”

“Who is the man who planted a vineyard and has not yet redeemed it?”

Rashi explains that this is referring specifically to the fourth year of the vineyard, when its fruit was to be eaten in Jerusalem, or redeemed so that its value could be enjoyed there.

Here we were, after spending yesterday with Israeli soldiers, standing today in a fourth year vineyard in the hills outside Jerusalem, on the very day the daily Torah portion speaks about soldiers and a fourth year vineyard.

Sometimes Hashem gives you a little wink and reminds you that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

Perhaps that is the message of the olive, the grape and the shofar.

The olive does not remain crushed. It produces light.

The grape does not remain pressed. It produces wine and joy.

And the shofar does not remain in the narrow place. Its sound emerges into the wide open space.

That is Elul.

It is an invitation to look at our own lives and ask: What more can I become? What strength, goodness and holiness can I bring out of myself? How can I make this coming year broader, brighter and more meaningful than the year before?

“Min hameitzar karasi Kah, anani vamerchav Kah.”

May the sound of the shofar this Elul carry all of us from narrowness to expansiveness, from potential to action, and from strength to even greater strength.

As the sun will soon set here in Jerusalem, we wish you a Good Shabbos from Eretz Yisrael. We are looking forward to an incredible Shabbos in Yerushalayim, followed by one final day of volunteering and experiences together on Sunday before heading home.

Chodesh Tov and Kesivah Vachasimah Tovah from the vineyards of Eretz Yisrael!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie Lazaroff

P.S. Speaking of shofars… Come join us for the FCYA Shofar Factory, where you can make your own shofar while celebrating friendship and inclusion together with young adults with special needs.
yjphouston.org/fcyashofar

THE COHEN CORNER

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. 

In a Jewish court of law, the only form of acceptable testimony is from two valid witnesses. There is one fascinating exception: when it comes to money owed, a person’s admission about himself is accepted, but when the result of his admission is a punishment that will affect his body, it is not. Why the difference? Your money belongs to you, but your body belongs to Hashem, entrusted to you for a purpose. You are its caretaker, not its owner.

That idea offers a powerful perspective on fitness. Judaism does not dismiss exercise, healthy eating, or strength. The question is why we do it. Fitness can easily become an obsession with appearance, performance, or seeing just how far we can push the body. But if the body belongs to Hashem, taking care of it becomes something much deeper. We exercise so we have the strength and energy to live well, care for our families, help others, and serve Hashem. The goal is not to make the body the center of our lives, but to make it capable of carrying out what our lives are really about. 

Have a joyous Shabbos! 
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka and Mendel Cohen

Mazel tov to Anthony and Mathilde Attal on the birth of a baby boy!
May they raise him to Torah, Chuppah, and good deeds and merit to bring him in to the covenant of Avraham Avinu!

Mazel tov to Corey Weinberg on the occasion of his marriage to Abbey Cumnock this coming week! Please join us in shul as he is called to the Torah in preparation for their special day.

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• Shabbos, August 15, 9:00 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Monday, August 17, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
• Wednesday, August 19, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Tuesday, September 1, 12:00 pm - Lunch & Learn: Tehillim, Faith in Uncertain Times - RSVP at chabaduptown.org/lunch.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Thursday, August 20, 6:30 pm - Women’s Pre-Rosh Hashanah Cooking Demo & Tasting with Chanie and Chanale at Chabad of Uptown, 4311 Bettis Drive. chabaduptown.org/cook
• 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.
• Friday, August 28, 8:30 PM and Shabbos, August 29, 1:00 PM – Community Shabbaton: When Science Meets Ultimate Power with Guest Rabbi Yechiel Krisch - Explore a rational case for G-d and a Torah perspective on nuclear power over Friday night dinner and Kiddush lunch. RSVP required.
• Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 PM – Grand Challah Bake - A pre-Rosh Hashanah evening of braiding, bonding and live music. A joint partnership of the Chabad centers in Uptown, Bellaire and Medical Center. RSVP at GrandChallahBake.com.

SHABBOS PARSHAS SHOFTIM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, ELUL 1
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
7:45 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner
 

SHABBOS, AUGUST 15, ELUL 2
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen
7:50 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 6
8:40 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, ELUL 3
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 & 20, ELUL 4 & 7
6:45 am Shacharis

During the month of Elul:
We reciting Psalm 27, L’David Hashem Ori, daily
We blow the Elul shofar after Shacharis each day through Erev Rosh Hashanah.
We recite the daily chapters of Tehillim as divided by the Baal Shem Tov for the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur.
 

Something special is happening in Houston, and it has a very personal connection to our Chabad of Uptown and YJP Houston family.

On Monday, August 31, Chabad Lubavitch of Texas will hold the Building A New Day, Building Inheritance Campus Benefit Dinner, and we are proud that several of this year’s honorees are so closely connected to our own community.

We are proud to honor Dr. Ron (and Mollie) Karni. Ron is Rabbi Chaim’s childhood friend, and their family has been part of Chabad of Uptown for many years, with all of their children celebrating their Bar and Bas Mitzvahs with us.

We are also especially proud to honor Dr. Rebecca Attal, a member of YJP Houston whom Chanie had the privilege of teaching years ago in early childhood preschool. To now see Rebecca as an accomplished young Jewish professional and active part of YJP Houston beautifully reflects what Jewish education and community are ultimately about.

They will be honored together with Shmuel and Michele Amber, whose lead generosity is helping make the new campus possible, and Rabbi Chaim's mother, Rebbetzin Chiena Lazaroff, for her lifetime of dedication to Jewish education in Houston for young and old.

The dinner will benefit the largest project Chabad Lubavitch of Texas has undertaken to date: the development of a new educational campus on 12 acres, designed to create the capacity for the continued growth of Jewish education in Houston.

The vision for the next phase includes a new preschool, a Motherhood Center providing a social and play space for new mothers and young families together with education, wellness, newborn support and parenting resources, as well as expanded opportunities for Torah Day School and Camp Gan Israel.

This week’s Parsha, Re’eh, contains a verse that speaks directly to this moment:

“When Hashem your G-d expands your boundary, as He has promised you…”

Ki yarchiv Hashem Elokecha es gevulcha.

Baruch Hashem, Houston’s Jewish community is growing, and so are the opportunities before us. This campus is about creating the space and capacity for that growth to continue.

In many ways, the people we are honoring tell that story themselves: a lifelong educator, transformational donors, a family whose children grew up celebrating their Jewish milestones at Chabad of Uptown, and a former preschool student who is now part of the next generation of YJP Houston.

Rabbi Chaim is personally leading this historic project, and we would truly appreciate having you be part of it.

Please join us on Monday, August 31 as our table guests and/or consider placing an ad in the dinner journal. BuildingaNewDay.com

Your participation would mean a great deal to us as together we build the foundation for the next chapter of Jewish growth in Houston.

Good Shabbos Kesivah vachasimah tovah, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.

Rabbi Chaim and Chanie Lazaroff

P.S. Chabad of Uptown looks forward to celebrating the holidays with you. Our doors are open to the entire Jewish community to daven and to celebrate, regardless of background or affiliation. For the complete schedule of services, to RSVP for holiday dinners or lunches, visit www.chabaduptown.org/services.

P.P.S. Now is also the time to join or renew your voluntary membership to Chabad. Your partnership allows us to provide free, open and welcoming services to all, for the holidays and year round! www.chabaduptown.org/membership

THE COHEN CORNER
Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. 

Do you know the holiest Jewish site in the world? Of course you do. Everyone does. Yerushalayim and the Temple Mount have been at the center of Jewish life for thousands of years. We face Yerushalayim three times a day in prayer, remember it in our times of joy, and have prayed for generations to return there. Yet Moshe spends enormous amounts of time teaching the Jewish people exactly how the Temple service should work, but never tells them where the Temple will be built. Instead, the Torah repeatedly calls it simply “the place that Hashem will choose.” Why keep the location of the holiest place in Judaism a secret?

The answer may lie in the Torah’s own words: “You shall seek His presence and come there.” Hashem wanted the Jewish people to seek out the place themselves. Yerushalayim could not simply be an address handed down from Heaven; the Jewish people had to desire it, search for it, and take the initiative to make it Hashem’s home. Only after King David sought out and chose the site did Hashem confirm that choice. And perhaps that is the lesson for us as well. We often wait for the right moment to become better, more connected, or more purposeful. But holiness doesn’t always begin with a sign from above. Sometimes it begins when we make the first move: setting aside time for Torah study, taking on another mitzvah, making Shabbat more meaningful, or being there for someone who needs us. Hashem chooses the place, but first He asks us to seek it.

Have an outstanding Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• Shabbos, August 8, 9:30 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Monday, August 10, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
• Wednesday, August 12, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Tuesday, September 1, 12:00 pm - Lunch & Learn: Tehillim, Faith in Uncertain Times - RSVP at chabaduptown.org/lunch.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Friday, August 7, 7:30 pm - Welcome to Houston: Citrus & Herbs August First Fridays Shabbat Dinner - New to Houston or already part of the YJP family? Join us for our August First Fridays Citrus & Herbs Shabbat. Whether you just moved here or have been with us for years, come enjoy a fresh summer dinner, welcome new faces, reconnect with friends and celebrate Shabbat together with the YJP Houston community. Services 7:30 pm, Candle Lighting 7:52 pm, Dinner 8:45 pm. $20 using coupon "advance" until Thursday. $36 after that. yjphouston.org/welcome.
• Sunday, August 9 - Met at Chabad: The Biggest Global Jewish Dating Virtual Event. Jewish singles from around the world will come together for the biggest virtual Jewish dating event, an opportunity that has already led to hundreds of matches, engagements, and marriages, including many from right here in Houston, and could be the conversation that changes your life. RSVP at metatchabad.com.
• Sunday, August 9-Monday, August 17 - Volunteer in Israel: Chabad of Uptown Volunteer Mission with Birthright Israel. A community volunteer mission for active adults ages 18 and up, including those 50+. Israel needs us again. We are going back! - www.chabaduptown.org/israeltrip.
• Thursday, August 20, 6:30 pm - Women’s Pre-Rosh Hashanah Cooking Demo & Tasting with Chanie and Chanale at Chabad of Uptown, 4311 Bettis Drive. chabaduptown.org/cook
• 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.
• Friday, August 28, 8:30 PM and Shabbos, August 29, 1:00 PM – Community Shabbaton: When Science Meets Ultimate Power with Guest Rabbi Yechiel Krisch - Explore a rational case for G-d and a Torah perspective on nuclear power over Friday night dinner and Kiddush lunch. RSVP required.
• Wednesday, September 2, 7:00 PM – Grand Challah Bake - A pre-Rosh Hashanah evening of braiding, bonding and live music. A joint partnership of the Chabad centers in Uptown, Bellaire and Medical Center. RSVP at GrandChallahBake.com.

SHABBOS MEVARCHIM ELUL, PARSHAS RE'EH

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, MENACHEM AV 24
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
7:52 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Welcome to Houston: Citrus & Herbs August First Fridays Shabbat Dinner yjphouston.org/welcome
Sponsored in part by Yonatan & Liora Tzion

SHABBOS, AUGUST 8, MENACHEM AV 25
8:00 am Shabbos Mevarchim Tehillim
9:30 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Mevarchim Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen sponsored by the Gandjian family in memory of their grandfather Yosef Mordechai ben Saltanat V'Rabi, a"h
7:50 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 5
8:47 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, MENACHEM AV 26
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY AUGUST 10, MENACHEM AV 27
6:45 am Shacharis

ROSH CHODESH ELUL
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, AUGUST 13-14, MENACHEM AV 30 & ELUL 1
6:45 am Shacharis w/ Hallel, Torah Reading & Musaf
On Rosh Chodesh Elul:
We begin reciting Psalm 27, L’David Hashem Ori, daily
Beginning Friday, we blow the Elul shofar after Shacharis each day through Erev Rosh Hashanah.
Beginning Friday, we recite the daily chapters of Tehillim as divided by the Baal Shem Tov for the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur.
Shacharis will be followed by our monthly Rosh Chodesh breakfast

Following Tu B’Av, the strength of the sun begins to weaken and the days slowly become shorter.(Be sure to check out the photos from this past week’s White Party as we celebrated Tu B’Av together). Even while summer continues, we begin turning our hearts toward the coming year and wishing one another, “Kesivah vachasimah tovah, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

It is a time to reflect on the year ahead. What kind of year do we want to create? What kind of Jewish community do we want to strengthen? What step can each of us take to help Jewish life continue to grow?

For our family, Chabad of Uptown is more than a Shul. It is our home, and we hope it feels like your home too.

Our doors are open to everyone. High Holiday services are free, with no tickets, membership, or affiliation necessary. Every Jew is welcome, regardless of background, observance, or ability to contribute.

That freedom is possible because members of our community voluntarily choose to support it.

This is the time of our annual optional Shul membership drive. By becoming a member, you help us keep our doors open, continue our services, classes, holiday programs, meals, and community events, and ensure that there is always a warm Jewish home waiting for anyone who walks through the door.

This week’s Parshah, Eikev, takes its name from the word for “heel.” Rashi explains that it alludes to the mitzvos we sometimes tread upon or overlook because they seem small. Eikev reminds us that Jewish life is strengthened not only through great moments, but through the seemingly small steps we choose to take every day.

Showing up for a Shabbos service. Joining a class. Bringing a child to a holiday program. Helping another Jew feel welcome. Supporting a community that remains open to everyone.

Every step matters, and every person makes a difference.

Please consider taking that step and becoming a member of Chabad of Uptown for the coming year.

www.chabaduptown.org/membership

Kesivah vachasimah tovah, may you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.

Rabbi Chaim and Chanie Lazaroff

P.S. Men are also invited to join us for our annual Men’s Shabbos at the Ohel, August 21-23. Whether it is your first visit or a return trip, this Shabbos is an opportunity to recharge, reflect, and connect with the Rebbe’s timeless vision during an inspiring weekend of Jewish growth and brotherhood as we prepare for the High Holidays. Send us a message and we will share the flight information and reserve you a spot!

THE COHEN CORNER
We all stand on shoulders we did not build.

This week's parshah reminds us how easy it is to lose perspective when life is going well. As the Jewish people prepare to enter the Land of Israel, Moshe reminds them that success can slowly convince a person, "My strength and the might of my hand made me this wealth." The Torah doesn't tell us not to work hard or take satisfaction in what we've accomplished. It tells us to remember something that often gets overlooked: the abilities that made those accomplishments possible were given to us by Hashem. Our intelligence, determination, health, and opportunities didn't begin with us.

There's a story about a group of mountain climbers who spent years training to reach the top of a difficult peak. After finally making it to the summit, they were stunned to find a young boy sitting there. "How did you get here?" they asked. The boy smiled and said, "I was born here." In a way, every one of us is that child. We all begin life with certain advantages we didn't earn. One person is naturally patient, another is creative, another has a sharp mind or an encouraging personality. Of course we should work hard and make the most of those gifts. But remembering where they came from changes the way we see our success. Most importantly, it reminds us to use what we've been given for something bigger than ourselves.

Have a fabulous Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• Shabbos, August 1, 9:00 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Monday, August 3, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
• Wednesday, August 5, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Thursday, August 6, 8:00 pm - Evening Chassidus
• Tuesday, September 1, 12:00 pm - Lunch & Learn: Tehillim, Faith in Uncertain Times - RSVP at chabaduptown.org/lunch.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Thursday, August 6, 7:30 pm - Women’s Dessert & Discussion celebrating Chanale’s birthday at Chabad of Uptown. Please text Chanale if you plan to join.
• Friday, August 7, 7:30 pm - Welcome to Houston: Citrus & Herbs August First Fridays Shabbat Dinner - New to Houston or already part of the YJP family? Join us for our August First Fridays Citrus & Herbs Shabbat. Whether you just moved here or have been with us for years, come enjoy a fresh summer dinner, welcome new faces, reconnect with friends and celebrate Shabbat together with the YJP Houston community. Services 7:30 pm, Candle Lighting 7:52 pm, Dinner 8:45 pm. $20 using coupon "advance" until Thursday. $36 after that. yjphouston.org/welcome.
• Sunday, August 9-Monday, August 17 - Volunteer in Israel: Chabad of Uptown Volunteer Mission with Birthright Israel. A community volunteer mission for active adults ages 18 and up, including those 50+. Israel needs us again. We are going back! - www.chabaduptown.org/israeltrip.
• Thursday, August 20, 6:30 pm - Women’s Pre-Rosh Hashanah Cooking Demo & Tasting with Chanie and Chanale at Chabad of Uptown, 4311 Bettis Drive. RSVP required.
• 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.

FEATURED PHOTOS - WHITE PARTY AT THE LANES
White Out or Strike Out - An incredible evening with YJP Houston at the Lanes, bringing young Jewish professionals together for bowling, food, drinks, networking, and great summer vibes as we got ready for Tu B’Av. Thank you to everyone who joined, and to our amazing Host Committee for helping make it happen. Check out the photos here Photo Credit @nathancolbertphotography

SHABBOS PARSHAS EKEV

FRIDAY, JULY 31, MENACHEM AV 17
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
7:57 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner
Sponsored by the Pfrenger family in memory of Yona David ben Yaffa, a"h

SHABBOS, AUGUST 1, MENACHEM AV 18
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen sponsored by the Reizes Family celebrating Rachelli's 1st Birthday
8:00 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 3
8:58 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, MENACHEM AV 19
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, AUGUST 3 & 6, MENACHEM AV 20 & 23
6:45 am Shacharis

Yesterday, on Tisha B'Av we sat low and mourned what was destroyed. This Shabbos, in the Haftorah we hear the words, “Nachamu, Nachamu Ami,” “Comfort, comfort My people.” This is a double consolation. We are not only emerging from Tisha B’Av, we are also approaching Tu B’Av, one of the most joyous days of the Jewish year.

This movement from mourning to joy does not mean forgetting what was lost. It means answering loss by building.

Perhaps there could be no more fitting way for our community to enter Shabbos Nachamu than by welcoming a Sefer Torah to Chabad of Uptown. Completed just three weeks ago in Israel in memory of Avrohom Leib and Shoshana Joslyn Feldman ע״ה, the beloved parents of Dorit Kamman, it will be read from for the first time in Houston this Shabbos at 11:15 am.  We invite you to share in this meaningful celebration tomorrow as their memory and our communal joy continue through more Torah, more mitzvos and more Jewish life. A celebratory Kiddush will follow.

This Sunday, the celebration continues at our YJP White Party at the Lanes as we prepare for Tu B’Av on Wednesday. The Talmud teaches, “There were no greater festivals for Israel than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur. On these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance in the vineyards. And what would they say? ‘Young man, raise your eyes and see which you select for yourself…’”

The Rebbe often taught that simchah (joy) is not merely something we wait to experience after the Redemption. Simchah itself breaks through boundaries and helps bring Redemption closer. And redemption is not only the ultimate redemption of our people from exile. It is also the personal redemption each of us needs from whatever confines us: from pain, loneliness, fear, disappointment or a chapter that has felt impossible to move beyond.

The circle dances of Tu B’Av, with no beginning and no end, express a joy that rises beyond limitations. They remind us that no difficulty is the final word, no darkness defines the whole story and, with Hashem’s help, every person can step beyond yesterday’s boundaries into a brighter and more joyful tomorrow.

Good Shabbos!

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. 

The Torah's most famous declaration begins with a word that is easy to pass over: Shema. Before we proclaim Hashem as our One G-d, we first must listen. To pause for a moment, set aside the distractions competing for our attention, and become fully present. That opening word is far more than an introduction to a prayer. It reminds us that faith begins with paying attention. Throughout Jewish history, Jews have said these words in times of joy, in the routines of everyday life, and in moments of unimaginable hardship. Yet before saying anything about Hashem, the Torah first asks us to gather ourselves. Gather your scattered thoughts and bring your attention into one place before declaring what matters most. 

It is surprisingly easy to spend an entire day physically present while mentally somewhere else, thinking about tomorrow's meeting during dinner, checking your phone while someone is speaking, or rushing through a mitzvah before moving on to the next task. The challenge of Shema is to notice when that happens and bring yourself back. When you're learning Torah with a friend, sitting across the table from your family, saying a blessing before a meal, or spending a few quiet moments in prayer, try to be fully there. We cannot stop our minds from wandering altogether, but we can keep choosing to return. Every time we do, we are already living the first lesson of Shema.

Have a phenomenal Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• Shabbos, July 25, 9:00 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Monday, July 27, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
• Wednesday, July 29, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Thursday, July 30, 8:00 pm - Evening Chassidus
• Tuesday, September 1, 12:00 pm - Lunch & Learn: Tehillim, Faith in Uncertain Times - RSVP at chabaduptown.org/lunch.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Shabbos, July 25, 11:15 am - Welcome the New Kamman / Feldman Sefer Torah! - Join us this Shabbos Nachamu as we read for the first time in Houston from a Sefer Torah completed in Israel in memory of Avrohom Leib and Shoshana Joslyn Feldman ע״ה, beloved parents of Dorit Kamman. A celebratory Kiddush will follow.
• 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
• Friday, August 7, 7:30 pm - Welcome to Houston: Citrus & Herbs August First Fridays Shabbat Dinner - New to Houston or already part of the YJP family? Join us for our August First Fridays Citrus & Herbs Shabbat. Whether you just moved here or have been with us for years, come enjoy a fresh summer dinner, welcome new faces, reconnect with friends and celebrate Shabbat together with the YJP Houston community. Services 7:30 pm, Candle Lighting 7:52 pm, Dinner 8:45 pm yjphouston.org/welcome.
• Sunday, August 9-Monday, August 17 - Volunteer in Israel: Chabad of Uptown Volunteer Mission with Birthright Israel. A community volunteer mission for active adults ages 18 and up, including those 50+. Israel needs us again. We are going back! - www.chabaduptown.org/israeltrip
• 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.

FEATURED MAHJONG PHOTOS
Mahjong, friendship and a beautiful night out  -  Our Women’s Social brought together beginners and experienced players for an evening of connection, laughter and community at Chabad of Uptown. Whether they came alone or brought a friend, there is always a seat at the table.

SHABBOS NACHAMU PARSHAS V'ESCHANAN

FRIDAY, JULY 24, MENACHEM AV 10
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
8:02 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner

SHABBOS, JULY 25, MENACHEM AV 11
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Nachamu Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen sponsored by the Kamman family in honor of welcoming the New Torah completed just three weeks ago in Israel in memory of Avrohom Leib and Shoshana Joslyn Feldman ע״ה, the beloved parents of Dorit Kamman
8:00 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 3
8:58 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, JULY 26, MENACHEM AV 12
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY & THURSDAY, JULY 27 & 30, MENACHEM AV 13 & 16
6:45 am Shacharis

This has been a week of whiplash, and also a week that reminded us what our people are made of.

Rabbi Chaim spent 24 hours at the CYP Kinus in Austin, together with young shluchim from around the world, watching one of the fastest growing corners of our movement gather to strengthen each other for the work ahead. It was genuinely energizing to see that kind of growth and commitment in one room. Before and after, we were pulled between a funeral, two shivas for children who lost young parents far too soon, and a bris.

Life does not organize itself into neat categories, and this week proved it. A newborn entered the covenant of Avraham the same week families sat low to the ground processing a loss with no easy explanation. But even in the hardest moments, there was so much light. A new soul welcomed into our people. A room full of young shluchim building the future. Communities showing up for each other in shiva homes with real love.

This week is called Shabbos Chazon, the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av, when we read Parshas Devarim. The name comes from the opening word of the haftorah, Chazon Yeshayahu, Isaiah's vision. There's a well known teaching among the Chassidic Masters that on this Shabbos every Jew is shown a vision of the future Beis Hamikdash, even if we don't consciously perceive it. It's a vision worth holding onto, especially this week.

We are deep in the Nine Days now, and next week we arrive at Tisha B'Av itself, the day our sages tell us the Moshiach will be born. The same day marked for our deepest mourning is also the day associated with our greatest birth. That alone tells you everything about how our tradition sees darkness, never as the final word.

That's the lesson for life. We don't get to choose when joy and sorrow show up. We do get to choose to hold onto the vision anyway.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. 

Preparing the Jewish people to enter the Land of Israel, Moshe’s unusual farewell speech revisits some of the nation's most painful failures. Yet he does so in code, mentioning only the names of places that quietly allude to those episodes. Moshe wanted the people to reflect on their mistakes without reliving the embarrassment of having them publicly rehearsed. After forty years of leading, defending, and sacrificing for them, he knew that preserving their dignity would accomplish far more than recounting every detail of their shortcomings. 

Have you ever had a manager tell you, "You're doing it wrong"? Your first instinct was probably not to improve, but to explain or defend yourself. Yet when we are correcting a spouse, guiding a child, or advising a friend, we often forget what it feels like to be on the receiving end. Moshe teaches that lasting influence comes not from exposing another person's faults, but from preserving their dignity. When people feel respected, they become far more motivated to change.

Have a fantastic Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

UPCOMING EVENTS & CLASSES:

• Shabbos, July 18, 9:00 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Sunday, July 19, 6:00 pm - Women’s Mahjong Social - Beginners welcome, come alone or bring a friend. RSVP at chabaduptown.org/mahjong
• Tuesday, July 21, 12:00 pm – Lunch & Learn: Hashem's Hidden Home. Discover the Beis Hamikdash that was never destroyed and the eternal sanctuary that still exists today. Lunch included. RSVP: chabaduptown.org/lunch
• Wednesday, July 22, 8:50 pm – Tisha B'Av Evening of Study & Reflection - Join us for the reading of Megillat Eicha as we commemorate the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. Fast begins at 8:21 pm, Maariv at 8:48 pm followed by Eicha.
• 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.

SHABBOS CHAZON PARSHAS DEVARIM

FRIDAY, JULY 17, MENACHEM AV 3
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
8:05 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner

SHABBOS, JULY 18, MENACHEM AV 4
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen
8:05 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 2
9:02 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, JULY 19, MENACHEM AV 5
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY, JULY 20, MENACHEM AV 6
6:45 am Shacharis

WED,, EREV TISHA B'AV, AUG. 22, 8 MENACHEM AV
6:45 am Shacharis
1:28 pm Refrain from general Torah Study
Seudah Hamafsekes, egg dipped in ashes.
8:21 pm Fast Begins
Refrain from eating and drinking, bathing, wearing of leather footwear, and marital relations
8:48 pm Maariv
8:55 pm Eichah Reading (Lamentations) 

THURS., TISHA B'AV, AUG. 23, 9 MENACHEM AV
Ritual wash (negel vasser) only to knuckles
6:45 am Shacharis with Torah Reading
No Tallis and Tefillin at Shacharis
7:45 am Kinos - Lamentations
1:26 pm Midday - Resume sitting normally
7:30 pm Mincha – Talis, Tefillin, Krias HaTorah
8:47 pm Maariv, Havdalla & Fast Ends
Ritual wash hands fully
Nine day mourning practices of no meat or wine continue through tomorrow Friday, 1:28 pm (halachic midday).
As this year the Tenth of Av falls on Friday, bathing, cutting hair, and laundry are allowed even before halachic midday in preparation for Shabbos.

This past week, we had the joy of celebrating Rabbi Chaim's birthday together with so many members of our Chabad family. Thank you to everyone who joined us, sent warm wishes, called, texted, or reached out in so many thoughtful ways. We are truly grateful for your friendship, your kindness, and for being part of our lives. The greatest gift is the privilege of sharing this journey together with such a wonderful community.

This week's double parshah, Matos-Masei, speaks about journeys. Masei recounts the forty-two travels of the Jewish people through the wilderness, teaching us that every stop, every challenge, and every milestone has purpose. Looking back on another year of life, we recognize that our own journeys are also guided by Hashem, with each experience preparing us for the next stage of growth.

This Wednesday evening also marks the beginning of the Nine Days, a period when we lessen our joy as we mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. Yet even as we remember what was lost, we continue moving forward with purpose. The journeys described in Masei remind us that no exile is permanent. Every step brings us closer to our ultimate destination, the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash with the coming of Moshiach.

May we merit to transform these days of mourning into days of joy, and celebrate together in Jerusalem, speedily in our days.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. 

The tribes of Reuven and Gad asked to settle on the fertile lands east of the Jordan instead of joining their brethren in the Holy Land because they owned abundant livestock. In presenting their request, they said, "We will build sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our children," placing their flocks before their families. Rashi notes that in his response to them, Moshe deliberately reversed the order: "Build cities for your children and enclosures for your sheep." Their mistake was not that they loved their livestock more than their children, but that they believed their ability to care for their families depended primarily on the size of their herds. Moshe corrected this subtle but profound misconception. We are obligated to work diligently and responsibly, but our livelihood does not come from our efforts alone. Our work creates the vessel; Hashem provides the blessing.

It is easy to fall into the same mindset today. We tell ourselves that if we just work a little longer, answer one more email, or close one more deal, then we will finally have the time and security to invest in what truly matters. Yet in chasing the "sheep," we can unintentionally neglect our families, our Torah learning, our prayer, and our mitzvos, believing they must wait until after our financial goals are achieved. The Torah reminds us to reverse that order. Put what is truly essential first, trusting that Hashem is the One Who sustains us. When we make room for the things that matter most, while continuing to work with honesty and diligence, we acknowledge that we are not the ultimate providers. We are responsible for the effort; Hashem is responsible for the blessing.

Have an incredible Shabbos!

Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

THIS WEEK IN JEWISH CUSTOMS
"Nine Days" Begin
"When Av begins, we diminish [our] rejoicing" (Talmud, Taanit 26b).

Thsi Wednesday is the 1st of Av, when "The Three Weeks" mourning period over the destruction of the Holy Temple--which began 13 days earlier on Tammuz 17--enters an intensified stage. During "The Nine Days" from Av 1st to the Ninth of Av, a heightened degree of mourning is observed, including abstention from meat and wine, music, bathing for pleasure, and other joyous and enjoyable activities. (The particular mourning customs vary from community to community, so consult a competent Halachic authority for details).

Consumption of meat and wine is permitted on Shabbat, or at a Seudas Mitzvah (obligatory festive meal celebrating the fulfillment of a mitzvah) such as a Bris (circumcision), or a "Siyum" celebrating the completion of a course of Torah study (i.e., a complete Talmudic tractate). The Lubavitcher Rebbe initiated the custom of conducting or participating in a Siyum on each of the Nine Days (even if one does not avail oneself of the dispensation to eat meat).

Citing the verse (Isaiah 1:27) "Zion shall be redeemed with mishpat [Torah] and its returnees with Tzedakah," the Rebbe urged that we increase in Torah study (particularly the study of the laws of the Holy Temple) and charity during this period.

Links: When and (How) to be Sad, www.thethreeweeks.com

UPCOMING EVENTS & CLASSES:

• Friday, July 10, 7:30 pm – Aggie Houston & Alumni Summer Shabbat at Chabad of Uptown - Join Aggies, alumni, friends, and the Houston Jewish community for a warm Shabbat experience. Open to all. RSVP: www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner
• Shabbos, July 11, 9:30 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• 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
• Tuesday, July 21, 12:00 pm – Lunch & Learn: Hashem's Hidden Home. Discover the Beis Hamikdash that was never destroyed and the eternal sanctuary that still exists today. Lunch included. RSVP: chabaduptown.org/lunch
• Wednesday, July 22, 8:50 pm – Tisha B'Av Evening of Study & Reflection - Join us for the reading of Megillat Eicha as we commemorate the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. Fast begins at 8:21 pm, Maariv at 8:48 pm followed by Eicha.
• 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.

Baruch & Shani Shkerzi on the birth of a baby girl, Emanuel

SHABBOS MEVARCHIM PARSHAS MATOS-MAASEI

FRIDAY, JULY 10, TAMMUZ 25
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
8:06 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for "Aggie" Shabbat Dinner www.yjphouston.org/shabbat250

SHABBOS, JUNE 11, TAMMUZ 26
8:00 am Shabbos Mevarchim Tehillim
9:30 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen sponsored by the Scheiner family in honor Alyssa'a birthday
8:05 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 1
9:05 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, JULY 12, TAMMUZ 27
8:00 am Shacharis

MONDAY, JULY 13, TAMMUZ 28
6:45 am Shacharis

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, ROSH CHODESH AV
6:45 am Shacharis
Followed by monthly Rosh Chodesh breakfast 

THURSDAY, JULY 16, AV 2
6:45 am Shacharis

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

They say, nostalgia is not what it used to be.

It is a funny line, but maybe it is also true. We often look back and wonder about the way things used to be. With all the ways we are connected today, are we more productive or less? Are we more present or more distracted? Are we building more, or simply moving faster? I am not sure.

This Shabbos, we mark the chassidic holiday of Yud Beis Tammuz, the day of liberation of the Frierdiker Rebbe from Soviet prison.

One thing is clear. The Frierdiker Rebbe did not allow the pain of the past to define the present or limit the future. This Shabbos, on Yud Beis Tammuz, we celebrate his redemption, which allowed him to continue his sacred work and eventually reestablish Lubavitch on American shores, helping spark a renaissance of Jewish life around the world in the difficult years after the war.

The Frierdiker Rebbe himself wrote that his liberation was not a personal event alone, but a celebration for every Jew. “It was not me alone whom Hashem redeemed on Yud Beis Tammuz, but also all who cherish our holy Torah, who observe mitzvos, and even one who is merely called by the name Israel.”

In this week’s parsha, Chukas, the Torah tells us of the passing of Miriam and Aharon. Their passing was not only a personal loss. Chazal teach in Taanis 9a that the Jewish people received three great gifts in the desert through their three great leaders, the well in the merit of Miriam, the clouds of glory in the merit of Aharon, and the manna in the merit of Moshe.

When Miriam passed away, the well ceased. When Aharon passed away, the clouds of glory departed. The manna, of course, continued, because Moshe was still alive. Yet the well and the clouds did not remain only memories of a better yesterday. Chazal tell us that they returned in the merit of Moshe.

Moshe did not allow the Jewish people to become a nation defined by what they had lost. He led them forward. The blessings of the past became strength for the future, and the Jewish people continued their journey with faith, courage, and joy.

As America prepares to celebrate 250 years, we can and should look back with gratitude at what this free country has given us. Here, we have been able to live openly and proudly as Jews, to build shuls, schools, mikvaos, camps, kosher institutions, and vibrant Jewish communities.

Fighting antisemitism is important. We must stand up against hate and protect our people. But a Judaism defined only by our enemies is a Judaism of yesterday. The Jewish people of today need living Judaism, proud Judaism, Jewish Judaism, Torah and mitzvos, Jewish homes, Jewish joy, and the confidence to make a difference in the world.

The past can inspire us, but it cannot replace our mission today.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Chaim & Chanie

THE COHEN CORNER
Peace is not the absence of differences, but the ability to live together with them.

This week's Parshah contains one of the Torah's most famous prophecies about Moshiach. Bilaam foretells that a future king will arise who will "crush" and "uproot" the nations of the world. At first glance, it sounds as though Redemption will come through conquest. Yet the prophets describe a very different future, one in which all humanity serves Hashem together. The Rebbe explains that what Moshiach will uproot is not people, but selfishness. He will not erase our differences or force everyone to become the same. Rather, the ego that drives hatred, jealousy, and division will give way to a world where every individual and every nation contributes its unique strengths toward a common purpose.

In many ways, we have already seen a glimpse of this possibility. Modern society has shown that people of different cultures, religions, and backgrounds can work together, build communities, and pursue shared goals while remaining distinct. The challenge is that we often become consumed by what separates us instead of what unites us. The Torah's vision of Moshiach teaches us to stop defining people by their differences and start building around our shared values and common purpose. We do not have to agree on everything to move in the same direction. Every time we choose common ground over conflict, and shared purpose over personal pride, we bring the world one step closer to the Redemption for which we are waiting.

Have a marvelous Shabbos!
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen

UPCOMING EVENTS & CLASSES:

• Shabbos, June 27, 9:00 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
• Sunday, June 28, 4:30 pm - Siyum Sefer Torah in Bat Ayin, Israel - Torah Scroll Dedication in memory of R. Avraham and Shoshana Feldman a’h, the parents of Dorit Kamman. The celebration will begin at Beit Shlomo Hall in Bat Ayin, Israel, and the completed Torah will later be brought to Houston to be housed at Chabad of Uptown. If you are in Israel, join us!
• Monday, June 29, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
• Wednesday, July 1, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
• Thursday, July 2, 8:00 pm - Evening Chassidus
• Friday, July 3, 7:30 pm - All-America 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
• 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.

SHABBOS PARSHAS CHUKAS-BALAK

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, TAMMUZ 11
7:30 pm Mincha & Shabbat Services
8:08 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner

SHABBOS, JUNE 27, CHAG HAGEULAH YUD-BEIS TAMMUZ
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Yud-Beis Tammuz Farbrengen
8:05 pm Mincha
Ethics of our Fathers, Chapter 5
9:07 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, CHAG HAGEULAH YUD-GIMMEL TAMMUZ
8:00 am Shacharis
4:30 pm Siyum Sefer Torah Bat Ayin, Israel 
in memory of R. Avraham and Shoshana Feldman a’h, the parents of Dorit Kamman

MONDAY, JUNE 29, TAMMUZ 14
6:45 am Shacharis

THURSDAY, JULY 2, FAST OF 17 TAMMUZ
4:56 am Fast Begins
6:45 am Shacharis w/ Fast of 17 Tammuz Selichos & Torah Reading
7:45 pm Mincha w/ Torah Reading
8:54 pm Maariv & Fast Ends