Don't forget to sell your chametz! www.chabaduptown.org/chametz
Do you have hand made Shmurah Matzah for your seder table? If not, we have one for you! Please reply to this email to let us know when you would like to pick it up (while supplies last...)
This week, we begin reading the book of Vayikra, which opens with the word “Vayikra—And He called.” Commentators note the word’s affectionate tone, emphasizing Hashem’s love for Moshe Rabbeinu and the significance of every teaching in the Torah. The essence of Vayikra is holiness: how to sanctify our lives through sacrifices and service. These lessons remind us that Hashem calls upon each of us to uplift the mundane into the sacred.
This week, Wednesday April 9, will also the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s birthday, on 11 Nissan. This date is marked by Education and Sharing Day in the USA, in Texas and in states and municipalities around the world. Rabbi Chaim joined a delegation of Chabad rabbis from across Texas that met at the Capitol in Austin March 4 for the governor, Texas State House and Texas State Senate to declare Education and Sharing Day in Texas to be celebrated this year on April 9. Read more about it on the JHV and Anash.org, The tradition for such a day began with President Jimmy Carter in 1978 and has continued under every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter in 1978.
The Rebbe dedicated his life to calling on every individual to recognize their unique mission and potential. Central to his vision was education—not just as the transfer of knowledge, but as the cultivation of character and holiness. He saw education as the key to a society built on morality and goodness, a society where children are guided to transform their world into a dwelling place for G-d.
Just as Hashem called Moshe Rabbeinu with love and purpose, we are called to educate our children with the same love, instilling in them a sense of divine mission. The Rebbe taught that every child is a “mini-sanctuary,” whose potential can bring immense light to the world.
May we answer Hashem’s call with dedication and joy, ensuring that every act of education and kindness transforms our world into a place of holiness and peace, to be actualized with the coming of Moshiach and the Ultimate Redemption!
Rabbi Chaim & Chanie Lazaroff
THE COHEN CORNER
In the tapestry of life, every thread, however small, contributes to the beauty of the whole.
The book of Vayikra focuses primarily on the Jewish people's sacrifices and their service of Hashem in His home. Each sacrifice involved four key elements. The Kohen and the individual offering the sacrifice together represented humanity. The animal kingdom was represented by the meat, while oil, wine, and flour symbolized the vegetative world. Salt, added to every sacrifice, represented the mineral kingdom. The act of the sacrifice reflected a deeper, internal service, where the individual expressed a desire to connect with Hashem through every fiber of their being and through every element of creation.
In a similar way, our tables serve as our personal altars. By utilizing the energy gained from the food we've consumed to fulfill Hashem's commandments, we elevate every ingredient included. For this reason, it is customary for Challah, matzah, and breads to be dipped in salt before eating them, incorporating even the inanimate in service of Hashem.
Have a fantastic Shabbos!
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale and Mushka Cohen
Pesach is coming, April 10-20! Our Pesach website and Seder RSVP is now open!
Yes, Pesach is coming! Check out our Pesach mini-site with everything you need, including selling your chametz, buying hand-made round Shmurah Matzah for your seder table, RSVP for our seder table, our Pesach schedule and all kinds of Pesach readings and resources! www.chabaduptown.org/pesach2025
- Sell your chametz now! www.chabaduptown.org/chametz
- Order handmade Shmurah matzah www.chabaduptown.org/ordermatzah
- RSVP for the Seder www.chabaduptown.org/sederrsvp
- Complete Pesach candle lighting and service schedule www.chabaduptown.org/pesachschedule
UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS:
- Sat., & Sun. April 12-13 - Uptown Pesach Seders - A Refreshingly Traditional Seder with Uptown Flare! www.chabaduptown.org/seder
- Sunday, April 20 - Moshiach Seudah - Following the custom of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chassidism, Passover concludes with a "Feast of Moshiach."
- Thursdays, May 1-22 at 10:30am - Mommy and Me with Chanale Cohen - Nurturing and engaging program designed for mothers and babies (newborn to 2 years) to learn, play, and connect in a warm Jewish environment. - www.chabaduptown.org/mommy
- Tuesday, May 6th - Lunch 'N Learn: "Counting With Purpose: A mystical journey through the Omer count" with Rabbi Yosef Cohen. RSVP at Chabaduptown.org/lunch
UPCOMING YJP EVENTS:
- Friday, April 4, 7:30 pm - Shabbat Italiano - April First Fridays - Join Young Jewish Professionals for an Italian Shabbat Dinner at YJP Houston - where spirits run high! www.yjphouston.org/italy
- Wed-Sun., May 7-11 - CYP Encounter Guatemala - Join us for an adventurous weekend of nature, soulfulness, and connection with fellow young Jewish professionals. www.chabadyoung.com/gua
- Wed.-Thurs., July 2-10 - CYP Israel Volunteer Trip - Meaningful, memorable and amazing volunteering trip to Israel this summer, eligible ages 18-50 —and the price is insane - as low at $599! www.yjphouston.org/israeltrip
THIS WEEK'S CLASSES:
- Shabbos, April 5, 9:00 am - Chassidus - Torah Or with Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff
- Monday, April 7, 8 pm - Hebrew Language: The Tanya with Rabbi Menny Raichik
- Wednesday, April 9, 8:00 pm - YJP Dinner, Class & Social
SHABBOS PARSHAS VAYIKRA
FRIDAY, APRIL 4, NISSAN 5
7:24 Shabbos Candle Lighting & Mincha
7:30 Kabbalat Shabbat
8:30 pm RSVP for Shabbat Dinner www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner
SHABBOS, APRIL 5, NISSAN 6
9:00 am Chassidus
10:00 am Morning Services
Shabbos Lunch Kiddush & Farbrengen
7:20 pm Mincha
Torah Study - Preparing for Pesach
8:19 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbat Ends
Living Torah Video Magazine