This week we are celebrating you. The strength of our community and the success of this campaign come from your generosity. Your belief in your community and your willingness to give allowed your ripple to triple. Thank you to our generous matchers, our devoted team leaders, and every donor who stepped forward. Last year for the year-end campaign we had 219 donors and this year we grew to 417! That remarkable growth happened because of your energy, your warmth, and your passion for this community. On behalf of every person whose life will be touched, thank you for building something that continues from one generation to the next.
This weekend is the Kinus Hashluchim, the annual gathering of Chabad rabbis from around the world, it is inspiring to see how Chabad continues to uplift Jewish life everywhere. This year’s global data shows tremendous momentum, with over 6,300 emissary couples serving in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Since October 7, a study by JFNA found that the greatest rise in Jewish engagement in America is specifically among those connected with Chabad, with 44 percent reporting deeper involvement through Chabad programs and relationships. Younger Jews in particular are turning to Chabad in greater numbers, making it the second most common way they connect Jewishly. You are invited to join virtually this Sunday for the grand banquet at www.chabaduptown.org/kinus.
We also share a beautiful simchah. Mazel tov to Rabbi and Mrs. Cohen on the bris of their son, Menachem Mendel Cohen. A new generation has begun to blossom in our community and we celebrate with joy.
Parshas Chayei Sarah teaches that the future is shaped by the choices we make today. Avraham secures a resting place in Chevron, the Me’aras Hamachpela, that will belong to his descendants. Eliezer seeks a partner for Yitzchak who embodies kindness and finds Rivkah. When Rivkah enters Sarah’s tent the miracles of the previous generation return. One generation lifts the next and the light continues.
That is exactly what you have done. Your gift strengthens Jewish life today and creates a foundation for all. Your generosity helps welcome this new generation with warmth, learning, and Jewish pride. In the spirit of Avraham and Sarah you are helping build a future filled with blessing.
Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Chaim and Chanie
P.S. If you did not have a chance yet, it is still not too late to make a difference. You can join at www.chabaduptown.org/triple
THE COHEN CORNER
It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.
One might assume that Parshas Chayei Sarah (“the life of Sarah”) would describe her lifetime, yet it intriguingly begins with her passing. This teaches that Sarah’s true life was not measured in years, but in the spiritual influence that endures through the generations she shaped. As the Yiddish saying goes, tachrichim hobn nisht kein keshines, burial shrouds have no pockets. The Torah reminds us that what remains after we’re gone are not our material possessions, but the Torah, mitzvos, and acts of goodness that live on through our children and through those we’ve touched.
As I reflect on the bris we celebrated yesterday for our son Mendel, this message comes alive. At a bris, a baby boy is entered into an everlasting covenant with Hashem; the same covenant that Sarah devoted her life to nurturing. In that moment, we are reminded that our task as parents is not only to care for a child’s body, but to shape his soul, to pass on faith, kindness, and purpose. As we hold our newborn son, we hold both the past and the future; the living continuity of Sarah’s life and Hashem’s covenant. Our joy is not just in the birth itself, but in the eternal story we now join: raising a Jewish child who will, G-d willing, grow to live a life of Torah, mitzvot, and enduring light.
Have a fantastic Shabbos!
Rabbi Yosef, Chanale, Mushka & Mendel Cohen
- Shabbos, Nov. 15, 9:30 am - Likkutei Torah - Kabbala of the Parsha - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Masterworks on the weekly Parsha.
- 12 Sundays, Nov 16-Feb. 1, 11 am - Hebrew Scouts: Level Up Your Hebrew! Dive into an exciting 12-week adventure with Chabad of Uptown and YJP Houston! Strengthen your Hebrew reading, explore roots and word patterns, and boost your skills in a fun, friendly setting with Rabbi Yosef Cohen and team. www.chabaduptown.org/hebrew
- Monday, Nov. 17, 8:00 pm - שיעור שבועי בספר התניא עם הרב מני לע"נ יונה דוד ע"ה בן יפה תחי' פרנגר
- 4 Tuesdays, Nov 18-Dec. 9, 7:30-9 pm - JLI Course: The Kabbalah of Meaning - Jewish Wisdom for Finding the Purpose that Connects all Parts of Life - Register
- Thursday, Nov. 20, 8:00 pm - The Heart of Prayer - In depth look at the prayer book, picking apart the prayer structure and meaning exploring the mechanics and mysticism that comprise Jewish prayer, Dedicated by the Pfrenger Family in honor of the Yahrtzeit of Yonah Dovid A"H ben Yaffa
- 3 Wednesdays, November 19 – Dec. 3, 7:30–9:00 pm - CYP Academy: Decoding the Talmud - Inside the Story, Substance, and Significance of the Book That Defines Judaism. Complete the course and receive a $200 voucher to any upcoming CYP trip! www.yjphouston.org/talmudacademy
- Thurs. Nov. 20, 12 pm - Lunch N' Learn: Kabbalah of Kosher - A peek behind the meaning and purpose of Kosher Dietary Laws www.chabaduptown.org/lunch
- Fri. Dec. 5, 6:00 pm - YJP Pink Shabbat - December First Fridays. Candle lighting at 5:04pm, Services at 6:00 pm followed by Shabbat dinner. RSVP before thursday $20, $36 after
- Sun. Dec, 14, 4pm - BMX Chanukah and Annual Post Oak Menorah Lighting in cooperation with the Uptown Houston District. Giant menorah lighting, BMX Bike Show, Car Menorah Parade Drive-By, Fresh Donuts, Latkes, Gelt and Drinks, Festive Music. RSVP required, free admission
- Sat. Night, Dec 20, 9:00 pm - YJP Houston & Moishe Pod Chanukah Donut Factory Party - Fry & decorate your own donut, latke grazing board, hot chocolate bar, the Dreidel wheel, themed drinks and music, and sufganiyot
- Sun. Dec 21, 4:00-6:00pm - Chanukah Party in the Heights! Join us for a fun, family-friendly celebration filled with music, dancing, treats, and great vibes! Bring the kids, bring your friends, and come enjoy a beautiful afternoon of community. Menorah lighting 5:30pm Can’t wait to celebrate together!
- Mon.-Wed., Dec 22-31- CYP Israel Encounter 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
- Thurs.-Sun., Jan. 16-18 - CYP Encounter Crown Heights Shabbaton - Join us as we head to NYC for the Encounter Crown Heights Shabbaton set to take place over MLK Weekend! A weekend like no other, a chance to connect with hundreds Jewish young professionals from around the world and experience an unforgettable weekend in Crown Heights. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! www.cypshabbat.nyc
SHABBOS MEVARCHIM PARSHAS CHAYEI SARAH
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, CHESHVAN 23
5:08 pm Shabbos Candle Lighting & Mincha
6:00 pm Kabbalat Shabbat
RSVP for Shabbat Dinner sponsored by Chaim & Dorit Kamman marking the yartzeit and in memory her father Avraham Leib Ben Yitzchok Menashe,
RSVP at www.chabaduptown.org/shabbatdinner
SHABBOS, NOVEMBER 15, CHESHVAN 24
9:00 am Shabbos Mevarchim Tehillim
9:30 am Chassidus
10:00 am Services
Followed by Shabbos Kiddush with the Best Cholent this side of the Mississippi
5:05 pm Mincha
Torah Study
6:03 pm Maariv, Havdalla and Shabbos ends
Living Torah
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, CHESHVAN 25
8:00 am Shacharis
MONDAY & THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 & 20, CHESHVAN 26 & 29
6:45 am Shacharis
Marking the Yahrtzeits of Dorit Kamman's Father, Avraham Leib Ben Yitzchok Menashe
Marc Sands' Mother, Malka bas Shmuel
Fred Zeidman's Father
Friday, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, November 21, Kislev 1
6:45 am Shacharis w/ Hallel and Musaf
Followed by monthly breakfast, sponsored by the Pfrenger Family in honor of the Yahrtzeit of Yonah Dovid A"H ben Yaffa