Jewish Herald Voice, Pg. 10
By Menachem Posner
Professor Dan Silvermintz says he is looking forward to the High Holidays. He and his wife will be among the diverse mix of young professionals and families who will be celebrating with Chabad of Uptown at the posh Hilton Houston Post Oak hotel, in Houston's exclusive Galleria area.
Ballroom set for the
Rosh Hashana Dinner at Hilton Post Oak with
Chabad of Uptown in 2012
With friendly free services that are open to the public, gourmet kosher meals catered by Benny Katz, a full-service children’s program, and four-star hotel accommodations, Chabad of Uptown’s hassle-free High Holiday model is an appealing alternative for a growing number of Houstonians.
“The prayers are very moving,” says Silvermintz who has been attending services and programming led by Chabad’s Rabbi Chaim and Chanie Lazaroff for 5 years, “Rabbi Chaim has a way of igniting people’s spirits and making each individual feel welcome. A lot of people choose to stay for the holiday meals as well. We find it’s a time to meet people and enjoy delicious food in really luxurious surroundings.”
Another major attraction is the children’s program. “We are always looking for ways to make Judaism exciting and hands on for the children,” says Chanie Lazaroff, “This year we are introducing a new CKids program. It is full of fun games and activities that enrich the children's High Holiday experience. Kids will want to come back throughout the year for more."
Rabbi Lazaroff says that he has been holding High Holiday services and meals in hotels for the past eight years. “In fact it was the first program we ever did here in the Uptown area,” he recalled. “As many people from the Uptown area signed up for the services at the Houstonian Hotel that year, we realized that there are many Jews living in this area that would appreciate a local Chabad center, and we decided to open up our doors.”
There is no charge for prayer services and reserved seats are available for a minimum donation. Visit www.chabaduptown.org/services for more information or to reserve a seat or book meal attendance.