Dear Friends,
Shabbat Parshat Vayechi:
Friday, Dec. 21 : 6:30 pm "User-Friendly" Services Followed by Shabbat Dinner. Candle Lighting at 5:08 pm
Saturday, Dec. 22: 10:00 am Shacharit Services Buffet Kiddush following!
5:15 pm Mincha, Informal Torah Study. Maariv & Havdalla at 6:05 pm.
Saturday, Dec. 22: 10:00 am Shacharit Services Buffet Kiddush following!
5:15 pm Mincha, Informal Torah Study. Maariv & Havdalla at 6:05 pm.
- Israel: We've got deadlines to keep...! If you plan on joining us for the Mission to Israel, please let us know! More info at www.chabadtexas.org/israel. Be sure to check the blog there too!
The News:
Chanukah was amazing and popping with activity! Covered widely by the press, Chabad in Texas was in full gear with events literally everywhere! The mission: To get the message out to the masses (via annoucements or news media outlets) publicizing the miracle of Chanukah to all mankind. Chanukah's message heralds freedom of religion for all!
This is what Rabbi Chaim, Chanie & Clan were up to...
- Erev Chanukah: We put up a mezuzah and held a Chanukat Bayit for Tali & Chen Bublil! Mazel Tov!
- First evening: We celebrated the birthday of Moshiko Chen with a farbrengen! Mazel Tov!
- Second evening: Chanie got sick, so I got to truck the kids around! All the kids piled into my menorah mobile and we joined an amazing lineup of police escorted cars, stretch limos and Porsches as we paraded through town, stopping traffic via 610 and 59! The parade was covered by TV Channels 2 & 11.
- The parade ended at the Sugar Land City Hall for a beautiful menorah lighting. The lighting was covered by TV Channel 39.
- Third evening: Our wonderful Torah Studies class in Uptown!
- Fourth Evening: Chanukah Shabbat Dinner at Uptown. What a great time and l'chaims were had by all. Now I know why we do not drive on Shabbat!(?)
- Fifth Evening: Our very own Uptown party! Chanukah bowl was tons of fun for close to 100 people as we took over the alley with Chanukah music, big screen Chanukah presentations and of course lit the Bowling Pin Menorah (many thanks to Bernard and Ben Silverman for building the frame). Many, many thanks to all the volunteers and to Andrew, Andrea, Hava & Leah Schultz for all of their help and great photography. Amazing pics will be going up on the website soon!
- Sixth Evening: Are you ready for this?! Chanukah party for Chabad Hebrew School...
- Bridal Shower for Chanale Brafman to engaged to marry Yisroel Cotlar - Mazel Tov!...
- And... off to the amazing Chanuka Fest and concert downtown. Whew... we were tired by the end of that day. Chanukah Fest was covered by Channels 2, 11, 13 & 39
- Seventh Evening: Chabad's"Golden Circle" made Chanukah parties at various senior citizen centers in Houston, including the Little Hampton at Bering which I attended. This was after placing 13 mezuzos, visiting three people at the hospitals and writing two speeches....
Eighth Evening: It all culminated with a beautiful private reception with Texas Governor Rick Perry. This was covered by the media widely throughout Texas. For overviews on this, you can:
- Read Rabbi Chaim's Blog Report Watch the YouTube Amateur Video
- Chabad.org News Report AP News Report (Picked up by over 20 Texas media outlets)
- See the great Photo Gallery
We are looking to seeing all of you on Shabbat!
Rabbi Chaim & Chanie