His ‘Ahavas Yisroel Radar’ Was Always On

Los Angeles attorney Baruch Cohen recalls the adventures of the California Valley's head Shliach Rabbi Josh Gordon OBM in court.
By Baruch C. Cohen, Esq.

As a civil trial attorney in the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles, with an emphasis on bankruptcy and Bais Din litigation, I had the great honor of representing Chabad of the Valley for the years, under the guidance of Rabbi Yehoshua Binyomin "Josh" Gordon, zt"l.

Back in 2005, Chabad of the Valley was unfortunately sued by a bankruptcy trustee in the Woodland Hills Bankruptcy Court in the Central District of California.

I was retained by Rabbi Gordon to defend against a lawsuit by creditors of a businessman who has given contributions to Chabad. The court appointed a chapter 7 trustee to recover those 'ill-gotten' contributions, claiming they belonged to the donor's creditors.

The lawsuit, if successful, would have resulted in an enormous financial loss to Chabad. During the litigation, the chapter 7 trustee's counsel took Rabbi Gordon's deposition in his Century City office, and I defended him there.

As part of the deposition, the trustee's counsel asked Rabbi Gordon foundational questions about Chabad, it's mission, its work, and the issue of the charitable donations in particular. Rabbi Gordon's answers were complete and accurate, giving the trustee a real appreciation for the great work of Chabad.

ON THE RABBI'S RADAR

During the break in the deposition, when we recessed, Rabbi Gordon pulled me to the side to get my impressions as to how he was testifying, and my strategies about our defense, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he changed the subject, and curiously asked me if I knew whether the trustee's counsel was Jewish.

I responded that I had no idea if he was Jewish, as the lawyer's name was not a recognizably Jewish name. "But why on earth, does that matter, as we're staring down the barrel of a litigation gun right now, getting closer and closer to trial, with the threat of a summary judgment motion about to be filed?"

Rabbi Gordon was not swayed by my answer and continued; and told me that during the deposition, while being questioned, he detected something "Jewish" in the way the interrogator was asking him follow-up questions about Chabad; and that his "Ahavas Yisroel Radar" was always "on" even in tense situations like this.

"I sensed his Yiddisheh Neshama. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. I think he's a Yid" he told me. And on that note, Rabbi Gordon announced that our lunch will have to wait, as he needs to run and get something from his car that is parked in the subterranean parking structure.

I assumed that Rabbi Gordon was running to his car to bring me documents that would help us in our defense of this case. I waited for Rabbi Gordon to return in the building's cafeteria where I started eating my lunch by myself.

Rabbi Gordon returned with no documents, but rather a Tefillin bag and a twinkle in his eye, telling me: "If he's a Yid, I want to put Tefillin on him. Baruch, let me do this. I know what I'm doing. This is very important to me"

To which I responded: "Are you out of your mind? This is not the time or place for this. May I remind you that you're on the defensive here? Get off the Tefillin idea and let's get focused on the case...."

My arguments went nowhere, Rabbi Gordon took his Tefillin bag with him back up to the conference room when the deposition resumed.

OFF THE RECORD

During the last hour of the grueling deposition, while on the record, Rabbi Gordon politely asked the trustee's counsel how old he was and if he was Jewish.

"Excuse me? I'll ask the questions here, and you'll answer them" was his stern reply.

At which point, I put my head in my hands, fearing where this was going. Rabbi Gordon was undeterred: "Fine. I'll answer your questions, but can you please answer mine: are you Jewish?"

The trustee's counsel instructed the stenographer to go "off the record" so the conversation could continue.

Annoyed, the trustee's counsel responded that he was in his late 50's, and indeed was Jewish, but not observant like we were - and can we please go back on the record to resume the deposition?

Rabbi Gordon reaches for his Tefillin bag, explained what Tefillin is, and asked the lawyer if he had ever put one on before. The trustee's counsel was getting more and more irritated by Rabbi Gordon's line of questions, and didn't want to engage Rabbi Gordon about his heritage, and responded in a stern tone that he never put on Tefillin, insisting that we go back on the record, and resume the questioning.

Rabbi Gordon was undeterred. He was amping up: pushing the envelope, and asked the trustee if Rabbi Gordon could put Tefillin on him now, at the deposition. I could not kick Rabbi Gordon under the table to signal to him to stop (as I was convinced it would have been a waste of my time).

The trustee's tone was now forceful that the Jewish-Tefillin conversation has come to an end, he made it very clear that he didn't believe in whatever Rabbi Gordon was "shoveling" and he absolutely refused to participate in the Tefillin ceremony. At this point, the trustee was getting very upset and went back on the record and resumed and completed the deposition.

JUDGE'S QUESTION

Two months later, we were in court on the hearing on the contested motion for summary judgment brought by the trustee.

The judge's tentative ruling was intentionally vague as to who would win the summary judgment, and during the hearing, the judge asked Rabbi Gordon what the halacha was on whether creditors had the right to recover charitable contributions from the charity.

With no notes and no preparation, Rabbi Gordon rattled off a halachic analysis on the subject that would make any Talmid Chochom blush. It was absolutely brilliant, incredibly well organized and he cited several commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch, charting the Halachic development.

I was totally floored at his unrehearsed presentation to the judge, as I had no idea Rabbi Gordon had such a breadth of knowledge in the highly specialized area of the Choshen Mishpat dealing with complex monetary disputes.

The judge was very impressed, pleased and satisfied with Rabbi Gordon's impromptu presentation, returned to business, and encouraged the parties to go out into the hallway and try to settle this case before she is forced to rule on it, which we did.

CONDITION FOR SETTLEMENT

After hours of tense negotiations in the hallway of the courthouse, we were still miles apart - in terms of dollars - from settlement, when Rabbi Gordon grabbed my arm, winked at me and I saw that disturbing twinkle in his eye again.

He announced that he would accept the Trustee's final settlement demand on one condition: that after the settlement consummates and finalizes, that Rabbi Gordon would have the privilege of putting Tefillin on the Trustee's counsel; to which he agreed on the explicit condition that no cameras be present when he puts on Tefillin. And thus ending years of contested litigation over a handshake.

The settlement was finalized, monies were paid, and Rabbi Gordon subsequently went to the Trustee's office to close the deal - to put Tefillin on him for the 1st time in his life.

Rabbi Gordon explained to me later, how significant and important it was to him to put Tefillin on that Jewish lawyer from Century City. "Reb Baruch, the lawsuit seemed secondary to me at that moment. Believe it or not, it was insignificant. All that mattered to me right then and there, was to put Tefillin on my fellow Yid."

Had I not witnessed this myself, I probably would not have believed such a story. I realized that Rabbi Gordon's intuition was obviously correct and his "Ahavas Yisroel Radar" was properly calibrated.

Our professional relationship and friendship continued for many years. Rabbi Gordon became my learning chavrusa and a very dear friend. In my hour of loss, he dove into my soul with laser beam accuracy to console and comfort me during my aveilus. He knew what to say, and how to say it. His business ethics were beyond impeccable. He only feared God, and feared no man. He will be missed sorely.

In Court, With Rabbi Josh Gordon

Los Angeles attorney Baruch Cohen recalls the adventures of the California Valley's head Shliach Rabbi Josh Gordon OBM in court.

By Baruch C. Cohen, Esq.

As a civil trial attorney in the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles, with an emphasis on bankruptcy and Bais Din litigation, I had the great honor of representing Chabad of the Valley for the years, under the guidance of Rabbi Yehoshua Binyomin "Josh" Gordon, zt"l.

Back in 2005, Chabad of the Valley was unfortunately sued by a bankruptcy trustee in the Woodland Hills Bankruptcy Court in the Central District of California.

I was retained by Rabbi Gordon to defend against a lawsuit by creditors of a businessman who has given contributions to Chabad. The court appointed a chapter 7 trustee to recover those 'ill-gotten' contributions, claiming they belonged to the donor's creditors.

The lawsuit, if successful, would have resulted in an enormous financial loss to Chabad. During the litigation, the chapter 7 trustee's counsel took Rabbi Gordon's deposition in his Century City office, and I defended him there.

As part of the deposition, the trustee's counsel asked Rabbi Gordon foundational questions about Chabad, it's mission, its work, and the issue of the charitable donations in particular. Rabbi Gordon's answers were complete and accurate, giving the trustee a real appreciation for the great work of Chabad.

ON THE RABBI'S RADAR

During the break in the deposition, when we recessed, Rabbi Gordon pulled me to the side to get my impressions as to how he was testifying, and my strategies about our defense, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he changed the subject, and curiously asked me if I knew whether the trustee's counsel was Jewish.

I responded that I had no idea if he was Jewish, as the lawyer's name was not a recognizably Jewish name. "But why on earth, does that matter, as we're staring down the barrel of a litigation gun right now, getting closer and closer to trial, with the threat of a summary judgment motion about to be filed?"

Rabbi Gordon was not swayed by my answer and continued; and told me that during the deposition, while being questioned, he detected something "Jewish" in the way the interrogator was asking him follow-up questions about Chabad; and that his "Ahavas Yisroel Radar" was always "on" even in tense situations like this.

"I sensed his Yiddisheh Neshama. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. I think he's a Yid" he told me. And on that note, Rabbi Gordon announced that our lunch will have to wait, as he needs to run and get something from his car that is parked in the subterranean parking structure.

I assumed that Rabbi Gordon was running to his car to bring me documents that would help us in our defense of this case. I waited for Rabbi Gordon to return in the building's cafeteria where I started eating my lunch by myself.

Rabbi Gordon returned with no documents, but rather a Tefillin bag and a twinkle in his eye, telling me: "If he's a Yid, I want to put Tefillin on him. Baruch, let me do this. I know what I'm doing. This is very important to me"

To which I responded: "Are you out of your mind? This is not the time or place for this. May I remind you that you're on the defensive here? Get off the Tefillin idea and let's get focused on the case...."

My arguments went nowhere, Rabbi Gordon took his Tefillin bag with him back up to the conference room when the deposition resumed.

OFF THE RECORD

During the last hour of the grueling deposition, while on the record, Rabbi Gordon politely asked the trustee's counsel how old he was and if he was Jewish.

"Excuse me? I'll ask the questions here, and you'll answer them" was his stern reply.

At which point, I put my head in my hands, fearing where this was going. Rabbi Gordon was undeterred: "Fine. I'll answer your questions, but can you please answer mine: are you Jewish?"

The trustee's counsel instructed the stenographer to go "off the record" so the conversation could continue.

Annoyed, the trustee's counsel responded that he was in his late 50's, and indeed was Jewish, but not observant like we were - and can we please go back on the record to resume the deposition?

Rabbi Gordon reaches for his Tefillin bag, explained what Tefillin is, and asked the lawyer if he had ever put one on before. The trustee's counsel was getting more and more irritated by Rabbi Gordon's line of questions, and didn't want to engage Rabbi Gordon about his heritage, and responded in a stern tone that he never put on Tefillin, insisting that we go back on the record, and resume the questioning.

Rabbi Gordon was undeterred. He was amping up: pushing the envelope, and asked the trustee if Rabbi Gordon could put Tefillin on him now, at the deposition. I could not kick Rabbi Gordon under the table to signal to him to stop (as I was convinced it would have been a waste of my time).

The trustee's tone was now forceful that the Jewish-Tefillin conversation has come to an end, he made it very clear that he didn't believe in whatever Rabbi Gordon was "shoveling" and he absolutely refused to participate in the Tefillin ceremony. At this point, the trustee was getting very upset and went back on the record and resumed and completed the deposition.

JUDGE'S QUESTION

Two months later, we were in court on the hearing on the contested motion for summary judgment brought by the trustee.

The judge's tentative ruling was intentionally vague as to who would win the summary judgment, and during the hearing, the judge asked Rabbi Gordon what the halacha was on whether creditors had the right to recover charitable contributions from the charity.

With no notes and no preparation, Rabbi Gordon rattled off a halachic analysis on the subject that would make any Talmid Chochom blush. It was absolutely brilliant, incredibly well organized and he cited several commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch, charting the Halachic development.

I was totally floored at his unrehearsed presentation to the judge, as I had no idea Rabbi Gordon had such a breadth of knowledge in the highly specialized area of the Choshen Mishpat dealing with complex monetary disputes.

The judge was very impressed, pleased and satisfied with Rabbi Gordon's impromptu presentation, returned to business, and encouraged the parties to go out into the hallway and try to settle this case before she is forced to rule on it, which we did.

CONDITION FOR SETTLEMENT

After hours of tense negotiations in the hallway of the courthouse, we were still miles apart - in terms of dollars - from settlement, when Rabbi Gordon grabbed my arm, winked at me and I saw that disturbing twinkle in his eye again.

He announced that he would accept the Trustee's final settlement demand on one condition: that after the settlement consummates and finalizes, that Rabbi Gordon would have the privilege of putting Tefillin on the Trustee's counsel; to which he agreed on the explicit condition that no cameras be present when he puts on Tefillin. And thus ending years of contested litigation over a handshake.

The settlement was finalized, monies were paid, and Rabbi Gordon subsequently went to the Trustee's office to close the deal - to put Tefillin on him for the 1st time in his life.

Rabbi Gordon explained to me later, how significant and important it was to him to put Tefillin on that Jewish lawyer from Century City. "Reb Baruch, the lawsuit seemed secondary to me at that moment. Believe it or not, it was insignificant. All that mattered to me right then and there, was to put Tefillin on my fellow Yid."

Had I not witnessed this myself, I probably would not have believed such a story. I realized that Rabbi Gordon's intuition was obviously correct and his "Ahavas Yisroel Radar" was properly calibrated.

Our professional relationship and friendship continued for many years. Rabbi Gordon became my learning chavrusa and a very dear friend. In my hour of loss, he dove into my soul with laser beam accuracy to console and comfort me during my aveilus. He knew what to say, and how to say it. His business ethics were beyond impeccable. He only feared God, and feared no man. He will be missed sorely.

Civil trial attorney Baruch C. Cohen meets Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, secretary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Chairman of Chabad Lubavitch - voted the most influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek

BCC presenting Rabbi Krinsky with a copy of the Rebbe's letter to Rabbi Meir Cohen (BCC's zaidie) regarding the Sefer Chelkas Meir on the Rambam

PreOccupied Territory: Chabad House of Mecca To Close

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, January 31 – The joke remains relevant, but poignantly less so now: you might find Coca-Cola in the holy city of Mecca, but you will no longer find a Chabad shaliach.

After three years of keeping the local Chabad house operational, Mordechai and Esther Saperstein are closing up. Despite tireless efforts to make the place a welcoming second home for Jews spending time in Islam’s holiest city, they have found themselves unable to attract even a single Jewish visitor – let alone someone to participate in Sabbath services or a Passover Seder.

The shaliach, or emissary, is tasked with providing for the basic spiritual needs of any Jew who comes along: kosher food, a sympathetic ear, Torah classes, ritual circumcision, and more. Chabad emissaries are trained in matters of Jewish law as well as more esoteric lore, and are charged with conducting their own fundraising to maintain operations. The Sapersteins came to Mecca finding the modest dress of women and the bearded faces of men a familiar backdrop, though they were raised in faraway Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

As soon as they arrived, the couple set about establishing a domestic space that could double as a community center: they rented a small building with a room that could function as a small synagogue, and procured an industrial-sized refrigerator and freezer to store the large quantities of kosher food they would need to have on hand.

In addition to his Rabbinic ordination, Mordechai also learned how to be a shochet, an expert in the ritual slaughter of animals according to Jewish law. So the Sapersteins were well supplied with beef, lamb, and chicken, as the animals were freely available on the market, though few of their neighbors understood why they bought coarse salt in such large quantities; they needed it to help remove the blood from the meat to render it kosher for cooking.

But no one else ever showed up to ask where they could get kosher food, or to find a place to pray on the Sabbath. Mordechai had several spare sets of Tefillin available in case anyone was interested in putting them on, but they lay unused for three years. After slaughtering a lamb and a cow, the two found themselves eating it little by little, all by themselves. Needless to say, no one ever inquired about Mordechai’s services as a mohel, or where to get matzo for Passover.

Last month, after several weeks of negotiations, the Sapersteins finally received approval from Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights to close their operation. “We’re going to reopen in Tel Aviv,” said Mordechai, ”but I’m not sure there are any Jews there.”

Chabad Puts Tefillin On Santa Claus

Link.

[Hat Tip: Joe Dorfman.]

Nat Lewin Files Brief Supporting Christian Legislative Prayer

On Friday, August 2, Nathan Lewin, well-known Supreme Court advocate for Jewish religious rights, filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief on his own behalf supporting the position of a town in New York State that has been opening Town Board meetings with prayers by Christian clergymen. A lower court held that the town’s practice was unconstitutional because “the prayer practice impermissibly affiliated the town with a single creed, Christianity.” The town’s request for Supreme Court review of the decision was supported by 49 Congressmen who said that the ruling endangered the Congressional practice of inviting clergymen of various faiths to give opening prayers and by 18 States that also expressed concern that their practice of legislative prayer was endangered. The Supreme Court agreed in June that it would review the case.

Lewin’s brief was not submitted on behalf of any organization but by him personally as an authority on church-state law who has argued important religious liberty cases in the Supreme Court and teaches a seminar at Columbia Law School on the subject of “Religious Minorities in Supreme Court Litigation.” Lewin also represented Chabad of Pittsburgh in a successful 1989 case that upheld the inclusion of a Chanukah menorah in Pittsburgh’s Holiday Display. That case figures very prominently in the current controversy before the Supreme Court. In recent years, the Supreme Court has been accepting friend-of-the-court briefs submitted on behalf of individual law professors and other individual authorities.

“Lewin said, “It is important that, in evaluating the constitutionality of ceremonial public prayer by Christians, the Supreme Court have before it the published opinions of Torah authorities and the Halachic consensus regarding Christian prayer.” Lewin’s brief cites a 1963 responsum of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein regarding Christian prayer, as well as the opinion expressed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, when the Supreme Court invalidated the New York State Regents prayer in 1962. Lewin’s brief says, “Contrary to common misconception, Jewish Law does not condemn Christian prayer.”

The friend-of-the-court brief also noted that many rabbis have been invited to give opening prayers in Congress and that their prayers have frequently been distinctly Jewish and therefore “sectarian.” The brief reproduces the prayer given in 1860 by the first rabbi invited by Congress and notes that, according to historian Jonathan Sarna, he appeared “bedecked in a white tallit and a large velvet skullcap.”

When the Supreme Court last considered the constitutionality of legislative prayer 30 years ago in a case concerning a Nebraska Christian clergyman, all Jewish amicus curiae briefs challenged the constitutionality of the Nebraska practice. The Supreme Court, however, found the Nebraska program constitutional. “The Supreme Court must be informed this time,” said Lewin, “that America’s Jewish population is not unanimous in objecting to Christian prayer or in seeking the suppression of pleas for Divine blessings at governmental sessions.”

The Supreme Court will probably hear the case (Town of Greece v. Galloway, No. 12-696) in November and issue a decision before the end of June 2014.

He Who Feeds the Hungry

Calling him "a unique rabbi," CBS Los Angeles is reporting about a senior Shliach who feeds homeless people in S. Monica.

CBSLA.com


A unique rabbi has turned Tuesdays in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park into something special for the homeless and needy.

For the past three years, Rabbi Boruch S. Cunin of Chabad House in West Lost Angeles has walked the park, giving food to those in need, and offering encouragement.

“What is so important is for everybody to understand: we are all responsible, one for the other,” Rabbi Cunin said. “You see a person hungry, feed them.”

Well-balanced meals, including foods like salmon, dried fruits, beans, and rice, are prepared at the Chabad House kitchen. Rabbi Cunin then personally delivers to the food to a shelter in Santa Monica and to the homeless on the street.

Rabbi Cunin, who is the director of Chabad of the West Coast, delivers the food to many familiar faces on the street, and offers words of encouragement to the needy, such as "G-d bless you" and "Don't ever lose hope.'

The preparation of the food is heavily supported by donations.

YNET: Have you put on tefillin in Antarctica yet? Armed with a camera, phylacteries and 'Tanya' book, Meir Alfasi searches for Jews in most remote places on earth. Everywhere he goes – Bolivia, Saudi Arabia and even Iran – he finds Jews to grant a mitzvah

He has renovated graves in Poland, put tefillin on Jews among Indian tribes in Bolivia, printed the Hasidic philosophy book ("Tanya") in Antarctica – and documents the slums of Mumbai with a Muslim photographer for the Reuters news agency.

Annual Conference

Being a Chabad emissary / Kobi Nahshoni Some 400 Chabad emissaries in Israel participatein annual conference in Nir Etzion, receive reinforcements on spreading Torah in Israel’s cities Full story

After exploring close to 40 countries in five continents, and being forced to change two passports due to too many stamps, Meir Alfasi's travel instinct is alive and kicking.

Alfasi, a Chabad photographer who serves as a "roaming emissary" spreads Judaism in the most remote places across the globe. A Hasidic backpacker who runs around every place possible with tefillin, the "Tanya" book – and a camera.

'In the Bolivia jungle an Israeli touched me to make sure I was real' (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

I tried to interview Alfasi several times, unsuccessfully. It's hard getting hold of a person who is one moment here, and the next moment at the Rajasthan deserts or in the middle of Peru's jungles.

Even as we spoke, he was busy filling his backpack with kosher food, tefillin and a printer, before heading to Mongolia where he was planning to locate lost Jews and print out the "Tanya" book – the bible of the Chabad Hasidic movement – for them.

Tourist attraction

He began wandering around the world at the age of 16, when he traveled to New York like other Chabadniks.

"I decided to stop in Europe due to budget constraints, and then I said to myself, 'If I'm already there, why don't I tour the area for a few days?' Since then I've been addicted," he admits. "The feeling of roaming the world and meeting people and different cultures was a developing experience. But at the time I still didn't know I would be taking it along with me."

Off to Antarctica to print 'Tanya' for Jewish researchers (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

The goal – not to leave one Jew in a place with no 'Tanya' (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

Indeed, a normal "day at the office" includes, many times, a 20-hour bus ride in a third world country, waiting for another "blind date" with an Israeli or a Jew. The surprise effect of an Orthodox Jew in the middle of the jungle is never disappointing.

"I meet Israelis or Jews while on track, and suggest that they lay tefillin. The first response is shock. In the Bolivian jungle, one Israeli actually touched me to make sure that I was real and not a hallucination."

Connecting with Israelis on way to Antarctica (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

Alfasi has a habit of choosing the most remote location in the area he arrives in, and trying to get people to lay tefillin there or print the "Tanya."

"Take the floating islands on the Peru-Bolivia border, for example. I decided that I would put tefillin on someone there. In the tourist boat I asked for the loudspeaker, and declared in Hebrew, English and Spanish that if there were any Jews who wanted to lay tefillin – they should come to me.

"One approached me, and I put tefillin on him in front of the Indians sitting outside the cabins and watching us. The tourists around us took pictures of us and of the natives. For him and for me, a Jewish act in a place so far from Jewish existence was a very emotionally moving and unique moment."

'Exclusion of women' on way to Antarctica

Never mind laying tefillin, but printing the "Tanya"? Alfasi explains that the Lubavitcher Rebbe said the book must be printed anywhere in the world where there are Jews.

"The 'Tanya' has been printed in Lebanon and Iran, as well as in isolated areas in South America where there are still Jews. One of my aspirations is to ensure that there is no Jew left in a place where there is no 'Tanya.'"

'A Jewish act at a place so far from Jewish existence is a moving moment' (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

This decision led Alfasi to embark on a unique trip to Antarctica recently, and print the book there for Jewish researchers living in the continent's research stations.

"On the ship I discovered three Israeli hikers from Haifa, who didn't even want to talk to me at first," he recalls. "Israel was caught up in the 'exclusion of women' scandal at the time, and the guys came there filled with negative feelings towards the haredim. At first I didn’t even know what they were talking about.

"I realized that something must have happened which really angered them, so I preferred to let it go. We spoke about nature – one of the my favorite things in the world – and that's how we connected. Suddenly they came on their own initiative to eat with me. We found the common denominator beyond the mess.

"One of the non-Jews there, with whom I also developed friendly relations, told me candidly: 'I can't stand Bibi (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu), but I love you.' As the years go by, I understand that the human ability to connect and communicate has less to do with clothing or culture and more to do with human kindness. It works anywhere, anytime, with any person."

Best friend: Muslim photographer

Marriage and two children have failed to tame Alfasi. The most they've done is sharpen his level of alertness when taking risks. His only attempt to "settle down" was when he established the Chabad house in Goa, where he stayed for about half a year until his travel instinct kicked in again.

The period he spent preaching Judaism to Israeli hikers concluded, "traditionally," with a roam all around the subcontinent.

'The ability to connect has to do with human kindness rather than with culture' (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

Alfasi at the Mumbai slums (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

"In India I met one of my best friends today – Adeel Halim, a Muslim Indian photographer," he says. "We met thanks to our shared profession, and then it continued to matters of Judaism as well. He asked about our religion, I visited his home and was exposed to his lifestyle, and the friendly relationship grew stronger.

"At the same time we thought of taking photos at the Chabad House in Mumbai, where the late Gabi and Rivki Holtzberg were, who I knew very well. I remember I presented them with the idea, but Gabi was afraid. There were rumors that the Chabad House was being targeted by assassins, and he wanted to keep a low profile, hoping it would go away."

Photographer at the service of remote communities (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

Instead of the Chabad House, Alfasi found himself shooting a project with Halim for Reuters: A haredi Jew and a Muslim wandering around the slums of Mumbai and documenting the locals' life.

"When the terror attack occurred, I was there again as a photographer, and so was he. From within the ruins we spotted each other from both sides of the road. We left everything, ran and hugged each other while everyone around us was watching the odd couple, shocked."

'Photographing nature is photographing God himself.' In Antarctica (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

Today Alfasi tries to devoutly combine his work as a photographer in the service of remote communities ("not so long ago I took pictures of the new community rabbi in Albania") while spreading Judaism in his unique extreme way. And of course, taking pictures of nature.

At Chabad House he established in Goa (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

"I see photographing nature as photographing God himself; the pure piece of life that the human hand hasn't touched. Nature strengthens me religiously. It's the most perfect and spiritual place there is. A high-quality trek combined with a lesson in Hasidism – and it all fits together in one winning frame."

Haredi Jew and Muslim at Mumbai slums. With friends (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

Renovating tombs in Poland (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

With his son (Photo: Meir Alfasi)

10 Reasons You Should Be There

The Dark Knight's Jewish....

(translated from Italian by Google Translate, with slight editing by me) A man disguised as Batman, who travels to the United States with the Batmobile visiting sick children and teens, arrived in the room Danielle Chaya bat Aviva, nineteen years old,  in Coral Springs, Florida just as the Shaliach Chabad Rabbi Avraham Friedman was visiting the girl.
The rabbi immediately asked if Batman was Jew and when the man replied in the affirmative, the rabbi proposed to put Tefillin. Batman that he had never worn in his life, however, did not want to take off his mask and reveal his true identity, so he asked if we could just put Tefillin on the arm. The rabbi explained that in case it is impossible to wear on the head is allowed to wear them only on the arm, and also in this way a mitzva is accomplished.

Chanukah Music Video - Eight Candles Burning

Chanukah @ CityWALK Sun, Dec. 9, 2012 - 6 PM

Musical Tribute Released in Memory of Levi Yitzchak Wolowik

Shortly after the 1991 collapse of USSR Communism, Mordechai Ben David, Rabbi Berel Zaltzman, Sandy Shmuely and Rabbi Baruch Shlomo Cunin spent Chanukah travelling the USSR performing and bringing the joy and light of Chanukah to the Jews of the country. This mission was encouraged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who promised yet years before that there would come a day of freedom to Russian Jews.

The lamplighters - Chanukah 1992 in Russia with Chabad & MBD

a "Gladiator" puts on Tefillin

Belief in G-d After the Holocaust

Rabbi Nissen Mangel was a 10-year old child when he came to the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz. There he witnessed unspeakable atrocities, but he also witnessed amazing acts of faith. In this moving and powerful talk, Rabbi Mangel tells his first-hand account of what he saw. (Many viewers may find details described to be extremely disturbing. Viewer discretion advised.)

In a sincere speech, Crown Heights author RabbiNissen Mangel recalls an encounter with Auschwitz's notorious "Angel of Death," Dr. Josef Mengele.

By Karen Schwartz, Chabad.org

As it does every year, Chabad-Lubavitch of Port Washington welcomed members of its Long Island community for a service and lecture commemorating the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. But things proceeded a bit differently last month, with the event also remembering the life of Zelik Sander, the local Holocaust survivor who for years was the gathering's featured speaker.

Taking Sander's place was Rabbi Nissen Mangel, a renowned philosopher and author who was sent to Auschwitz as a 10-year-old boy and spent five years in the death camp before his liberation in 1945. Addressing the concept of belief in G-d after the Holocaust, he reviewed the events he endured as a child, including his first encounter with Auschwitz's notorious "Angel of Death," Dr.Josef Mengele.

Community member Dr. Orly Calderon-Sherman described the talk, which is available online from the Chabad.org multimedia portalJewish.TV, as inspiring.

"It was very informal and very powerful, because he was right there, accessible," explained Calderon-Sherman. "You are not only talking with history, but with a real human being who is telling you" about real experiences.

Beginning on a Sunday with 100 Jewish men donning the prayer boxes known as tefillin in memory of the Holocaust's victims, the event included a morning prayer service and buffet-style lunch.

After Mangel spoke, the rabbi called for questions, but at first people couldn't really speak through their tears.

"People were reflecting on what he was saying," recalled Calderon-Sherman. Then the questions started. "People were interested in asking more questions and learning more about his point of view."

Sander, who passed away in September, used to focus on the positives of a life-affirming outlook, and people were pleased by Mangel's similar focus, said Calderon-Sherman. "That's why that particular talk was so meaningful. It was continuing his legacy of surviving, acknowledging G-d and goodness, and building a meaningful life. He was very special."

Chabad of Port Washington co-director Rabbi Shalom Paltiel said the commemoration was an opportunity to strengthen people's faith, as Mangel addressed not only the Holocaust, but also the question of where G-d can be found in the midst of tragedy.

"He basically said, look, if there wasn't a G-d, there was no way I could survive," said Paltiel. "He shows over and over again that G-d was there for him, and that it was a total miracle that he survived."

While survivors often tell of the horrific experiences they endured, Mangel spoke about it from the perspective of faith, continued the rabbi. And the crowd was moved.

"He really took the place by storm," said Paltiel.

From his deathbed in September, Sander asked the rabbi to continue his work, to make sure people remember the Holocaust and young people remain proud of their Jewishness. (In addition to the tefillin wrap, brunch and lecture, his memory will be honored at the organization's annual dinner in June.)

The rabbi recalled how Sander, who died at the age of 97, would be the first one at synagogue, unlocking the front door and leading the service every day for 12 years.

"I would stand next to him and watch him wrap tefillin over his left arm, right over the numbers," he said of the tattoo that bore Sander's serial number. "It was always a very moving thing, every single day, just to watch a fellow who'd seen so much horror to come to synagogue, to open the door, to lead the service. He was a big inspiration not only to me but to my entire community.

"Jews have suffered a lot through our history and often we become disheartened and people question how we could have faith if we suffered so much," continued Paltiel. "So for people to walk away uplifted and inspired to a stronger faith and a stronger connection to their Jewishness after listening to a talk by a survivor is quite unique."

Mangel said he tries to show that G-d didn't abandon the Jews during the Holocaust, but rather, that every Jew who survived did so miraculously, with G-d's help. He added that he wants people who grapple with the age-old question of how G-d could have let such a tragedy take place to understand that it wasn't that G-d doesn't exist or didn't care.

"On the contrary, G-d was very close to us," he said. "If I'm here talking and I can speak, it's only because He helped me."

Chabad at LA Israel Festival

Hundreds visited the Chabad booth at the Israeli Independence Day Festival in Los Angeles, including Congressman Brad Sherman (R-CA).
The annual Israel Independence Day festival took place on Sunday in Los Angeles with 25,000 Israelis participating.

Chabad Israel Center of Los Angeles set up a booth offering Tefillin, Friday Light kits and program information including Camp Gan Israel of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Gan Chabad and The Westside Hebrew School.

The booth was organized by Shluchim Rabbi Amitai Yemini, Asher Yemini, and Berel Yemini, with the assistance of bochurim JJ Duchman, Yaakov Harkham and Dovid Pewzner.

Thousands of people donned Tefillin, some for the first tim, and hundreds of Friday Light Kits were given out.

Congressman Brad Sherman (R-CA) took time to stop by the booth and put on Tefillin.

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