From the Desk of Rabbi Engel - Parshas Lech-Lecha 5771

Dear community,

I would like to bring to your attention 4 important and/or interesting items:

1) This coming Sunday, October 17, Chabad of Yorba Linda is presenting an exciting program – The Son of Hamas. This speaker, Mosab Hassan Yousef, is the son of one of the founders of the Hamas movement and he became a spy for Israel . The program begins at 9:30 am with breakfast, followed by the speaker. The cost is $25 per person. For more information, call Chabad of Yorba Linda at 714-693-0770.

2) The sofer, Rabbi Menachem Moskowitz, who has been coming to our community for the last many years, is in California for a few weeks, checking t’fillin and mezuzos. He is willing to come to Long Beach for a day or two if there is a demand. Please call me if you would like your t’fillin and/or mezuzuos checked. I will help set it up if enough people respond.

3) There is an obligation for everyone to give tzedakah twice a day (before Shacharis and before Mincha). To help facilitate this the Rebbe established a fund called Keren Hashono in which people give the Rebbe’s office a certain amount of money according to the number of days in that Jewish calendar year. This year, being a leap year, has 385 days. (One can give 2 cents x 385, 10 cents x 385, $1 x 385, $10 x 385 etc.) The Rebbe’s office still continues this tradition on a daily basis. A very special blessing comes along to those who follow the directives of a Tzadik. It is also known that this fund was very dear and precious to the Rebbe. I am encouraging our community to send in its donations via email or check (snail mail) directly to Machne Israel . Anyone who would like me to send it off for him /her must reach me with a check by this Thursday, October 14, 6 Marcheshvan, as Friday will be the last time I send it out this year.

4) A short note about the Yom Kippur/ Alevy tzedakah match. During the appeal, people informed me that approximately 200 x $chai was pledged. At this time, already 3 weeks after Yom Kippur, only 96 x $chai has come in. As we announced on Yom Kippur, we would like to bill Mr. Alevy by four weeks after, which is next Monday, October 18, 2010. If you pledged and have not yet paid, please send it in ASAP.