As part of Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein’s Shabbat Project in South Africa, the Great Park Synagogue hosted a Friday Night Alfresco Dinner in the street for 560 people.
Hundreds of men, women and children walked 1 ½ km together after Maariv to the street closure where Shabbat tables were beautifully set up for the first ever Shabbat street dinner of this magnitude in South Africa.
Chairman Clive Blechman, together with Janice Blechman and Lauren Boolkin, selflessly dedicated themselves to make this campaign an extraordinary community and neighborhood event. Rabbi Dovid and Feige Hazdan and Rabbi Shmuel and Goldie Simpson engaged the capacity crowds throughout Shabbos with talks, discussion groups and shiurim.
The Chief Rabbi rallied the rabbis of communities across the country with a highly successful campaign including a website, celebrities, ‘toolkits’, a Shabbat Project manifesto, information booklets and high profile billboards and posters. Thousands of South African Jews – not yet Shomrei Shabbos – kept Shabbat Parshas Lech Lecha in its entirety. It was a momentous, historical, transformational Shabbos for South African Jewry.
At the Shalosh Seudos farbrengen, individuals shared their personal Shabbos experiences – the bonding of their family, their one and a half hour walk to shul, their feelings of Jewish pride, their feelings of achievement, their future commitments, and their indelible and unforgettable joy derived from a spiritual day of meaning.
I am so proud to belong to such a wonderful and active Jewish community
Sydney Cousins are so very proud
keep up your good work, we look forward to come visit you again
The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s words were “South Africa will remain as it is until Moshiach comes! His words have come
to pass! What an incredible achievement! Dearest SA Community!! Only Brochas!!! and Beyond!!
Well done to Great Park and to The Hazdan’s. Proud to know you.
What an amazing response to a beautiful project. I hope it continues to inspire people to keep Shabbat
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Hazdan – well done in getting involved with this project and recognizing the potential.
This is what its all about
THE BEST shluchim out there. behind every successful man stands a great woman – Rabbi chazdan is a very succesful man with a VERY great woman – his dear wife Feige – !! love you both.
hatzlocho rabba
wow rabbi Dovid and Feige are truly exceptional people. Both with their heart and their action.
my old classmate from mtl! didnt c u in atleast 36 yrs!
Way to go…you’ve come a long way from Montgomery Street!
hope this keeps going with many other cities following!
Wow Wow Wow! So proud of Jews around the world. So inspired to be more careful with my own observance.