A Day with a Shliach on Newbury Street in Boston

By Jonathan B. Shapiro

This past weekend, the vibrant atmosphere of Open Newbury Streets was further illuminated by the presence of Rabbi Shmuel Posner from Chabad of Boston and Boston University. Known for his deep commitment to Chassidus and the teachings of The Rebbe, Rabbi Posner brought a unique and spiritual dimension to the bustling street.

When I asked him about it afterward, Rabbi Posner simply wrote back “Handed out candles. Shabbos candles.” You can almost feel his trademark brand of humor in the response.

It’s really a great thing to go on Mivtzoim with one of the old-school Shluchim. Thanks to the event’s design, we were able to set up our Tefillin stand in the street, as it was closed to vehicular traffic by the city.

Throughout the first 2 weekends of Kislev, we were zoche to have around 6 Karkaftas/Bar Mitzvahs, including a special moment that twin brothers both took the opportunity to wrap together with us for the first time. They are originally from Tel Aviv, and are attending a local Jewish day school. Ultimately, we saw roughly 40 men wrap Tefillin at our stand, and we interacted with countless other Yidden in the 34-degree New England winter days.

We also used the opportunity to hand out Neiros Shabbos boxes and Menorah kits. The Neshek kits were sponsored by Betzalel in New York City in the merit of a shidduch. Roughly 60 girls and women picked up candle kits from us, and we even had a few repeat customers!

The first Sunday was the same day as the kinus gala, so I helped run the stand in Rabbi Posner’s absence with local 8th grade bochur Aharon Yanofsky and Yitzchok Ordman from R’ Shlomo Noginski’s semicha chabura.

This week, Rabbi Posner was back, and we had Elad Eyni, originally of Rishon Letziyon, and Dovi Sternglanz, also in the semicha chabura.

Throughout the day, Rabbi Posner’s presence on Newbury Street was a living example of Chabad’s mission: to bring the light of Torah and Chassidus to every Jew, wherever they may be. His dedication to spreading mitzvot and Jewish knowledge created a ripple effect, touching the hearts of many and fostering a sense of community and connection.

Rabbi Posner’s efforts were a beautiful reminder of the power of Chassidus to uplift and inspire. His work on Newbury Street not only brightened the day for countless individuals but also reinforced the timeless message of Chabad: that every Jew is a precious soul, capable of bringing light and holiness into the world.

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