Throughout the year, Chabad of South Orlando provides an array of programming that serves the local Jewish community of 10,000 largely unaffiliated Jews.
But during the days of Sukkos and Pesach, the Chabad House takes on another role, catering to the thousands of Jewish tourists who flock to the popular vacation spot near Disney World and Universal Studios.
Now in its 13th year, the Chabad House directed by Rabbi Yosef and Chani Konikov, has mastered the art of taking care of its very diverse clientele.
“We have all kinds,” says Rabbi Konikov, “We do everything from simple mivtzah lulav for people who might not even realize that it is sukkos, to providing three-times daily minyanim for the religious guests.”
Over the days of Sukkot, the Konikovs prepared over 1,000 meals for guests and locals and ran minyanim at two locations.
The scholar-in-residence for the week was Rabbi Shais Taub who delighted the crowd with stories and divrei Torah during davening and meals.
Just remember that Rabbi Sholom Ber Dubov is the main shliach in Greater orlando and Rabbi Konikov assumed his responsibility as Shliach near Disney under Rabbi Dubov’s auspices. Give credit where credit is due.
that’s no peleh,
they are cousins
Cool! Here’s another idea — to have a Mickey Mouse putting Tefillin on people. :o)
did they record any of the chol hamoed talks? or did he only speak on yom tov.
I wish someone would do this in CA not many public Sukkahs around.
I starved on Sukkos
duh, they are cousins:), I hope they get along -aunt /uncle
as a 16yo girl i wish i lived there all year round
Amazing 🙂 Continue making the Rebbe proud!
When you sign “The Dubovs” I am assuming you are the Orlando Dubovs. If so, you just made me very happy. How many times we see neighboring shluchim not being proud of each other. The fact that you could publically shep nachas from a nearby shliach is awesome. There are a lot of people who could learn from this. Especially with the kinus in less than a month we need to get ready to show our faces to the meshale’ach. A father is happy when his children get along.
Sometimes I wonder… when Chabad does their mivzoyim in front of a worldly “non frum setting”, be it Disneyland, Hollywood, Taj Mahal (only kiddin’), Manhattan Skyline and on and on… is it not in the mode of “showing off” or “making one’s chabad house” seem much more famous and bigger than the “REAL” far-flung outreach Chabad Houses who you never hear about?? I’m just saying, that one Chabad House should not up-end another Chabad House in gashmiyus. All should be equal and all should be as one humble family.
Rabbi Konikov is AMAZING in Florida
keep up your graet shlichus