Albany Marks Education Days

Governor of the State of New York Andrew Cuomo, both houses of the state legislature, the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate proclaimed “109 Days of Education” in honor of the 109th birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson.

In a special reception in Albany, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said that it was a personal honor and privilege for him to chair the celebrations.

Silver said with pride that he saw first-hand the scope of the Rebbe’s activities in his travels overseas. “Whereever I traveled I saw the Rebbe’s emissaries in action,” he said.

Rabbi Shmuel Butman, Executive Director of Lubavitch Youth Organization, offered words of welcome and thanked members of the New York State legislature for their kind efforts.

Rabbi Butman noted that when the Rebbe spoke about education, he talked about the education of all children regardless of race, religion, color or creed. “The Rebbe emphasized that the children should be taught that ‘The world is not a jungle’ and that there is ‘An eye that sees and an ear that hears’.”

Rabbi Butman also stressed what the Rebbe said that we live in the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption and we can bring the redemption even closer through more deeds of goodness and kindness.

Head Shliach of Albany, Rabbi Yisroel Rubin spoke about the scope of the Rebbe’s activities to reach the entire spectrum of the Community in all parts of the world.

As he was instucted by the Rebbe in 1991, Rabbi Butman brought with him a Pushka (charity box) to Albany. “Let everyone see what you are doing and let them know on what money should be spent,” the Rebbe told him.

During the prayer in Albany, the rabbi offered a dollar bill in the Pushka. It was most interesting to see how members of both houses of the New York State Legislature lined up after the prayer to offer their own dollar in the charity box as an act of goodness and kindness.