During the current lock-down and quarantine, many synagogues and organizations have taken initiatives to remain virtually connected with their communities, despite being physically apart.
Zoom has become a household name. With schools only offering remote education and many businesses shuttered due to Covid-19, Zoom video communication has become the new means of technology for meetings, classes and communication.
While most classes and lectures target one’s local community or membership, Chabad of Florida, which boasts more than 100 centers, has initiated a Project Achdus which will offer a weekly public lecture for all members of all communities to unite for an evening of Torah study and inspiration.
The featured lectures are scheduled for Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm. The first lecture is being offered tonight, April 29 by world-renown lecturer and author, Rabbi Manis Friedman who will discuss “Finding Healing and Strength During Crisis.”
Rabbi Sholom Lipskar, spiritual leader of the Shul in Bal Harbour, Florida, and Founder of the Aleph Institute, is slated as the guest speaker for the second lecture scheduled for Wednesday, May 6. His topic is titled “Pesach Sheni – Second Chances”. Rabbi Lipskar recently recovered from the Coronavirus. He will be joined by Mr. Alan Levy, 66, of Boca Raton who also miraculously survived the virus despite being given less a 10% chance of survival by his doctors.
Nearly 300 years ago when a severe epidemic swept the western Ukraine region and many lives were being lost, the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the chassidic movement, stressed the importance of unity. He instructed his scribe to write a Sefer Torah and encouraged each individual to purchase a letter, thus uniting each member of the community for a noble cause.
A similar campaign was undertaken during the current pandemic with already more than 300,000 participants signing on to unitedforprotection.com to purchase a letter in a specially written Torah scroll. In fact, one entire Torah has been completed and a second scroll is now underway.
Looking for additional ways to unite the Jewish community is what led to this new weekly feature lecture. “The Lubavitcher Rebbe always stressed the importance of unity and the need to increase Torah study as a means to overcome adversity and prepare the world for the coming of Moshiach,” explained Rabbi Pinny Andrusier of Chabad SW Broward, who is spearheading the project.
“Our hope and prayers are that all these initiatives truly merit an immediate end to the pandemic, with all those battling the disease to have a complete and speedy recovery … and for the world to witness a miraculous end to this long exile and celebrate the ultimate Redemption.”
Future guest lecturers and upcoming titles will be announced soon with a special event being planned for Lag B’omer.
Tonight’s lecture is in honor of Mordechai Yehuda Leib ben Rivka, Chaim Aaron ben Florence and all who are in desperate need for a complete and speedy recovery from the virus. To dedicate a lecture in honor or in memory of a loved one, please email [email protected]
The lectures are open to all and available on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86468634911
can you please make it available to everyone on COL?