Chabad Reception Held at England’s Houses of Parliament

Head Shluchim to Essex, England Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE and Devorah Sufrin celebrated their 40th anniversary of Shlichus to Essex and its surrounding areas, at a special reception held in the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, hosted by Member of Parliament to Ilford North Wes Streeting.

The Sufrins were sent by the Rebbe in 1983 as a young married couple to develop Chabad activities in the Ilford area, an area once recognized as the largest concentration of Jews in Europe, where his late parents Rev Aron Dov (AD) and Hennie Sufrin OBM, had settled seven years earlier at the behest of the Rebbe.

Mrs. Devorah Sufrin was MC for the evening. She shared the relevance of the number “40” and anecdotes including how following Rabbi Aryeh’s acceptance of his first Rabbinic post for West Ham United Synagogue, shared, how she quickly had to learn to accept that in the eyes of the public, young, shy and reserved at 20 years old, she now held the role of a “Rebbetzen.”

MP Streeting spoke with passion, thanking the Sufrins for their positive contribution over 4 decades not only to the Jewish community but to the wider community, through their counseling roles in addiction and family therapies, Chabad – aid food programs, educational and social programs, as well representing the Jewish community at all civic ceremonies.

Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov, Shliach to Wimbledon, South London and a close friend of the Sufrins gave the main address, with relevant messages reflecting on the special day of Lag B’omer and the partnerships that have been built with the supporters and volunteers of Rabbi and Mrs Sufrin and Chabad across Essex. He quoted the two words the Rebbe instructed the Sufrins in their desire to dedicate themselves to a life of Shlichus “ILFORD KADIMA”, which has literally changed the face of the Essex Jewish communities.

Daren Burney, lead trustee of Chabad North East London & Essex, thanked the supporters for believing in Chabad’s mission over the past 40 years with the hope that they will continue to support Rabbi and Mrs Sufrin’s continued leadership into the next decade, without which, the work of changing and saving lives would be near to impossible.

Rabbi Aryeh closed the evening with formal thanks, sharing some humorous anecdotes from their humble beginnings. He thanked his late parent’s educational leadership and their continuous encouragement enabling them to succeed across Essex and also thanked his fellow Shluchim, trustees, supporters and volunteers.

“We are so proud to have built up a team of dedicated Shluchim over four decades, by providing seed investment money to enable the establishment of 4 Chabad Houses with 7 families of Shluchim: Rabbi Moshe Muller z”l, who passed away seven years ago, his wife Mrs. Brocha Muller in Gants Hill, Rabbi Odom and Henny Brandman in Buckhurst Hill, Rabbi Yossi and Rivkah Posen in Epping, Rabbi Tzvi and Mushki Birnhack in Southend together with Rabbi Mordechai and Blima Wollenberg and Rabbi Yanki and Rochel Abrams as Rabbonim in local shuls.”

Last but not least Rabbi Sufrin thanked his wife Devorah for her dedication to Family and Community, as an active co-director in all of Chabad’s initiatives, whilst we consider ensuring our continued impact on Essex, building on the previous four decades.