Concert Marks Decade of Growth

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Israel Bardugo

A milestone in Europe was celebrated in Israel.

Close to 600 people filled the Yahalom theatre hall in Ramat Gan on Tuesday for a evening marking a decade since Chabad activities begun for Israelis and Hebrew speakers living in Hungary.

What began as a single Chabad center Keren Ohr in Budapest, run by Rabbi Shmuel Raskin, is now a network that includes a Chabad center in the large city of Debrecen, run by Rabbi Shmuel and Riki Feigin, and a branch in Szeged, manned by bochurim.

The Head Shliach of Hungary, Rabbi Boruch Oberlander was not able to attend, but Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger made it a point to participate and pay tribute to the activities he saw first-hand.

“The Chabad House Keren Ohr was the first synagogue in Budapest since the Second World War,” he noted and added that over the last 10 years he has personally witnessed with amazement how Rabbi Raskin’s community grew.

He said it was the love for each Jew that propels Chabad to reach out to all segments of the Jewish community, no matter religious knowledge, social or political standing.

Another aspect of Rabbi Raskin’s work was shared in a speech by Yossi Priel, one of Keren Ohr’s central supporters.

The evening organized by Fleishman Productions featured entertainment by comedian Adir Miller and singer Yishai Lapidot.