Hundreds Inspired at Chof Av Event in Crown Heights

By COLlive reporter

Over 350 men and women from the Crown Heights community attended an inspiring and uplifting event to mark the 75th Yartzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe’s father, on Tuesday evening.

The “Evening of Tribute” at the Jewish Children’s Museum was produced by Menachem Benchemon and was expertly designed by Chani Greenbaum. An elegant refreshment area greeted guests, before they took their seats in the beautifully designed main event room, each participant receiving a bottle of water and a study companion booklet.

The event featured renowned lecturer and author Rabbi Shais Taub, who kept the audience spellbound for an hour, as he explained Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s lofty Kabbalistic teachings in an easily-grasped manner, weaving poignant stories and lessons for life into his talk. The event was interspersed with Chabad Niggunim sung or taught by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, performed by popular singer Eli Marcus accompanied by renowned pianist Israel Edelson and flute maestro Yehuda Piamenta, concluding with participants joining for a happy Chasidic dance.

Many of those in attendance and the thousands who tuned in online related their excitement at the truly special event.

“I was moved beyond words by Rabbi Taub’s speech,” one participant said. “And the niggunim were the perfect complement to it. I really hope we can see more of these events being planned in the future,” he said.

Organizer Menachem Benchemon thanked the evening’s sponsors, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Zalman and Mimi Fellig, Yerachmeal and Rivka Leah Jacobson, Shloimy and Mirel Greenwald and Zalmy and Sarale Cohen, for making an event of such high caliber possible, saying, “G-d willing, this is the first of many in the future.”

For more information or to donate to the Rebbe’s Magbis fund in honor of Chof Av, visit Chofavtribute.com.

VIDEO: Full Replay

Download study companion here.