This past Sunday, 12 Cheshvan, Lubavitch of Scotland held their 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee Dinner.
Rabbi Chaim and Sora Jacobs, serving as the Rebbe’s shluchim in Scotland since 5730, were one of the first 50 shluchim to set up a Chabad House presence in a city sent by the Rebbe.
They were also the very first British shluchim of Lubavitch UK to set up a Chabad house in a city outside London and Manchester.
The event was attended by 200 guests, which included guests of honour local benefactors David and Carole Walton, guest speaker Rabbi Shea Hecht, Chairman of NCFJE in New York, local mayor Provost Jim Fletcher, Rabbis Aryeh Sufrin and Pesach Efune representing Lubavitch UK, Rabbi Zalman Wolowik of Chabad of the Five Towns in Long Island, and other out of town guests.
The event was organized with the help of two of the Jacobs’ sons Sholom Jacobs, who was dinner organizer, and Rabbi Yossi Jacobs, Dinner chairman.
They also organized the publication of a souvenir brochure for the event and a 20-minute video with comments and good wishes from numerous people who have benefited from the work of Lubavitch in Scotland over the past 50 years.
Speakers included guest speaker Rabbi Shea Hecht who gave an inspiring address and praised the dedication of Chaim and Sora Jacobs, making an appeal for funding for future events.
Other speakers included Provost Jim Fletcher who made a presentation on behalf of East Renfrewshire local council, Paul Edlin, current president of the Glasgow Jewish Representative council, who proposed a toast on behalf of the council, Rabbi Moshe Rubin, Minister Rav of Giffnock Shul, who made a presentation on behalf of the Giffnock Synagogue, and Dr Steven Kayne, who gave a note of thanks to all speakers and organizers.
Over the past 50 years, Lubavitch of Scotland’s Chaim and Sora Jacobs have organized thousands of events and programs including a very successful Hebrew School and Bat Mitzvah Classes, a Nursery School, Summer Day Camps, the famous L’Chaim’s Kosher Restaurant and Catering, Sora’s Lunchtime Café, and numerous adult, teenage and student classes, events and Shabbos and Yom Tov hospitality. Throughout the past fifty years, Chaim and Sora have always been famous for welcoming to their events everyone in the community, even if they were unable to pay for services rendered or events organized. At Lubavitch in Scotland, nobody is ever turned away due to finance.
Over the past 27 years, they have been helped by their eldest son Rabbi Mendel Jacobs who is also the founding rabbi of the famous ‘Shul in the Park’ which aims to cater for those members of the community who feel more welcome in a smaller warm environment often due to social, financial or religious circumstances.
Despite meeting a very challenging financial time in 5742-1982 and wanting to leave Glasgow, they merited at the time to receive a page long handwritten letter of exceptional encouragement from the Lubavitcher Rebbe telling them and blessing them to stay in Glasgow.
However difficult it was at the time, they listened to the Rebbe, and now looking back they are so happy that they did so. (The letter is printed in Likutei sichos volume 23 page 476-477).
During the evening Sora praised and thanked the dedication and mesirus nefesh of all their children who often had to forgo many social and educational extras while growing up in their younger years in Glasgow with limited social friends and homeschooling one to one education.
During the evening, musical entertainment was provided by Benny Weiss of Manchester and much singing and dancing took place which made the occasion a truly joyous and memorable one.
Catering was provided by L’Chaim’s Kosher catering under the expertise of shlucha Sora Jacobs who organized the entire meal.
VIDEO: Highlights from the dinner
Mazal Tov Mazal Tov! Moshiach Now.
Love their youthfulness. May Hashem bless you as you go into the next 50 years.