New Hat Store’s Clever Promotion

By Yehuda Sugar

The Tzemach Tzedek Synagogue and Beis Midrash of Tzfas teamed up with community members to hold a Gimmel Tammuz farbrengen in an unusual place — a hat and wine store.

Sherlock’s Hattery and Earth & Air Boutique Winery will soon open on the city’s main thoroughfare at 51 Jerusalem Street. In a town teeming with Lubavitchers, they are expecting built-in clientle.

The store is owned and operated by New York City police officer turned rabbi, Moshe Moodie, with high-caliber wines stocked by fellow Rabbi Amichai Cohen.

The store, to open next week, appears headed for success, not only for the special brocho it received by featured farbrengen speaker, Rabbi Schneur Zalman Gafne at the Tuesday night event, but also for its novelty.

Currently, Chabad chassidim and others have to travel 2.5 hours south in Israel to the nearest exclusive hatteries in places like Bnei Brak and Jerusalem for appropriate styles.

The store will also offer unique to the region hat cleaning and restoration services, and will carry a line of high-end other style hats for men and women, Moodie said.

Rabbi Gafne captivated the standing room only crowd that swelled to as many as 70 people with stories of inspiration on themes including remaining upbeat despite being challenged by the times by always looking to Heaven and by not giving up on the Rebbe’s goals.

“He’s still governing the whole thing,” Rabbi Gafne said, with intermittent passersby looking on from the street. “Nothing has changed. You just can’t let your heart turn to stone.”

The Tzemach Tzedek Shul and Beis Midrash, directed by Rabbi Gavriel and Mrs. Sara Marzel, joined long-time community member, Ascent of Safed Rabbi Mordechai Siev and Rabbi Moodie, to put together the successful event. The Marzels also direct the nearby Chabad House of the Old City.