Rabbi Inspires With Music

by Rabbi Mendy Loewenthal

Close to one hundred people gathered from all over Ottawa for an evening of song and inspiration together with Rabbi Ruvi New from Florida.

This evening was organized by the Jewish Youth Library, well known in Ottawa for its Westboro Jewish Montessori Pre-School, Jewish lending library, Friendship Circle, Gan Yisroel summer camp and recent children’s holocaust book published in conjunction with the Canadian government’s office of Citizen and Immigration.

“The evening was very inspirational,” said Dr. Mark Wolynetz, chair of the board of directors of the JYL, “and it captured the essence of the Rebbe’s teachings.”

The evening was organized in honour of the 19th yartzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and drew representatives from the communities of Barrhaven, Centrepointe and the Chabad Student network in a great display unity.

The audience heard greetings from Canadian diplomat Mr. Ben Gailor who shared his experiences with Chabad as a college student and later on as a diplomat traveling the world. Mr. Gailor also described his personal encounters with the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory while visiting New York together with the Jewish Youth Library.

Rabbi New’s presentation was unexpectedly ‘out of the box’ and a breath of fresh air. Singing country, rock and blues style lyrics and music Rabbi New was able to address vital questions such as Jewish identity and overcoming personal challenges.

Rabbi New pointed out that not many dates are mentioned in the Torah. He explained the reasoning because the Torah is not a history book but rather a living guide, relevant to our lives today just as it was relevant to our ancestors 3500 years ago as they wondered for forty years in the desert.

Rabbi New used the fact that not many dates are mentioned in the Torah to highlight the Hebrew date of the third of Tamuz as being one of the few dates that are mentioned in the Torah. In fact the third of Tamuz is mentioned as the day that the sun never set during Joshua’s famous battle against the ancient Givon tribe.

Rabbi New humorously retold a satire of Joshua’s battle. Rabbi New described how Joshua, in the midst of fierce battle, hears his blackberry ping with a message from his wife saying “Shabbat is almost here and we need Challah and Cholent”. Joshua knew that there would not be time to win the battle, make the cholent and buy Challah all before Shabbat so he asked G-d to help him out just this one time.

G-d, who held that peace between man and wife is the greatest thing, performed a miracle and caused the sun to stand still in the sky so that Joshua could win the battle, make cholent and buy Challah all before Shabbat.

This humorous version of Joshua’s battle was well received by the audience and as well as its timely message. Rabbi New pointed out that the third of Tamuz is both the day the sun didn’t set in Joshua’s time as well as the Yarhtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Rabbi New drew a parallel between the two events saying that the Rebbe’s inspiration and legacy have not diminished just as the sun in Joshua’s time did not set.

The Jewish Youth Library looks forward manifesting the concept of keeping the sun shining by hosting more educational events this summer including the an upcoming Shabbaton on July 26/27 (20 Av) “ featuring world renowned Shliach, mentor and Scholar in Residence Rabbi Shmuel Lew. For more information on the Jewish Youth Library, Camp Gan Israel and Westboro Jewish Montessori preschool please visit www.jewishyouthlibrary.com