Senator Supports Chabad Event

By COLlive Staff

Chabad of Central Mass held an evening of awareness about the importance of the life saving activities of the Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA). There was standing room only and the crowd was still as Senator Scott Brown shared his personal experience of his trip to Israel.

“You have to see first hand how people live under the constant barrage of missiles,” said Brown. He said the trip gave him a clear understanding of the grave importance of the security needs of the tiny Jewish state surrounded by enemies. He asked the audience to imagine enemies on our borders here in Massachusetts.

The Senator went on to explain his work on the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee. He, along with Senators Lieberman and Kirk, has made a strong commitment to Israel, and they do everything in their power to support and protect it against threats from Ahmadinejad and others. Senator Brown ended his remarks with a thank you to Rabbi Mendel Fogelman for “all you do for the Jewish community in Worcester and throughout the state of Massachusetts.” Senator Brown and his wife, Gail Huff, mingled with the audience during the dessert reception.

Lt. Governor Timothy Murray and State Senators Chandler and Moore reiterated the sentiments of Senator Brown, stressing the importance of the services that AFMDA provides.

The guest speaker of the evening, Mr. Shai Bazak, Consul General of Israel, was extremely informative. He interwove his remarks with anecdotes that thoroughly entertained the audience. He began with a compliment to Senator Brown, calling Brown a “true friend of Israel”. He said Israel and the US share the same values of freedom and human rights, unlike other nations surrounding Israel. And he warned the audience of the danger that the Arab nations pose. “When you teach children to hate, as they do, it is very difficult to achieve peace.”

Mrs. Rochele Fogelman set the tone for the evening as she explained the importance of the Seven Noahide Laws. She spoke about the Rebbe’s mission of goodness and kindness, and the ideal partnership that exists between AMFDA and Chabad; one provides emergency service and supplies, and the other provides spiritual and educational support. Each group answers to the emergency call of the people.

Three university students, Daniel Saxe, and Yedidya Ben-Avie, Brandies University, and Ari Winograd, Clark University, talked about their experiences as they physically manned and answered emergency calls when they worked as volunteer workers for AMFDA in Israel. They inspired the audience with their passion for helping others. Burt Klein, New England representative for AFMDA described the 2012-2013 New England Project. – a new emergency electrical power system installed in the new Magen David Adom emergency medical station in Jerusalem.

Each speaker offered a unique perspective on Israel and emphasized the importance of AFMDA. Olga Serebrennikov, member of AFMDA and Principal of Mathaltitude School of Mathematics, served as moderator of the evening. She has been working with Mendel Fogelman at Yeshiva Chabad over the past several months making arrangements for this special event, and was pleased with its successful outcome on Monday evening.