For as long as Chabad rabbis and rebbetzins have been moving out on shlichus, they’ve brought their communities back to visit the Rebbe’s neighborhood. So ahead of last hakhel year, JLI assembled a team of event planners and presenters to allow shluchim to give their communities a joint Crown Heights experience unlike any other.
This hakhel year, it’s back again. As shluchim begin to plan for hakhel 5783, JLI has announced that the successful Shabbos in the Heights miniretreat will return after Pesach.
Visiting the Rebbe’s neighborhood is always an uplifting experience; doing so as part of a professional program and together with other communities can take participants to new heights. Nancy Miller of Pasadena, California, came to the inaugural Shabbos in the Heights in 2016 and says that the program gave her a taste of Crown Heights’s warmth. “It felt like the entire community opened their homes and hearts to welcome us,” she said.
The gathering’s program includes a tour of the Chabad movement’s beating heart and a glimpse into the life of the Rebbe. In addition to the plentiful food and entertainment, there is sure to be plenty of spiritual nourishment for all, including guest lecturers, study, and a session of JLI’s signature Cross Fire Question-and-Answer platform. Each year, the program culminates on Sunday night as a special JLI seminar prepares the groups to visit the Ohel.
For Rabbi Chaim Hanoka, director of Chabad of Pasadena, California, the weekend is a yearly homecoming. “Even after working with the Pasadena community for so many years, a big piece of my heart is still in Crown Heights,” he says. He wanted to share his love for his hometown with his community, and after bringing a group of eleven to Shabbos in the Heights, he was elated that his community had a delightful time. “My group left on such a high, we could have floated back to California,” he laughs.
As shluchim look ahead to a year of gathering, Shabbos in the Heights plans to bring communities together for a weekend of Torah study, inspiration, and an authentic Crown Heights experience.
For more information about Shabbos in the Heights 5783, visit: https://shabbatintheheights.com/
Video:
