Shlucha Honored by Community

By COLlive reporter

Chanie Schochet, Rebbetzin of the Mill Hill community in London, was honored this past Motzoei Shabbos as tribute for her 20 years of dedication to the community.

Many from across the community’s age spectrum turned out to pay tribute to their beloved Chabad Shlucha as she received an “Aishes Chayil award.”

Schochet and her high-profile husband Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet have seen their community grow to in excess of 1000 families.

She runs the welfare branch of the community which includes meals for mothers of newborns, befrienders for the elderly, as well as bereavement counselling and hospital visitations. She also teaches kallahs and gives shiurim.

Words of tribute were paid by lay-leaders in which they spoke about her “legendary hospitality” whether singles events in the home and new members’ evenings, as well as her outstanding undertakings and the way “she touches the lives of young and old alike, with her elegance and special sensitivity.”

Guest speaker was Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, senior rabbi of Finchley Synagogue in London and former Chief Rabbi of Ireland.

He is being mentioned as a leading contender to be next Chief Rabbi of Britain, a position Rabbi Schochet was also a candidate for before dropping out.

In response, Mrs. Schochet paid tribute to the Rebbe whom she said was “the foremost influence in my life, who always stressed the theme of hamaseh hu haikar – ‘action speaks louder than words’.”

“It is not enough to feel for a mitzvah but we – and I speak as much for myself – have to do – all the time – daily. We all benefit from being part of a community and we are challenged to always look to give back – to get involved in whichever way we can,” she said.

Participants took part after in a delicious buffet. The event was held in a local school as the shul is still undergoing a £4,000,000 ($7,000,000) rebuilding program due for completion in February 2013.