Excitement is in the air as the registration for the annual SimXa Shabbaton is well under way.
This year’s Shabbaton is scheduled to take place at the Marina Del Rey Hotel in California over the Thanksgiving weekend, November 23rd – 26th. As every year, the event will bring Russian-speaking and English-speaking Jews together to learn Torah.
The theme of this year’s Shabbaton is “Can unity bring peace? Together for Israel.” Esther Davidoff, who heads the SimXa Company together with her husband Moshe, explains that the theme of peace came up before the war in Israel began.
She says, “With the war between Russia and Ukraine, and many countries, cities, communities, shuls and families not seeing eye to eye with each other, it seemed appropriate and important to bring up this topic. When the brutal war broke out on Shabbos-Shmini Atzeres in Israel, it became even more evident that the most pressing topic of the day is PEACE. We pray and hope that with Hashem’s help our learning can advance peace on every level of our lives – starting with the micro level of peace between spouses, siblings, parents and children, bosses and employees, and more… It is our goal that this learning and self-improvement on a personal level should have a positive effect on a global level as well – across shuls, communities, cities, and countries.”
Even the children’s program this year will be dedicated to peace and unity. Under the direction of a veteran Shabbaton participant and an arts and crafts instructor, Rada Konvisser, the children will create special gifts with messages of love and support that will be sent to Israel, to the families of victims and hostages.
This year’s speakers include Rabbi Aryeh Katzin, Director of RAJE (Russian American Jewish Experience) and Founder of Sinai Academy in New York City, Rabbi Reuven Wolf, founder of Maayon Yisrael Chassidic Center and a popular lecturer and educator, Miriam Yerushalmi, founder of SANE (Save A Neshama Endowment) and renown author and family therapist, and Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, founder of Magen Am and self-defense instructor.
Magen Am was featured at the SimXa Shabbaton last year in a presentation on overall and personal security. This year, to address the growing need, Magen Am will conduct a Krav Maga (Israeli Defense Techniques) class for both children and adults.
The Shabbaton will also include concerts by Katya Kapelnikova, a poet, songwriter and popular inspirational performer for women, Kleizmer music by Leo Chulyapov, Kumzits farbrengen with Rabbi Moshe Bitton, wine tasting with Shira winery, and local trips around the beautiful Marina Del Rey.
As usual, this year’s Shabbaton will feature gourmet kosher catering with a delectable menu to satisfy and please the most sophisticated of palates and taste buds, as well as round-the-clock tea room.
Moshe Davidoff sums up, “The theme of our 2023 Shabbaton reflects one of the highest aspirations of the Jewish people, namely peace. Ever elusive yet within our grasp, we as Jews strive to bring peace and unity to the world at large. It’s the ultimate prize and achievement of our work and perseverance in this world.”
