AM YISRAEL CHAI

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Reuven (Ravin) on his upcoming birthday next week. I hope that your knee is healing well Reuven, and wishing you a year of much activity and ease of movement with much joy.

Mazal Tov to Perry whose birthday is right next to his father. We hope all is going well with you Perry, and wishing you a great year!

Mazal Tov to Naomi for all the celebrations in the Fisher Family - Becca's wedding and Evelyn's batmitzvah. Simchos should lead to further simchos!

We want to wish long life to Froma whose mother passed away last week. Wishing you comforting from Hashem Froma, and only happy occasions in the future. Her neshamah should have an Aliyah.

This week is also the yohrtzeit of my cousin Alden ah. We wish Froma and Kery-Lee long life. Alden is missed by all of us and we wish his neshamah an Aliyah.

Tonight is the yohrtzeit of Uncle Dave ah, and this week was the unveiling of the tombstone of Renee ah. Both the neshamos should have an Aliyah, and we wish their whole Family, Roy, Sid, Brian, Jody, Sheli, Gavin and Adam, and their Families, long life, and only happy occasions in the future.

I saw an interesting halachah (law) in this week's portion of Rambam that we are learning, in the section Taanis (Fasts) Chap 1, which I found interesting, as it relates to the current difficulties facing Israel, and all of us. As follows:

"It is a positive Command to cry out to Hashem in the event of any difficulty that arises, which affects the community, as when you go out to war, famine, plague etc..

This practice is one of the paths of repentance, for when a difficulty arises, and the people cry out to Hashem, everyone will realise that the difficulty occurred because of our conduct...

This realization will cause the removal of the difficulty."

And look how beautifully Am Yisrael has responded!

The response has been huge, beyond any description, as we can all see and hear from all the stories going around.

But I also saw the results of a survey which was carried out this week, from 211 respondents across all 50 US states, which was addressed to Chabad Lubavitch Rabbis based in cities and towns with robust Jewish communities, but also from areas with minimal Jewish experience.

The results reflect a major Jewish awakening, which paint a picture of the indomitable Jewish spirit

• 98% are seeing an increase in personal practice related to Jewish Traditions - People are starting to light Shabbat candles, purchasing and putting on Tefillin, saying the Shema, baking Challos, wearing identifiable Jewish jewelry etc
• 86% are seeing an increase in attendance at synagogue and programs
• 77.3% have seen a stronger sense of Jewish pride and confidence
• 81.5% state that people in their communities have been feeling scared - a wide spectrum of Jews, facing antisemitism, are choosing to increase in acts of Jewishness as opposed to laying low
• 93.4% say that they are witnessing a stronger feeling of connection to the Jewish People or a desire to connect to other Jews
• 88.2% state that their communities are connecting more strongly to Israel and her People
• 85.8% state that their members have been experiencing a deeper connection to their own Jewish identity.

The survey results paint a picture of a Jewish Community responding to this fraught moment with a renewed sense of solidarity and faith.

AM YISRAEL CHAI!!

MASHIACH NOW!

Gut Shabbos and Gut Chodesh to all