UK News

Chabad on Campus rabbis met this week in Leeds for their annual conference.

The two-day-long conference saw ten rabbis and their families defy extreme weather conditions to converge on Leeds Student Chabad House from as far afield as Edinburgh and Brighton.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss current issues facing Jewish students cross the UK, share ideas for successful programming and speak about experiences and challenges from the past year.

"The aim of conference," explains Rabbi Eli Brackman, chairman of Chabad on Campus UK and director of Chabad of Oxford, "was to discus different ways of reaching an ever growing number of Jewish students who are not being reached by Jewish organisations on… Read More »

This week thousands of people across the country have been celebrating Chanukah with Chabad Lubavitch at over 100 events around the UK.

Events have already taken place in: Manchester; Leeds; Cambridge; Chigwell; Golders Green; Glasgow; and Wimbledon, and include the world’s first Whisky Chanukiah and the UK’s first Cycling Menorah.

Other events include: Giant Menorah Lighting in Wimbledon with guest of honour Stephen Hammond MP; Chanukah on Ice celebration in Sale, Manchester; Chanukah Factor at the Leeds Lubavitch; a car Menorah parade in Hampstead: and a public menorah lighting in Bournemouth town centre attracting over 200 people.

One particularly novel idea this Chanukah has been the creation of… Read More »

Over 80 students and young professionals gathered last week to hear Lord Peter Levene speak about the challenges and rewards of being an open Jew in the world of business in the UK.

The event, organised by Chabad of Bloomsbury, took place in London’s famous Lloyd’s building which houses the insurance market Lloyd's of London where Lord Levene served as chairman since 2002.

“We thought it would be a great idea for Lord Levene - an open, committed and influential Jew - to speak to young people about the real or perceived challenges that might face them on campus or in the world of work,” said Rabbi Yisroel Lew, director of Chabad of Bloomsbury.

In the course of his talk, Lord Levene spoke about his family… Read More »

Over 500 people gathered in London's Brent Town Hall to celebrate 19 Kislev - with guest speaker was Rabbi Mendel Gluckowsky of Rechovot, Israel.

Inspire, the annual conference for 19 Kislev organized and chaired by Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov, director of Chabad of South London, drew attendees from all over London, as well as Essex, Leeds, Brighton, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Leicester, Oxford and elsewhere.

Guest speaker, Rabbi Mendel Gluckowsky, head of the Lubavitch community in Rechovot, Israel, delivered an inspiring speech intertwined with interesting stories from his involvement in spreading Jewish observance over the past 35 years.

"If you show others that you will make an extra effort, then the results will be… Read More »

This year Chabad Centre of Buckhurst Hill has found an innovative way  to celebrate the upcoming Chanukah festival: 65 Litres of Single Malt Whisky will fill a 7 foot high Menorah made of clear piping.

The Whiskey Menorah will be the centre-pieced of Chabad of Buckhurst Hills Chanukah celebration on on the 3rd night ofthe festival, Sunday 13th December.
 
“We have been a Chanukah trend setter in the past,” says Rabbi Odom Brandman, director of the Buckhurst Hill Chabad Centre.”

“We are always looking for something unique to make their Chanukah celebrations really special and attract attention to its aim; creating a greater interest in Jewish practise and festival observance for the wider… Read More »

Faith leaders, royalty, politicians and celebrities gathered at London’s Kensington Palace last week to commemorate the lives of the 166 people who perished in the Mumbai terror attacks a year ago, including the Jewish victims who were killed in the city's Chabad House.

The event - organised by the DVK Foundation which was established by Deepak Kuntawala who survived the Mumbai attacks, rescuing 150 people - was attended by over 150 international guests including Bollywood film stars, HRH Prince Michael of Kent and Deputy Mayor of London Richard Barnes.

During the evening Prince Michael addressed the audience speaking about the war on terror and guests and speakers stood together in solidarity for a minute of silent tribute to… Read More »

Jewish residents in Bournemouth now have a dedicated kosher food outlet thanks to the initiative of Chabad of Bournemouth.

Rabbi Yossie and Chanie Alperowitz, directors of Chabad of Bournemouth, officially opened Chabadeli this Thursday with over 60 people doing their kosher shop there for the first time. The outlet is based in their newly refurbished centre which opened its doors earlier this year following a million pound construction project.

Chabadeli will be open on Thursdays and Fridays each week and stocks over hundres of kosher food items, including chicken, meats, kugel, soup, cholent, salads, dips, fish, fish fingers, latkas, cheese, ice cream, cakes, biscuits and challah freshly baked by Mrs.… Read More »

Students at Leeds University glimpsed life in one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities last weekend through the recollections of Edwin Shuker, an expatriate Iraqi who fled his homeland as a boy.

More than 75 people attended the Friday evening lecture, which was sponsored by the university town’s Chabad-Lubavitch Student Centre and accompanied its weekly Shabbat dinner and services.

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