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UK News

The latest news stories about Chabad Lubavitch from around the UK.

Thousands Attend Lag B'Omer Celebrations!

LBO Hendon1.JPGThe streets of Hendon were packed out on Sunday as the Great Lag B'Omer Parade made its way along Bell Street, Brent Street and Queen Road before finishing in Hendon Park for an afternoon funfair.

Over 2500 people joined in the celebrations as they watched the impressive display of marching bands, floats and displays. Many people adorned fancy dress for the occasion. It was the first time that the Parade had taken place in North West London and it can only be described as a huge success.LBO Hendon3.JPG

Benji Novak was there with his wife and two children, Chaya and Keren. He said, 'This is truly a family day out, the kids love it and so do the grown ups. A real kiddush hashem has been created today! 

The event was attended by Rabbis Nachman Sudak, Yitzchok Meir Hertz, Shmuel Lew, Faivish Vogel, Levi Sudak, Aryeh Sufrin and Gershon Overlander, Yitzchok Shochet and Menachem Yunik as well as local dignitaries including the Mayor of Barnet.

LBO Hendon4.JPGRabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov was MC and the guest speaker was Rabbi Mendy Korer, the new Shliach to Islington, London. International music star Shoime Gertner entertained the huge crowd and a show was performed by a tight rope walker.

The event was was organised by Rabbi Yossi and Chani Simon of Tzivos Hashem in conjunction with the local communities and Chabad Lubavitch UK. LBO Hendon7.JPGOther Chabd Lag B'Omer events took place all over the country including a Parade through the streets of Manchester and a Carnival in Stamford Hill.

 

Over 3,000 Attend Chabad Sedarim in the UK

seder 2011 2.JPGThis Pesach, Chabad once again opened its doors across the country and extended an open invitation to join and participate in a Seder night. During the two nights, a record 3,079 people sat down with Chabad to eat matzah, drink wine and recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt. 

Communal Sedarim took place at over 35 locations across the UK including options for students on campus, and for Israelis, with Sedarim conducted in Ivrit. At one Seder in London, the Ma Nishtana was recited in 8 different languages including Farsi and Hindi!

Without the Chabad Sedarim many people would not have had the opportunity to experience a Seder night. One participant from Manchester said, 'The thought of doing a Seder on my own was depressing; thank you for thinking of me and inviting me. It was warm, wonderful and informative. I find it hard to describe my feeling of belonging, I felt I had come home'. 

The occasions attracted Jewish guests from a variety of backgrounds including many students, travelers and elderly participants. Some people were experiencing a Seder night for the first time. In Sheffield Rabbi Golomb welcomed a mother and her two children to the Seder; this was the first event that they had attended in 10 years despite many invitations and efforts to be part of the Jewish community in Sheffield. Rabbi Golomb said, 'Every year someone turns up that you do not expect. The strength of Pesach brings people together. This is the 5th son at the Seder'.

Chabad's dedicated network of representatives worked tirelessly in the lead up to the Sedarim ensuring that the events would run smoothly and successfully, providing guests with a welcoming and meaningful experience that they would remember for years to come. One family, that was at first reluctant to join a 'religious Chabad Seder' ended up having a trans-formative experience. They said, 'It was absolutely fantastic and we felt so much at home. Thank you for an unforgettable night.'

Aside from Seder nights, Chabad centers provide a variety of services for Jewish communities all over the country. These include: Friday night dinners, Jewish learning opportunities, Counseling and Welfare, Campus activities, Youth programmes and much more.

25 Years after Chernobyl

Simon Swerdlow, 33, says he owes his life to Chabad.

In 1990, he left Belarus at the age of 13, part of an airlift of 250 children from areas surrounding the doomed Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. That was the first flight operated by Chabad Children of Chernobyl, a Chabad-Lubavitch run organization designed to rescue those most vulnerable from the meltdown that left Chernobyl2.jpgthousands of square kilometers uninhabitable. 

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