Today the 10th of Shevat , Jan. 17 in Jewish History

Today the 10th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of the of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950).

Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn was born in Lyubavichi, Russia. At the age of 15 he was appointed as his father's personal secretary . In 1897 when he was seventeen years old he married his distant cousin, Nehama Dina Schneersohn.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn campaigned for the rights of Jews by appearing before the Czarist authorities in St. Petersburg and Moscow. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 he sought relief for Jewish conscripts in the Russian army by sending them kosher food and supplies in the Russia Far East. With the rising of anti-Semitism and pogroms against the Jewish people, he travelled with other prominent religious rabbis to seek help from Western European governments. During the period of 1902 and 1911 he was arrested 4 times by the Czarist police due to his activism for the Jewish people. He was always released.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok became the sixth Rebbe of Lubavitch upon the passing of his father, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, in 1920.

In 1939, during the bombardments on the City of Warsaw and its capitulation to Nazi Germany, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak refused to leave Warsaw and remained to give the full support for his organizations under Chabad Hasidism to assist as many Jews as possible to flee the invading armies. With the intercession of the United States Department of State in Washington, DC and with the lobbying of many Jewish leaders on behalf of the Rebbe he was finally granted diplomatic immunity and given safe passage to go via Berlin to Riga, and then on to New York City.

On March 19, 1940 Rabbi Schneersohn arrived to America. Upon his arrival two of his chassidim approched him, and told him not to start all the activities that he did in Russia, because America is different. Instead of being disappointed, they advised him not to even try. Schneersohn wrote, "Out of my eyes came boiling tears". The following day he started the Yeshiva.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak passed away on the 10th of Shevat in 1950 and was buried in the Borough of Queens in New York City. His younger son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), succeeded him as Lubavitcher Rebbe, while the older son-in-law, Rabbi Shemaryahu Gurary led the Chabad Yeshiva network Tomchei Temimim. Rabbi Schneersohn had no sons.

Kosher Corner

Kosher Vitamins more than ever before is becoming very popular. Many reasons are given for this fact. Some say that it is due to the fact that the Kosher consumer population is growing and therefor the demand is becoming bigger. Other say that it is also due to the fact that more people are becoming aware today about Kosher Food Consumption laws.

A interesting thing to note is that many times Non-Jews will come in to a Kosher Vitamin Store to request Kosher vitamins. The reason for this occurrence is because it is found that consumers believe that Kosher products are purer and healthier. Since vitamins is all about being healthy and consuming pure products, it is seen the most in the Kosher Vitamins and Kosher heath food industry.

Judaica Corner

Now that we are getting closer to Passover, people are starting to search for that perfect Passover Matzah Covers. Upon going in to Judaica stores the consumer will notice that there are two types of Matzah Covers, round and square. The reason for having two styles stems from the fact that there are two types of matzos, round matzos and square matzos. Round matzos are those that are hand made and the square matzos are those that are made by machine. Customs among Jewish people vary from those that will only eat machine matzos to those that will eat only hand made Matzos. Of course there are those that will consume which ever their grocery provides.

So you will first want to know what your "Going-to-get-the-gift-person" consumes, before going out of your way to purchase them a Matzah cover gift. No one wants to spend money on a Passover gift only to find out that it does not meet that person's needs. As always being informed is a good thing!

Today 24th of Tevet , Jan. 2 in Jewish History

Today the 24th of Tevet is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Lyady, the Baal HaTanya, founder of the Chabad Chasidus, 1812.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, also known as "The Alter Rebbe," "Baal HaTanya" was born in the White Russian town of Liozna on Elul 18, 5505 (1745) In 1764 he traveled to Mezeritch to study under the tutelage of the Baal Shem Tov's successor, Rabbi Dov Ber. Despite his youth, he was accepted into the inner circle of the great master's pupils.

His name Baal Hatanya, comes from the work that he authored, Tanya, a classic text of the chassidic tradition first published in 1796, and Shulchan Aruch HaRav, a code of Jewish law. His works have been reprinted many times and are available in all Judaica Stores.

The Chabad Chassidus today runs thousands of centers around the world called Chabad Houses, which serve as Jewish community centers, synagogues, and schools, providing outreach and educational activities for Jewish communities. The Chabad Headquarters is located in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Kosher Corner

The benefits of using Fish Oil as a nutritional supplement is well known. Fish Oil is beneficial for Cardiovascular Health, (Omega 3 fatty acids have also been proven to work wonders for your heart and the miles and miles of arteries and veins that make up your cardiovascular system. They help to lower cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDLs and blood pressure, while at the same time increasing good HDL cholesterol.) Fish Oil also prevents strokes and heart attacks. (When plaque builds up on arterial walls and then breaks loose, it causes clots. If a clot gets stuck in the brain, it causes a stroke and when it plugs an artery, it causes a heart attack. Research shows omega 3 fatty acids break up clots before they can cause any damage.)

Many Kosher Fish Oils are available today in the Kosher industry, and there is no need to consume questionable fish oil pills. The Kosher Fish Oil Pills are proven to be of the same quality as the non-kosher.