|
The holiday of Chanukah is coming up, and for us that conjures up the image of light. YOU are a light. You keep the flames burning in the individuals whose stories you'll read in these pages. Thank YOU for the impact you have had, and continue to have, on people from all backgrounds and walks of life who call our Jewish community their family. There is nothing like belonging, like feeling you’re “at home,” and that’s exactly what you have created for so many. Enjoy! |
YOU MAKE THIS ALL POSSIBLE
YOU gave me a place, by Stew Reubens
I grew up in England in a very populated Jewish community, but living in Marin I couldn’t quite find my place.
One day, I was hiking and all of a sudden I see this Rabbi hiking with his kids and we strike up a conversation. It was the first I knew of Chabad in Novato, and now I found my place.
When my dad died, it was a defining moment for me. Rabbi Landa arranged for a meal to be sent to me and my family in England, and that completely touched me. Since then, I’ve slowly been incorporating more Judaism on my own. I celebrate Shabbat. I pray daily. I put on tefillin daily. Since becoming a part of the community, I’m self-driven to learn and grow. I want to increase my knowledge.
Everybody from the community who I’ve met are just wonderful people. Rabbi Landa really embodies the joyfulness of a Chassidic lifestyle. Seeing him and the Camp Gan Israel campers and counselors in the Novato July 4th Parade, displaying their Jewish pride really made an impression on me. By Rabbi Landa’s example, people can be more comfortable in who they are and not be afraid to show it.
I’m excited to see more and more growth within the community.
YOU are our anchor, by Avrutzky Family - Harel, Raya, Beeri, and Carmi
Our son Beeri was born with Cerebral Palsy. We’re from Israel, but the best surgeons and therapies are in the USA, and that’s what brought us to Marin. Multiple people urged us to connect with the Landas and Chabad of Novato and we are so grateful we did.
With all the therapies we have to do for Beeri, and the traveling that all of that entails, we feel like the Novato Jewish Community is our anchor. It’s solid ground, because we’re jumping around so much.
What this entire journey taught us is that the saying ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ - ‘The Jewish people are alive’ is SO real for us,” says Raya, Beeri’s mother. “If you’re Jewish and you go to a town from a foreign country, you automatically have community. We get to see this so clearly.”
“It’s so easy for us to feel at home here and like we have family here,” continues Harel, Beeri’s father. “We’re so grateful we found you. To me it’s just love, open hearts, magnetic people, amazing energy.”
“My favorite thing about coming to Chabad is seeing friends, and playing with Hadassa and Chaya Landa,” chimes in Carmi, Beeri’s sister.
“And I love Camp Gan Israel and Hebrew School,” adds Beeri, “and playing with Yossi and Levi.”
Raya nods. “The biggest impact for the kids was camp. And now they have Hebrew School. Beeri's Cerebral Palsy was never a barrier to him joining. It was the opposite. Everyone included him and watched out for him. He made life-long friends from these opportunities.
“As an Israeli, I thought Chabad was for exotic places like Nepal and India. When you travel, you get Chabad. But what I realized seeing you here, is that it’s equally important to go to a place like Novato where there is no local Judaism. You create it for the people here. Last Sukkot, Rabbi Menachem invited others to share a Sukkot memory. Someone said, ‘my first sukkah experience was when you guys came 9 years ago.’ I realized how amazing it is what you are doing - you bring Judaism to people who have no idea what Purim and Sukkot even are.”
“Supporting Chabad of Novato is so important, because then they can reach more people and do more good. Like they’ve done for us,” Raya concludes.
You gave me a taste of home, by Max Tartour
Five years ago, I was in front of the Dollar Store across from Safeway. I saw this Rabbi in a white van with his two sons and I was incredulous. I said, “I can’t believe this! There is a religious person here?” I had no idea Chabad was in Novato.
I grew up in Paris with lots of warm and fond memories of my Judaism and Jewish connection. But ever since I came to Marin, my connection faded away. I didn't have ANY connection other than when I called my mom. Nothing felt right to me. But when I met the Rabbi, he said to me, “Max, you have a neshama (a Jewish soul). You have an inner flame and it’s burning. It will never be extinguished.”
My flame grew very fast. It’s continuing to burn. Now I go every week to the synagogue, and I look forward to it so much. I love all the people there.
Rebbetzin Adina Landa makes a cholent that reminds me of my youth and my mother’s dish, dafina. It’s a 200-year-old recipe and it’s part of our tradition.
Rabbi Landa completely changed my life. I want to be around him. I want to pray with him. Every word he says impacts me. There’s not many people like him on this earth. I’ve met many Rabbis, but none equal his pure love, his warmth, and his joy for Torah.
All my growth came from me. No one is saying “you have to go to synagogue.” I go because I love it. I love the community. I love the people. I love being a part of it.