2022 Spring Appreciation Report
ב׳׳ה
Chabad of Fairfield You give Jewish children in Fairfield a joyful Hebrew School experience
INSIDE THIS ISSUE • •
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You Rose to the Occasion We Felt Like We Were Losing Our Identity. You Made Us Feel At Home You Should Come With Me To My Hebrew School We Thought We Would Have To Leave… You Reconnected Me to What I Lost in the Holocaust
You Rose to the Occasion Dear Friend, In the Purim story, Mordechai asks Esther to beseech the king to rescind the decree against the Jewish people. This was a dangerous mission; Esther’s very life was on the line. But as Mordechai told her, “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Perhaps all the events that had been set into motion up until then were for the express purpose of Esther saving her people. So Esther courageously rose to the occasion.
And just as the Jews of the Purim story emerged from crisis stronger than ever, so, too, we as a community are much stronger than before. As Mordechai said in the megillah, “Who knows if this was the purpose for which you are here?”
Throughout our history, this is the Jewish way. When there are challenges, we rise to the occasion.
Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for rising to the occasion. We are so grateful to you!
With all of the challenges of the past few years, you, like Esther, have risen to the occasion time and again. Locally and abroad. When our fellow Jews in Ukraine need help, you are there. When our community goes through a crisis, you are there.
Wishing you a happy Purim and Passover! Warmly,
Rabbi Shlame & Miriam Landa
We Felt Like We Were Losing Our Identity. You Made Us Feel At Home Joss Brenner grew up in South Africa. His family was traditional and always kept kosher, and they attended Chabad. As politics in South Africa shifted, Joss and his wife, Martine, realized that they could give their children a better future in America. So 7 years ago, they moved to Fairfield. “Immigration is a traumatic experience,” says Joss. “It’s life-changing. We were walking around as if we were in a dream state.”
Martine and their daughter, Tamsin, had a hard time adjusting to their new life in America, and Chabad helped ease that transition. “Martine volunteered at Chabad. It gave her a sense of satisfaction that she was doing something worthy. Tamsin arrived at a difficult stage in life, at age 15, and it helped her make friends and open up. She definitely blossomed.” Their son Jake had the first bar mitzvah ever held at the Berkowitz Chabad House, and now volunteers at Friendship Circle.
The Brenners sought “Chabad is a family, and out Chabad of Fairfield. families try to support each “Shlame and Miriam other, so please continue your brought an unbelievable support of Chabad,” says Joss. sense of familiarity and Thank you for easing the Brenners’ transition to warmth. They were “Thank you for helping me and a new country welcoming, with the my family and my children to familiar ideologies that felt like home … Moving to a keep Judaism going. You’re keeping the strong morals new country is like losing your identity, and we could and beliefs active for my children, even though they’re identify with them straight away. It was a huge game- not at a Jewish school. You’re keeping their roots alive changer. We finally felt grounded in our new home.” and keeping those roots going.”
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You Should Come With Me To My Hebrew School What Drew Hertzbach told his friend Lea Hertzbach wasn’t sure about sending her twin boys, Drew and Dean, to traditional Hebrew School. “Many of the kids I knew really didn’t like Hebrew School,” says Lea. “After everything I was hearing, I thought, ‘I’m going to sign my kids up for this?’” A friend recommended the Chabad Hebrew School, so Lea decided to try it out. The boys absolutely loved it.
“You can dance? You can be loud? You don’t have to sit in a row and be quiet?” “You can clap, you can sit on the floor, you can stand, you can sing, you can bake! You should come with me to my Hebrew School.” The boy declined, saying he was too old. Lea didn’t interject, but she wanted him to know that Chabad is so welcoming at any age.
Lea recently overheard a conversation between her son Drew, 12, and another Jewish boy, who was 14:
“I don’t think people understand how welcoming Chabad is,” says Lea. “I invited a few girlfriends to an art class Due to your generosity, Drew and Dean have a at Chabad. My friend said, ‘Do joyful Jewish education I have to dress up?’ I said, it’s a Tuesday night, you can wear whatever. Miriam is so “You like Hebrew School?” the other boy responded cool, you’re going to laugh and have the best time.’” incredulously. “Oh my gosh, I hated it. My parents pulled me out. There was so much work, and there It’s important to Lea that Chabad keeps growing. “I was nothing fun in it. ” want my kids to send their kids to Chabad. I would love to see it grow 10 times, 20 times bigger and Drew answered, “We do learn, but they make it so better for the next generation. You have to stand fun and you get to sing and dance.” behind what you believe in.” “I’m practicing for my bar mitzvah,” said Drew. “I hope I won’t have to leave Hebrew School after. I’ll really miss it.”
We Thought We Would Have To Leave… You gave Matthew a growing, lasting community and a reason to stay
“It’s exciting to see the re-energizing of the Jewish community,” says Matthew
Matthew Hausman’s family has lived in the greater Bridgeport community for generations. He’s seen the demographics of the community change over the years, as various shuls merged together or closed. “Things were going south. We were thinking that we would have to leave the community,” says Matthew. “When the Landas came to Fairfield, they really filled that void.”
Initially, Matthew was hesitant about joining Chabad. But when his youngest daughter got involved with the kids’ programs, he was pleasantly surprised to see kids from all backgrounds coming together. “We saw there was something there,” he says. “It was very diverse. You’re in an environment where you see people growing Jewishly, you learn from them, they learn from you. We feel like a cohesive unit. “It’s exciting to see the re-energizing of the Jewish community.” Matthew is so inspired by Rabbi Landa that he chooses to walk with him to shul every Shabbat, even
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...continued from page 3 though it’s out of his way. And although he’s put on tefillin almost his whole life, he never internalized it until he got to know Rabbi Landa. “Before I did it because I felt I was supposed to. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed it this much.”
Mathew says, “I’ve always been involved with a community, but for the first time in years, I’m involved with a growing community, and that makes me want to be more committed. Thank you.”
You Reconnected Me to What I Lost in the Holocaust And helped our children grow in their Judaism One day Stuart Lilian told his wife, Davora, that he didn’t like the taste of non-kosher meat. So began a slow process where they started to learn more about Judaism and observe Jewish practices. Davora is a child of Holocaust survivors, and she sees this as a way of connecting to her grandparents and greatgrandparents. “What was cut off during the Holocaust is being reconnected,” she says. But their teenage children had a hard time with their parents becoming religious.
Little by little, the children became more open toward Judaism. They call their parents before Shabbat to say “Shabbat Shalom.” Their daughters light candles and bake challah. Their son called Rabbi Shlame for ideas of what to name his baby, and their daughter called Chabad when she moved to Arkansas. One of their daughters brings her baby to the Chabad “Mommy and Me” program. “Thanks to you, my children are very connected to Judaism,” says Davora. “They never felt judged or threatened. They felt the warmth and beauty of Torah Judaism.”
It took Davora and Stuart Thanks to you, Davora and Stuart’s many years to realize that Davora says that when you children are connected to Judaism they could not dictate to their give to Chabad, you have no children what they thought idea the impact you’re making. was true. “I told my husband, ‘Just follow the path “You’re not just donating, you’re creating life. of Rabbi Shlame and Miriam. Just smile, and don’t You’re rebuilding what we had in the Holocaust. The judge, and show them that we love being Jewish, impact of your donation is way beyond what you can we love Shabbat. We have to show them the imagine; you are impacting older people and young beauty of Judaism.’ ” people. You are rebuilding the family.”
D o n a t e O n l i n e : w w. c h a b a d ff . c o m / d o n a t e ב׳׳ה