OUR COMMUNITY

T

he Bais Chabad 
community has taken part 
in a unique communal 
mitzvah around the High 
Holidays — helping a family, 
and a community, across the 
globe.
Of all Jewish communities 
in the world, few have been as 
challenged in recent history as 
the city of Sderot, Israel. Sitting 
one kilometer from the Gaza 
Strip, Sderot has been the target 
of thousands of rocket attacks 
over the last 15 years, including 
hundreds during this past 
summer’s attack on southern 
Israel.
Of the many families living 
with post-traumatic stress 
disorder (PTSD) from the 
years of bombardment, there is 
one that will be making a bar 
mitzvah for their son, Yehudah, 
this coming Simchat Torah on 
Sept. 28.
As the family is dealing 
with financial hardship, the 
Bais Chabad West Bloomfield 
community is assisting with 
the expenses to help cover the 
cost of a new set of 
tefillin and a bar 
mitzvah celebration.
This summer, Rabbi 
Shneur Silberberg saw 
different communities 
finding ways to show 
solidarity with certain Israeli 
communities. Silberberg 
reached out to a rabbi in 
Sderot and asked what they could do as 
a community to show support. 
“I was told of the various struggles 

of the family, the PTSD of the children 
growing up, having to run to shelters at 
any given moment, other reasons why 
this family in particular has struggled 
and that a nice way for the community 
to show support would be to assist in 
bringing joy to that family and city,” 
Silberberg said. 
Silberberg reached out to his own 
community and got to work. So far, it’s 

been a big success.
“We were able to purchase 
a new set of tefillin, which is 
about $600-$700, as well as 
pull together another several 
thousand dollars to significantly 
help cover the costs of the bar 
mitzvah,” Silberberg said.
In addition to helping 
the family, the Bais Chabad 
community is sending a message 
to the Sderot community, 
expressing their support as they 
stand on the front lines.
“The message we would like 
to send them is we support 
them in their sacrifice in living 
where they do, that they’re not 
alone in facing the challenges 
of bombardment and terror, 
and we stand in solidarity with 
them,” Silberberg said.
Silberberg sees significance 
that the day of the bar mitzvah 
lands on Simchat Torah, 
which is often considered the 
most festive day in the Jewish 
calendar.
“The fact it’s exactly that 
day we’re linking arms with a 
community across the world 
and joining in celebration with 
them, I find it to be particularly 
meaningful,” Silberberg said. 
“Because the message is that we rejoice 
together, we cry together and even if we 
are across the world from one another, 
and in fact never met each other, we 
still feel deeply connected to you and to 
whatever you’re going through.” 
You can still join in on this mitzvah. 
Donate online at baischabad.com/
donate and add “Sderot Bar Mitzvah” in 
the notes. 

Bais Chabad project helps Israeli family 
from Sderot with bar mitzvah expenses.
A Community Mitzvah

Rabbi 
Shneur 
Silberberg

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

18 | SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021 

TOP TO BOTTOM: A bomb shelter at a Sderot playground. The 
bar mitzvah boy and his family.

