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.