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L’Chaim-Chabad has the Answers this Passover
Passover is known as the festival of questions, but for tens of thousands of Jews in the greater Manchester area, L’Chaim Chabad was the answer for their Pesach needs. From the weeks leading up to the holiday, right through the final crunch of matzah, L'chaim Chabad was there.
There were programs for people of all ages, no matter their background or affiliation. Special emphasis was placed on teen and kids’ programs, with L’Chaim redoubling its efforts to engage and inspire Manchester’s youth.
It’s all About the Kids
L’Chaim youth clubs themed their pre-Pesach meets around the holiday. The Jewish Birthday Club, for girls aged 8-12, designed their own tambourines, 2-5 year old Little Chefs donned their baker hats and joined with their mothers to bake their very own Matzah and the Shabbat Youth Minyan featured Pesach games and stories. Youth groups enjoyed their annual Moshiach Feast at the end of the Holiday, and past program participants enjoyed a prize field trip.
On the teen scene, both boys and girls Manchester chapters of CTeen - the world’s fastest growing Jewish teen club –gave back to the community. The girls organized a Matza Bakery for the residents of Heathlands old age home, and the boys launched their one on one study program. These efforts not only enrich the lives of others, but provide added depth and excitement to the teens’ personal observance of Pesach. They did also get to enjoy themselves, the girls at Alton Towers and the boys at a full day paintball shooting trip.
Following Pesach, multiple new CTeen chapters were opened for students at King David, Manchester High, Yavneh and Jewish High.
Joy and Education
While the teens had their fun, dozens of adult education events reached hundreds of Jewish men and women throughout the city. The ever popular Jewish Learning Institute hosted a Pre-Pesach prep lecture, and public sedorim allowed families to experience the Exodus in a warm, inviting setting. Dozens of volunteers trekked to Synagogues throughout the city, some walking as much as four hours, to share words of inspiration. More than 8,000 homes received the Passover Edition of the Holiday Times, and L’Chaim’s weekly publication launched a new children’s edition which was warmly received.
As they do each year, L’Chaim Chabad facilitated the sale of chametz for hundreds who might otherwise not have done so, and koshered dozens of kitchens in time for the holiday. Volunteers also spread out to deliver more than 300 pounds of hand baked Shmurah Matzah.
Yeshivah in Session
Many young Yeshivah students who came home to Manchester for Pesach used some of their break to study at the Yeshivah Gedolah. The program also featured the annual Kinus Torah, a conference of scholars from across the globe, including Yeshiva’s very own, Rabbi Wolberg, Rabbi Wineberg of Kansas City, Rabbi Elchonon Cohen of Jerusalem and was hosted by Rabbi Chaim Chazan of the Ukraine.
Feeding the Hungry
The L’Chaim Foodbank, which provides year-round support to hundreds of needy families, distributed fruits, vegetables and other vital food products to more than 500 needy individuals & families for the holiday. This is in addition to the shelter, counselling and other services offered through the Foodbank.