Reports

FRIDAY – the last day of camp! The theme of Kibbud Av Vaem, HONOURING OUR PARENTS was stressed – we made mugs to give them to drink, and door hangers making sure no-one wakes them up when they're sleeping.

 After a few GAMES and a yummy LUNCH, we had a great time kneading challa and shaping our own CHALLOT for Shabbat!!! Mmmmm....... they smell delicious! We then had a stupendous prize shop, where we all bought lots of PRIZES AND GOODIES with the points that we had earned over the week!! Following a funny chocolate game, we all sat down to our annual Shabbat party!

Shani  lit the SHABBAT CANDLES and Nir made KIDDUSH on a cup full of grape juice! We all enjoyed the NOSH, received our MAGANIZZYS,  our special CERTIFICATES , and a beautiful PHOTO of ourselves on twin day! Wow! What a day! 
 
WE ALL HAD AN AWESOME TIME IN CAMP AND CAN'T WAIT TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR, PG!!!!!!
 

Snazzy hat, Sporty, Kosher Thursday was a real hit! We all proudly showed everyone our original hats at line up, and following a line up full of CGI spirit, we all sat down to a very early lunch.
 
At the park, we played in the play area, followed an obstacle course, played ‘Rabbi Dubov says,’ wrote CGI with nature, and best of all ran a marathon of totally amazing races! (egg race, bin bag race, three legged race, orange race, wheelbarrow race…!!!!!!!!) After the traditional ice pop arrival back to camp, we all sat listening to Rabbi Dubov telling us the signs of a kosher animal, and to our surprise (?) we all got a chance to see the fins and scales up close on a real rainbow trout! We checked eggs for blood spots, designed and painted our very own tea towels, made Tzedaka Boxes, Kosher labelled wooden spoons and much more!

What a day!
(And all on the ride back to Wimbledon, enjoyed the exhilarating Amein journey!)

Click here to download the Camp Gan Israel Magazine - Maganizzy!
 

Camp Gan Israel South London 5770 is off with a bang!  The kids are having an absolutely FANTASTIC time so far!
 
Monday was Brachot day, with a food carnival, face painting, grapejuice squeezing, decorating cupcakes,making jellybean flowers and having a FANtastic time  making FANS to keep cool!! and of course learning and singing the camp mitzvah theme song!  In the middle of all that the kids all enjoyed a great lunch too! 

Tuesday was TWIN DAY and TELEPHONE TUESDAY (special prizes if you answer the phone saying I LOVE CAMP GAN IZZY!!).  The kids all made frames to put their photos in of themselves and their friends, to emphasise AHAVAT YISRAEL... then they got baking with biscuit making and decorating pens with femo clay... after which they all had a great time  at SYON PARK SNAKES AND LADDERS!! Everyone soon discovered that what makes Rabbi Dubov's van go faster is not petrol, but GAN IZZY CHEERS!! Way to go!!
 
Wednesday was WACKY WATER WEDNESDAY with a great trip to KEW GARDENS and water games!! Finding hidden items amongst all the plants and flowers taught everyone about the mitzvah of HASHAVAT AVEIDA, returning lost objects!  everyone played in the play area, saw the lulav in the palm house, and heard a super story from Rabbi Dubov!
 
...and this is only the beginning!  Another two AMAZING days to go at CGI!!! More arts and crafts, games, outings, stories, activities, songs and FUN!!!

 Click here to see more photos of the kids having a great time!!
 

After a very successful year, Cheder Chabad celebrated it's annual end of year assembly and prizegiving.
 
Grandparents,  parents, siblings, and friends joined the children this past Sunday for a most enjoyable morning.  Rabbi Shmuel Zajac, headmaster, praised the children highly for their efforts and acheivements in learning, and awarded them their colourful Aleph Champ medallions, certificates and prizes.
 
Rabbi Dubov gave a vote of thanks both to Rabbi Zajac and to the teaching staff, for their extremely dedicated efforts and devotion to the pupils throughout the year. He also warmly thanked the parents for showing such support of their children's Jewish education.
 
After a group photo, everyone enjoyed the delcious refreshments!

 
Photos by Natalie Knoll - www.knollphotography.com

Cheder Chabad offers a warm and lively Jewish education to children of all ages in a fun, informal, learning atmosphere. The pace is tailor made to each child, according to his or her capabilities.  The extremely high ratio of teachers to students  -  1 to 2.5 - allows each student individual attention, as well as enjoying group activities and arts and crafts.
 
For more information, or to enroll your child, contact Rabbi Shmuel Zajac directly on cheder@chabadwimbledon.com or Rabbi Nissan Dubov on rabbi@chabadwimbledon.com

Click here to see the complete photo gallery

This past Friday we had the honour and pleasure of hosting a most unique occasion, with the chuppa and wedding of Alex Tzykalo and Victoria Ivanova in the back garden of the Chabad House.  As most of their family is in the former Soviet Union, our community came together most beautifully to celebrate with the young couple and wish them mazeltov. The chuppa was followed by a lovely reception and dancing in the shul. please do view the photos!

We are delighted to report that recently we have had quite a few simchas in the Chabad House -- a few brisim, three opshers (first haircuts),  a bat mitzvah, and now....a wedding!
 
May we only continue to celebrate further happy occasions, please G-d!

Click here to see more pictures in our photo gallery... 

Queuing for Wimbledon? No need to take your own kosher sandwiches this year as Chabad of South London Campuses will be offering kosher food at the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

The Kosher Café trailer, situated in the Wimbledon Golf Club car park by ‘The Queue’, is ideal for those standing in line for tickets or anyone who would like a kosher snack before or after play.

This is the second year running that Chabad of South London Campuses, a branch of Chabad on Campus, based in Wimbledon, will be serving hot and cold kosher food and tennis enthusiasts will be able to enjoy kosher snacks throughout the competition, including: kosher barbecue, sandwiches, baked potatoes as well as the British favourite strawberries and (parev) cream.

Rabbi Dovid Cohen, director of Chabad of SLC, said: “I am delighted that we are able to provide kosher food at Wimbledon this year. Tennis lovers can enjoy the beautiful game while enjoying a hot dog or the traditional Wimbledon treat of strawberries and cream!”

 The Kosher Café trailer will be running from 21st June – 4th July from midday until end of play. For further information contact Rabbi Dovid Cohen, on 07801 491 386 or visit http://www.chabadslc.com/tennis

In a room full of mums, kids, and toys galore, Mr. Jon Sions, head of A & E at Epsom Hospital, most ably and pleasantly guided the mums (and Rabbi D.) in an interactive first aid presentation for babies and toddlers.  Topics covered were CPR, choking, burns, menigitis and others.  We all left far more knowlegable in what to do in an emergency, and the kids also had a great morning!  Q & A and refreshments followed.

The Mums and Tots group warmly thank Jon for sharing his valuable, life-saving knowledge with us.  Jon also heads RAMC - Resusitation and Medical Consultancy, and can be reached at www.resuscitation.org.uk

On Monday, The Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks officially opened the first UK Lubavitch Children’s Centre (LCC) in Stamford Hill. The Lubavitch Children’s Centre is a pioneering modern, welcoming space catering for the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual wellbeing of children from all backgrounds of the Jewish communities in Stamford Hill.

Supported by the Hackney Learning Trust and Haringey Council and designated a Sure Start Children’s Centre by Together for Children, the LCC is more than just a children’s centre. Fundamental to Chabad Lubavitch ethos, learning should not be confined to childhood or the classroom, but is a lifelong process. A child’s potential is best achieved in an environment in which parents develop and learn alongside their children, which is why the development of an innovative learning space for the entire family is so important to the community. 

In addition to daily activities for children and their parents, the LLC also provides: healthcare services; information and support advice; a modern nursery school; and is complemented by Vista Education and Training and the largest lending and information Library in the UK on site. 

Continued on www.chabad.org.uk 

In a packed shul of approximately 65 adults and loads of children, we all heard and relived the Ten Commandments this past Wednesday on Shavuot. Followed by our now famous ice cream party and  cheesecake kiddush (yum.....) in the back garden, we all enjoyed ourselves in the beautiful weather.   What a wonderful way to accept the Torah once again this year!

Second day of Yomtov also saw a nice turnout, with a talk in shul as to how to make Torah learning relevant in our day to day lives.  Of course, we couldn't resist serving a bit more cheesecake once again!

Monday evening we had the pleasure of hosting the bris of Aharon Sidelsky here at Chabad, newborn son of Errol and Jean Sidelsky of Forest Hill, and brother to Oscar.

Rabbi Dr. Leslie Solomon performed the bris, and a nice crowd of friends joined the festive refreshments afterwards.  It was a very special occasion for all, as the guests offered beautiful blessings to the newborn and his family.  May we only continue to celebrate simchas!

This past Tuesday night, nearly 50 members of the South London Interfaith Group met at the Chabad Shul to hear a talk about Chabad.  Rabbi Dubov gave a lecture on the history, philosophy, ideals, and outreach work of Chabad to clergy and members of various faiths, including Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh religions.  Amongst the many topics discussed, Rabbi Dubov highlighted the seven Noahide Laws, which are common to all faiths and can better the world in which we live.
 
Questions followed, and Alan Gadd, secretary of the group, thanked Rabbi Dubov for a most informative and inspiring lecture, as well as Mr. Louis Kleinman, of Catford Synagogue, for initiating the evening.

Top marks for our cheder kids and parents, together with other visitors from Wimbledon, who joined together this morning for the Grand Lag B'Omer Parade in North London!
 
Despite the inclement weather, the spirit of the thousand children and adults who were present was not dampened in the slightest!  We were very proud when our own cheder pupils Sasha Levy and Miriam Panchev were given the honour of reciting the verse, "Shema Yisrael" on the podium, in front of  MPs, dignitaries, and the entire crowd.   After viewing the beautiful floats,  we then marched in the parade, followed by a great time at the funfair at Springfield Park!

This past Friday night Chabad house had the pleasure and honour of hosting the Israeli Deaf Football Team, who had come to the UK to play Great Britain in the first leg of the European Deaf Football Championships qualifying games.  Moshe Ivgi, Director of the Israeli Deaf Sports Association, brought his team of 25 to enjoy a traditional Friday night meal.

These photos were taken just before Shabbat 

Hosted by Rabbi Nissan and Sarah Dubov and their family,  together with Ronnie and Loretta Harris, the animated conversation, Divrei Torah, stories and sports talk  were conducted in Ivrit, English and sign language - spiced with lively Shabbat singing and even dancing!  At one point towards the end of the meal, several of the participants got up and expressed  how  deeply touched they were by the warmth and hospitality shown to them. It was an unforgettable evening for all,  which we hope we have the pleasure to repeat in the future.

Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, both killed in Saturday morning's plane crash in Russia, shown here in 2008 with Rabbi Sholom B. Stambler, receiving matzahs prior to Passover: