This month Miriam invited Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority to a tour of the Mikvah in Irvine. Mrs. Binie Tenenbaum (from Chabad of Irvine) explained to us the significance of the Mikvah and how it was made. She told us many stories of different women’s experiences and what special things they all gain from doing this every month. We then enjoyed a really nice dinner and were able to ask them questions not just about the Mikvah but about being a religious jewish woman today. All of the ladies of AEPhi learned a lot from this experience and are very thankful to Miriam and Mrs. Binie Tenenbaum for giving us this opportunity to learn more about something most of us were really unfamiliar with.
ב"ה
The Kosher Eater Nation Blog
AEPhi Visits Mikva
Shabbat at Chabad
By Paul Lapis
Locked within the confines of the science library, the pungent musty aroma of retired books saturates both the body and mind. A long stare through the paned windows sparks only a futile attempt of imagination to liberate the soul from the oppression of overly complicated molecular pathways and uninteresting trinkets of information that must be forced in. Time passes and sighs are extinguished, but right before the moment where all hope is lost, a glance outside reveals a colorful array of purple hues approaching the horizon. Could it be, that in the haste of academic pursuits, I had forgotten both the time and day of the week?
A Friday sunset can have different meaning to different people. Some see a chance to get more work done without the inconvenience of a school schedule. Others imagine the corks flying and the caps snapping, as a chance of chemical freedom has surfaced and must be taken full advantage of. To me, the subtle dance between day and night can mean only one thing: Chabad. It is with this instantaneous association and drive that I am able to stop “doing” and start “being”.
Explaining the emotion that surrounds the ritual of Shabbat with Chabad is like trying to explain a romantic piece of Chopin by breaking it apart and quantifying bars and measures. It is only through mutual experience and association that understanding can be accomplished, and for this reason I will entertain the experienced and inexperienced with brief analogies: Walking through Chabad’s doors is like coming back home after a long vacation. Greeting the Rabbi and his wife is like saying hello to good friends who you never can get enough of. And being around the people who share this excitement is like that moment after an exceptionally good joke where for a brief moment in time, everyone is able to share the same kind of happiness surrounding a single event.
Meaning in itself is subjective, and chances are that what I get out of a Friday night with Chabad is very different from what you could want for yourself. But common knowledge reveals that most of us have our worries through responsibilities to the world for which we constantly struggle to change for the better. One thing that you can be certain of is that Chabad can offer you a venue to simply enjoy yourself and relax, and with that I wholeheartedly implore you to join me next Friday, and every Friday after that.
Post from Lubavitch.com
While Israel celebrates Independence Day today, Jewish students at the University of California at Irvine will have a hard time ignoring the hatred and hostility towards the Jewish state and its Jewish citizens that poisons the air on their campus. UC Irvine’s annual Israel Apartheid Week, organized by the Muslim Students Union (MSU) is now in progress, making this an especially difficult time for the school’s estimated 1,000 Jewish students.
But Rabbi Zevi Tenenbaum, director of Chabad at UCI is well prepared. Tenenbaum secured a spot on the main road where MSU erected the apartheid wall and conducts demonstrations. Twenty five year-old Joe Wolf,who is pursuing a PhD in astrophysics used to lay claim to this coveted spot on the main road, but he gave it to Chabad so they could set up a table with Jewish literature.
Med N' Munch
Jews in Medicine is an active group on the medical school campus that is open to all students from any level of religious or non-religious background. Our regular event is called "Med N' Munch" which occurs once a week at lunch on the UCI SOM campus. Rabbi Zevi, from the UCI Chabad, comes to campus to lead a discussion on either the Jewish perspective of medical ethics or basic Kabalah termed "Anatomy of the Soul." Med N' Munches are a great way to think about medicine in combination with Judaism and your own personal views. The lunch discussion allows for all views to be heard and considered; there is rarely a strict right or wrong answer. It is a nice time for reflexion with great food (provided by UCI Chabad) and friends. The Jews in Medicine students also attend Shabbat dinner at the UCI Chabad house on a regular basis.