A combined twenty-four-hour flight from their families, at one of the most remote locations on the globe, they live a life of shlichus with genuine self-sacrifice. While the cost of living is high and local laws are most insensitive, Jewish souls continue to flood into the magical region of Canterbury, New Zealand to enjoy its breathtaking views, relish its quiet seclusion, and above all, distance themselves from anything remotely Jewish. Waiting for them in this very place are R’ Dovid and Miriam Bitton, who gather these lost souls and bring them closer to their Father in Heaven with love and a smile.
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
At a Tanya class with another Chabad supporterThe capital of the region of Canterbury is the largest and most central city on the southern island of New Zealand. It is situated on the central-eastern coast surrounded by green hills, spectacular views, with the Pacific Ocean along its shoreline. It has the nickname “the city of gardens” – and it is indeed filled with magnificent parks and gardens.
Until one hundred and eighty years ago, there was a vibrant Jewish community operating in Canterbury headed by its leader, Lewis Edward Nathan. With his encouragement, organized prayer services took place – first in his home, and afterwards in a wooden synagogue built with the help of a contribution obtained from government authorities. Then, local residents began to leave in droves as a result of the ‘West Coast Gold Rush’ in Hokitika. It caused many Jews to leave the city and community life began to decline. However, as time passed, the merchants came back and brought with them Rabbi Yitzchak Zecharia, a native of Baghdad educated in Yerushalayim, and he served as rav of the community.
Later, under the leadership of Pinchas Zelig, who eventually became one of New Zealand’s leading journalists, the Jewish community began to flourish even more with the establishment of community institutions. The synagogue was replaced with a structure made of stone, which served the city’s Jews for many years. Then, about thirty years ago, when the building became a hazard, the authorities disallowed any entry into the building, putting an end to all Jewish community activities.
This was the situation until the Rebbe MH”M’s shluchim, Rabbi Dovid Bitton, and his wife Miriam, arrived in Canterbury.
“To our regret, there was virtually no remnant of the glorious community that had been here in the past,” said Rabbi Bitton, who has been working with his wife on the premises for the last three years. “Apart from us, there are no Torah observant families in the city, although there are a few Jews who periodically put on tefillin. In addition, the plague of assimilation is quite sad and painful, as more than ninety-five percent of the local Jewish population are ‘married’ to Gentiles. Many from the second generation aren’t Jewish at all. Despite the difficulties, our task is to illuminate the lives of these Jews, instilling a greater sense of Jewish pride and distinctiveness.”
THE STEWARDESS PULLED OUT A DOLLAR FROM THE REBBE
Estimates are that about six hundred Jews live in the city, and at least two thousand reside on the entire island, which is about seven times the size of Eretz Yisroel. “Every few months we discover more and more Israeli families living here. Regrettably, there was no cohesion or connection between them. One of our biggest challenges was to create this relationship, similar to what exists in other Israeli communities. Together with our work with Israeli tourists who come to Canterbury by the thousands, we initiate special programs for the local community, e.g., Jewish Sunday school, Shabbos meals, Torah classes, and home visits.”
How did you come on shlichus to New Zealand?
This was the first question that I asked Rabbi and Mrs. Bitton. You have to remember that not only are they in an extremely secluded location, it’s also twenty-four hours flying time away from their parents and extended family in Eretz Yisroel.
“This is a case of tremendous Divine Providence,” said Rabbi Bitton. “Even during our meetings before getting engaged, it was clear to us that going out on shlichus was our objective. After learning for a year in kollel with the Tzfas yeshiva, we started receiving shlichus offers.
“Suggestions came and went, until my brother told me about New Zealand. He said that a good friend of his had been there as a bachur, and the country’s southern island was in need of a shluchim family to work with the numerous Israeli tourists who come there. After making some inquiries, I realized that the location would be an excellent spot for outreach, due to the spiritual desolation prevailing there at the time. It’s important to note that New Zealand’s northern island has had a very successful Chabad House program for the past ten years under the administration of Rabbi and Mrs. Aharon Cohen. When I told my wife about this proposal, she gave her consent on the condition that we receive a clear sign or answer from the Rebbe on the matter.
“Just one minute later, an avreich came knocking at our door who wanted to give us a dollar from the Rebbe. The two of us sat there, totally flabbergasted. What was the story behind this dollar? Several months earlier, we flew to 770, passing through Madrid on our way back. Before boarding our flight, someone stole my wife’s purse. While it contained some important documents, what really upset my wife was the loss of the three dollars that she had received from the Rebbe. She was deeply distraught by this.
“The stewardess on the flight from Spain to Eretz Yisroel noticed my wife’s disconsolate mood and asked what the problem was. At first, my wife didn’t unburden herself, but when she saw that the stewardess’ concern was genuine, my wife told her about the dollars from the Rebbe that had been stolen from her.
“What’s the problem?” the stewardess replied. “I’ll give you a dollar.”
“My wife was certain that the stewardess didn’t realize how painful and agonizing a loss this was.
“These weren’t regular dollars,” my wife said. “They were a bracha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.”
“I know and I understand,” the stewardess said in reply. “I also have a dollar from the Rebbe.”
“My wife initially refused to accept the dollar from her, but the stewardess was just as stubborn and my wife eventually accepted the offer. However, the stewardess didn’t have the dollar with her on the flight; it was back home. She took our contact information and promised to send it to us. Time passed, yet the dollar didn’t arrived, and we were certain that the stewardess had simply forgotten about it or had changed her mind. A few months later, after the whole incident had passed from our memory, I received a phone call from my good friend, R’ Yariv Klein, one of the Rebbe’s shluchim in Panama. He asked me if we had lost three dollars from the Rebbe when we were in Spain. When I told him that we had, he said that he had just returned on a flight from Madrid, and the stewardess on board had identified him as a Chabadnik and told him our story. While she had misplaced our name and address, he still managed to deduce that she was talking about us. She gave him the dollar in order that he would get it to us. The stewardess had kept the dollar with her for several months, and whenever she boarded a flight, she hoped that she would find a Lubavitcher chassid who knew us and could be the faithful messenger to bring us the dollar.”
It turns out that the dollar came at just the right time…
A SUDDEN MIRACLE
AT THE TERMINAL
After they saw such tremendous Divine Providence with their own eyes, the decision to go out on shlichus in New Zealand was no longer a question of ‘if,’ but ‘when.’ The cost of living on the island is very high, and the airfare was more than two thousand dollars. The Bittons started collecting donations for their departure. “As we boarded our flight, we had a marvelous and uplifting feeling. We felt that we were accompanied by the Rebbe’s brachos. However, as with all good things, the forces of spiritual evil tried to sabotage our efforts to spread G-dliness. When we arrived at the airport in Auckland, we were detained by immigration officials and questioned for several hours.
“The feeling was most unpleasant. For six hours, we were kept separate and interrogated without knowing what they wanted from us. Finally, a high-ranking official came in and informed us that we would be confined to the airport and sent back to Eretz Yisroel on the first available flight… We were stunned. How could this be after we had received the Rebbe’s brachos for the trip?! In my tefillin case, I carried a small volume of Igros Kodesh. I quickly wrote to the Rebbe and asked for a bracha. The answer referred to the Holiday of Redemption, when the Chassidim prevailed. As I read the reply, I knew that I had nothing to worry about.
“A few minutes later, this same official came in again with a signed document in his hand. He informed us that they had decided not to send us back, rather to issue us a tourist visa limited for a period of three months…”
The young couple departed the airport en route to their first stop in New Zealand, the home of the shliach, Rabbi Aharon Cohen. “During the first week, we received continuous guidance and direction in preparation for setting out on our mission. The following week, we already started looking for a house to rent; however, no one would agree to make a rental contract with us since we only had a limited tourist visa. Thus, we were forced to rent a caravan at a vacation site, forty minutes away from the place of our shlichus.”
The living conditions were understandably quite meager. For a period of six weeks, the shluchim lived in a forest. In the morning, they traveled into the city, where they looked for Jews to participate in their outreach activities.
When Purim came, they rented a hall in a local restaurant and held a large Purim program with many people participating. “My wife made hamantashen and an Israeli evening meal for about thirty tourists. This was our opening salvo. As Pesach approached, everyone already knew about our presence in Canterbury. Numerous young people had registered for the Seder night, and more came to sign up with each passing day. However, to our great regret, we still hadn’t found a place for the event.”
A PESACH OF G-DLINESS
“A week before Pesach, we were facing a serious obstacle. We had ninety people registered for the Seder and nowhere to host them. We lived forty minutes from town, so no one was going to come to us. What could we do? A few days before Yom tov, we heard about a Jew who had a row of apartments for rent. We went over to speak with him, but he told us that he couldn’t help us out even if we paid a huge sum of money, because all the apartments were occupied. I can never forget the tremendous pressure we were under at that time. There were matzos and wine, and we had already bought all the necessary holiday supplies – but we had nowhere to sit for the Seder. I wrote to the Rebbe, asked for his blessing, and davened that G-d would help us.
“Two days before the holiday began, I went back to this Jew, who ran a chain of hostels, and I decided to work on him in a manner of ‘L’chat’chilla Aribber.’ ‘Have you put on tefillin today?’ I asked. ‘What’s that?’ he replied. I realized that I had a case of ‘karkafta’ here, and perhaps if he put on tefillin, it would open up his heart to help us. I took the tefillin out of my car, explained to him briefly about their sacred nature, and to my great surprise, he was happy to put them on. He said ‘Shma Yisroel’ while his employees looked on in astonishment.
“After I wound up the tefillin, I spoke to him, heart to heart. ‘Tomorrow is Erev Pesach,’ I told him. ‘Ninety Jews have registered for the Seder night, but we have no place nearby to accommodate them. Can you help us out – even for just one day?’ Without a moment’s hesitation, he went into one of his nicest rental homes and requested the tenants to transfer their belongings into another house. He asked his workers to clean the house and then informed us that it was at our disposal… I was shocked by the sudden drastic change. Now, all we had to do was to find a suitable hall, however, this would be far less of a problem. There was only one condition: the hall manager asked that we clean the place and take all our things out by midnight. I wondered to myself: How would we be able to move all our equipment (some of which was muktzeh)? How could we clean up everything in time right after the Seder?…
“Nevertheless, I promised him that I would do it without knowing exactly how I would get it done. I left the hall with a very disconcerted feeling that every step I took was filled with hardships. As I was walking towards my car, a local non-Jew on a motorcycle waved ‘hello’ to me. When I waved back, he made a U-turn and rode back in my direction. ‘I see that the Jews are soon going to have a holiday,’ he said to me. I confirmed what he said without knowing exactly what he was driving at. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I may not be Jewish, but this holiday fascinates me. Can you teach me about it, and most importantly, can you let me eat some matzah?’ I gladly agreed, but I made a deal with him.
“I told him about how we had to clean the hall after the Seder and remove all our utensils and supplies. ‘Tomorrow morning, I’ll teach you whatever you want, but that night, you have to come and help us.’ He consented most happily and I prayed that he would come. To my great joy and relief, he did. I taught him about the Seder plate, the matzos, and other customs associated with the holiday. Then, on the Seder night, he fulfilled his end of the bargain and made the entire hall sparkling clean by midnight. When we arrived home at two o’clock in the morning, he was already waiting for us with all the Pesach utensils…
“I’ll always remember that Pesach. It was truly a Pesach of G-dliness.”
THE SPIRITUAL ADDRESS FOR ALL THINGS JEWISH
Three months later, the shluchim returned to Eretz Yisroel, and after a short period for organizing supplies and other vital concerns, they again boarded a plane for their place of shlichus. This time, however, their entry into the country went more smoothly.
They rented a large two-story house and started gathering local Jews around them. Most tourists choose the Chabad House as their first stop, and many of them even sleep there for the duration of their stay. The Chabad House holds daily Torah classes, farbrengens, and weekly activities. It also provides material assistance, as many tourists are helped by the supplies left by other tourists who had previously visited the region.
“Most tourists coming to the city buy a used car and set out on a tour of several months on the island,” R’ Dovid told us. “Then, just before returning to Eretz Yisroel, they come back to us and sell the car. The rumor spread among the Israeli tourists that anyone who wants to sell his car at a good profit has to write a letter to the Rebbe. Tourists come to us and ask to write to the Rebbe, without anyone having to suggest it. In fact, we have seen many wonders with our own eyes.”
Can you tell us about some of them?
“Once, two very pleasant young people finishing their tour needed to sell their car, but they couldn’t find anyone to buy it. They took out advertisements in every possible location, and while other tourists inquired about the vehicle, no sale was made. They remained in the city another two weeks just for this purpose. When they came to visit the Chabad House, I asked one of them, a kibbutznik from central Israel, if he had put on tefillin yet. He replied that he had never put on tefillin before in his life. I was very happy for the ‘karkafta’ that had come my way, and we with many tourists in attendance celebrated his bar-mitzvah with sweets and other delicacies.
“Afterwards, he sat down to write a letter to the Rebbe. The reply contained a clear answer about a bar-mitzvah, followed by instructions to prepare for a wedding. In another letter, the Rebbe gave a bracha to someone for success in business. The two young men were stunned. They couldn’t understand how it was possible to write an actual letter and get a clear answer from a seifer printed many years before. Yet, the reality was far stronger than anything they imagined. The very next day, two potentially serious buyers inquired about the car. After some negotiating over the price, they sold the car for an amount they never could have dreamed possible.
“They were so astounded that they stayed at the Chabad House for another few days, and every tourist who heard their story was convinced to put on tefillin…”
This story reminded Rabbi Bitton of another story connected to the sale and renting of an automobile by tourists. “Another time there were two very nice tourists staying with us. Just before they set out on their trip throughout the region, they asked me to give them a picture of the Rebbe. Without a second thought, I gave them the picture that I had in my wallet, and they hung it up in their car. When they came back to the Chabad House a few months later, they were very excited as they wanted to share with me an amazing story they had experienced.
“One day, as they stopped in one of the island villages, they realized that they had misplaced their wallet, containing all their money, credit cards, address book, and travel plans. They didn’t know what to do. How could they continue without it? They hung notices all over the village asking that whoever finds the wallet should return it to its owners, even though they really didn’t believe that the finder would bring it back. They were in a very gloomy mood. Suddenly, one of them came up with an idea: ‘We have the Rebbe’s picture in the car; let’s ask the Rebbe to help us after we make a good resolution.’ They did so, and just a few minutes later, a local villager called them to say that he had found the wallet and he was waiting for them near the grocery store…
“They felt the correlation between their prayers and the discovery of the wallet, and they were quite overcome. They eventually shared their story with other tourists. To be quite honest, I was less inspired by the miracle and more by the fact that here were two typical Israelis, not educated in matters of faith in the Rebbe, and surely not in hiskashrus. Yet, when they had a problem, they knew where to turn and with whom to speak…”
BIRTHDAY GUIDELINES AND A BRACHA FOR A SHIDDUCH
According to Rabbi Bitton, when you’re in such a remote spot, you see miracles and wonders every step of the way. He has many more such stories, and we asked him to tell us another interesting one.
“There was a young Israeli who lived in the Chabad House for several weeks. Instead of paying rent, he would work for us, cleaning and tidying up. This is an arrangement that we often make. Then, one fine day, he informed us that he had decided to return home to Eretz Yisroel. As with all the tourists, we suggested that he first write to the Rebbe. While he had always rejected such advice in the past on the grounds that he had to make his own important decisions and not let others decide for him, this time he agreed.
“This episode took place on his secular birthday, and we explained to him that such a date carries no significance in Judaism. Yet, the letter he received from the Rebbe left him and us completely stunned. Someone had apparently written to the Rebbe about whether he could celebrate his birthday before the actual date of his birth, and the Rebbe replied that he could do so on the condition that he makes a farbrengen and accepts good resolutions.
“It was clear from the letter that he shouldn’t fly to Eretz Yisroel at this time, and it closed with brachos for a shidduch. Regrettably, he didn’t agree to change his travel plans. Thus, after we made a farbrengen for him and he made some good resolutions, he ordered an airline ticket to Eretz Yisroel via Thailand.
“We continued to maintain contact with him, and what actually happened after he left was no less amazing. He arrived in Thailand, and he had to wait there for several days before he could continue to Eretz Yisroel. While he was waiting, he met his future wife, and as a result, he remained in Thailand for another lengthy period of time and only afterwards did he make the trip back to Eretz Yisroel. Now, we’re waiting for the invitation to their wedding. All three points mentioned in the Rebbe’s reply – were fulfilled.”
GATHERING THE SOULS
“And you shall be gathered, one by one” – this is the feeling that Rabbi Bitton has when every few weeks, he discovers another Jewish family, whether a local resident or an Israeli family that came to Canterbury to find a little peace and calm.
“As I mentioned previously, the city had no organized community, no mikveh, no kosher food – and everyone lives in his own separate domain. For most people, this is exactly the reason that brought them here. To our great pleasure, after three years of hard work, a Jewish community has begun to take root. When I look at each of these people, I am amazed. Each one comes from a different background and location, yet the Hand of G-d has united them all.
“There is an Israeli Jew who came to the city fifteen years ago. He had previously been an investigative officer with Israel Police. He told me that he was disgusted by the corruption he revealed there, and he decided to get as far away as he could. He met a non-Jewish woman here, ‘married’ her, and they had children together. While he had been raised in a completely secular home devoid of any Jewish tradition, he came to the Chabad House one day and asked us to teach his children Hebrew. We agreed while remaining extremely careful to remember that the children were Gentiles.
“After several meetings, the Israeli man consented to my suggestion that he put on tefillin, which he continued to do after each successive visit. A few months later, he told me that he was longing for the taste of the fresh-baked Shabbos challos he remembered from Eretz Yisroel. He had looked through all the local bakeries, yet he could not find anything comparable. My wife agreed to bake challos for him, and he would come each Friday to pick them up, but not before we sat and farbrenged together for about two hours.
“He recently traveled to Eretz Yisroel for a visit, and he surprised me when he returned with a pair of tefillin. Yet, the most exciting thing was to hear him say that he now understood his mistake in marrying a non-Jewish woman and having children with her who were also not Jewish. Since he began putting on tefillin each day and resolved to fulfill more mitzvos, his connection with his non-Jewish wife and children began to diminish.”
Other families have joined the small Jewish community surrounding the Chabad House, and Rabbi Bitton then told us about another Jewish woman they recently discovered. “This woman was born to a Jewish family of Holocaust survivors in Zimbabwe, which was then called Rhodesia. Her mother passed away when she was still very young, and since then she roamed throughout the world, searching for some meaning to her life. She even came to Eretz Yisroel for a visit. Her home base was in England, where she lived with her Jewish husband and her several children. Thirty years ago, they decided to emigrate to New Zealand, and they have lived in Canterbury ever since.
“During Pesach of this year, my wife and I noticed her coming to the entrance of our house while trying to place something in our mailbox. When we went outside to greet her, we saw that she wanted to insert a ‘Birkas HaBayis’ page. She was most excited as she said that when she passed by and saw the ‘Moshiach’ flag, she immediately realized that this was a Chabad House. As it had been many years since she had met religious Jews and observed Torah tradition, she wanted to make contact with us. We were most pleased by her presence and even more amazed to discover that she lived just four houses away from us… Naturally, she was invited for the Pesach holiday, and she came together with her large family.
“We’ve been in touch ever since and she’s already started lighting Shabbos candles. This is the story of just another Jewish soul ignited in the merit of the Canterbury Chabad House.”
THE HARDEST THING IS THE ISOLATION
What are the biggest challenges on shlichus in such a remote location?
“The isolation is the hardest part,” said R’ Dovid without a moment’s hesitation. “The modern era of globalization and the possibility to establish contact at any given moment, send pictures and exchange experiences, etc., makes this feeling a little easier to bear. However, in the final analysis, our responsibility is a very heavy one. We are the local address for all matters Jewish, and we can’t just pick up and leave anytime we want. This is the reason why we are currently looking for a family that can come to work in the city together with us on a permanent basis.
“You have to remember that together with the isolation and distance, the laws in New Zealand are extremely thorny on certain issues, and they don’t make our work on shlichus any easier. For example, there is a total ban on bringing in fruits and vegetables not grown in the region, impeding upon our need to have a lulav and esrog for Sukkos. Each year, we don’t know if we’ll have the privilege of blessing on the Dalet Minim. Yet, one way or another, they always arrive in some miraculous fashion. Even making a bris mila constitutes a violation of the law. Kosher sh’chita is also forbidden here.”
So, how do you manage?
[R’ Dovid gives a smile concealing some secret and prefers to remain silent.]
In any case, are you able to leave some impression upon the backpackers, who normally come for a visit and then move on their way?
“In each activity that we do, we think about how it can have a more inner influence upon the participants. In other words, I don’t want the tourists to come back to Eretz Yisroel, saying, ‘Praise to Chabad for arranging lodging and kosher meals for us.’ While this is also very important, I want to give them more than just food and accommodations – a message to carry with them for their whole lives.
“I’ll give you an example: Every Tuesday, we have a ‘hummus night’ at the Chabad House. Since most of the tourists come here for just a few days, they only get one chance to participate. We prepare some really good hummus and pitas, but we don’t settle just for that. Before the meal, after everyone gathers together, we put out all the lights and give each tourist a lit candle to hold. Then, each tourist has to put out his friend’s candle, but without blowing it out. The last tourist whose candle is still lit, wins. This game usually takes about ten minutes until all the candles are out. Only then do we move on to the next part, when I explain to them how one candle can illuminate the whole room. In the game’s final stage, the remaining lit candle lights all the others, and then I explain how one single candle has the power to light many others without detracting anything from itself. From here, it doesn’t take much to explain how each one of us can illuminate the entire world with the light of Torah and mitzvos.
“The folks really like this activity, and I’ve heard from several of them who work in the field of education that they use it in the places where they teach. This is one example of routine activities with a little ‘added value,’ and so it is with our other programs.”
THE TRUTH DRIVES NO ONE AWAY
The pictures from the Chabad House seem to be crying out Moshiach. Yet, this isn’t possible without talking about Moshiach. How do people accept the whole concept?
“We speak about Moshiach and publicize the identity of the Redeemer without any problem. I don’t think we even have the possibility of choosing to do otherwise.
“Tourists often ask us questions, and we open the s’farim and provide answers. Sometimes, newly arrived tourists ask us questions, and those tourists who heard our explanations only the day before make certain to explain the whole concept to them… One of the decisions I made in recent days was to establish a Torah class on the subject of Moshiach and the Redemption, and not to leave it just for farbrengens.
“I’ll tell you an amazing story that we experienced only last year, which proves how much we have to carry out our shlichus without mixing logic into the picture.
“This was just before the Pesach holiday, when an Israeli tourist called us and asked if he could come for the Seder night together with a local girl. According to him, while she may look like a Gentile, she was actually Jewish. We happily agreed and they came. During the meal, we inquired about the girl’s Jewishness. It turned out that her father was a Gentile from Germany, although he was affiliated with a group friendly to Jews. Her mother was the daughter of Holocaust survivors, and she met this Gentile, ‘married’ him, and they remained in Germany to live. Naturally, we confirmed her status as a Jew according to halacha, and she was very moved. The Israeli man said that he already knew this, and he proceeded to show that he had considerable knowledge of Torah and mitzvos. In fact, this young man with earrings and long hair grew up in an ultra-Orthodox home when he was a boy, but he eventually abandoned the path.
“As the meal continued, the young woman began asking numerous questions about Yiddishkait and we answered them. Eventually, she said that she was taught that Am Yisroel are the chosen people, but Moshiach will not come from them. At this point, we contradicted her and told her about the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. She showed much interest and enthusiasm in the subject. However, it was specifically at this point that the young man became angry. He told the girl that we were speaking nonsense, as most rabbinical authorities do not share this opinion… As much as we tried to explain and quote the relevant Torah sources, he refused to hear anything about it and angrily left the house together with his young female companion.
“When this happened, I thought that maybe I had exaggerated in my arguments. However, my wife reassured me that he would return. The Rebbe’s words cannot drive anyone away. Indeed, he did return the next day and another discussion ensued. We again began to talk about Moshiach and again he became angry and left. When he came the third time, he stayed and listened – not just for a day or two, but for several weeks…
“My wife taught the young woman about the main mitzvos. She began lighting Shabbos candles and even called her mother in Germany to tell her that the two of them are actually 100% Jewish in accordance with Jewish law. She was quite happy and drew closer to Judaism, together with the young Israeli. Not only was he no longer opposed to ‘Yechi Adoneinu,’ he even began saying the holy proclamation himself. Today, after he returned to Eretz Yisroel, we are in touch with one another and he is progressing nicely on his own spiritual journey back to his Jewish roots.
“This case taught me that the truth cannot drive anyone away. There are times that you have to stand firm on matters of faith; so it is on the subject of Moshiach and with all matters connected to Torah and mitzvos.”
PLANS FOR MORE FLOURISHING AND INTENSIVE ACTIVITIES
At the present time, R’ Dovid and Miriam Bitton are quite busy expanding their activities. “All the Chabad House programs are taking shape on each of the facility’s two floors – one floor for boys and one floor for girls, with the activities taking place in the living room. Now, we want to buy a home located right near the Chabad House to serve as a base for our outreach purposes. Not far from there is a large events hall where we will hold our larger activities, e.g., Shabbos and Yom tov meals, farbrengens, and seasonal holiday programs.”