NEWCOMER SHABBATON IN RICHMOND B.C.
reaching out to the Russian Jewish community

The spoken language was Russian, but everyone was comfortable with English, especially the second generation children, who are Canadians, but converse with their parents in their native tongue.  They had gathered to hear a speaker and to enjoy the flavours and ambiance of Shabbat. 

On July 15 over 70 people attended the Shabbaton for the Russian speaking community sponsored by Chabad of Richmond and The Vancouver Jewish Russian Association (VERA – the Russian acronym meaning “faith”). 

Rabbi Yechezkel Rapaport & family from Seattle were invited to take part in the Shabbaton.  After Rabbi Rapaport ushered in Shabbat, the celebration of unity continued. During the evening the Rabbi answered numerous questions from participants and related several stories about the life of the sixth Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchok Schneerson. He spoke of the Rebbe's arrest, imprisonment and miraculous liberation from the hands of NKVD agents. Many of the listeners were not even aware of the heavy burdens the Rebbe endured on behalf of Jews and Judaism. 

This has become a regular event which is helping unite Jews from the Former Soviet Union and bringing them nearer to the customs and traditions of which they were deprived for many years.

Special thanks was given to  Chanie Baitelman, Charlotte Katzen (Jewish Family Service Agency), Ralph Blasbalg and others for their great help and support organizing the Shabbaton

Alexandra Gerson, a member of VERA and a resettlement worker with JFSA emphasised that although the name symbolizes the goals of the organization, what is more important is the cohesiveness of the group.

Thank G-d, the organization is off to such a great start, so much so, that Rabbi Baitelman had to learn the Russian phrase "There is no space, please come next time", and repeat it to many callers who tried to reserve a space for the Shabbaton.