20 Minyanim at Spanish Resort

By COLlive Staff

The sizzling hot summers at the vacation resort of Marbella, in southern Spain, will never be the same for Jewish tourists. This is due to the work of Chabad of Marbella, under the leadership of Shliach Rabbi Cheski Goldstein, which provides food and minyanim for visitors.

Goldstein has been working tirelessly over the past few summers to provide kosher food, daily Minyanim and Shabbat meals to tourists at the popular vacation spot on the Spanish coast.

Set in the heart of the Costa del Sol, between Malaga and Gibraltar, Marbella is popular among vacation goers, boasting stunning beaches, beautiful weather, exclusive shopping, exquisite mountain gorges, cultural trips, and attractions for children such as a safari, water parks and more.

“For too long Jewish vacationers to the area faced the challenge of finding Kosher food, or trying to locate a minyan, and many Jewish youth were just hanging out on the streets on Friday nights,” says Goldstein. “We are changing all that now, with our kosher food and Shabbat meals.”

This was no small feat to accomplish, explains Goldstein, who utilizes a new website set up by a team including Chana Weiss of the Shluchim office in New York to facilitate the Kosher arrangements, with over 150 Kosher products, including meats and a full range of dairy as well.

“With prices not much higher than those back home, vacationers from all over the world are able to log on to the site, and arrange for their kosher needs without having to compromise,” says Goldstein.

“There is a vast amount of Jews from all backgrounds that flood Marbella in the summer,” says Goldstein. “We are now coordinating Minyanim in nearly 20 locations, that are attended by 40 to 50 people at each location!” he says.

“Also, with the help of our bochurim rounding up the youth for Shabbos, in addition to the hundreds of Tefillin they offer on the spot in the middle of a busy street in Marbella, so many are discovering Judaism in this unexpected place.”

The Shluchim have also coordinated a number of special events, such as a recent Siyum Sefer Torah for the Kedoshim of Toulouse, France, with 300 people in attendance.

“We are very grateful for such a successful turnout this summer,” says Goldstein, stressing that “it’s not just about helping those who are vacationing and seek us out, but about having an impact on those who meet us here and have a chance to discover the beauty of Yiddishkeit.”

Rabbi Goldstein thanks Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky for his assistance and support.

To donate to Chabad Marbella click here