Machon Chana Holds Fundraiser

A standing-room only crowd turned out Monday night to celebrate Rebbetzin Chana’s birthday at the Machon Chana dormitory. Women and girls of all ages – alumni of Machon Chana and women who never attended the school – gathered at the mansion on President Street that the Rebbe called his mother’s home.

An elegant and delicious array of foods – most prepared by the current Machon Chana students themselves – greeted the guests as they entered the dormitory. An additional room on the first floor contained displays of the nine prizes that were part of the mini-Chinese auction.

The program was opened by Mrs. Sara Labkowski, founder and director of Machon Chana. Mrs. Labkowski shared beautiful, personal stories of her own and her family’s encounters with Rebbetzin Chana, including a time when she and her brother delivered shalach manos to the Rebbetzin as well as accompanying the Rebbetzin home from shul a number of times. She emphasized the Rebbetzin regalness and dignity.

Rabbi Shloma Majeski, principal of Machon Chana, also shared a few words. He ended by stating that a mother always wants for her children that everything should be good for them in health, parnasa, shidduchim, sholom bayis, nachas from children – and surely on this day when Rebbetzin Chana’s mazal is stronger she is making sure these blessings come into our lives.

Timmy Rubin, Machon Chana alumnus who is now the mikva lady in Melbourne as well as the prison chaplain, regaled the audience with her story of return. From meeting Reb Zalman Serebryanski who became her mentor, to Rabbi Berel Bell’s tongue-in-cheek “welcome to New York” (who at the time was a teacher at Machon Chana) when she told him she had been mugged on the way to Machon Chana, to meeting Rabbi Majeski the first time (when he opened the closet door at the school where she had fallen asleep) and finally Mrs. Fruma Junik taking her home and giving her a place to stay for the “month” that she planned on studying at Machon Chana.

In the words of one of the participants, “The event was, in the current lingo – PERFECT. The speeches were perfect, the gashmius was perfect, the ambiance was perfect – the community was so happy to have an opportunity to celebrate Rebbetzin Chana’s birthday and to support this important mossad in our community and the world of Lubavitch.”

A big thank you to all who attended, who bought auction tickets and to Allyson Feldman for heading the event.

The winners of the mini-Chinese Auction are:

Elite sterling $1000 certificate-Yosef Minkowicz, CH

Seeview Optical $1000 certificate – Sheila Edison, MA

Bugaboo from Everything But the Baby- EF Lefkowitz, CH

Milano Sheitel $1000 certificate- Shoshana Drizin, CH

Earrings by Tzfasman- Sruly K, CH

Diamond Ring- Yaakov and Esther Sall, CH

Kahans Superette $1000 certificate – Bracha Leeds, CA

Yosef Mikowicz, CH-Split the Pot

Grand Prize Dollar from the Rebbe –Chana Leiba Raichik, CA