By Dvora Lakein, lubavitch.com
The Midrash in Bereishit Rabbah 60 speaks of the candles that burned and the challah that remained fresh from week to week in Sarah’s tent. These, and the cloud of glory that rested above, disappeared upon her passing. They were only to return when her daughter-in-law, Rivkah, arrived and married her son.
The tight-knit sisterhood of Chabad representatives (Shluchos) lost their sister, Rivkah Holtzberg, last November. The Jewish community lost a mother, counselor, and friend, when she and her husband, Gavriel, were murdered with four guests at their Mumbai Chabad House. Though Rivkah was many things to many people, her legacy revolves around the way she performed the three mitzvot inherent to the life of a Jewish woman: kosher, family purity, and the kindling of Shabbat and holiday lights.
A new initiative, unveiled during the International Conference of Chabad Shluchos in session this weekend, aims to promote these three mitzvoth among all Jewish women. Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky implored Rivkah’s colleagues to continue the sacred work that she can no longer perform at her home on Hormusji Street.
Together with the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, Rabbi Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of the Lubavitch educational division, is in the midst of devising a new course for shluchos to teach the esoteric and practical aspects of these three commandments to women in their communities. The course guideline will consist of a text-based curriculum as well as a hands-on segment including how to make several types of challah. Organizers hope that this short series will morph into a monthly program, devised and delivered women to women.
The Divine clouds and accompanying miracles returned to Sarah’s tent upon Rivkah’s arrival. Every generation since then has turned to the family matriarch for comfort and support. Now, explains Rabbi Kotlarsky, Rivkah Holtzberg has passed the torch on. It is up to every shlucha to share it with the women in her community. Then, peace will return to Rivkah’s tent.
no 12 – it seems like you are the same person saying things a few times. Rivkah IS a tzadeikes, i find your comments to be disturbing. And not appropraite to say that you never heard of them. There are also many yiddishe women, who are not shluchos, who are also tzadeikeses and hero’s in their own right. There is a lot you don’t know about Jewish women, if you would like you can make a world tour and present it to us. But don’t lessen the honor of those that passed, for what they went through, they are greater… Read more »
Thank you to all who arranged this banquet. It was perfect from beginning to end. I ( mother of a Shluca) was moved and inspired. What beautiful Shlucos. we are so proud of every one of our Shlucos from every spot in the world!
why is rivka a tzadekes only when sheisnt alive anymore? i mean why do we find out from her only after 28 chshvan?
to 8
i repeat, this is a GREAT and BEAUTIFUL thing to do in their memory, and im sure when we go to jerusalem with moshiach, gabi will lead the men and rivky the women.
but lets also , benosaf, not to lessen them or anything, look at the alive shluchos we have and see how they are also rivkahs, or at least good shluchos
lets find out from them! i never heard of the holtzbergs. lets hear from alll shluchos and shluchim b4 ch’v tragedy occurs
go Mina gooooooooooo
5 – we are not impressing holliwood, every jewish women is a ‘jem’
and no: 2, i don’t find it appropriate to lessen their honor. They are true hero’s and represent all the heroic shluchim around the world, and i’m sure we’ll greet them together with the Rebbe, may it be now!
to 4 i aree this is a BEAUTIFUL thing to do in rivkys memory!! if you look back at my comment youll see that what im saying is that if rivky was such a tzaddekes of which i have no doubt, why couldnt we hear from her in the past 5 years?? who knows how many other shluchos are also such ‘rivkahs’ , hidden only till ch’v tragedy takes them away from us and THEN we suddenly wake up and say ‘oh yes they were such big tzaddikim!’ i am writing this for 1 sole reason: i am deeply disappointed… Read more »
Who is the speaker in the llast picture? Was this a separate event from the banquet?
I love the idea. Would like to join in the effort. Love the video. However, I would like to see in the first such pictures more relevant pics of women making Shabbos. I understand the lead up to Sarah Imeinu, however, some look more like poor survivors, and not our Sarah Imeinu. The dichotomy is a little too exagerated. Please accept this as coming from my heart. I do have a discerning eye. Music great, narrator sweet.
to no. 2 wat is yr point ? take yr meds . u dont make sence . this is beutyful dedcation in her houner . offcorse wat she did all the shlucus do ,, wat is yr point ? take yr medcation now
good point shluchim shluchos can give stories and “mini farbrengens”
how the rebbe inspires them
i can see a major difference in the flow of ladies videos and dudes videos this was a blowaway very very talented u can see the moods both types try to bring
the feel for yiddishkeit is shown in the videos stongly in this wone
and why do they have to show all the org logos like 3 times the first time was enough
wow powerful video, really powerfel yashar koach to the producers of rivkahs tent now let me point out something, chas veshalom i am not at all against all this, and i was also saddened by the tragedy, and all that i support the holtzbergs and i take on mitzvos in their merit- must we wait until (chas veshalom) the shlucha dies so we can do this?? here she was alive in bombay for 5 YEARS, and all those years you cant point out the wonderful work that gabi and rivky did?? there are many shluchos around the world doing also… Read more »
not just talk,,, the real thing!