New Shliach Announced at Lighting

By COLlive reporter

People traveled to Downtown Detroit this year for the Menorah in the D celebration held in Campus Martius area on Wednesday December 4, the eighth night of Chanukah.

Menorah in the D was developed and hosted by The Shul of West Bloomfield, a Chabad Lubavitch Community Center, in partnership with Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s NEXTGen Detroit division.

Attendees celebrated the official Menorah lighting ceremony and free community Chanukah party. In addition to the traditional lighting of the Menorah, attendees enjoyed light food and refreshments and a live performance by the 8th Day Band.

Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov said the overlapping holidays of Chanukah and Thanksgiving was fitting, considering how much there is to be thankful for not only among the Metro Detroit Jewish community – but for things in Detroit as well.

The highlight of the event – in addition to the lighting – was the grand announcement by Rabbi Berel Shemtov that the light of Chanukah will continue to shine in Detroit with the opening of a new Chabad House in the D under the able leadership of Rabbi Yisrael Pinson and his family.

Pinson is the former Director of the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House and helped create a Jewish Recovery Community in Metro-Detroit where recovering addicts and their families are helped through support, guidance, friendship and community.

Since joining the Friendship Circle in May 2002, he has galvanized the outreach efforts of the Friendship House by becoming the spiritual mentor of the more than 400 addicts and their families who seek spirituality and support from the organization.

He received his high school and college-level education at several intensive private schools the world over, including the distinguished Machon LeSmicha Center for Ordination in Melbourne, Australia. The French-born Pinson served communities and individuals from the Caribbean to Canada and is fluent in four languages.

“It was an amazing event again this year. There was a lot of excitement Downtown, with very spirited crowds,” Rabbi Shemtov said. “This year, again, did not disappoint.”