By Chava Tombosky
I was privileged to have had the opportunity to M.C The Day of Jewish Unity event that took place in Thousand Oaks, California in honor of Lag B’omer this year.
Jews from as far as Ventura, California all the way to Los Angeles gathered at the Thousand Oaks high school to participate in the festivities.
The Shluchim and Shluchos from all the local Chabad Centers worked together and ran the show behind the scenes, so that Jews from various organizations across the Conejo and Ventura county managed to feel like it was their day. It didn’t really matter what one’s affiliation was, the feeling of Ahavas Yisroel and the collective Jewish pride felt by the 2,500 attendees was palpable.
There were 3 Mivtzoyim tables encouraging the Rebebe’s Mivtzoyim, Over 200 men put on Tefillin, over 200 Neshek brochures distributed, and many Sheva Mizvos cards as well.
Rabbi Eli Broner led children from various cities across the Conejo and Ventura county in the reading of the twelve Posukim. One of the children, 12 year old Avery Sax, nicknamed “brAvery” read Yagati Umatzasi, a verse that exclaims that if one tries their best in life and believes they have the power to succeed, anything is possible.
Despite being diagnosed with a rare and inoperable brain tumor, Avery manages to make a difference in the world by encouraging people to stay positive and live life to the fullest. The Jewish Day of Unity took her cue and included the opportunity for everyone to participate in her latest passion to keep the planet clean by creating an E-recycle drive that was held in the parking lot of the high school.
An IDF soldier, an American citizen who served in the Jewish homeland for 3 years, led everyone in the Jewish prayer for Israel, and Camarillo resident Chief Petty Officer Ben Racowsky, former United States Naval veteran from WWII who served between 1942-1972, led the prayer blessing the United States.
The feeling in the air was one of immense Jewish pride, unity, and the feeling that what binds everyone together is their history, not their label.
It was no small feat to put together this enormous event that became the brain child of a few Chabad women in a short amount of time, teaching us indeed, if one tries their best in life and believes they have the power to succeed, anything is possible.
