ABOUT US
Rabbi Yakov & Chaya Raskin of Chabad of Ellenville with their children
Chabad of Ellenville is a home where everyone is welcome, regardless of affiliation, level of knowledge or observance.
Rabbi Yakov and Chaya Raskin, along with their children, strive to create a warm, welcoming environment to explore and experience our heritage in a non-judgmental and inviting atmosphere.
We are founded on the principle that while Jews may embrace many levels of observance in their personal lives, there should be a place for all Jews - no labels, no affiliations - to develop a sense of community, to enhance the experience of being Jewish, to learn and enjoy Judaism.
OUR MISSION
It is our mission to strengthen the Ellenville Jewish community by promoting Jewish pride, education and unity.
We aim to provide for the spiritual and material needs of all Jews in the community, regardless of their background, affiliation or financial means, and to provide insight and explanation on Judaism’s history and universal values to our friends beyond the Jewish community who would like to learn more.
Our goal is to serve as a warm and friendly community where everyone is made to feel welcome and comfortable.
CHABAD-LUBAVITCH
Chabad-Lubavitch is a philosophy, a movement, and an organization. It is considered to be the most dynamic force in Jewish life today.
The word “Chabad” is a Hebrew acronym for the three intellectual faculties of chochmah—wisdom, binah—comprehension and da’at—knowledge. The movement’s system of Jewish religious philosophy, the deepest dimension of G‑d’s Torah, teaches understanding and recognition of the Creator, the role and purpose of creation, and the importance and unique mission of each creature. This philosophy guides a person to refine and govern his or her every act and feeling through wisdom, comprehension and knowledge.
The word “Lubavitch” is the name of the town in White Russia where the movement was based for more than a century. Appropriately, the word Lubavitch in Russian means the “city of brotherly love.” The name Lubavitch conveys the essence of the responsibility and love engendered by the Chabad philosophy toward every single Jew.
THE MOVEMENT
Following its inception 250 years ago, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement -- a branch of Hasidism -- swept through Russia and spread in surrounding countries as well. It provided scholars with answers that eluded them and simple farmers with a love that had been denied of them. Eventually the philosophy of Chabad-Lubavitch and its adherents reached almost every corner of the world and affected almost every facet of Jewish life.
LEADERSHIP
The movement is guided by the teachings of its seven leaders ("Rebbes"), beginning with Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, of righteous memory (1745-1812). These leaders expounded upon the most refined and delicate aspects of Jewish mysticism, creating a corpus of study thousands of books strong. They personified the age-old, Biblical qualities of piety and leadership. And they concerned themselves not only with Chabad-Lubavitch, but with the totality of Jewish life, spiritual and physical. No person or detail was too small or insignificant for their love and dedication.
In our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known simply as "the Rebbe," guided post-holocaust Jewry to safety from the ravages of that devastation.
The Organization
The origins of today’s Chabad-Lubavitch organizations can be traced to the early 1940s, when the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, arrived on the shores of the United States, and took the lead of the newly founded educational and social service arms of the movement.
Motivated by his profound love for every Jew and all of humanity, and spurred by his boundless optimism and self-sacrifice, the Rebbe set into motion a dazzling array of programs, services and institutions worldwide.
Today, there are thousands of financially independent centers in communities across the globe that are extensions of the Rebbe’s work. All are based on a love for every Jew, an understanding of the great value each individual has and a passion for Judaism.