This past weekend, nearly 2,000 people, mostly college students from around the world, gathered in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn epicenter of Chabad life, for a Shabbat of learning, joy, discovery, inspiration, and camaraderie.
These four clips, posted on Chabad.org’s social media channels before and after Shabbat (all phones were tucked away for Shabbat of course), give you a glimpse into the amazing energy that carried through the weekend.
Tefillin on the Street
Early Friday morning, Kingston Avenue, the main drag of Jewish Crown Heights, was pulsating with life as students soaked in the Judaica shops, kosher eateries, synagogues, and of course, 770, the central Chabad synagogue and headquarters. This student took a moment to put on tefillin and say the Shema.
Unbridled Joy
When Shabbat drew to a close, the students gathered outside of the home of the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin for a soul-stirring Havdalah ceremony, followed by joyful dancing. The tune they are dancing to was especially beloved to the Rebbe, as it was the signature tune of his father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, a Torah scholar and kabbalist who put his life on the line to preserve Judaism in the Soviet Union.
“I Believe"
As the evening wound down, the mood turned inward. Here, the crowd joins together, shoulder to shoulder, to sing Ani Maamin, the classic expression of faith in the coming of Moshiach.
The Future Is Bright
A Campus Chabad House is a family affair, with the children forming an integral part of their parents’ work. In this conversation, we get a glimpse into the energy and positivity that makes Chabad Houses an oasis of Judaism on campuses all over the world.
