Colel Chabad
Encyclopedia
Colel Chabad was founded in 1788 and is the oldest continuously operating charity
in Israel
. The institution runs a network of soup kitchen
s and food bank
s, dental and medical clinics, daycare centers, widow and orphan support, and immigrant assistance programs. It also provides interest-free loans
, camp scholarships, career training and job placement, subsidized weddings for the poor, and many other social-welfare projects.
Colel Chabad was founded by the first Lubavitcher
Rebbe
, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, and was headed by each Lubavitcher Rebbe thereafter. It is also known as the charity of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes
. Its current director is Rabbi Sholom Duchman.
In 2005 Colel Chabad ranked #117 among the top Canadian
registered charities by expenditures outside Canada, with $2,623,290 in expenditures.
, 4 in Ashdod, 4 in Lod
, and one each in Ashkelon
, Beersheva, Dimona
, Ramle, and Yerucham. These kitchens feed 3,000 poor and elderly people daily. One of the Jerusalem soup kitchens is located directly opposite the Western Wall
.
A Meals on Wheels
program delivers 1,500 meals daily to the homebound, sick and elderly through five kitchens nationwide.
The charity's food banks, constituting Israel's largest food-bank network, distribute crates of foodstuffs to 5,000 impoverished families monthly and 25,000 families before Passover
and Rosh Hashana. The charity also distributes 700 brown-bag lunches to poor children in Safed schools.
In 2009, Colel Chabad opened its own chain of at-cost stores located in Beitar Illit, Bnei Brak, and Safed. An estimated 12,000-15,000 shoppers per month patronize the stores, realizing savings of 30-40% off groceries and cleaning supplies.
Colel Chabad sponsors several medical centers serving the poor. These include the Grabski Multiple Sclerosis
Center in Migdal HaEmek, the Grabski Pediatric Dental Clinic in Safed and the Konigsberg Pediatric Dental Clinic in Jerusalem, and two mobile pediatric dental clinics that travel to low-income, outlying communities which lack dental clinics of their own.
Colel Chabad also pioneered the concept of hospital summer camps. Volunteers bring counselors, activities, carnivals, music, and arts and crafts directly to hospitalized children.
Colel Chabad daycare centers are located in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beitar Illit, Rishon LeZion, and Safed. These centers care for over 750 children ages 6 months to 5 years daily.
Colel Chabad has a separate division catering to the needs of widows and orphans. It provides food, clothing and social services for nearly 300 widows and more than 620 children annually. It also arranges tutors for more than 800 children, regular physical testing of each child, and home visits by social workers.
Each summer, Colel Chabad runs a two-week widows' therapeutic retreat while caring for participants' children in summer camps.
Colel Chabad offers absorption services, job counseling, senior programs, a library and an evening yeshiva
for Russian immigrants in Jerusalem. Its Kolel Tifereth Zkainim is a network of cultural/educational "clubs" for Soviet immigrants in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Jerusalem and Lod.. Colel Chabad also schedules Russian-language Passover Seder
s throughout Israel for new immigrants.
In 1991, Colel Chabad began organizing mass bar mitzvahs for Russian immigrants to Israel who had not been able to keep Jewish traditions in their homeland. To date, the organization has performed over 17,000 bar and bat mitzvahs. The annual event for 1,000 Russian-immigrant boys and girls takes place at the Western Wall
in the presence of government officials, Chief Rabbis
and other dignitaries. Colel Chabad volunteers spend months preparing each child to participate in the special day, and each boy receives a pair of tefillin
while each girl receives a sterling-silver candlestick. The event concludes with an all-day trip to an amusement park.
The various free-loan funds
operated by Colel Chabad address the financial needs of widows and orphans, newlyweds, small-business owners, and shluchim
to the Former Soviet Union who wish to purchase a home there.
Since 1997, Colel Chabad has subsidized weddings for needy couples at the Chabad-managed Gutnick and Hadar wedding halls in the Givat Shaul
neighborhood of Jerusalem. The charity pays for 40% of weddings for poor couples and 50% for children of widows, accounting for a total of 440 subsidized weddings annually. The two halls are also lower-priced than wedding halls in the center of town for the general religious public.
. Large donors are honored at its annual dinner in New York.
According to media reports, Colel Chabad was the main charity supported by Sholom Rubashkin
, who donated millions of dollars from profits earned by his now-bankrupt company, Agriprocessors. Rubashkin was twice honored at the charity's annual dinner.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The institution runs a network of soup kitchen
Soup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
s and food bank
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
s, dental and medical clinics, daycare centers, widow and orphan support, and immigrant assistance programs. It also provides interest-free loans
Gemach
Gemach is a Jewish free-loan fund which subscribes to both the positive Torah commandment of lending money and the Torah prohibition against charging interest on a loan. Unlike bank loans, gemach loans are interest-free, and are often set up with easy repayment terms.Gemachs operate in most Jewish...
, camp scholarships, career training and job placement, subsidized weddings for the poor, and many other social-welfare projects.
Colel Chabad was founded by the first Lubavitcher
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, and was headed by each Lubavitcher Rebbe thereafter. It is also known as the charity of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes
Rabbi Meir
Rabbi Meir or Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishna. He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the fourth generation . According to legend , his father was a descendant of the Roman Emperor Nero who had converted to Judaism. His wife Bruriah is...
. Its current director is Rabbi Sholom Duchman.
In 2005 Colel Chabad ranked #117 among the top Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
registered charities by expenditures outside Canada, with $2,623,290 in expenditures.
Services
Colel Chabad presently operates 19 soup kitchens in Israel: 3 in Jerusalem, 3 in SafedSafed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
, 4 in Ashdod, 4 in Lod
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
, and one each in Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, Beersheva, Dimona
Dimona
Dimona is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, to the south of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Arava valley in the Southern District of Israel. Its population at the end of 2007 was 33,600.-History:...
, Ramle, and Yerucham. These kitchens feed 3,000 poor and elderly people daily. One of the Jerusalem soup kitchens is located directly opposite the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
.
A Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
program delivers 1,500 meals daily to the homebound, sick and elderly through five kitchens nationwide.
The charity's food banks, constituting Israel's largest food-bank network, distribute crates of foodstuffs to 5,000 impoverished families monthly and 25,000 families before Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
and Rosh Hashana. The charity also distributes 700 brown-bag lunches to poor children in Safed schools.
In 2009, Colel Chabad opened its own chain of at-cost stores located in Beitar Illit, Bnei Brak, and Safed. An estimated 12,000-15,000 shoppers per month patronize the stores, realizing savings of 30-40% off groceries and cleaning supplies.
Colel Chabad sponsors several medical centers serving the poor. These include the Grabski Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
Center in Migdal HaEmek, the Grabski Pediatric Dental Clinic in Safed and the Konigsberg Pediatric Dental Clinic in Jerusalem, and two mobile pediatric dental clinics that travel to low-income, outlying communities which lack dental clinics of their own.
Colel Chabad also pioneered the concept of hospital summer camps. Volunteers bring counselors, activities, carnivals, music, and arts and crafts directly to hospitalized children.
Colel Chabad daycare centers are located in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beitar Illit, Rishon LeZion, and Safed. These centers care for over 750 children ages 6 months to 5 years daily.
Colel Chabad has a separate division catering to the needs of widows and orphans. It provides food, clothing and social services for nearly 300 widows and more than 620 children annually. It also arranges tutors for more than 800 children, regular physical testing of each child, and home visits by social workers.
Each summer, Colel Chabad runs a two-week widows' therapeutic retreat while caring for participants' children in summer camps.
Colel Chabad offers absorption services, job counseling, senior programs, a library and an evening yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
for Russian immigrants in Jerusalem. Its Kolel Tifereth Zkainim is a network of cultural/educational "clubs" for Soviet immigrants in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Jerusalem and Lod.. Colel Chabad also schedules Russian-language Passover Seder
Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...
s throughout Israel for new immigrants.
In 1991, Colel Chabad began organizing mass bar mitzvahs for Russian immigrants to Israel who had not been able to keep Jewish traditions in their homeland. To date, the organization has performed over 17,000 bar and bat mitzvahs. The annual event for 1,000 Russian-immigrant boys and girls takes place at the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
in the presence of government officials, Chief Rabbis
Chief Rabbinate of Israel
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is recognized by law as the supreme halakhic and spiritual authority for the Jewish people in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate Council assists the two chief rabbis, who alternate in its presidency. It has legal and administrative authority to organize religious...
and other dignitaries. Colel Chabad volunteers spend months preparing each child to participate in the special day, and each boy receives a pair of tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
while each girl receives a sterling-silver candlestick. The event concludes with an all-day trip to an amusement park.
The various free-loan funds
Gemach
Gemach is a Jewish free-loan fund which subscribes to both the positive Torah commandment of lending money and the Torah prohibition against charging interest on a loan. Unlike bank loans, gemach loans are interest-free, and are often set up with easy repayment terms.Gemachs operate in most Jewish...
operated by Colel Chabad address the financial needs of widows and orphans, newlyweds, small-business owners, and shluchim
Shaliach (Chabad)
A Chabad shliach is a Chabad member sent out to promulgate Judaism and Chasidut around the world.Chabad shluchim as of 2010 number about 4,500 worldwide, and can be found in many of even the most remote worldly locales.-Origins:...
to the Former Soviet Union who wish to purchase a home there.
Since 1997, Colel Chabad has subsidized weddings for needy couples at the Chabad-managed Gutnick and Hadar wedding halls in the Givat Shaul
Givat Shaul
Givat Shaul is a neighborhood in western Jerusalem named after the Rishon Lezion, Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, and not, as commonly believed, for the biblical King Saul, whose capital was probably located on the hill Gibeah of Saul near Pisgat Ze'ev, on the way...
neighborhood of Jerusalem. The charity pays for 40% of weddings for poor couples and 50% for children of widows, accounting for a total of 440 subsidized weddings annually. The two halls are also lower-priced than wedding halls in the center of town for the general religious public.
Calendar
Colel Chabad prints a yearly calendar with a compilation of laws and Chabad customs pertaining to the various weeks of the year. It is available in booklet format (Hebrew and English) as well as in a Hebrew language wall format for synagogue use, and its online version is published in both Hebrew and English.Donations
The charity receives donations from large and small donors alike. It distributes a pushka (charity box) which it encourages contributors to donate to every Friday before Shabbat candle-lightingShabbat candles
Shabbat candles are candles lit on Friday nights, 18 minutes before sunset, to usher in the Jewish Sabbath.Lighting Shabbat candles is a rabbinically mandated law. Candlelighting is traditionally done by the woman of the household, but in the absence of a woman, it may be done by man...
. Large donors are honored at its annual dinner in New York.
According to media reports, Colel Chabad was the main charity supported by Sholom Rubashkin
Sholom Rubashkin
Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin , an ultra-Orthodox Jew of the Lubavitcher Hasidic movement, is a former executive officer and vice president of Agriprocessors, a now-bankrupt slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa formerly owned by his father, Aaron Rubashkin...
, who donated millions of dollars from profits earned by his now-bankrupt company, Agriprocessors. Rubashkin was twice honored at the charity's annual dinner.