News (Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe)

News

Russian Jews in Germany to Benefit From FREE's Translated Jewish Living Guides
FREE Publishing House, the world's first publisher of authentic Judaic literature in modern Russian, has collaborated with Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim in Germany to re-publish its famous Mezuzah Guide in Russian, with a press run of over 100,000 copies. Read more

Lighting A Fire In The Snow

Seventy years of oppression and indoctrination can wipe out a lot of memories…. For some kids of parents who left the former Soviet Union for America, even words like "Jewish" and "Torah" and Shabbos may be shrouded in mystery.
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28 Years Since The Establishment of FREE's Yeshivat Ohel Dovid
Brooklyn, NY—October 16th marked the 28th yahrzeit of Rabbi Dovid Okunov, who was brutally gunned down at the age of 68 on his way to the morning shacharit service on Montgomery Street. On Thursday, October 25, l979 (Daled Cheshvan) at 7 a.m., Reb Dovid, as he was affectionately known, was shot in the head with one bullet. The Jews were of shock when the murder story appeared in the New York Times. Read more

New Selichot To Reach Russian Jews Worldwide

This week, the F.R.E.E. Publishing House, the publishing arm of Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe, in a cooperative effort between the Lechaim Publishing House (Moscow) and the SHAMIR Publishing House (Jerusalem) have issued for the first time the " Selichot" (Prayers of Repentance) with a modern Russian translation, all in a clear new Russian and Hebrew typesetting.
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A Bar Mitzvah Celebration

Monday morning, at a shul in Mill Basin, Brooklyn, a Russian Jewish boy was called to the Torah in honor of becoming a Bar-Mitzvah.
Alex Tkach, still raw from his father's passing three weeks ago, donned tefillin like his dad did shortly before his death, with the help of F.R.E.E.'s Rabbi David Okunov. Read more

F.R.E.E. Facilitates Senior Bris Milah Ceremonies
For the second time in a decade, 72-year-old Misha Gontcharov started a new life. At age 70, he won an immigration lottery, said goodbye to his home in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and began life as a New Yorker. Read more

"Bubbe" Maryasha, 106, a Woman of Piety and Defiance, Arrives in Gan Eden
Lubavitcher chassidim and many other good people are mourning the passing last week of "Bubbe" Maryasha Garelik who died at the age of 106, Baruch Dayan HaEmet. Her remarkable long life of piety and giving was marked by defiance against cruel governments and anti-Semites. Read more

New Russian Translation of Pirkei Avot Opens Doors for Spiritual Growth
Downtrodden by betrayal and reversals of fortune, Alex Winner never imagined a 2000-year-old Jewish book would bolster his spirits. Two years ago, a concerned friend lugged Winner to Lubavitch World Headquarters, during the High Holidays. Read more

F.R.E.E. kindles the hearts of Russian Jewry
This Chanukah FREE officers, volunteers and staff touched the hearts and souls of tens of thousands of Russian Jews through its annual Chanukah Campaign. As an integral part of FREE’s Holiday Awareness Campaign.
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Camp FREE-Gan Israel - Yet Another Amazing Winter
This past Sunday concluded a week long overnight camping experience that will never be forgotten. The 8-day winter camp, located in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, was a special program for youth. Read more

New Tanya Released In Honor of Yud Tes Kislev
FREE Publishing House in conjunction with SHAMIR has just released a new edition of the 'Tanya' with Russian translation, in honor of Yud Tes Kislev. Tanya, the fundamental, classic work upon which all concepts of Chabad Chasidism are based. Read more

F.R.E.E. of Australia Receives Grant for Sunday School

In March of 2006, the Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe of Sydney, Australia was the proud recipient of a small grant through the Sidney Myer Fund’s Education Small Grants Program.

Remembering Herman Jenkelowitz, on his 51st birthday
F.R.E.E. Alumni Association has belatedly heard the unfortunate news of the passing, seven weeks ago, of an outstanding mentsch, Herman Jenkelowitz, of blessed memory.
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Chanukah Concert with
M-Generation

FREE of Brighton Beach and Millennium Theater proudly presents a Chanukah concert with M-Generation. M-Generation are the winners of the internationally acclaimed Golden Chanukiah Competition.

Growing Up Bright, Lubavitch and full of Questions
Among the emigres who come to the U.S. are some extraordinarily bright and energized Russians. Zelig Krymko came to the U.S. from Leningrad in 1978. Read more

FREE Mourns the Passing of Rabbi Zalman Shagalov

With profound sorrow, we mourn the untimely passing of Rabbi Schneur Zalman Halevi Shagalov, of blessed memory.

Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Machzorim Published
F.R.E.E. Publishing House, the publishing arm of Friends of Refuges of Eastern Europe, has just released its newest publication, a new edition of the Hebrew/Russian Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Machzorim. Read more

The Jewish Russian Calendar Makes Global Impact

FREE Publishing House, the publishing arm of F.R.E.E., has begun its major distribution of the ’Filimonov Jewish- Russian Calendar’ for 5767/2006-07.

Camp FREE-Gan Israel
Now In It's 34th Session..
Camp FREE-Gan Israel, a division of Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe, now in its' 34th session is seeing major results this summer. The camp was established at the directive of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the summer of 1972. Read more

Newly restored Torah at
FREE’s Chicago Synagogue

Amidst live music, singing & dancing the Jewish Russian Community of Greater Chicago and Suburbs gathered at FREE’s newest center in Riverwoods, IL to welcome the newly restored Sefer Torah Scroll.

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