Judaism in a Suitcase

Judaism in a Suitcase
Roving Rabbi’s Bring Jewish Cheer and Resources to Alberta

In honor of the 20^th anniversary of Chabad Lubavitch of Alberta, Chabad programs are reaching new heights! The ‘Roving Rabbi’s’ program has begun this summer with two young Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis that are visiting Alberta from August 4^th through August 25^th as part of their summer-long community outreach training. They are equipped with books, programming ideas and lots of optimistic Jewish cheer to reinforce Jewish pride and enhance Jewish education.   

The pair, Rabbis Yossi Matusof from Calgary and Moshe Raices from Postville Iowa, are hauling suitcases of videos, brochures, books, Shabbat candles, mezuzahs (a religious scroll placed on doorways), and kosher food; they are working closely with local Jewish communities throughout Alberta. Matusof and Raices are also reaching out to unaffiliated Jews to help them rediscover their heritage and are spending much of their time on house-to-house visitation.

Canmore was the first stop on the young rabbis’ journey to Banff, Jasper and Southern Alberta this summer. Other stops include: Banff, Lake Louise, Columbia Icefield, Claresholm, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Rumsey, Cochrane and more. Jews throughout Alberta are studying Torah, lighting Shabbos candles and exploring their Jewish heritage, many for the first time due to the pair’s efforts.

Rabbis Matusof and Raices are part of a worldwide ‘Roving Rabbi’s’ program sometimes referred to as “the Lubavitch Summer Peace Corps,” in which over 500 young rabbis and senior rabbinical students visit 11,000 cities worldwide, including countries like Bolivia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Croatia, Fiji, Guadeloupe, Ireland, Portugal, Sri Lanka and Uruguay.

The program was conceived and developed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, in 1943 and has been responsible for bolstering Jewish communities and individuals worldwide.

“We met a woman on Banff Ave, a tourist from New

Mexico” said Matusof, “She broke out in tears as we spoke about Judaism. We gave her a ‘Shabbos candle kit’ to light on Friday before sundown.”

Chosen for their rabbinic proficiency and their people skills, a pair travels to each place to meet with Jewish communal leaders and educators as well as individuals.

Sometimes the only way to locate the Jews is by guesswork in the local telephone book and online searches. Despite proficiency in many types of community outreach, “the most meaningful time for me is that spent in personal, one-on-one conversations with families and individuals," said Raices. "Many people approach us seeking advice on how to maintain or bolster their Jewish identity, especially where the Jewish infrastructure is small."

“I want to say what a pleasure it was to sit and talk and pray with these two young men.” Said Ian Cohen from Cochrane. “It was enlightening and heartwarming to have them visit and chat. I may not be the most observant Jew but these gentlemen reaffirmed why I am so proud to be Jewish, they were accepting, and proud to share their faith and wisdom. They are welcome any time and they made me feel welcome as well.”

In our neighboring Montana state, where emissaries went in the past, this was certainly true, Rabbi Menachem Matusof, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Alberta, said that because of the students' hard work, "the young people became more interested in Jewish life and everything Jewish. These visits lead to the opening of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana with a Full time Shliach – Rabbi in the state of Montana. They are now building the first Mikvah and the first Jewish Cemetery in the state of Montana. "We all look forward to their visits because they touch so many lives when they come," said Tommy Rybar, vice president of the Guatemalan Jewish community. "[Then] they go home, but leave behind a fire that will burn for a long time."

The program is co-sponserd by Chabad-Lubavitch of Alberta and Merkos L'inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.