by Elliott Weintraub ’17
I’ve celebrated and been active with Chabad in many places, my hometown in Westchester, near my current home in Raleigh with the UNC Chabad and Chabad YJP, and of course, during my college years in Albany, right here at Shabbos House – and many Chabad Houses, rabbis & rebbetzins in between.
But my life journeys took me places where imagine this – there is no Chabad. I spent a year and a half in remote Nome Alaska (no roads lead there!) where I (and another Albany alumni friend) hosted Rosh Hashanah and Passover, and many a Shabbat dinner. The closest Chabad was Anchorage, 650 miles away. We may have had the only Seder in the world where one guest arrived by dogsled!
Later I was in Antarctica, working down there for 6 months. Some of you may have heard of my Tefillin at the South Pole that Rabbi Mendel was very excited about. I met Jews there, too! I lit Menorah down there, celebrated Chanukah, and invited people for Shabbat.
We can be and should proud Jews everywhere and anywhere. Very often there’ll be a warm welcoming Chabad like you found here, somewhere near you. And if there isn’t community where you are? Make some Challah, invite some people, always celebrate your Judaism wherever you may be!