What s The Catch? A narrative on the history of The Chabad Jewish Center of Pierce County. By Jeffrey A. Slotnick

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1 What s The Catch? A narrative on the history of The Chabad Jewish Center of Pierce County By Jeffrey A. Slotnick If you are reading this narrative it is because you are considering donating to our newly commissioned Synagogue by purchasing an authentic Building Fund Collectors Coin from Chabad of Pierce County Washington. As with every venture you should know what your investment is for. Every synagogue has its story and history, this one is ours. OUR MISSION STATMENT: To promote and strengthen Jewish awareness, pride and observance by working within the pre-existing Jewish infrastructure and providing educational, cultural and social activities to Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations. In order to know and understand our Community you first have to know and understand the vision of The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Righteous Memory and his impact on a very young Rabbi, Shneur Zalman Heber, Spiritual and Community Leader of Chabad of Pierce County. The Rebbe likened by many as the Moses of his generation had a vision To reach every person on the face of the earth and inspire them to turn to the Torah as the guiding light by which to achieve personal and global redemption. In other words the Rebbe wanted to have every Jew in the world to perform enough Mitzvahs so as to tip the scale of the world towards ultimate redemption. The Rebbe was a rare blend of prophetic visionary and pragmatic leader, synthesizing deep insight into the present needs of the Jewish people with a breadth of vision for its future. In a sense, he charted the course of Jewish history -- initiating, in addition to reacting to, current events. The Rebbe was guided by inspired insight and foresight in combination with encyclopedic scholarship, and all his pronouncements and undertakings were, first and foremost, rooted in our Holy Torah. But the Rebbe was only one person in order to achieve his vision he required literally an army of Rabbis known as Shluchim. A Shaliach -- means "agent" and "emissary" -- is a halachic (Torah-legal) term for a person empowered by someone else to act in his stead. The Rebbe sent many thousands of Emissaries all over the world, often to remote locations, to bring Jews closer to Judaism through his Mitzvah campaigns and to assist Jewish communities worldwide in their religious needs. Intrinsic to the role of a Shaliach is the challenge to bring one's own initiative, resourcefulness and creativity to the task.

2 This brings us to Rabbi Shneur Zalman Heber or Rabbi Zalman as he is called. Rabbi Heber was raised in Crown Heights he had the opportunity to learn directly from the Rebbe and was inspired by the Rebbe s vision. In fact in learning with Rabbi Heber you can feel the profound influence and presence of the Rebbe. After completing his education and attending the prestigious Smicha Academy in Melbourne Australia, becoming a Rabbi, Rabbi Heber looked to start the next phase of his life and become a Shaliach. The question was where? Rabbi Heber conducted research and travelled to several communities trying to decide where to start his Mission. He considered communities in Florida, California, and Colorado before settling on Tacoma, Washington. Why Tacoma? Well Rabbi Heber is a bit of a risk taker, he did not want an established community, and he wanted something he could start from scratch. Besides he felt that Tacoma had strong Jewish interests. And start from scratch he did. His first meeting in Tacoma was at the home of a community member. Prior to that time period Rabbi Heber and Miriam Lustig got married on 27 Sivan Miriam comes from a family of educators in fact her Father is Rabbi Hershel Lustig, Dean of the world renowned Oholei Torah in Crown Heights. In November 2003 this formidable team of Rabbi Shneur Zalman & Miriam Heber founded The Chabad Center of Pierce County in their rented residence at 920 South Mountain View Drive in Tacoma, Washington. These first services consisted of four to five families. The community quickly grew to thirty families and the Heber s purchased a home at 1889 N. Hawthorne which became our community center. While the first modest programs consisted of Shabbat activities and Jewish classes, today Chabad of Pierce County has expanded into an organization affecting hundreds of Jews in the Pierce County area with a full and multifaceted selection of social, educational and religious programs. In fact since moving into the Hawthorne location we have grown exponentially to well over five hundred people on our mailing list and more than a hundred families currently participating in our scheduled programs. This increase is the result of several factors: Our outreach efforts into the community resulting in more families participating in Jewish activities The growing hunger for Jewish knowledge and experience on the part of families and individuals The concern of parents who realize that their children will be lost to Judaism if they are not given some Jewish education through involvement in Jewish activities.

3 This brings us to our present day reality. Three years ago Rabbi Heber purchased an adjoining property with the intent of building a formal Synagogue, learning center, and social hall. That dream was realized as we

started construction on Thursday 28 July 2011. As many of you know brick and mortar costs dollars and cents and we are now actively fundraising to meet our goal of $2,000,000.

4 started construction on Thursday 28 July As many of you know brick and mortar costs dollars and cents and we are now actively fundraising to meet our goal of $2,000, dollars to build and fully furnish our new Synagogue. Now I am just one person and although I contribute regularly to my community I cannot touch that figure- not yet! But I am a resourceful person and I developed the idea for a Building Fund Commemorative Coin. Our Building Fund Coin fundraiser is inspired by an event which occurred at the annual conference of Chabad Rabbis, known as the Kinus ha Shluchim. In 2010 I accompanied Rabbi Heber to the Kinus and on Sunday morning right after the annual photograph several events occurred which delayed us from getting to breakfast on time. When we arrived the tables were mostly emptied and Rabbi Heber and I started gathering this and that for a meal from the other tables. As we sat down another Rabbi asked to join us, during our conversation this Rabbi stated I have something to show you where upon he reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin from the late 1800 s which he claimed to have found it during a renovation when some walls were removed from his Synagogue building. The coin was stamped with the name of the Synagogue and on the reverse side simply stated Building Fund. When I researched this it became apparent that these tokens were given when a contribution was made to the building fund. Now I am one of those people who honestly believe that everything happens for a reason and I gave some thought to this event. Now understand that I come from a U.S. Military background where Unit Coins are a sign of honor, pride, and distinction. So I thought to myself we can produce a quality collector s coin representative of our beliefs, community, and synagogue. The idea became a reality and an architect s representation is below.

5 So this is where you come in, will you join us in our vision? Every dollar you contribute towards the purchase of a Collectors Coin will support the construction and furnishing of our Community Center which in turn will assist our Rabbi in creating a Jewish infrastructure where anyone can feel welcome and at the same time creating a place where we can fulfill the Rebbe s vision of every Jew performing a Mitzvah. The pricing of our coins is located on the attached sheet and can be ordered online at The suggested amounts are a minimum donation and we sincerely appreciate any amount over the suggested price. The Chabad Jewish Center of Pierce County is a branch of worldwide Chabad Lubavitch, the world s largest network of Jewish educational and outreach organizations. It is a vibrant and dynamic force in Jewish life, and its programs touch the lives of millions of people in thousands of communities throughout the world. Treasuring the infinite value of every individual, Chabad is committed to enriching the lives of every single Jew here in Pierce County, WA through its multiple programs and educational, social and religious services. Thank you for your time and interest, Jeffrey A. Slotnick Member of the Chabad Center of Pierce County

6 Construction Started August 2011 Photographs of 1 st Edition Commemorative Coin

young backpackers who have recently completed their service in the IDF. 3 hours a day, every day.

young backpackers who have recently completed their service in the IDF. 3 hours a day, every day. Chabad of Thailand J e w i s h U n i t y Chabad of Thailand was founded in 1993 with the guidance and blessing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Its mission is to love every Jew, help every Jew, bring every Jew