Chabad Jewish Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador

Group Location
483 Newfoundland Drive
St. John's, NL
A1A 4C4

Contact Information
Rabbi Chanan Chernitsky, Director
Phone: 709-341-8770
Email: chabadofnewfoundland@gmail.com
Website: http://www.chabadofnewfoundland.org

History

Origins of the group: Chabad, a Hebrew acronym for "Chochma" (Wisdom), "Binah" (Comprehension), and "Da'at" (Knowledge), is a Jewish Hasidic group founded over 250 years ago in White Russia. It's also known as "Lubavitch", after the name of the town where the movement was based for over 100 years. Appropriately, the word Lubavitch in Russian means the “city of brotherly love.” The name Lubavitch conveys the essence of the responsibility and love engendered by the Chabad philosophy toward every single Jew.

The origins of today’s Chabad-Lubavitch organization can be traced to the early 1940s, when the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe (Hasidic leader), Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of righteous memory (1880–1950), appointed his son-in-law and later successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, to head the newly founded educational and social service arms of the movement.

Motivated by his profound love for every Jew and spurred by his boundless optimism and self-sacrifice, the Rebbe set into motion a dazzling array of programs, services and institutions to serve every Jew.

Today 4,000 full-time emissary families apply 250-year-old principles and philosophy to direct more than 3,300 institutions (and a workforce that numbers in the tens of thousands) dedicated to the welfare of the Jewish people worldwide.

Rabbi Chernitsky and his wife Tuba Chernitsky have joined the ranks of Lubavitch emissaries by moving to St. John's in February 2017.

Activities & Goals: To accommodate and support Jewish university students, Chabad of Newfoundland serves as an intimate, vibrant community and a pillar of support for Jewish students, regardless of personal beliefs, backgrounds or levels of religious observance.

Chabad offers weekly Shabbat meals with delicious food and lively discussions on Jewish topics. Special programs are organized for all Jewish holidays, the group offers year-round classes on a variety of Jewish topics, and Rabbi Chernitsky is available for one-on-one study.

Lastly, Rabbi Chernitsky is available for counselling in personal, religious and philosophical matters to all members of the MUN community.