As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, President Trump has suggested that American Jewry show their appreciation for the United States by connecting in some tangible way with this upcoming Shabbos.
It goes without saying that shmiras Shabbos for the constituency of Agudas Yisroel is a matter of our covenant with HaKadosh Baruch Hu and our commitment to the Torah Hakedosha — not our allegiance to our host country or its leader. Nonetheless, at the direction of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America, Agudas Yisroel has called upon its constituents to utilize this coming Shabbos to recognize and appreciate the precious freedoms we enjoy in the United States that have enabled us to keep Shabbos and build thriving Torah communities across the entire country.
In this connection, Agudas Yisroel has received numerous inquiries from a variety of sources for Shabbos-related materials. We have compiled, and are pleased to share, a number of such articles from the pages of The Jewish Observer. These include: a moving story of a post-war Shabbos spent by a group of 148 orphaned girls in a D.P. camp in Sweden; articles about preparation for Shabbos and the power of the Shabbos table; and Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt’l’s recollections of the Shabbos he spent as a bochur with the Chofetz Chaim zt’l.
In addition, we preface these Jewish Observer gems with an article on Shabbos written by Rabbi Mordechai Gifter zt’l, Telsher Rosh Hayeshiva and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, reprinted with permission from The Voice of Rabbi Gifter.
Rabbi Mordechai Gifter zt’l – “On Shabbos”
Rabbi Mordechai Gifter zt’l, Telsher Rosh Hayeshiva and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, on Shabbos. Reprinted with permission from The Voice of Rabbi Gifter.
Click here or on the image above to read.
Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt’l – “A Shabbos with the Chofetz Chaim”
Rabbi Shimon Schwab zt’l’s recollections of the Shabbos he spent as a bochur with the Chofetz Chaim zt’l: From the January 1984 edition of the Jewish Observer.
Click here or on the image above to read.
Shabbos, An Ideal in Prayer and Thought and Shabbos in Sweden
Shabbos, An Ideal in Prayer and Thought and Shabbos in Sweden: From the October 1973 edition of the Jewish Observer.
Click here or on the image above to read.
Dr. Meir Wikler – “The Shabbos Table: A Therapist’s View”
The Shabbos Table: A Therapist’s View, by Dr. Meir Wikler: From the March 1981 edition of the Jewish Observer.
Click here or on the image above to read.
Mrs. Hadassah Becker – “Getting Ready for Shabbos: Preparing for Moshiach”
Getting Ready for Shabbos: Preparing for Moshiach, by Mrs. Hadassah Becker: From the November 1986 edition of the Jewish Observer.
Click here or on the image above to read.