Downtown Women
Wednesday, October 21 - Breast Cancer Awareness Event
Featuring Breast Cancer Survivor Lainie Schultz
Be a part of a unique circle of friends.
We are eclectic, fun, love to learn & make new friends
We offer weekly classes and special events.
and learn about the inner dimensions of our soul!
at the home of Devorah Kaplan
900 E Broward Boulevard
light lunch served.
$5 suggested donation
RSVP at downtownjewish@aol.com
For weekly class schedule click here
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Upcoming Womens Event:
A Taste of Heaven, our very own cookbook
to contribute to our Downtown Womens Cookbook click here
to contribute a tribute page please click here
Tribute to Rivkah Holzberg- Devorah Kaplan:
Dear Friends
My name is Devorah Kaplan, my husband Rabbi Schneur Kaplan and I are the colleagues of Rivky and Gaby Holtzberg here in Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Together with special friends, dedicated supporters and an amazing community we are building the downtown Jewish center Chabad.
As you can well imagine, I feel a deep connection to Rivky, like a sister over seas, connected at the core of who we are. And what we do
.
There is a story told of a man who was blind. He was a nuisance and a bother. Always bumping an falling, crying and whining no one wanted to take care of him except for his devoted and loving girlfriend , day in and day out she fed him, bathed him, dressed him ,. Guided him, and gave him the strength and courage to be a proud man.
Over the many years she would plead with her boyfriend to marry her, and he would say again and again, “I will marry you when I can see you, how can I marry you I f I cannot see you?” Saddened but not despondent she carried on.
Then one day a miracle, the man would have an operation that would allow him to see again
She stood beside him through the operation. She held his hand and spoke soft words of encouragement. Hours later the young man opened his eyes, his new eyes, and for the first time in his life he was able to see, and sitting there stoically beside him, of course, was his devoted girlfriend. Seeing her for the first time his jaw dropped, in horror and disgust, her face withdrawn her eye sockets sunken he realized she too was blind. Hearing his movements Excitedly she asked so now will we get married?, and he answered coldly, and the painful words pierced her heart. “ marry you? , how can I marry you? .. you are blind “
And the boy refused to marry her.
dreadfully They Each one went their separate ways.
One day this young man receives a note and in the note his girlfriend of old writes.
Dear Jon, I loved you always, and forever with all my heart and soul unconditionally, and I sincerely hope you are happy with your life, but one thing I must ask of you, please take care of your eyes, for you r eyes were once mine.
Rivky , you sacrificed your life for the Jewish people, you were a light in the dark lonely night. And now you have given us your eyes! You have revealed to the world, for us to see on our own, what goodness and kindness is, you have left us a mission and a legacy, as clear as day, that we must carry on. That we must see the future as a world filled with the opportunity for g-dliness and light. You have sacrificed your life and left us with a vision. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.
In this weeks torah portion we read of the love story of Rachel and Jacob
How he was tricked into marrying the wrong sister and then spent the next 7 years working tirelessly to be rewarded with the love of his life Rachel. Rachel acted selflessly giving her sister the appropriate signs under the wedding canopy so she would not be embarrassed not ever knowing if her time would come. Her life was full of tragedy, the 4th wife of her beloved Jacob, barren for so many years, desperately wanting to bear a child , a son for Jacob and a leader for the Jewish people, only to die in childbirth, savagely ripped from her crying infant in his first moments of life, leaving the world to raise him , and then being buried alone, on the side of the road, in a desolate place, only so that she could be there for her children many years later to cry to g-d on their behalf . And g-d would listen!
In the words of Jeremiah, "A voice is heard on high, lamentations and bitter crying; Rachel is weeping for her children..."4
But not for nought.
Rivky, like Rachel you gave up the basic comforts and security of your own home land, to live on the roadside for the wandering Jew. Selflessly you toiled, in the hopes of encouraging one more mitzvah, one more good deed, Living each day with the clear mission to help bond people to their yearning souls and return them to their roots.
You were a lighthouse for the thousands of souls roaming in the dark.
Like Rachel your life was full of sacrifices until your last breath.
Rivkah, you are our modern day Rachel, as Rachel died in childbirth leaving her son behind to be raised by others, we must now raise your Moshele,
yet just like Rachel, willingly buried on the side of the road to be there for her brethren, when they needed her to beg G-ds mercy on their way into exile,, you too are here for us now, in our deepest exile, as a righteous advocate to G-d on our behalf.
We know you are in heaven alongside all our heroines and heroes, standing tall with Rachel watching over us, praying for us, fighting for us, we know you hear our cries, we know you hear Moshle crying Ima Ima,
We know g-d will listen to your voice!
The cry of a mother for her children.
And now we will be your eyes. We will not forsake you!
We commit to continue your work. I commit to live your vision!
And may the prophecy of Jeremiah be fulfilled once more
“There is reward for your actions… your children will return to their homes!