Chabad's National Retreat coming to South Florida

Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, former chief rabbi of Israel, will headline the list of Jewish scholars and authors at the Chabad Lubavitch's National Jewish Retreat in Fort Lauderdale later this month.

The conference, at the Hyatt Bonaventure from July 31 through Aug. 5, will feature more than 150 workshops and programs. It will attract more than 1,000 people for Jewish learning and scholarship, said Rabbi David Eliezrie, a member of the organizing committee and director of the North County Chabad Center in Yorba Linda, Calif.

Local scholars will "shine on a national stage," Eliezrie said.

Among the participants from South Florida are Rabbi Ruvi New of Chabad of East Boca Raton, Rabbi Moishe Denburg of Chabad of Boca Raton, Rabbi Yisroel Spalter of Chabad of Weston, Rabbi Avraham Stolik of Chabad of downtown Coral Gables and Rabbi Dovid Vigler of The Gardens Shul in Palm Beach Gardens.

"We view ourselves as teachers. We're here to present, we're here to teach," New said.

In a workshop titled "Why Terrorism?" New will discuss the spiritual sources of terrorism and explore methods to counter or neutralize terrorism. "There is an energy that is out there in the universe that is up for grabs," New said. "Who is getting their hands on the energy that is out there? It's a tremendous source of good or evil."

Rabbi David F. Nesenoff, whose interview two years ago with White House correspondent Helen Thomas created a furor that led to her retirement, will discuss his move to Israel in an irreverent account of life in the Holy Land titled "Try to Mail a Letter in Israel."

Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University and chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, will conduct three workshops. continue reading...