As the Israeli government ponders what exactly to do to stem the almost daily onslaught of Kassam rockets on the southern Israeli town of Sderot, a local Chabad house has come up with a way to at least offer spiritual protection to the frightened residents.
Rabbi Moshe Ze’ev Pisem, hopes to bring a little physical protection as well in the form of a bullet-proof roaming Shul.
According to Pisem, after seven years of terror, the men, women and children of Sderot will hardly walk out of doors anymore. The Chabad House, which used to host celebrations for life-cycle events, day camps and after-school activities, now only offers a children’s gym for the town’s youngest residents.
Borrowing from a successful Chabad-Lubavitch outreach tool known as the “Mitzvah Tank”, Pisem now envisions a bullet-proof mitzvah tank. He recently began fundraising for the project.
He figures that it would essentially be a Chabad House on wheels that could canvas two or three neighborhoods a day, supplying a safe place for children to play games, and read books.
“It can’t be a regular vehicle because the gas tank could explode if a Kassam hits nearby,” he explained. “It would be an armored vehicle that would be strong enough not to explode if G‑d forbid a Kassam lands nearby.
(Source: Chabad)
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27 Responses
At the rate things are going, they should consider importing it to Crown Heights.
I’m usually one of the first to knoch Chabad, but I would like to say if this works, then tavo aleihem bracha.
I love chabad but I don’t understand. No one is shooting bullets . This won’t stop a kassam . So I am not sure what it would help
Midwesterner, I’m not sure I understand your comment.
What you appear to be saying is, “If this works, then this excuses their doing x or saying y”.
But why would it? What does one have to do with the other?
Edited By Site Moderation Panel.
there’s no obvious target like a chabad mitzvoh tank; they must be somewhere to the far left of the boundry with reality
very nice idea to be mechazek our brothers in sderot. but let’s not give them false hopes.
At least someone is taking action, instead of just blogging
#7 –
Well said.
The tank has a banner accross the top (on the side visible in the picture) that says Yechi… I don’t believe that spreading minus and apikorsus should be lauded. Bulletproof or not.
Nebach that Chabad has to resort to an armored vehicle to convert it to a Mitzvah Tank. And yes, I agree, it unfortunately may be needed in Crown Heights.
Oh, I forgot to mention, will Chabad mount shoulder fired missiles so they may destroy the incoming Kassam missiles.
Hmmm I could think of a very long post, full on negatives and positives. They all seem to cancel each other out. So, I will spare y’all and simply say: NO COMMENT.
very nice thing im sure it costs alot of $ to buy such a thing very nice of Lubavitch for bringing such a good thing to town of Sderot
Once again, a very hartzige yasher koach to Chabad who do, do , do while the negative comments are being written by people who have great reasons not to support Chabad, but yet have not done anything close to this to support other Yidden biruchniyus or bigasgmiyus.
Come up with your own plan, or say nothing of others who do good work.
I have a very simple suggestion (maybe not so easy to do) for everyone out there. Daven!!! Have these people in mind in your prayers and don’t be self centered. If you can take action, do so, but if you act you must take responsibility for your actions and people’s REactions to them. help them by giving them real chizuk. I myself can’t take action, but I’m davening for them.
#14”COME UP WITH YOUR OWN PLAN OR SAY NOTHING OF OTHERS WHO DO GREAT WORK” Right on, with your reasoning: 1)we should stand by in silence while missionaries work in israel because they provide basic food staples to poor russian immigrants.2)we should disregard hamas because they give lots of charity to needy palestinians.My point is that just because someone may do something good on one hand, doesnt give them a right (whether we have a ”better plan” or not) to act or Preach in unacceptable ways on the other.
In the same vein that many feel the need to point out that the JDL and others do not speak for all of Jews and are misleading in their titles that they do, as a member of the “Yeshiva World” I must point out that the approbation of such activities does not speak for me. (and I suspect it doesn’t speak for others who listen to Rav Shach ZT’L……)
For the record, that is NOT a picture of the actual bullet proof tank – as per the article it is still in the fundraising stage. Official MitzvahTanks in EY, of which the one in the picture is an example, are under the leadership of a man who does much for Yidden and Yiddishkeit, but who is a bit of a radical when it comes to Yechi.
Not that it matters one bit, but I have no idea if the Sderot tank will be painted with Yechi, as it is part of Chabad of Sderot as opposed to the MitzvahTank organization. What I do know is that it will provide encouragement and recreation to children who live under horrendous stress and get little from the government of yenne medine or the clownish mayor of their town (if he hasn’t resigned again).
In fact now that I look again, that is a picture of the Manhattan mitzvah tank, also run by someone who is very loud when it comes to Yechi, but who also does much to bring the light of Torah to Yidden throughout the city.
iztik, light of torah or lightheadedness from smirnoff. don’t spend a million words on this.
emeslaamito,
May I add, those who listen to the Satmer Rebbe, the Brisker Rov, Rav Ahron Kotler, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, Rav Yitzchok Hutner… Zichron Tzadikim Livrocho.
Rav Schach ZT”L was the only one of these Gedolim who was alive and able to speak out when it reached those depth, but it doesn’t seem to speak for one who listens to any of the above.
#22 #18 read the article again and i quote
“He figures that it would essentially be a Chabad House on wheels that could canvas two or three neighborhoods a day, supplying a safe place for children to play games, and read books”.
if you have gedolim that oppose the above i feel bad for you and your gedolim
#23 sammy,
Is the intention over here the entertainment of the children, or is it to fulfill the “KERT A VELT”, and the entertainment is simply a means to this end??
Sam The Deah,
We all feel bad, albeit for different reasons. What books are they reading? What games are they playing? Would you put your kids in a “tank” if there were Buddhists or Christians running it – just to “play games and read books”?
Hakatan: What I said was tavo aleihem bracha for this. I never insinuated, and I don’t know where it appears that I did say, that this would be machshir anything else. Tavo aleihem bracha for this.
truth be told
emeslaamito
although you both try to represent the emes your both lacking
when chabad in thiland found and helped jewish children after the tusinami (just one small example out of literally millions) yes rabbi wilhem did“KERT A VELT” how did you help??perhaps if the missing child was a relative of yours you would of said through him back in the raging waters his intentions are only a means to an end.EMES, DID YOU EVER MEET Rabbi Moshe Ze’ev Pisem
THAT YOU CALL HIM A Buddhists
YES WE ALL FEEL BAD, BUT AFTER READING YOUR COMMENTS WE SHOULD ALL BE CRYING
great idea! they need it here too. they sometimes have to drive through Lebanon D’America(williamsburgh)