Dear Friend,

We are heading toward a major milestone. Sunday, the 24th day of Tevet (January 6, 2013) marks 200 years since the passing of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812), founder of Chabad.

A mystic, communal activist, philosopher, halachic authority and composer—Rabbi Schneur Zalman was all of these. But above all he was a spiritual guide, who blazed a practical path by which anyone can come close to G‑d.

“The life of a righteous man, a tzaddik,” Rabbi Schneur Zalman once wrote, “is not a physical life, but a spiritual life.” Spiritual life has no demise, but is perpetuated by those who study the tzaddik’s teachings and walk in his ways, he taught. We suggest that you join a Tanya class, do an extra mitzvah, or study some Torah in his honor, and Rabbi Schneur Zalman will live on through your deeds.

For the past six months or so, our staff have been preparing for this milestone. We have created a mini-site—replete with videos, stories, articles and music—to share the life, works and teachings of this great man. We invite you to browse through it, learn, ponder, discover and enjoy.

On behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team,
Eli Rubin

We recently launched “Cook it Kosher,” our brand new kosher food blog.

The blog aims to take a lighthearted, relaxed tone, offering simple tips to make a grand impression. Get to know the contributors and what their recipes mean to them as you enjoy the beautiful photography which captures each step of the cooking and preparation process.

Just in time for Chanukah the blog featured Corn Latkes and a Chanukah Party Surprise Cake Chanukah Party Surprise Cake. “Thank you! Thank you! Your cake just earned me the title of Best Bubby (grandmother) in the whole wide world!” commented an excited reader.

Going forward, the blog will feature all kinds of recipes: traditional and non-traditional, holiday, healthy, allergy-friendly, vegan, vegetarian and more. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll surely find something for your taste here.

This blog is a starting point for the expansion of our entire food and recipe section. We’ll keep you updated as more changes are rolled out. And if you have any tips, recipes or suggestions you’d like to share, we’d like to hear from you.

Visit Cook It Kosher.

Mazal Tov!

We are very excited to announce that the all-new Chabad.org has officially launched early this morning! Like tens of thousands of others you may have previewed or even begun regularly visiting our new site over the past few months. As of early this morning, all visitors to Chabad.org are now greeted by the all-new site.

Our entire makeover, from the ground up, was crafted with our readers and viewers in mind. This is a special moment for us – a moment which we have been preparing and working toward for a very long time.

We hope that you like the result. We are very eager to hear your feedback. Your input is very important to us and has been a driving force all through this process. We thank you for it.

For those who want to ease into the change, the old look will still be accessible for a while longer. You can access it via the “switch to old version” button which we have included on every page for your convenience.