News in Brief: Chabad to Distribute One Million Psalm Books

August 3, 2006
KFAR CHABAD, Israel – The Chabad-Lubavitch Youth Organization in Israel is distributing one million books of Psalms around Israel, according to an announcement made this week.

“We are starting in the north and gradually working our way southward,” said Rabbi Yisroel Brod, who's spearheading the organization's Israeli crisis campaign.

Brod said Israel Defense Force units were the first to receive the Psalms books and, "by the middle of next week, we will have also passed them out to Chabad House personnel who are personally meeting tens of thousands of people, the tefillin stands we've put up across the Land, and other distribution points throughout the country."

Psalms, known as Tehillim in Hebrew, were written by King David and have been recited throughout Jewish history during times of distress as a form of supplication before G-d to deliver the Jewish people from danger.

Brod reported that on Tuesday and Wednesday demand for the Psalms was high among army units waiting to deploy in Lebanon.

The Chabad Youth Organization organization effort was underwritten by Russian-born businessman Arkadi Gaydamak.