So many exciting things that have happened to us here in Surrey, but we haven't yet have the time to write them up properly. Here is a small glimpse into our recent roving experiences:
This past Sunday, we hosted a kosher display table at a Wal-Mart in North Surrey. We set up a large display at the entrance of the store, packed it with all varieties of kosher food, and put up a poster that said, "Got Kosher?"
Throughout the day we met hundreds of curious people who had never heard of kosher before. Most importantly, we met many Jewish people who were delighted to meet other Jewish people and learn more about kosher. Some of them even bought mezuzahs from us! We met a bunch of Israelis who staffed some kiosks in the adjacent mall. They invited us over to their kiosks and we helped them put on tefillin.
All in all, it was a great display of Jewish pride and helped show many people how doable it is to keep kosher.
We spent our days visiting many Jewish people all over Surrey, Langley, White Rock, and Abbotsford. During our treks we have had some interesting experiences, like meeting a Sephardic Jew who lives on a huge estate in the mountains of Abbotsford. He was so excited to see fellow Jews. He showed us some amazing paintings he has painted, including one of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory.
Another Jew we met had not had much Jewish contact in over 40 years. He was shocked that we made the long trek out to meet him and expressed his regret at not having raised his kids in a Jewish lifestyle. We spent over an hour shmoozing and encouraging him to grow Jewishly. We suggested that he learn more at Chabad.org. He told us that he is going to make the trip out to the closest Chabad congregation in Surrey, BC, for Rosh Hashanah, so that his children will experience an authentic Jewish celebration.
There were many more exciting adventures—too numerous to recount at the present moment—but viewing the attached pictures will give you a glimpse into some of the encounters we have had.
Shalom from Surrey,
Roving Rabbis Yosef Schtroks and Yaakov Kotlarsky
P.S. Those of you who remember Yankel from our last post will be happy to know that we visited him with a bunch of local Jewish kids in tow. They helped him install a mezuzah on his door and really made his day.
