Welcome
to Bais Menachem Mendel - Chabad House of Toledo. The Chabad House is the nerve center of educational, communal, and outreach activities serving the needs of the entire Jewish community, from the youngsters to the elderly, and everyone in-between. It offers services, parties, classes, dinners and children's programs in a comfortable non-judgmental environment that welcomes questions and provides answers that have relevant meaning in your life today. Jews of all kinds come to the Chabad House, regardless of background, observance or affiliation.
Some come on Shabbat for a bowl of homemade chicken soup, fresh baked challah and camaraderie.
Some come simply to socialize -- to relax and enjoy themselves with Jewish activities such as Challah or Hamantashen baking, or Shofar making.
Some come during a moment of personal crisis knowing they will always get a discreet, sympathetic ear, a warm heart and appropriate advice or referrals.
Some come for one of the myriad classes offered -- from beginner’s Hebrew to Parsha, Mysticism and advanced Talmud -- or simply to ask serious questions about Judaism.
Some come to attend Shabbat or holiday services.
Walk into the Chabad House and you will be amazed, shocked, delighted, and baffled by the mélange of people that come together for a few hours of real Jewish fellowship. Those attending have only one common denominator -- they are all Jewish.
Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (lit. “Master of the Good Name,” 1694-1748), founder of the Chassidic movement, tought us of the common Divine origin of all souls, and the beautiful traits of spiritual treasures to be found in every Jew, whether scholarly or unlearned. Everywhere he went, the Baal Shem Tov broke down the barriers between Jews, building bridges of ahavat yisrael (love of one’s fellow), bringing them together, teaching them about their enormous obligations of mutual responsibility and mutual affection; showing that we are one.
Throughout the community it is becoming increasingly recognized and accepted that we are one. A oneness unique to the Jewish people. Limbs of the same body. Strengthening one limb, one Jew, fortifies us all. A oneness given frequent and eloquent emphasis within Chabad, reflecting its fundamental belief that every Jew, regardless of affiliation or background, possesses a neshama, a unique soul, a G-dly spark. In its essence, this spark of G-dliness is common to all Jews and equal in all Jews, which gives new significance to the often-repeated colloquialism, “A Jew is a Jew is Jew.”
The Torah and all its precepts are the inheritance, the right and the privilege of all our people. Tefillin and shabbat-candles, kashrut and mezuza belong to all Jews. It is their right and their obligation to perform the mitzvah, and it is a privilege, honor and obligation to respectfully help our brethren to do so, just as we would provide a warm meal and a place to sleep for a passerby whom we have never seen before.
