A Message from the Rabbi

Dear Friends,

Rabbi Shmuel, the fourth Rebbe of Chabad, once said: “There are those who, when faced with an obstacle or barrier in life, struggle desperately to crawl beneath the barrier, and if they're not successful, then and only then, do they attempt to jump over the barrier. But I say, to begin with, jump over! Don’t even try to crawl beneath. From the very outset, transcend! Leap above and beyond!”

What the Rebbe was saying is that when pursuing a worthwhile endeavor, one should always think outside the box. Think big. Think miracles.

In studying about Israel’s exodus from Egypt and birth as a nation, we find that when our ancestors came to the Sea of Reeds with their slave-masters in hot pursuit, they were in a quandary: The Egyptian armies behind them; the raging sea in front of them — what to do? At that point, G‑d said to Moses: “Tell the Children of Israel to go forward! Let them not be afraid; let them not run; but at the same time, let them not simply stand there doing nothing. If they proceed with boldness and with faith, they will behold the greatest miracle yet!”

The people were frozen with fear. They could not do it. But then, without hesitation or contemplation, a man by the name of Nachshon boldly stepped forward and dove right in! At that point, the sea miraculously split. The Israelites crossed over, received the Torah and the rest is history.

My friends, this is how we make history; how we make miracles happen. When we proceed forward with vision and faith, rather than timidly remain standing in one place; when we do not merely dream of better days, but take action to transform those dreams into realities; we open the channels to unprecedented blessings and miracles.

Here in this community, we at Chabad adopted this time-proven formula. When an opportunity presented itself for us to embark upon a project that would provide new levels of education, outreach and assistance to countless people – young and old – for generations to come, we chose not to approach this challenge with timid hopes, but with broad vision and bold actions. While miracles have indeed been unfolding before our eyes, our sea has not yet completely split. In order for us to finally cross over and build this magnificent Sanctuary of goodness and G‑dliness, we need more Nachshons at our side — more visionaries, more pioneers, more generous trailblazers — who are ready to take bold actions. We need you.

The beauty of the new Jewish Community Center we are seeking to build here in the heart of the Roaring Fork Valley is that it will be a place open to anyone and everyone; a place where no one is judged, no demands are made and no conditions are attached. All are welcome to partake and participate.

From the bottom of my heart, I appeal to you to dream with us and act with us. Help us make history. Help us perform miracles. For as long as there are children out there in need of an education; as long as there are people out there hungering for meaning, for hope, for companionship or for knowledge; as long as there is a need for a community to join together in the worship of G‑d and in the celebration of life; we must not rest until we build a splendid center to fill those vital needs.

Rabbi Mendel Mintz
Founder and Director