Rabbinical students stopped to connect with local Jewish community
As part of a nearly 70-year-old program titled Roving Rabbis, two rabbinical students visited Moose Jaw on Aug. 15 to make connections with the local Jewish community and talk about their Judaism. Rabbi Mendel Super from Melbourne, Australia, and Rabbi Eli Citron from Manhattan, New York, spent three weeks traveling to towns and cities throughout Saskatchewan to meet with Jews and hear their stories. Their visits are more than an informational presentation. Super and Citron were here to meet with Moose Jaw’s Jewish community in one-on-one visits to hear the stories of how they came to Moose Jaw, and how they practice Judaism.
Of course, beyond making connections and learning about Jewish life in the city, the rabbis are also looking to be of assistance for the community. They travel with books, educational material, and religious articles for those who don’t have a permanent Judaic presence in their area, and they are more than happy to connect people with the closest local Chabad branches.
The program is run every summer by the Chabad Organization, which is based in New York but has branches throughout the world — including Chabad Lubavitch of Regina and Chabad Lubavitch of Saskatoon, who hosted the Roving Rabbis during their travels here. “We’ve visited quite a number of cities already and we’ve had a really good reception. People are quite happy to see us,” said Super. “We find people in Saskatchewan — in general and especially in the smaller cities — are actually really friendly.”
The goal of the outreach program is to see the vibrancy of the Jewish community and make Judaism accessible for those who practice in smaller communities.
Super and Citron were open to meet wherever people felt most comfortable — at home, at work, or in a public space — to talk about the beauty of Judaism while they were here.
‘“We’re really looking forward to meeting as many Jews as possible during our stay in Moose Jaw,” said Super, prior to their Moose Jaw visit.