Upcoming SimXa Shabbaton – Chanukah 2016

By

Yehudis Litvak

Preparations are under way for the 16th annual Simxa Shabbaton, which will take place on Friday, December 23rd through Monday, December 26th. SimXa Company, headed by Moshe and Esther Davidoff, is a non-profit organization dedicated to educational outreach to Russian-speaking Jews. For the past 16 years, SimXa has been bringing renowned Russian-speaking rabbis and Torah teachers to its shabbatons, where the Russian-speaking Jews from Southern California and beyond can reconnect to their heritage and absorb the timeless words of Torah in their native language.

As the SimXa family grew to include non-Russian speaking spouses and children of Jews from the former Soviet Union, the shabbatons have expanded to include English-speaking lecturers. Currently, the Russian and English lectures take place in parallel, and the attendees can choose which ones they prefer to attend.

simxa_001The theme of this year’s SimXa Shabbaton, which coincides with the beginning of Chanukah, is The Power of the Few. This year, the shabbaton will feature an unprecedented array of new speakers. Among them are the world-famous Rabbi Manis Friedman, a popular author, lecturer, and co-founder of Bais Chana Women International; Rabbi Boruch Gorin, editor-in-chief of Knizhniki and of the Lechaim Jewish literary magazine in Moscow; Rabbi Dr. Boruch Lekht, the founder of Congregation Ohr Chodosh, a synagogue and kollel for Russian Jews in Brooklyn; and Rabbi Dov and Rebbetzin Racheli Muchnik of Chabad of Oxnard.

The Simxa Shabbaton will take place in a new location this year, at the picturesque beachfront Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach hotel in Oxnard, CA. Gourmet kosher meals will be served. Back by popular demand, this year’s retreat is catered by The Place Catering under the supervision of Vaad HaRabbonim of San Diego.

In addition to the informative and inspiring lectures, SimXa Shabbaton will also host a Chanukah celebration with menorah lighting on the beach, in conjunction with Chabad of Oxnard. Freshly made sufganiyot, potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce, and other traditional delicacies will be served. The attendees will also have the opportunity to join the Chabad of Oxnard Chanukah Festival at the Harbor on Monday. The Shabbaton will also feature entertainment, such as live music, a comedian, and a magic show for adults and children, and tea rooms for both adults and children. The popular children’s program will include a Chanukah carnival, menorah lighting, relay races at the park and beach, friendly sports competitions, tennis, ping-pong, foosball, Jacuzzi hunt, surrey biking, and water sports.

More information is available at www.simxa.org.

This article first appeared in the Jewish Home – LA, jewishhomela.com