About Us

The Jewish Community Council, through Rabbi Efraim Katz, started its activities towards the end of 1967 in Miami Beach, Florida, held on a weekly basis. A Tefillin booth with a table and other materials were set up in Miami Beach on the corner of Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue, every Sunday afternoon and, also on some Jewish holidays. The focal point was to encourage people to put on the Tefillin, say a short prayer, feel proud as a Jew to continue the practice of other commandments. This ongoing activity was also accomplished on nearby college campuses. Rabbi Katz also assisted other Rabbis in different cities with similar activities and promotions. He supported Rabbi Feller in Minnesota, Rabbi Cunnin in Los Angeles, and Rabbi Levitin in Seattle, along with Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, and Texas.

Part of our general activities and programs include the following, Mezuzahs, Tefillin, Shabbat candle kits, and religious books which are continuously distributed at cost and even free to many individuals in numerous locations. This past year, at least three dozen pairs of Tefillin and two hundred Mezuzahs were bestowed. Local business conventions, public meetings, and local Jewish Community events are attended with Tefillin booths and similar functions. Special lectures are also given on the lost ten tribes, Chinese Jews, and other remarkable topics, in several cities. Public schools with large Jewish attendance received promotional gifts for Jewish holidays for example, Chanukah lanterns, Purim kits, Passover material, and Sukkot Lulav participation. A one minute news spot regarding Jewish holidays with a universal appeal that was informative and persuasive, were developed and broadcasted on TV and radio stations, in 1978. During the course of the year 1980, a full program for Russian immigrants in Miami began with afternoon schools, day schools, and holiday entertainments. Russian Jewish religious books and religious articles, like the Mezuzah, candle sticks, Chumash, Siddur and additional historical books were distributed among the community. Adult education classes in four different locations were also conducted weekly. Kosher food for Sabbath and the Jewish holidays were given during class sessions. Many organizations like the Jewish Federation, Chabad, and The Hebrew Academy participated in assisting these Russian programs. Actively, the programs still continue and they have been expanded to many other communities in South Florida. The Landow Day School and Chabad Organization, they have been assisted with public meetings for their continuations which were constantly being jeopardized. Locally in Miami Beach Florida, a public community Passover Seder began in 1983, for anyone who needed this service, and which is still in progress. Weekly religious classes' that are part of an intense systematic and a complete review of the weekly Chumash portion, are continuously active in many Synagogues. In 1990, Rabbi Efraim Katz started an educational national program for various Jewish Community Centers in South Florida where teachers were assigned in locations such as JCC, 4200 North Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, North Miami Beach, South Miami, Tucson, Arizona, and Fort Worth, which taught programs such as Specialized Children Education and Discovered Judaism Adult Education. This is the most complete Judaica program ever developed. This program is used in many communities around the world, including soldiers' abroad.

During 1973, numerous amounts of trips were made to Brazil, where many of these ideas and were organized and developed. Throughout the 1970's and the 1980's, Rabbi Katz organized full Chabad endeavors in Thailand and in China with the local communities, which eventually led to Chabad centers. Starting in 1975, while traveling through Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, and India, hundreds of Mezuzahs, dozens of Tefillin, and many religious books were donated to Synagogue, organizations ORT, Israeli Embassies, schools, and individuals. In 1977, these accomplishments were augmented to Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Madagascar. Rabbi Katz was advised by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to travel to China that year and to print the primary Chabad book, the Tanya, and to expand the religious activities at hand. Complete English language religious libraries, and commodities, like the Tefillin and Mezuzahs, were set up in the Shanghai U.S. Consulate and Beijing Jewish Community. The Rebbe, requested to have two religious books be translated into Chinese for the ancient Kaifeng community where Rabbi Katz visited. These were later photocopied into small format and distributed amongst the people. The Jewish Community Council in addition assisted Mr. Moshe Yan in obtaining an education visa to study at Morristown Rabbinical College in New Jersey, which lead to his U.S. citizenship. He was the first Chinese Jewish person to be converted and certified by an orthodox Jewish Beis'din. The Community Council aided Mr. Yan with a complete library, tuition, and other expenses that were necessary for his conversion. Subsequently, many young Kaifeng Jews immigrated to Israel for studying, conversions, and becoming Israeli citizens. These programs are still active along with other organizations in Israel and elsewhere. At the time, The Jewish Community of Hong Kong was in serious disarray. The representative of Chabad, Rabbi Avtzon, the first orthodox Rabbi who accomplished wonders with making a Kosher dining facility, educational programs, and a complete organization of the Synagogue, was released from his responsibility within the community. The Jewish Community Council, who were very active among others, assisted in bringing him back to Hong Kong to organize and continue the rebuilding of the community. That year, the Rebbe publicly and personally thanked Rabbi Katz for all his accomplished work in China and other places.

Israel and Israeli's living abroad are major focuses of the Council's activity. The majority of programs, locally as well as in Africa and Asia, have improved the quality of Jewish life for Israeli's.

Immediately, The Jewish Community Council is assisting Ben Gamla Charter School and the local community in attracting enrollment of needy Jewish children, including Russian immigrants through advertising and promotional material.

Hundreds of young people who are at high risk in New York and other locations are now being assisted by The Jewish Community Council with Stanford Binet Test to understand their specific skills and abilities that are so critical for their advancement.

The Jewish Community Council has many developments. As its primary general mission is to assist the unaffiliated and affiliated with education and values. The organization has, and is continuously developing to assist in religious activities and programs. While based in Miami its assistance has been felt worldwide including working with other organizations such as in Israel, Asia and Africa.

Rabbi Katz has traveled intensively for forty years, around the world and working with its local communities initiating programs and religious activities

The Chinese program specifically began in 1980, when The Jewish Community Council was encouraged to go to china and print Hebrew books which are photo-offset for very inexpensive prices. There was however difficulty with a government official to make sure there wasn’t anything antagonistic to communisms in the book. The government eventually agreed to have the book printed.

In 1984 a Jewish organization requested from Rabbi Katz to translate two religious books that would be suitable for the Jews living in Kaifeng. A charitable organization was later developed called Sino Judaic institute which was designed by Mr. David Bauxbaum and Professor Lewis Schwartz with Rabbi Katz. Eventually the Song Dynasty Museum was encouraged and complied with making a Kaifeng Jewish display. The books were distributed under strict Halachic guidelines in order to get a response from the community. Thirteen people were enthusiastic about leaving china to study Torah with the intention of converting to Judaism. Among them was Mr. Moshe Jay who was a government official and also worked for the UN in china, who insisted to come to the United States. He did eventually study in Yeshiva and converted to Judaism according to Halacha.

In 1985 at the request of several scholars and Chinese experts, the Jewish Community Council was encouraged to visit the city of Kaifeng where it was said to have a large number of Jewish people. Having gone there to discover it was true, it was all the more important to have Jewish books translated into Chinese.

前言

首先，这不是一本对于犹太教祷告经文《西都尔》的译文，而是作者对原著的注释和阐述。在本书中，作者引用了一些祷告者的原话。主要目的在于阐明祷告者的主题思想、观点及其概念。在这样的情况下，作者尽量选择能精确反应原著思想的释译。

我们每日祷告的内容包括很多经文的节选和其他读物。几乎所有这些节选和读物来自于我们的神圣文献T’NaCh（我们自己的“圣经”）和犹太法典。这些祷告经文的节选和法令内容（西都尔）创造了被启发了的神圣先知和哲人。所以，我们的祷告响应了神（G-d）之永恒无限的话语。我们用神（G-d）的语言向他表述我们自己。因为人类的语言过于局限和苍白，以至于难以传达我们神圣的心灵流露出来的高尚情怀。因为正如在导言那一章节所解释的“服务的心”那样，这就是犹太人公务（Tefilah）的本质意义。

为了安排我们每日祷告的结构，我们的先知和圣人非常留心的选择了圣经和犹太法典里的章节。这些章节能唤起我们心灵最深处的宗教感知并且启发我们对天主的真诚眷恋。于此同时，他们也同样留心的选择了那些包含基本真理和我们的信条的文字。这些文字内容包括从基本的伦理道德价值到我们宣称的施玛篇（Shema）所讲述的至高概念“一神论”。他们非常清楚的把西都尔设计成既富有灵感的又有教育意义的读物。换句话说，我们的西都尔不但被设计成传输“服务的心”的媒介，而且也是“服务的意识”的传输介质。这就是kavanah—心灵和意识的协调—的出处。的确，kavanah被认为是祷告者的真实心灵。并且，“没有了kavanah的祷告者就好比一个没有了心灵的躯壳”。

非常不幸的是，我们人类每日反复的祷告趋向于把本应是深刻的日常体验降级至一种心不在焉的背诵。可以确信的是，就算是一个肤浅的日常祷告也有其价值所在。因为它不会被神忽视，也不会缺乏一种依靠神的感应。但是，为了使这些祷告能深刻的印在我们的心灵和意识里，一种基本的理解，至少对它们的内在意义和内容的理解是不可缺少的。

这就是本书呈现这些注释的主要目的：详细阐明我们每日祷告之更深刻的内容。

希望读者在阅读本书之后能够发现自己对我们的祷告在某种程度上有更丰富的认识。并且其对西都尔的鉴赏能在某种程度上有所加深。若能如此，读者和作者的努力都将会得到丰厚的回报。

Many more books are being printed by different organizations to assist these incredible people.