Dear Friends,

We are delighted to invite the entire community to join us for a Lag Baomer BBQ and Bonfire on Tuesday, May 5th, at 4:00 PM, on the Chabad of Oxnard Waterfront Patio. Let's gather as a community and celebrate in the spirit of Jewish unity.

This year’s celebration holds particular significance as we formally welcome Rabbi Mendel and Yaffa Orkin, along with their daughter Etty, to our community. They have moved to Oxnard to join the team at Lamplighters Jewish Academy and Chabad of Oxnard. We are proud to see them take on this vital role as Shluchim, dedicated to serving our community and strengthening our shared heritage.

There’s a beautiful sense of continuity in this new chapter. Looking at recent photos of Mendel and Yaffa, we’re reminded of a strikingly similar moment from our own journey—captured twenty-three years ago when we first began our shlichus in Oxnard (see photo). Back then, Yaffa was just a baby in that beach photo. And now, here we are—Yaffa and Mendel standing at Hollywood Beach, holding their own baby, continuing the story.

It is truly moving to witness history repeating itself as the next generation steps forward to carry our mission into the future with such dedication.

We look forward to having you with us for this milestone event. To assist us in our preparations, please visit chabadofoxnard.com/bbq to RSVP.

We anticipate a beautiful evening of celebration and look forward to welcoming you personally.

Warmly,

Rabbi Dov and Racheli Muchnik