[Reader-submitted] The Hilchos Shabbos Initiative. This program was launched recently as a zchus for our dear daughter/sister Chaya Malka Bas Bas-sheva who is 18 years old and fell into a sudden coma about two months ago. Her family, relatives, classmates, neighbors, friends, and strangers are still reeling from shock. We are all davening for her to wake up. It is so difficult to see her in this state, so we feel we must do all we can to accrue zchusim on her behalf. We want to get our Chaya Malka back!

Thus far over seven thousand families already joined and are enjoying this addition to their shabbos table. “Mi K’amcha Yisrael”, the warm response is a tremendous chizuk for our family. We are confident that the zchus of this program can bring a yeshuah speedily.

The Hilchos Shabbos Initiative runs as follows. All who sign up receive a weekly hilchos Shabbos paper that discusses a few practical and relevant halachos in a very clear fashion. Members receive sheets via fax, email, or mail (booklets containing pages to read over 20 weeks). There are over seven thousand families included thus far; many are taking the initiative to pass the sheet to others on their own. A frum blasts company sends out the halachos weekly to over forty thousand families and a community newspaper features the halachos as a column. We are getting very enthusiastic feedback that reading the halachos by the table adds to their shabbos as well as how it is heightening their awareness of shemiras shabbos. A few prominent high schools distributed the halachos to their student body. We got inquiries regarding putting the Halacha sheets into the curriculum for students. Many bungalow colonies and camps joined as well. All this happened in a short two months. This idea is really spreading. The potential is great. We want every family to have this opportunity to constructively learn basic hilchos shabbos in a very practical way. We would like to start a junior edition so that the little ones can also learn the practical and relevant halachos of shabbos on their level. Many that joined in the middle requested to get sheets that they missed so they shouldn’t miss out on any relevant halachos.

There are currently three versions of the halacha sheets. The main halacha paper is reviewed by Rabbi Yaakov Forcheimer, posek Bais Medrash Govoah Lakewood and Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen Author of The Artscroll Halchah series. There is another version for Sephardim reviewed by Chacham Eliezer Harari, and one in Yiddish reviewed by Skverer Dayn to serve Chasidishe Kehilos. The program is endorsed by many Rabbanim and is under their guidance.

To join, Call 732-901-4170, or Text your email or fax number to 732-573-5869, or Email [email protected].