Rabbi Boruch Rozmarin is the first full-time cleric for the island's 500-strong Jewish community.
By SAM SOKOL
There are those who say that where there is Coca-Cola there is an emissary of the Chabad- Lubavitch Hassidic movement.While not literally true they can be found in most any location where Jews can be expected to visit.The island nation of Grenada, off the coast of Venezuela, now has its first permanent rabbi, courtesy of the hassidic sect.Chabad, which focuses on outreach and the promotion of Jewish religious practice among secular Jews, has had a presence in Grenada for over half a century, with so-called “roving rabbis” regularly visiting the country.However, with Rabbi Boruch Rozmarin and his wife, Chaya, having moved there in December, the 500 Jewish students studying at St. George’s University now have a full-time cleric.“Every year, the young rabbis would return from Grenada with glowing reports of Seders, holiday services and festivals held in conjunction with the Jewish students on the island,” Chabad’s Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky told the chabad.org website. “The very fact that dozens of Jews gathered to perform mitzvahs and celebrate their identity is itself gratifying – and for that we would say dayenu, it’s enough.But it is very special for us to see the seeds that were planted over the years grow and mature into a permanent Chabad presence that will serve as a bastion of Bible learning and Jewish growth for the hundreds of Jewish students on a constant basis.”According to Chabad, Rozmarin has already begun holding Shabbat services and meals for up to 70 Jewish students every week.