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Draft:Jewish Educational Media

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Jewish Educational Media
Logo of Jewish Educational Media
Founded1980
HeadquartersBrooklyn, New York
Media typeEducation
Avalible inEnglish
Hebrew
French
Spanish
Russian
Portuguese
Executive DirectorRabbi Elkanah Shmotkin
Websitehttps://jemcentral.org

Jewish Educational Media, also known by its acronym JEM, is a nonprofit organization [1] founded in 1980 that produces and distributes multimedia from a Chabad-Lubavitch perspective. Based in Brooklyn, New York. JEM is not a Chabad affiliated organization.[2]

JEM focuses on preserving and sharing the teachings of the Lubavicher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. as well as promoting Jewish education and Jewish outreach. The organization is known for its extensive collection of video and audio recordings, as well as publications. [3][4]

History

[edit]

In the summer of 1980, JEM launched its first live broadcast of Schneerson's Farbrengen on television, this initiative was realized with his blessing,[5] aiming to leverage contemporary broadcasting technology to share his teachings with a wider audience.[6]

After the passing of Schneerson, on June 12, 1994 (3 Tamuz), JEM initiated significant efforts to preserve and share his teachings and legacy. Two years later in 1996 Jem released Living Torah[7]

In 2004, JEM launched the Living Archive Restoration and Preservation Project to protect its archival collections, recognizing the urgency: to conserve these materials due to the risk of deterioration over time.[8]

Administration

[edit]
  • Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin: Executive Director
  • Dovid Krinsky: Chairman Of The Board
  • Levi Vogel: Director of Information Technology (IT)
  • Yanky Ascher: Senior Video Editor
  • Rabbi Choli Mishulovin: Research Director
  • Eli Sapochkinsky: Director of Production
  • Rabbi Yitzchok Tsap: Director of Content

Projects

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Living Torah This weekly video series presents teachings and public addresses from Schneerson. Each episode contains clips of the Lubavicher Rebbe’s public sichot (talks), as well as personal stories from individuals who encountered the Lubavicher Rebbe.[9]

Living Torah was divided into three segments: Timeless Moments, which featured intimate moments between the Lubavicher Rebbe and his Chassidim with accompanying niggunim; Eye to Eye, focusing on the Lubavicher Rebbe during the weekly dollar distribution; and My Encounter. However, on the 70th anniversary of 10 Shevat, JEM combined all of the Living Torah projects into one unified video along with other elements.[10]

Many Chabad-Lubavitch schools and synagogues Chabad centers utilize Living Torah to enhance their Torah study sessions, ensuring that the Lubavicher Rebbe's teachings are accessible to all, regardless of their prior exposure to Chabad philosophy.[9]

My Encounter This oral history project collects personal testimonies from individuals who interacted with the Lubavicher Rebbe. launched in 2004, it has since recorded. hundreds of interviews from a wide range of individuals, including community leaders, politicians, and regular citizens who share how their personal encounters with the Lubavicher Rebbe influenced their lives.[11][12] These interviews are available to the public through publications, videos, and digital formats​.[13]

The weekly pamphlet My Story and the subsequent My Story book are both products of a significant initiative. A dedicated team has collected nearly 1,500 videotaped testimonies from a diverse range of Jews, sharing their personal relationships with the Lubavicher Rebbe. This project has culminated in the Here’s My Story pamphlet and the My Story book.[14]

Farbrengens

JEM holds a collection of video recordings of the Lubavicher Rebbe’s farbrengens (informal gatherings) where the Lubavicher Rebbe delivered Maamarim (Chassidic discourses) and sichot (Chassidic lectures).[7]

These gatherings often lasted for several hours [15] and included messages of faith, communal guidance, and personal stories.[16]​

Films Library


JEM has produced a collection of documentaries that highlight key moments in Chabad-Lubavitch history.[9] The following is a selection of notable documentaries:

  • A Movement on Trial: This documentary covers the legal battle in Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary regarding the ownership of Chabad’s library, and the Lubavicher Rebbe’s assertion that they were his chaidim's property.[17]
  • America Is No Different: This film recounts the arrival of the Frierdiker Rebbe (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn) in the United States in 1940 and his declaration that “America is no different,” emphasizing the ability to maintain Jewish life in a secular environment.[18]
  • Rebbetzin Chana: This documentary explores the life of Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, mother of the Lubavicher Rebbe, focusing on her resilience through Soviet persecution[19] and her support of her husband’s rabbinic work.[20]
  • Never Alone: A film that hirelationship between the Lubavicher Rebbe and his shluchim (emissaries), underscoring the Lubavicher Rebbe’s personal support and his philosophy of spreading Jewish teachings globally.[21][22]
  • Tishrei With the Lubavicher Rebbe (or Tishrei In the Moment): A documentary featuring footage of the Lubavicher Rebbe during the Jewish month of Tishrei. (and Slichos in the Jewish moth of Elul) During Tishrei, the Lubavicher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson engaged in practices that included leading emotionally charged prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur[23], celebrating Sukkot with joy and hospitality, and encouraging communal participation during the festivities of Simchat Torah[24], all reflecting the month’s themes of introspection, renewal, and unity.[25]

The Living Archive The Living Archive Restoration Project is an initiative by Jem aimed that aims to preserve, restore, and digitize thousands of hours of historical video, audio, and photographic materials related to the Lubavicher Rebbe, and the global Chabad-Lubavitch movement. This vast collection includes footage of the Lubavicher Rebbe's farbrengens public addresses, personal interactions with individuals, and other pivotal moments that shaped the movement.[26] The project, which launched in 2004 out of a need to rescue deteriorating media formats, such as film reels, VHS tapes, and early audio recordings, from being lost due to age and degradation.[27] Many of these materials have already been restored and made available through various Jem platforms, including their online archive and media releases.[28][29]

The Rohr Family Foundation a foundation foucusing Jewish education, culture, and outreach [30] played a significant role in funding the initiative.[27]

Beyond restoration, the Living Archive Project also facilitates public access to these materials through Jem's media platforms.[13]

Books

[edit]

JEM has produced books that focus on the influence of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and Chabad-Lubavitch history. Some of their notable books include:

Book Titile Description Date Published Author Project ISBN/OCLC
My Story Volume 1 Stories from the point of veiw of people who had personal encounters with the Lubavicher Rebbe June 5, 2017 My Encounter with the Lubavicher Rebbe ISBN 978-1-93-234950-4OCLC 995266599
My Story Volume 2 Stories from the point of veiw of people who had personal encounters with the Lubavicher Rebbe February 3, 2022 My Encounter with the Lubavicher Rebbe ISBN 978-1932349115
One by One Stories from the point of veiw of people who had personal encounters with the Lubavicher Rebbe July 9, 2019 My Encounter with the Lubavicher Rebbe ISBN 978-1932349078OCLC 1111632928
Early Years Biography of the Lubavicher Rebbe before he became a Rebbe February 2, 2017 Boruch Oberlander, Elkanah Shmotkin ISBN 978-1932349047OCLC 973573677
Seeds of Wisdom Volume 1 Stories from the point of veiw of people who had personal encounters with the Lubavicher Rebbe October 31, 2013 Mendel Kalmenson ISBN 978-1932349016OCLC 993163044
Seeds of Wisdom Volume 2 Stories from the point of veiw of people who had personal encounters with the Lubavicher Rebbe June 22, 2016 Mendel Kalmenson ISBN 978-1932349023
Tishrei in Lubavitch photo album accompanied of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah with the Lubavicher Rebbe September 14, 2016 Mordechai Baron, Levi Yitshak Fraidin, Yossi Melamed OCLC 966301936
Our Fellow Countryman the Schneerson family's role in the Jewish community August 5, 2020 Larysa Levechenko, Vladimir Shchukin State Archives of the Mykolaiv Region [31] ISBN 978-617-576-111-3

Distribution

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JEM primarily distributes its videos through its website, jem.tv[32] while its books are available through its online store, JemStore.com.[33] Additionally JEM materials can be found at most Chabad-Lubavitch Judaica stores and bookstores.[14][34] and libraries.[35] The organization also shares its videos on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube.[36][37]

References

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  1. ^ "Jewish Educational Media Brooklyn, NY Tax-exempt since June 2000 EIN: 11-3518767". 9 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Jnet (The Jewish Learning Network) is a division of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch (a Chabad affiliated organization)". However, in the article about Jewish Educational Media, it does not state any explicit mention of Chabad-Lubavitch affiliation. See Chabd Lubavich Headquarters. (Jem & Jnet)
  3. ^ Webb, Avi (January 21, 2008). "Federal Grant Helps Preserve Lubavitch Archival Footage".
  4. ^ "Jewish Educational Media (JEM)". Cause IQ. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022.
  5. ^ "Watch: How Jem Got Started". COLLive. January 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Shandler, Jeffrey (2020). "Virtual Afterlives in New Media". Jewish Film & New Media: An International Journal. 8 (1): 23–47 – via MUSE.
  7. ^ a b Shwartz, Karen (October 3, 2011). "Groundbreaking Video Celebrates Decade of Broadcasting Rebbe's Teachings". Chabad.org.
  8. ^ "Jewish Educational Media. Sharing the Rebbe with the World: The Living Archive Restoration Project". 23 May 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Posner, Menachem (April 17, 2014). "500th Weekly DVD Edition of 'Living Torah' Marks a Milestone". Chabad.org.
  10. ^ "JEM to Refresh Living Torah". anash.org. January 30, 2020.
  11. ^ "How I Got Engaged in My Sleep". COLLive. October 5, 2023.
  12. ^ "Here's My Story: Take Care of Yourself". January 11, 2018.
  13. ^ a b See distribution article below
  14. ^ a b Margolin, Dovid; Posner, Menachem (November 19, 2017). "My Story': A Colorful Glimpse Into 41 Personal Relationships With the Rebbe". chabad.org. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017.
  15. ^ Tworek, Wojciech (June 19, 2019). "Beyond Hagiography with Footnotes: Writing Biographies of the Chabad Rebbe in the Post-Schneerson Era". Ajs Review. 43 (2): 409–435. doi:10.1017/S036400941900045X.
  16. ^ ELIEZRIE, DAVID (November 28, 2020). "The secret gathering of Chabad rabbis: An inside look. The Zoom marathon was a farbrengen, a unique experience". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020.
  17. ^ Goldman, Ari L (January 7, 1987). "JUDGE AWARDS RABBI'S LIBRARY TO HASIDIC UNIT". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015.
  18. ^ "America is No Different". Chabad.org. January 24, 1983. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017.
  19. ^ Smolinski, Gil. "The Incredible Story of Chana Schneerson". The Times Of Israel.
  20. ^ "The Chair We Haven't Used Since 1960". COLLive. October 2, 2024.
  21. ^ Aabramowitz, Yosef Israel (July 9, 2024). "The end of an era: The Lubavitcher Rebbe's last blessing three decades ago". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024.
  22. ^ Rullo, David Rullo (July 17, 2024). "Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson continues to inspire". Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024.
  23. ^ "Rosh Hashanah With The Rebbe" (PDF). Derher (49): 20–36.
  24. ^ "Uniting. Uplifting. Transcending. SIMCHAS TORAH with the Rebbe" (PDF). Derher.
  25. ^ ""LIVING WITH MOSHIACH," Erev Sukkot, 5761". Torah4blind. October 14, 2000. Archived from the original on October 27, 2004.
  26. ^ "Newly Restored Audio for Gimmel Tamuz!". CrownHeights.info. July 3, 2008. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024.
  27. ^ a b Grodnitzky, Reuvena Leah (October 15, 2009). "Businessman's Largesse Helps Fund Historic Video Preservation". Chabad.org.
  28. ^ Runyan, Joshua (May 1, 2008). "Archival Community Witnesses Film Preservation Effort". Chabad.org.
  29. ^ "New Book Reveals Hundreds of Documents About Rebbe's Early Life. 'Early Years' comprises 550 pages of insight-producing documents and photographs". Israel National News. Feb 5, 2017.
  30. ^ Reporter, COLLive (June 4, 2015). "A First for the Rohr Family".
  31. ^ "Ukrainian Govt. Prints Historical Account of the Rebbe's Family". Anash.org. August 2, 2020.
  32. ^ "JEM.tv".
  33. ^ https://www.jemstore.com/ https://www.jemstore.com
  34. ^ "Judaica world: Search results for 'Jem Books'". Judaica world. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  35. ^ OCLC: 995266599 1111632928 973573677 993163044 966301936 Via WorldCat
  36. ^ Horowitz, Rochel (October 17, 2019). "Tishrei in the Moment': JEM's Interactive Social-Media Season With the Rebbe". Chbad.org.
  37. ^ Posner, Menachem (March 13, 2016). "JEM to Appeal to Ever-Widening Circle of Viewers for Support".
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