Gov. Malloy hands a proclamation declaring June 22 a “Day of Goodness and
Kindness” in Connecticut to Rabbi Yisroel Deren (left) and Rabbi Joseph Gopin.

A host of dignitaries, rabbis and Jewish community leaders – including rabbis and representatives from each of Connecticut’s 23 Chabad centers — gathered in the Senate Chamber of the state Capitol on June 18 for a special event marking the 18th yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
“Even after eighteen years, Chabad continues to grow,” said Governor Dannel P. Malloy. “You can be sure that the Rebbe would be proud.”
The program included a musical celebration highlighting songs composed by the Rebbe, as well as a brief video biography of the Rebbe. Personal memories were shared by Rabbi Yisrael Deren, regional director of Chabad.
“I cannot think of a better place from which to honor the Rebbe,” said Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman who served as host for the event. “We should do much good in the Capitol, just as Chabad does every day.”
Governor Malloy designated Friday, June 22 as a “Day of Goodness and Kindness” in Connecticut. The actual date of the Rebbe’s passing is the third day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, which this year corresponds to Saturday, June 23.
“The trademark of Chabad, based on the guidance of the Rebbe, is belief in the inherent goodness of the world and its inhabitants. Hence, every person is worthy of attention, love, and knowledge,” read a proclamation signed by the Governor. “A central tenant of the Rebbe’s teaching is the idea that every single positive act, as minor as it may seem, contributes to a better, more perfect world.”
In Connecticut, Chabad’s 23 centers are located in Fairfield, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Guilford, Hamden, Litchfield, Milford, New Canaan, New Haven, New London, Orange, Ridgefield, Simsbury, Stamford, Wallingford, Waterbury, West Hartford, Westport, and Westville. Chabad Student Centers serve the campuses of University of Connecticut, University of Hartford, Wesleyan University, and Yale University.
“By his example and through his teachings, the Rebbe has inspired millions of lives,” said Rabbi Yosef Wolvovsky, executive director of the Benet Rothstein Chabad Jewish Center in Glastonbury. “This program was designed to honor the Rebbe by highlighting this legacy of education and generosity.”

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