ABOUT SKO

Rabbi Aharon Chein – Rav HaMachshir – Rabbinical Administrator

Rabbi Aharon Chein has been associated with the Georgian Jewish Community since 1992. He was born in Oni, Georgia and grew up in Israel where he studied consecutively at the following institutions: Rabbi Yosef Caro elementary school, Yeshivat Hanegev, Yeshiva Ketanah, and Gedola. He completed his Rabbinical studies in the Kollel of Sderot in 1982.

In 1982 Rabbi Chein personally wrote a Sefer Torah (scroll) for the Sage Baba Sali, Rabbi Yisroel AbuChatzeira. This Torah is used to this day in the Bet Medrash of the Baba Sali's son Rav Boruch. Soon after he was drafted to the army and served as medic in the war of the "Gallil for Peace." He was also an elementary school teacher until 1984.

In 1986 he emigrated to the U.S. with his family. In 1991 he traveled with a group of young rabbis to Georgia to reawaken Judaism to the remaining Jews of the region. He received specific instructions in 1992 from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson to help the Georgian community in Queens and in accordance with the Lubavitch world headquarters he relocated to Queens in 1993. That same year he opened the Chabad Association for Georgian Jews where he has worked closely with the Congregation of Georgian Jews.

In 1998 he received an invitation from Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to join him in Georgia to celebrate the 26th century of Jewish existence in the country. It was in that year that Rabbi Chein decided to form a new organization, Federation of Georgian Jews, dedicated to uniting all Georgian Jews. As a result, the Federation organized three historical projects in 2000:

• "Passover 2000 Project" He traveled to Georgia together with 18 volunteers from New York and Israel to   make a central Hagadah on both nights of Passover with more than 600 people taking part in the events.

• "Bar-Mitzvah 2000 Project" He brought 50 boys from Georgia to Israel to celebrate their bar-mitzvah at the   Western Wall in Jerusalem on September 18, 2000 / 18 Elul 5760. The project commenced with a two-week   tour throughout Israel for the bar-mitzvah boys.

• "Sefer Torah Project" He had a sefer torah written for the unity of the Georgian community in Queens in   honor of the 50th year of the Lubavitcher Rebbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's leadership.

Rabbi Chein spent many years working as a Shochet, a Kosher slaughterer and is considered an expert in Kosher Meat production. Rabbi Chein is also an expert mohel since 1980 as well as a sofer.

Rabbi Chein and his wife Yocheved have been married since 1979 and have 6 children. He plans to continue working for the unity of all Georgian communities globally via the Federation of Georgian.

In 1999, Rabbi Chein founded Strictly Kosher Organization and leads it presently. The highest standards of Kashrut are always observed.