CONTENTS

9
FEATURED ARTICLES

WEEKLY COLUMNS

3 Dvar Malchus
5 Parsha Thought
20 Hayom Yom & Moshiach
34 Tzivos Hashem

BROTHERS IN ARMS
SHLUCHIM OF
THE REBBE
Yaron Tzvi

RUSSIANS
16 THE
ARE COMING
EPILOGUE
22 HAKHEL
Yaron Tzvi
OLIM
22 26 NEW
ABSORPTION CENTER
IN KFAR CHABAD
Nosson Avrohom

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2016-11-08 7:17:06 AM

B"H. 10 Cheshvan 5777

11 November 2016 Number 1043
Price: $6.00 Part 2 of 3
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DVAR MALCHUS

A CHAIN REACTION TO
BRING REDEMPTION
Afterwards I began to think to myself: I do
not know this lady who wrote the letter to
me, nor does she know me. She has merely
heard of my name, and sought advice from
me, etc. If so, what is the intent of this chain
letter coming to my attention?! Eventually
I concluded that the purpose is to utilize
this approach for the sake of holiness. * On
publicizing the words of the Chida and the
Radak on bringing about the redemption.
Translated by Boruch Merkur

1. Once a certain Torah scholar

commented to me about the words of
the Chida, of blessed memory, in his
book Midbar Kadmos, on the section
about hope, saying:
It states in Yalkut Thillim
remez 736 that even if a Jew has no
merit other than hope, he is fit to
be redeemed in virtue of his hope
... On this basis, the great rabbi
Rabbeinu Yosef Dovid [the Chida]
elucidates ... the wording of the
blessing, Speedily cause the scion of
Dovid, Your servant, to flourish, and
increase his power by Your salvation,
for we hope for Your salvation all
day. Saying for we hope for Your
salvation all day is difficult to
understand, for what reason does
this provide for our salvation? If
we rightfully deserve salvation, it
would be attained without hope.
And if not, what benefit is there in
hope? However, according to what
was said above [in Yalkut Thillim],
the difficulty is resolved, reading
the blessing as follows: Speedily

cause the scion of Dovid, etc., and

if it were said that we have no merit,
nevertheless, flourish...for we hope
for Your salvation we have hope,
and in reward for this hope it is
fitting that You redeem us.
The same message is found in
an astonishing[ly severe] style in
the commentary of the Radak on
Nach, at the end of Shmuel II:
So the L-rd was entreated for
the land and the plague was stayed
from the Jewish people, meaning
G-d accepted the prayer of the
inhabitants of the land. Understood
exegetically, all the others, the
thousands who died in the time of
Dovid, died only because they did
not beseech Hashem for the Holy
Temple. It follows logically from this
that since those who lived prior to the
time when the Holy Temple stood,
and who did not live in the aftermath
of its destruction, nevertheless lost
their lives on account of their neglect
to petition for it, how much more
so does the severity of this message

apply to us, for we have had the Holy

Temple in our days and live in the
aftermath of its destruction. Thus,
the elders and the prophets implanted
in the mouths of the Jewish people to
pray three times a day, return Your
Divine Presence and your kingdom
to Tziyon, and the order of your
service to Yerushalayim, and the
Radak concludes, Amen, may it be
His will forever.
Practically speaking:
As has been observed from the
questions and complaints voiced
regarding the hope and anticipation
and the clamoring for the true and
complete redemption through our
righteous Moshiach, there are those
who are evidently unaware of the
words of the Chida and the Radak
mentioned above.
Therefore it is appropriate and
proper that one should publish these
matters in a newspaper.
It must be underscored, however,
that this should not be done in my
name. Unfortunately there are those
who upon hearing that this was
said by so and so will argue that the
opposite is more logical ... (as is
known from similar cases, but now is
not the time to elaborate on this). In
addition, as far as we are concerned
that is, with regard to the topic
of redemption it is particularly
important to cite the original author,
as our Sages say, All those who say
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Dvar Malchus
something in the name of the
author bring redemption to the
world.
Thus, this matter should be
publicized in the name of the
original author, both with regard
to the words of Radak as well as
the words of Chida, by quoting
their teachings precisely, word
for word, in addition to citing
the source etc., in order to bring
merit to our Jewish brethren who
do not possess these texts.
2. Another related matter, but
first a parenthetical preface, in
continuation with what was said
above:
Among the correspondence I
have received of late was a letter
from a woman who was extremely
distraught. What was bothering
her? I received a letter the
woman writes at the end of
which the author requests of me,
the reader, to make ten copies
and send them to ten people.
The author continues that in the
merit of doing so, the reader will
receive a reward, etc., and that
the converse is true as well. That
is, if the reader does not comply,
it is unspeakable what could
happen to him or her. In fact, the
author asserts, a causal pattern as
such has already been noted, for
the results were such and such
The content of the letter
is filled with idiocy... The
author
remains
anonymous,
and the woman does not know
from where the letter came.
Nevertheless, the lady asks, since
she has received such a fright, if
it is acceptable for her to send out
the ten copies in order to assuage
her doubt.
Naturally I answered the lady
that she should tear up the letter
... and that she should completely
remove the matter from her mind!
I also quoted the verse, Thus
states the L-rd, do not learn
from the ways of the Gentiles,

and from the signs of heaven do

not fear, for the Gentiles fear
them, meaning, even when we
are speaking about heaven,
Jews have nothing to fear, for this
sort of fear is the ways of the
Gentiles...for the Gentiles fear
them.
Afterwards I began to think
to myself: I do not know this
lady who wrote the letter to
me, nor does she know me.
She has merely heard of my
name, and sought advice from
me, etc. If so, what is the intent
of this occurrence coming to
my attention?! Eventually I
concluded that the purpose is to
utilize this approach for the sake
of holiness.
But first, to preface:
Every single thing in the world
must be used for a holy purpose.
Regarding
forbidden
things,
they must be entirely rejected
and nullified, but regarding
permissible things, the approach
must be, all your deeds should
be for the sake of Heaven.
Indeed, it is clear that the purpose
of every thing created in the world
is that it should provide some
benefit with regard to matters of
holiness.
In fact, even regarding
something that is permitted
but was used until now in an
undesirable manner, one should
seek out strategies to utilize it for
holiness, in accordance with its
purpose for which it was created.
This is so even if until now, one
used it for matters that are the
opposite of holiness.
For example, our Sages say,
the world was not fit to use gold.
Why then was it created? For the
sake of the Holy Temple.
To apply the above to our
discussion:
When we see that there exists
in the world a concept of sending
a letter to ten people, requesting

of each recipient to send out

copies to an additional group
of ten people and so on (in the
local lexicon, chain reaction), this
method should be employed for
matters of holiness, publicizing
something good among our
Jewish brethren (so long as there
is the slightest possibility that
there is someone who is still
unaware of this good thing).
With regard to the imminent
redemption,
this
amounts
to publicizing the matters
discussed above about hoping
and yearning and petitioning
G-d for the coming of our
righteous Moshiach, by means
of every person sending a letter
(citing what is written in the
aforementioned texts) to ten
Jews, and that they should each
send it to ten more Jews, etc., in
a manner of continually adding in
light.
A certain context for this
instruction, however, should be
noted. There are those who are
called shpitz Chabadniks ... and
when they hear this kind of thing
said in public, in a synagogue
and in a study hall, they will leave
aside all their concerns and get
involved solely in writing letters to
tens and tens of Jews. Therefore,
I hereby emphasize that it is
sufficient that each person write
to no more than ten Jews, and if
any free time remains, he should
learn Torah! ... Regarding all the
other Jews (those to whom he did
not send letters), someone else
will write to them perhaps one
of the ten that he did write to, for
example.
3. It goes without saying that
the concept of sending letters
designed to frighten a Jew, G-d
forbid, or even a Gentile, is utterly
ruled out. When writing to a Jew
one should write only blessings.
(From the address of Shabbos
Parshas Lech Lecha 7 MarCheshvan
5746, bilti muga)

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PARSHA THOUGHT

STAYING IN
ONE PLACE
By Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

ITS ALL ABOUT

TRAVELING
The name of this parsha, Lech
Lecha, describes, in a nutshell,
the content of the entire parsha:
Avrahams travels.
First G-d commands him to
leave your land, your birthplace
and your fathers house. Even
after Avraham comes to the land
of Canaan he does not stay in one
place: Then Avram journeyed
on, journeying steadily toward
the south.
Shortly after arriving in
Canaan, a famine forces him to
travel to Egypt.
After his return to Canaan the
Torah records further travels after
which G-d tells him to walk the
length and breadth of the land.
Avraham finally settles down
in Elonei Mamre. But soon after,
a war breaks out and his nephew
Lot is abducted. Avraham goes
back on the road, this time
fighting and winning the war.
The Torah then relates
Avrahams vision in which G-d
predicts how his children will
be persecuted in a foreign land
but will eventually return to the
Promised Land. Once again, we
see the theme of movement.

NO MOVEMENT WHILE
RECITING THE SHMA
This theme of traveling, the

name of the parsha and a good

part of its content, provoked a
discussion in the Talmudic era
Midrash Tanchuma. Midrash
Tanchuma usually begins its
comments with a Halachic
(Jewish law) discussion. It serves
as an intro to its exposition of
the parsha. The following is
the Halachic discussion of this
weeks parsha which focuses,
appropriately, on travelling:
Teach us our rabbi. May
a Jewish person accept upon
himself the yoke of the Kingdom
of Heaven while traveling?
Rav Idi and Rav Huna said
in the name of Rabbi Yehudah
and Rabbi Yosi [who said] in the
name of Rabbi Shmuel:
It is forbidden to accept upon
oneself the yoke of the Kingdom
of Heaven while traveling. Rather,
one should stand in one place and
direct his heart heavenward, with
a sense of awe, trembling and
perspiration while declaring G-ds
unity, [pronouncing] each and
every word with concentration
of the heart, proclaiming: Hear
O Israel, G-d is our G-d, G-d is
one, followed by Blessed is the
name of Your glorious kingdom
for ever and ever. When one
begins Vahavta-You shall love,
one may stand or sit if one so
desires
While the connection to our
parsha is obviously the theme of
traveling, what does Avrahams

traveling have to do with reciting

the Shma in a standing position?
Moreover, the emphasis in
the Midrash Tanchuma is on not
moving while reciting the Shma,
the very opposite of the theme of
traveling.

WHY DID G-D

WAIT SO LONG?
The following explanation
is based on the 19th century
commentary Biur Haamarim.
The Midrashs analysis of
the law of standing to recite the
Shma was intended to address a
powerful question on the Biblical
narrative.
When G-d told Avraham to
leave his birthplace he was 75
years old. Avraham certainly
did not start his spiritual career
and quest to serve the one G-d
at that age. According to an
oral tradition, Avraham was
actually three years old when
he recognized there was one
incorporeal G-d and progressed
from there. There are some
opinions that he was 40 years
old when he discovered G-d.
However, all opinions agree that
he had discovered one G-d, and
was even prepared to give his life
for that belief, well before he was
75 years old.
Why then did G-d wait until
Avraham was 75 years old to tell
him to leave his land?

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PARSHA THOUGHT

Moshiachs concealment is not intended as a curse

or an extension of exile. Rather, it represents
Moshiachs way of absorbing the most profound and
hitherto elusive levels of G-dly knowledge to enable him
to usher in the Messianic Age.
TWO PHASES OF THE SHMA
This
question
prompted
the Midrash Tanchuma to cite
the law that prohibits one from
walking when accepting the yoke
of the Heavenly Kingdom by
the recitation of the Shma, but
permits movement when reciting
the Vahavta, the continuation of
the Shma.
The difference between these
two sections is encapsulated in
the Mishna (Brachos, Chapter
2). The Shma is the foundation
of Judaism because it is about
accepting the yoke of Heaven.
The paragraph that follows the
Shma deals with the acceptance of
G-ds commandments. Before we
can accept G-ds commandments,
the Mishna states, we must first
accept the yoke of the Kingdom
of Heaven, i.e., G-ds authority
to command.
We can now understand why
movement is restricted while
reciting the Shma. Forging a
relationship with G-ds very
authority requires our total
concentration. This is also why
we cover our eyes while reciting
the Shma as a way of blocking
out all outside influences. Even
the influence of serving G-d
through the observance of the
Mitzvos is a distraction at this
point.
This can be compared to the
construction of a multifaceted
building. While the building
itself will have multiple levels,
a plethora of rooms with
different shapes, sizes, colors
and multifarious uses, the

foundation itself is bland with a

single functionto serve as a
foundation for the structure. We
first have to create a solid and
stable foundation before we can
build a structure of many stories,
chambers and functions. And
while building the foundation we
must be far more concentrated
on doing it right lest the entire
structure that follows will
crumble with the slightest
amount of stress.
The analogue to all this is the
different attitude we must have to
the acceptance of G-ds authority
while reciting the Shma and the
acceptance of the Mitzvos that
follows. During the Shma we
must have a singular focus on
our total acceptance of G-d.
Acceptance requires more than
just believing in it; it also means
that we must internalize it so that
it permeates our entire being.
Moreover, when we recite the
Shma at the end of Yom Kippur
we are instructed to reflect on
our preparedness to even die for
G-d and not betray our faith in
Him. No other material, physical
or even spiritual interest must
enter our consciousness when we
recite the Shma.
Movement while reciting
the Shma is precluded for two
reasons.
First, it is hard to concentrate
when we are in motion.
Second, physical movement
is expressive of emotional,
intellectual and spiritual fluidity.
It indicates change and putting
oneself in a variety of locations.
One cannot be in multiple

places when focusing on G-ds

singularity and our singular
acceptance of that Divine
singularity.
Once weve graduated from
the stage of accepting and
internalizing the acceptance of
the Kingdom of Heaven with the
Shma, we can tolerate and even
appreciate movement. When
accepting the commandments,
the very backbone of Judaism,
we involve our mind, heart and
action. There are times when G-d
wants us to go in one direction
and other times when He desires
that we go in the opposite
direction. And while there is a
singular Divine source and a
singular objective, making the
world a dwelling place for G-d,
we approach our objective by
many pathways, directions and
locations.

THE TWO PHASES OF

AVRAHAMS LIFE
All of the above can be applied
to Avrahams life, divided as it was
into two phases: his foundational
stage with his acceptance of the
yoke of the Heavenly Kingdom
and his structural stage, with his
transformation of G-ds plan into
reality.
In the first phase, Avraham
developed awareness of G-d as
the Supreme Being. Accepting
G-d as his Monarch entailed
more than declaration of the
Shma. Avraham strived to make
this awareness fill every fiber of
his being to the point where he
was prepared to die for this belief.
Indeed, the Midrash relates how
Avraham was thrown into a
fiery furnace because he refused
the demand of King Nimrod to
worship other g-ds.
During this first stage,
when his foundationand the
foundation of all future Jewish

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generationswas being forged,

Avraham could not move.
He couldnt segue into the
mobility stage because he was
still concentrating fully on his
stationary stage of accepting and
internalizing G-ds sovereignty.
Once Avraham reached the
age of 75 and had developed a
firm footing he was ready for the
movement stage of his life. His
physical movements expressed his
ability to relate to different people
and situations and infuse them
with G-ds teachings of justice
and kindness with a monotheistic
underpinning.
Thus,
the
Midrash
Tanchumas discussion of the
law against movement during the
recitation of the Shma parallels
the first stage of Avrahams
life before he received G-ds
command to travel.

A GLARING OMISSION!
This
explains
another
anomaly. The Torah is silent
about Avrahams entire life up to
his 75th year. In the early period
of his life Avraham actually
passed the first of his ten tests,
and was prepared to die rather
than bowing to an idol. Why
would such an important part of
Avrahams life be omitted?
In light of the above
comparison of Avrahams early
life to a foundation we can
understand why that phase
was hidden from our view. A

foundation is concealed from

view. While it contributes
strength and stability to the entire
structure, the foundation remains
hidden from view and is largely
inaccessible.
So too, Avrahams early and
foundational phase of life was
kept from our view in the Torah.
But by no means is that meant to
minimize its importance.
Whenever we recite the Shma
and hide our eyes it should
remind us of how Avrahams early
life was hidden from our view
while building the foundation of
his life and that of all the Jewish
people.

THE END IS WEDGED IN

THE BEGINNING
The early Kabbalistic work
Seifer Yetzira, attributed to
Avraham himself, states: The
end is wedged in the beginning
and the beginning is wedged in
the end.
If Avraham represents the
beginning of our Jewish nations
history, the end surely is the
Messianic Age.
Just as the beginning of the
beginning required a singular
devotion, one that could not
stand to be diluted by any other
spiritual focus, so too our
generation, the last of exile, must
also exhibit that singularity.
Our singular devotion must
be to finishing the process of

bringing the world to its state

of perfection, i.e., the Messianic
Age. All of our multifaceted
efforts and our many Mitzvos
must be directed to, and
permeated with, the overarching
themes
of
Moshiach
and
Redemption.
And just as the early phase
of Avrahams life was concealed
from our view, so too the last
phase of preparations for the
Final Redemption, the Midrash
tells us, will be one in which
Moshiach is concealed.
Moshiachs concealment is
not intended as a curse or an
extension of exile. Rather, it
represents Moshiachs way of
absorbing the most profound
and hitherto elusive levels of
G-dly knowledge to enable him
to usher in the Messianic Age. It
is the foundation of the imminent
future, may we see it unfolding
Now!

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PROFILE

BROTHERS IN ARMS SHL

Two brothers serve as shluchim, one in Ramat HaSharon and the other in Ramat
Aviv. The Katzavi brothers are young and dynamic. They were born in Ramat
Aviv and raised in a traditional family. While in high school, they were exposed
to the great light of the Rebbe and went to learn in Chabad yeshivos. Then
they married and went on shlichus. * They tell their story which began with the
older brother, Ziv (Zvulun), and continued with the younger brother, Elisha.
Ultimately, the entire family became closer to Judaism and Chassidus. * A
double story of tshuva and shlichus and a miracle story from the Rebbe.

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SHLUCHIM OF THE REBBE

By Yaron Tzvi
Photos by Yehuda Segev

e spoke with R Ziv

and R Elisha Katzavi
in the Chabad yeshiva
in Ramat Aviv. The
brothers were connected with the
yeshiva from their childhood in
Ramat Aviv. The older brother, Ziv

(Zvulun), has been working as a

shliach for the past eleven years in
the central Chabad House in Ramat
HaSharon under the directorship
of Rabbi Yehuda Butman. He is
a sought after speaker under the
auspices of Pardes, which is the

Tzach speakers bureau, and on

Channel 20. His younger brother,
Elisha, after a stint on shlichus
in the north, returned to his
childhood neighborhood and is
a shliach in the yeshiva in Ramat
Aviv. In an administrative position,

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Profile
he works on expanding the yeshiva
and giving back to the yeshiva that
he so benefited from.
I asked them to go back in
time and tell us the chain of
events that brought them to this
point.

GROWING UP
IN RAMAT AVIV
We come from a traditional
home, making kiddush Friday
night and going to the beach on
Shabbos day, said R Ziv. At
first, we did not experience any
acceptance at home regarding
our tshuva process, but in the
end everyone came around.
At a young age, I came to
the conclusion, as the story is
told in my bar mitzva Haftora,
about Eliyahu HaNavi on Mount
Carmel, that I could not continue
straddling the fence. I had to
decide what was true and follow it
till the end. The whole traditional
business didnt suit me anymore.
My parents did not understand
what had come over me, but
I had made a decision and I
stopped participating in things
that entailed chilul Shabbos. I
started going to shul on Shabbos.
I was in my early teens, but I had
a strong and clear sense of this is
how things should be done.
At that time, this was the
beginning of the 90s, Chabad
wasnt a strong force in our
area. I only remember Rabbi
Dovid Oshaki, the shliach to the
Tel Aviv neighborhoods north of
the Yarkon River, coming to sell
chametz in the neighborhood.
I was aware of Chabad mainly
from media advertising, like
Hichonu LBeeas HaMoshiach,
but I wasnt yet connected to
the Rebbe and to Chabad. Then
something amazing happened
that made a deep impression on
me.

THE REBBE HEARD

ME SPEAK TO HIM
One day, I found a picture
of the Rebbe in a closet at home.
I asked my mother who was this
man in the picture. She said she
didnt know aside from the fact
that he was a tzaddik and that her
friend told her it would be good
to have his picture in the house.
The picture, and knowing
he was a tzaddik, gave me much
chizuk. I was alone in my journey
toward Torah and mitzvos, and I
started talking to the man in the
picture while still not knowing
who he was.
A few months later, it
happened. My grandmother told
me that a letter had arrived for
me from America. It was a letter
from the Rebbe with a bracha for
my bar mitzva, which had just
occurred. I had not written to the
Rebbe; it was incredible that after
a few months of my talking to the
man in the picture, he suddenly
sent me a letter. I was very
excited and moved and I started
researching more information
about the Rebbe.
We asked R Ziv to discuss the
family side of things as relates to
his journey.
At first, the family was
opposed and afraid of what I was

doing, and later, the same thing

happened with my brother Elisha,
who is six years younger than me.
My parents did not understand
what was happening with us.
They saw that I was getting
involved and that my brother
was starting and at a certain
point they forbade me from being
mekarev him.
Did you stop?
R Elisha responded:
No way. My main coming
close to Chabad is thanks to
you, my brother. I was exposed
to Chabad thanks to you when
I was twelve and I started my
long tshuva process then, step
by step. I remember that at age
fourteen I committed to Chitas
under your influence. I remember
that you were at a Yud-Tes Kislev
farbrengen in yeshiva and you
called me from there to convince
me to make the commitment.
Like you, I went to an
irreligious high school. I stood
out because I wore tzitzis, had
a beard and a Yechi yarmulke,
and I put tfillin on with other
students. I would put a picture
of the Rebbe in the classroom
and write the Jewish date on the
board next to the secular date. I
wasnt afraid of anyone.
The two brothers smiled as
they spoke about the upheaval
they made in their family.
R Ziv: Over the years, our
parents softened and began
getting stronger themselves in
their Jewish practice. Our father,
R Nissan, now wears a big Yechi
yarmulke and has a Moshiach
flag on his car. Back then, I
didnt dream that the entire
family would become interested.
Today, our older sister Sarit,
who lives in Milan, is very active
in the Chabad community there.
R Ziv adds, In 5757, when
I was a teenager, I met R Yossi

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Ginsburg for the first time. He

had just come on shlichus to the
neighborhood. I heard a lot about
him before that from the young
people in the neighborhood and
one Shabbos we met on the
street and spoke. I told him that
I have a letter from the Rebbe
and he was impressed. He told
me that now too we can write to
the Rebbe and explained about
the Igros Kodesh. This was three
years after Gimmel Tammuz. I
was surprised that during a first
encounter with a youngster, he
told me about the Igros Kodesh,
but it made a big difference in
my life. It took me time until I
actually went to him to write to
the Rebbe. When I did, I was
amazed by the miracles from the
Rebbe in the Igros Kodesh. I
would go to his house every day
to learn Chumash and Tanya and
I would join him for kiddush and
the meal Friday night.
I was thinking of switching
to a religious high school and
managed to convince my parents
who arranged a place for me in
Yeshivas Kochav HaShachar.
I went to R Yossi to ask the
Rebbe for a bracha in the Igros
Kodesh. The Rebbes answer
was that there was a broad base
for spreading Judaism where I
was and he was surprised that
I wanted to leave and look for
other things overseas (the yeshiva
is located south of the Dead Sea).
So I remained in the secular high
school to be mekarev more boys.
In
amazing
divine
providence, I met my future
wife Michal there. Through me,
she became acquainted with the
Chabad movement. She later
went to seminary and years later
we married.

ELISHAS SHLICHUS
R Elisha, like his older
brother,
also
considered

switching
to
a
religious
environment, but a clear answer
from the Rebbe left him where
he was. So he became an active
shliach among the students.
I remember that I was fifteen
when I wrote my first letter to
the Rebbe with the help of my
brother Ziv. The Rebbes answer
was about my shlichus at that
time. The Rebbe wrote about
a bachur who does not know
much, but the little that he knows
should be used to influence
Jewish boys and girls in schools,
and he should consult with those
who understand these things. I
felt like it was a personal letter to
me because I really did not know
much about Chabad and about
how to spread the wellsprings.
One of the shluchim in the
yeshiva then, explained to me
that when the Rebbe writes,
Jewish boys and girls in school,
he probably was referring to the
chevra in the school I was in.
Years later, toward the end of
my schooling, I thought perhaps
I belonged in yeshiva and not in
a school that was irreligious. But
when I remembered this letter
from the Rebbe I knew I had
to continue my shlichus in the
school.
Since I saw myself as the
Rebbes shliach in school, I

tried to be an excellent student

in the chemistry track I was in
and to be socially active and not
isolated despite being religious
and a Chabadnik, which only
made my influence stronger.
The environment in school was
tolerant and respectful and not
only didnt they bother me about
mivtzaim, they cooperated with
me with great respect.
I remember that around
5764, they gave out gas masks
because of the security situation.
I took the opportunity to tell my
classmates that the Rebbe says
Eretz Yisroel is the safest place
in the world and there is no need
for masks. I even taught them
a song composed in Chabad
which says, Dont worry friends,
masks are only for Purim The
Rebbe promised Moshiach is
coming! I finished every test by
writing Yechi. I tried to do a lot
about publicizing the Besuras
HaGeula.
The staff at school and the
students just got used to me and
respected me. I remember how
one Friday, I did mivtza tfillin
and one of the mothers who
came to pick up her son gave me
a surprised look and went to the
principal. The principal looked
out the window of her office,
looked at me, and did not say a
word. I knew this was the power
of the Rebbe and my tmimus
(sincerity) in the things that I did.
In addition, I would correct
the Tanach teacher when she
cited inappropriate explanations
of stories from Torah. It reached a
point where she began by saying,
I am about to say something.
Elisha, forgive me, I know you
wont agree with me, but the
Education Ministry requires me
to say this. Some years later,
at an alumni gathering, every
graduate got up and said what
he was doing at that time. They

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Profile
all said they had been drafted
into this or that unit. I got up,
looking Lubavitch, and said I
had also been drafted. They all
looked at me in surprise. I said,
I am also in Tzahal Tzva
Hachana LGeula. They all burst
out laughing but my message got
across.

DIFFICULT MOMENTS
ON SHLICHUS
You told us about outreach
among your fellow students. Its
really unbelievable how a young
student, subordinate to the
schools administration, could
do what you did. Were there
also difficult times?
R Elisha: Of course! There
were definitely difficult times
and tests too. For example,
on the annual trip to Eilat in
twelfth grade, my last trip with
my childhood classmates, it
wasnt at all easy. I went along
knowing I would not be able to
participate in everything. I did
not participate in about half of
the activities. They all went to
the beach and I remained behind.
They all went to a disco, and I
stayed outside. On the one hand,
it wasnt easy because these were
my friends and our graduation
trip, but I know it was a very big
kiddush Hashem and my friends
were amazed. I am sure they still
remember my Jewish pride. It
certainly made an impact.
I was also a member of the
Tzofim (Israeli Boy Scouts) in
the unit located near the yeshiva.
I regularly did mivtza tfillin
there. In the main summer camp
of the Scouts which took place
in the HaZorea Forest outside
Yokneam, there wasnt much to
do so I put tfillin on with boys. It
wasnt difficult logistically. I just
stood anywhere and the kippa
and tfillin went from one to the
next. I put tfillin on with a few

dozen boys every day.

The people in charge of
the Scout unit who saw what I
did called me over one day for
a talk. They said this could not
go on and that some children
complained. The truth is, it really
got me upset. I felt alone and
was sure they would kick me
out if I continued. In the end, I
decided that no matter what, I
was continuing with mivtzaim.
This went on for several more
days until the end of camp and
to my surprise, I was not thrown
out and they did not talk to me
again. It just caused more guys to
put on tfillin.
What made you finally decide
to become a Chabadnik, other
than your brothers influence?
When I was sixteen, I went
to an 11 Nissan farbrengen. The
farbrengen took place during my
brothers sheva brachos. One of
the shluchim in the yeshiva at
the time, R Shauli Zohar, who
now lives in Crown Heights,
told me at the farbrengen you
are learning Tanya for two years
now. Let us make a chavrusa.
Stop in at the yeshiva on your
way home from school for a few
minutes every day and well learn
the daily Tanya together.
It was very hard for me
to make that commitment but
in honor of the Rebbes 100th
birthday I decided to do it. This
chavrusa was steel. We kept to
it tenaciously. For example, if R
Shauli was flying to the Rebbe, we
would continue on the phone. We
kept it going. What was mekarev
me was not necessarily the
content of Tanya, for as a young
boy I had not plumbed its depths
yet, and it wasnt the mashpiim.
It was the consistency of the
learning together, and the fact
that I went to yeshiva every day
to get a Mincha and to eat from
the kasha of Tomchei Tmimim

and become friendly with the

chevra until I felt at home. My
parents knew nothing about this.
I would arrive at yeshiva with my
school bag and continue on home
as though I was just coming from
school.

PARALLEL
PATHS CONVERGE
The two brothers progressed
in life, each in his own, albeit
similar, way. After high school,
Ziv began his army service while
going to the yeshiva in Ramat
Aviv every day to learn. After
the army, he began learning for
smicha in the first smicha track
rotation in the yeshiva.
In 5762, the day after he was
released from the army, he flew
to the Rebbe as a chassan. After
he married he set up his home, a

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Beis Chabad.
I was part of the building
up of the mosdos in Ramat
Aviv, including all the fights and
demonstrations that we had, at
first, with the local residents,
says Ziv nostalgically. In the
end, we had our breakthrough.
Today there are many mosdos
and the system we helped
build creates new families and
shluchim.
Elisha followed a similar
though different route. He
finished high school and deferred
his army service. Instead, he
learned for a year in Ramat Aviv
and then for two years in Tzfas,
Kvutza, and then remained an
additional two years in 770.
Over the years he completed
his army duty and you can count
on R Elisha for doing hafatza

there too. In 5771 he married

and he and his wife were on
shlichus for several years in the
north.
Five years after we married,
I went back to yeshiva, home,
and shlichus. Some of the rabbis
at the yeshiva referred to my
coming back to yeshiva with the
statement from Chazal, throw a
stick in the air and it will come
back down on its root. Every Jew
eventually returns.

INDIVIDUAL STYLES IN
THE ONLY REMAINING
SHLICHUS
Both of you are involved in
the only remaining shlichus,
kabbalas
pnei
Moshiach.
Please tell us your approach to
this.

R Elisha: At our Chabad

House people say that an aerial
attack alone is not enough. You
have to send in the foot soldiers
and finish the job. The nimshal
is, when you meet someone, it is
not enough to bomb him with
Torah and mitzvos. You have
to get him to advance, slowly,
and conquer one mitzva after
another.
Therefore, my goal when I
meet someone new is to forge a
relationship, not to suffice with
a one-time encounter. I want to
arouse his curiosity until he really
wants to continue the relationship
and come to the Chabad House
on his own.
The Rebbe gave us the
mivtzaim for this purpose. It is
amazing to see that out of all the
613 mitzvos (and all the rabbinic

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Profile
mitzvos), the Rebbe chose these
particular ones with which we
can be mekarev Jews.
When someone comes to the
Chabad House for the first time
to have his mezuzos checked or
to buy a mezuza, we consider this
an excellent opportunity to create
a bond. Our goal is to provide
far more than a mezuza. One
mitzva leads to another. When
the person receives his kosher
mezuza, he is receptive to the
next mivtza, tfillin, a shiur, etc.
There are people with whom our
connection began with tfillin and
for some it was a letter in a Torah
scroll.
After making a connection
with a mekurav, he becomes
receptive and he gets it all, mainly
connecting to the Rebbe and
the message of preparing himself
to welcome Moshiach. In my
experience on shlichus, there is
no Jew who is not a vessel to
understand that our generation
is the generation of Geula and
the Rebbe is Moshiach. It is all a
question of how you approach it,
and as the Rebbe himself writes,
By explaining about Moshiach
as it is explained in the Written
and Oral Torah, in a way that can
be received by every single person
according to his intellect and
understanding (sicha, Chayei
Sarah 5752).
Everyone can understand the
inyan of Moshiach; our job is to
figure out how to present it and
explain it. To do this, we have a
tremendous aid the Rebbes
mivtzaim, each of which provides
a special way to explain the inyan
of Moshiach.
If we put some thought into
it and there is a meeting of the
minds between two Jews, then
through mivtza kashrus you can
transform a kitchen as well as the
Jew himself until his yechida is
ignited and then everyone can see

that he is a Moshiach Yid.

R Ziv: Every Chabad Chassid
asks himself the question again
and again. It might be a visit to
an office, a flight, waiting on line.
He asks himself: Nu, if you are
really permeated with the spirit
of shlichus, what are you doing
now?
If the question was asked
when the Rebbe came out with
mivtza tfillin, no doubt, the
immediate answer would have
been tfillin! To put tfillin on with
someone and talk to him about
the importance of the mitzva
and maybe convince him to start
putting them on himself, to check
his old tfillin Then invite him
to visit the Chabad House and
from there, even the sky is not a
limit.
When we go to kasher a
kitchen or put up a mezuza, we
also talk about Shabbos candles,
mezuzos, tfillin, a pushka
But there is always one central
theme. Its not our invention but
what the Rebbe says. As was
said several times, in addition
to the joint work in the general
avoda of shlichus now and
then something new is added in
shlichus, a special shlichus which
permeates all aspects of shlichus,
and becomes the gateway through
which all aspects of shlichus go
through ...
It is clear what the burning
topic for the Rebbe is, as he
says in that sicha: All details
in shlichus in spreading the
wellsprings outward need to be
permeated by this point how
does this lead toward welcoming
Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
The Rebbe sent you because
he relies on you, that you will
know the right thing and the
right time for every person. There
is no winning recipe for everyone
equally, because people are
different.

Theres a reason the Rebbe

first said to prepare oneself and
then the people of your city.
There is an order to it. You need
to live Moshiach, to live Geula, to
understand that everything you
do needs to be permeated by it
to the point that even if you help
someone change a tire, he sees
that you live Moshiach, breathes
Moshiach, and look forward
to the Geula. From there, it
will permeate him; it makes no
difference how you choose to
work with him when you live with
the main point.
In the Rebbes sichos of
5751-5752, he asks us to open
our eyes and see the Geula. To
live Moshiach, to welcome him.
The time has come that we give
some more time to thinking
how to work with the Jew we
encounter
inside
ourselves
and not only with those on the
outside. The moment we open
our eyes, we will discover that
the people around us are all
living with it too and are ready to
welcome Moshiach with the true
and complete Geula.
What is your message for
people making a similar journey
as yours, a journey in which a
significant change is made in
ones way of life?
R Ziv: I think this is an
opportunity to convey an
important message about our
process - that the best way to
be mekarev family members
who oppose what youre doing
is to show them simcha, the
taanug and light that you have
from learning Chassidus and
from the tshuva process. Be
an example, dont force it. This
approach draws people close and
automatically makes an impact.
R Elisha nods his head in
complete agreement.

14 10 Cheshvan 5777
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ubhcr ,pue

Kupas Rabbeinu

jhanv lkn r"unst e"f ,uthab ,j,

Lubavitch
(718) 467-2500

P.O.B. 288 Brooklyn, New York 11225

(718) 756-3337
z"ga,wv hghcav asuj v"c

Keren Hashono
Ato Horeiso
To All Of Anash And Tmimim whjha
The Rebbe was accustomed to request after the selling of the Pesukim of "Ato Hereiso" that the
following should be announced "Your word to Hashem is equal to physically giving to a person."

In many of his Sichos the Rebbe recalled words of the Alter Rebbe concerning the greatness of the quality of alacrity in all matters pertaining to Torah and Mitzvohs, especially
regarding the Mitzvah of Tzedaka, he stressed, that one should act as quickly as possible.
In keeping with this dictum we wish to remind all those who had the merit of buying a
Posuk of Ato Hereiso this Simchas Torah for the Merkos (which is under ihe leadership of
Rabbi S.M. Simpson in accordance with the Rebbe`s instructions) to bring their pledge in as
expeditiously as possible to the offices of either Rabbi Simpson or Rabbi Groner or to send in
their pledge to the address below.

Keren Hashono: A special tzedoko fund which the Rebbe established in 5714, from
which tzedoko is given twice a day (except Shabbos and Yomtov), before Shacharis and before
Mincha> This assures that all participants in this fund, fulfill the mitzvo of tzedoko twice a
day. One is to contribute sums in the amount of days of the coming year. This year, 5777 has
353 days. The sums can be in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars etc., for each member of the family.
May giving of this Tzedaka speed the coming of the full Geulah through the revelation of
Melech Hamoshiach.

Rabbi S.M. Simpson

VAAD KUPAS RABBEINU

Rabbi Y.L. Groner

P.S. Based on the Rebbe's Sichos those individuals who were not able to buy a
Posuk on Simchas Torah can still participate by sending their donations now.
Pidyon money etc. can also be sent to the above.
Please make all checks payable to KUPAS RABBEINU.
Eretz Yisroel address: KEREN KUPAS ADMU"R / P.O.B. 1247 / KIRYAT MALACHI / ISRAEL

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CHABAD HISTORY

THE RUSSIANS
ARE COMING
The Frierdiker Rebbes Phone Call to the
Chairman of the JDC * The Rashags efforts in
securing funds for the 800 Chabad Chassidim
who escaped Russia and were en-route to Poland
* Sometimes they have extra special expenses,
such as they had last week in connection with the
arresting of a group of 38 people * Also: The list
of the Chabad Chassidim who left Russia which
lists Rebbetzin Chana, and her Emigrant Card *
Third Installment

n the previous installments

we presented the efforts of
the Frierdiker Rebbe and
his son-in-law the Rebbe
in helping the Jewish refugees of
World War II who were strewn
across Europe in various Displaced
Persons (DP) Camps. The work
focused on providing Jewish
literature, ensuring the people
have access to Kosher food and
the children have access to Jewish
Education.
Towards the end of 5706 (1946),
the refugee work took on another
dimension. Thousands of Chabad
Chassidim managed to escape
Russia with Polish passports, and
settled with the rest of the Jewish
war refugees in DP Camps. The
Frierdiker Rebbe, with the help

of his son-in-law the Rashag, began to work on resettling them

in a new country, and providing
for them with means to support
themselves and their families.
One of the people who managed to escape was Rabbi Binyamin Eliyahu Gorodetzky, who
was instrumental in helping the
Chabad Chassidim escape Russia. In the beginning of 5707 he
was appointed by the Frierdiker
Rebbe to spearhead the efforts
to help the refugees, both the
physical aspect of resettling the
Chabad Chassidim in France and
Israel, and the spiritual work with
the general population.
With this third installment we begin the story of the Chabad refugees from Russia. These fasci-

nating documents are part of the

JDC Archives (which were digitized and uploaded online, thanks
to a grant from Dr. Georgette
Bennett and Dr. Leonard Polonsky CBE).

800 CHASSIDIM
ARE COMING
On October 23, 1946 [28 Tishrei 5707], the Rashag, Rabbi
Shmaryahu Gourary, writes a
letter to Mr. Joseph Hyman, the
Vice Chairman of the JDC:
Dear Mr. Hyman:
According to information I
have received, our group in
Warsaw, Poland, receive very
little assistance, almost next to
nothing, from the Joint.
Today I received an alarming
cable from Prague, Czechoslovakia, that additional 800
persons are coming to Poland.
Aid on a large scale is badly
needed for them.
I beg you kindly to cable to
your overseas office about
giving substantial aid to these
800 persons, and to our
group at large.
Awaiting your prompt attention in this matter, I remain,
Very sincerely yours,
Rabbi S. Gourary

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Rebbetzin's Chana Emigrant Card

To this letter was attached the

copy of the cable from the Chabad
Chassidim in Prague:
Rabbi Schneerson, 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY
We spoke to Yitzchok Goldin. 32 people arrived. There
are 800 [still] there. Three
[hundred] have Kesubos
[=papers] and five [hundred]
dont. We need immediately
10,000 Shkolim [=Dollars]
to save them. Please notify
us immediately, and also notify Goldin, Kalmanson [and]
Pewzner.

A PHONE CALL FROM

THE FRIERDIKER REBBE
The next day, October 24 1946
[29 Tishrei 5707], Dr. Bernard
Kahn, honorable Chairman of
the JDC, received a phone call
from the Frierdiker Rebbe, who
personally discussed with him the
matter of these 800 refugees. This
was described in a short Memorandum written by Dr. Kahn on
that day:
Memorandum
I had a telephone call from the
Lubavitcher Rebbe, who told
me the following:
Eight hundred people of his
group, that means either
Chassidic families or Yeshi-

vah people of the Lubavitcher

Yeshivah type, returned about
two days ago from Russia to
Warsaw and are in great need.
It is requested that the JDC
cable to Dr. Schwartz or to
the office in Poland directly
asking that help be extended
to these people.
Please inform me whether
such a cable can be sent.
The Rashag was also on the
phone, and on the same day he
sent a letter to Dr. Kahn, reiterating what was discussed at this
phone call, and providing some
more details:
Dear Mr. Kahn:
As per our telephone conversation today, during which I
related to you about the cable
we have received from Warsaw, I wish to clarify in more
detail what it is all about.
A group of 800 persons of
religious Jews, among them
students of our Yeshivoth
and other laymen, who are all
known to us personally, are
due to arrive in Poland.
According to the cable they
are in immediate need of at
least $10,000.I beg from you to please cable to your office overseas,

Rebbetzin's Chana Emigrant Card

to come to the rescue of this

above mentioned unfortunate
group as soon as possible.
I thank you in advance for
your generosity, and remain,
with sincere thanks and all
good wishes,
Very sincerely yours,
Rabbi S. Gourary
A day later, on October 25 1946
[1st day of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 5707] Dr. Kahn sent an internal memorandum to Mrs.
Henrietta Buchman in which he
describes why an immediate reply
is needed:
Memorandum
Subject: Lubavitcher Group
in Warsaw
My secretary informed me
about the conversation she
had with you on the matter,
which is the object of the attached letter from Rabbi S.
Gourary.
I personally have no recommendations to make. As I was
approached directly by the
Lubavitcher Rebbe and, in
addition, by Rabbi Gourary,
who considered it a very urgent matter, I only wanted the
office to give an immediate
reply

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Chabad history

FROM HUNDREDS
TO THOUSANDS
The JDC agreed to help the
Chabad Chassidim escaping Russia, and they sent money to help
the Chassidim survive. Over the
next few months, the number of
refugees which arrived and those
who were in transit swelled to over
2,000, as detailed in the following
letter sent by Mr. William Bein
(JDC-Warsaw) to Dr. Joseph
Schwartz, the head of European
Operations of the JDC, on January 14 1947 [22 Teves 5707]:
This is to follow up my letter
#4 concerning the Lubavitcher. Since inception up today
there arrived in Poland 1,233
persons, with the first lot
around May 435. You will remember that we granted them
a monthly subvention of Zl.
200,000. With my letter #4
I notified you that about 700
persons are in Lemberg whose
arrival was expected daily. We
agreed with Mr. Gurewicz
that JDC will allow about
2,000 zl. for every person to
cover emergency expenses,
maintenance and transporta-

tion while in transit in Poland

and the following groups arrived since: 36, 59, 100, 320,
making totally 524. For these
we placed at their disposal
$1,400. Now arrived another
141 and 123 that makes 264.
Summarizing all the persons
arrived up to-day we come to
a total of 1,223 souls.
For the latter group of 264 we
allowed $600. Of course the
Lubavitcher claim that our allowance is not sufficient. This
however, we consider fair as
an average, although sometimes they have extra special
expenses, such as they had
last week in connection with
the arresting of a group of 38
people. We issued some clothing to the Lubavitcher and
will have to continue to do so
as the people arrive literally in
rags.
Now I am told that additional
386 persons are assembled in
Lemberg and their arrival is
expected soon. I am also told
that many of the Religious in
Russia learned that there is a
possibility to be repatriated
via Krakow - Nachod and the
number of those who came to
Lemberg for the purpose to
continue their way is swelling
daily. I am informed that with
exception of the last 100 most
people left already Poland. It
is merely a question of money. If they would have funds,
many would come.
I merely want to have your
opinion on the matter and
also your authorization to
continue our contribution at
the present rate or somewhat
higher, let us say, 2,500 zl. for
each person.
With best regards,
Yours truly,
William Bein

THE LIST OF CHABAD

CHASSIDIM IN POLAND
Attached to Mr. Beins letter was
the list of the first group of 435
Chabad Chassidim in Poland.
The list was compiled in Hebrew
by one of the members of Igud
Chabad in Poland, and translated to English for the JDC office.
After each name is the number of
people in the family, in parentheses. Among the names one finds
Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, the
mother of the Rebbe:
Yaakov Lipsker (7)
Alexander Menkin (5)
Chaim Schmuklerman (2)
Leib Lipsker (11)
Chaim Chaikin (5)
Eli Shmuel Kahanov (2)
Moshe Neimark (7)
Zushe Dvoretz (4)
Charne Zabine (3)
Shmuel Lyuboshitzky (2)
Michoel Piekarsky (4)
Moshe Puretz (6)
Shimon Pantzik (3)
Avraham Yitzchok Korenblit (2)
Shmuel Wasserman (3)
Reuven Dov Naparstek (4)
Moshe Beitsch (2)
Nachman Kronenberg (2
Avraham Averbuch (6)
Yosef Silbirger (4)
Schneur Hurwitz (5)
Yitzchok Goldin (3)
David Berman (3)
Yaakov Steinberg (4)
Meir Grinblatt (3)
Shlomo Shimonowitz (5)
Yisroel Bott (2)
Mania Shagalov (5)
Leib Tzivak (7)
Shmuel Yosef Ehrlichgirecht (4)
Leib Ralman (3)
Leib Lipszyc (4)
Shlomo Grosfeld (3)

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David Eisenwasser (4)

Shlomo Markowitz (5)
Yehudis Segalov (1)
Nissen Pinsky (2)
Aharon Littman (4)
Mordechai Esterman (4)
Moshe Winorsky (5)
Rivka Liss (3)
Chanoch Zelikovsky (2)
Boruch Lepkivker (4)
Berush Guttman (2)
Dovber Levitin (4)
Leib Shpitz (2)
Dovber Grossbaum (1)
Gittel Breiner (2)
Nissen Nemanov (8)
Widow of Mordechai Tzvi (4)
Peretz Mochkin (4)
Levi Yitzchok Schapiro (4)
Lipa Schapiro (5)
Chaikul Chanin (4)
Chaim Minkowitz (4)
David Bravman (3)
Zalman Kalmenson (3)
Tzvi Galtzik (3)
Zalmen Liachov (3)
Zalmen Levitin (4)
Shimon Yaakovshvilli (4)
Yisroel Levin (8)

Avraham Drizin (11)

Shmaryahu Feldman (6)
Mordechai Perlow (7)
Mendel Dubrowsky (2)
Zalman Shimon Dworkin (6)
Korf, Yehoshua (10)
Son of Yisroel Levin (2)
Zalman Wilenkin (2)
Yehuda Chein (4)
Eli Lipsker (4)
Yaakov Sperlin (4)
Zalman Duchman (3)
Rebbetzin Schneerson (1)
Widow of Hendel of Pleshnitz (3)
Naftali Junik (5)
Meir Zarchi (5)
Shaul Raskin (2)
Widow of Mordechai Hirsh Mestana (4)
Moshe Sudakevich (6)
Avraham Yaakov Levitin (3)
Widow of Shmuel Marozov (1)
Widow of Lipa Dubrawsky (2)
Students of Yeshiva Tomchei
Tmimim (25)
Meir Gorelik (4)
Yosef Rivkin (7)
Zushe Rivkin (2)
Mendel Rabinowitz (3)

Yosef Brikman (5)

Zalman Feldman (4)
Binyomin Levin (4)
Michoel Teitelbaum (2)
Hillel Pewzner (2)
Broche Marozov (3)
Sholom Mendel Kalmenson (1)
Avrohom Meir Zucker (2)
Yechezkel Lokshin (1)
Berl Levin and his brother (2)
Dovber Shaikevitz (1)
Chonon Shiff (1)
Sholom SLavin (2)
Chana Schapiro (5)
Shlomo Matusof (1)
Zelig Katzman and his brother (2)
Bentzion Wengerow (1)
Eli Chaim Obolskoi (3)
Dovber Kievman (3)
Shmuel Yitzchok Raitzes (5)
Shmuel Gurevich (3)
Avraham Kievman (5)
Yitzchok Mendel Liss (4)
Yisroel Glassbaum (1)
Gershon Roitblatt (1)
Michoel Roitblatt (1)
Chaim Albrich (4)

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HAYOM YOM & MOSHIACH

HAVE A
HAPPY
WEEK
By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader shyichyeh,

We have BH had a very
successful Shnas Hakhel and
Tishrei. It is time to start a new
series for this year. While I was
considering what the series
should be about, I recalled a story
I heard last Tishrei from Rabbi
Akiva Wagner, Rosh Yeshiva of
Yeshivas Lubavitch in Toronto.
An elderly Chassid who had
just come out from behind the
Iron Curtain had come to Crown
Heights to see the Rebbe for the
first time. When he arrived, his
friends that had previously come
out of Russia made a special
welcome farbrengen in his honor.
When they finished, and it was
time for bentching, he asked
them to bring a cup of wine.
The Chassidim told him that
being that there was no Minyan
present, there was no need to
lead the bentching over a cup of
wine.
The Chassid looked up in
surprise and said, Does it not
say clearly in the HaYom Yom
that you should try to bentch with
a cup of wine even when there is
less than a minyan? His fellow
Chassidim could not remember.
They took a HaYom Yom off the
shelf and opened it. Sure enough,
it is clearly written (14 Kislev):

We say Birkas HaMazon with a

cup of wine, even if there are not
ten present.
The local Chassidim were
shocked. How was it that they
who had much more access to
sfarim did not know this fact,
and the Chassid who just came
from Russia, where there was
a true lack of Sfarim, knew
and internalized this fact? The
Chassid, seeing their expressions,
explained: Dus iz der chiluk
tzivishen a geshribene HaYom
Yom un a gedrukte HaYom Yom
This is the difference between
a written HaYom Yom and a
printed HaYom Yom!
He
elaborated,
The
Chassidim that are in America
do not need to put forth much
effort into obtaining a HaYom
Yom. Anyone can go to the store
and buy a printed Seifer. I,
continued the Chassid, had no
store in Russia at which to obtain
a HaYom Yom. When I heard that
a certain Chassid in Russia had a
copy, I traveled to his house and
spent the entire night copying
the HaYom Yom by hand. Such a
HaYom Yom, one does not forget
the details that are in it.
This story made me reflect
on the importance of the Seifer
HaYom Yom, the first Seifer

that the Rebbe published. There

are tremendous lessons that the
Rebbe teaches us in this special
Seifer, yet, all too often we do
not give the right attention to
what is being taught. With this
in mind, I would like to begin a
series based on the teachings of
the HaYom Yom. We will try to
keep it timely and practical. It is
self-understood that since it is
our shlichus to greet Moshiach
and all our activities must go
through that gate, we will be
applying the lessons learned to
our Avoda to bring the Geula.
This series would also fit with
the well-known saying brought in
Chassidus from the Seifer Yetzira:
Nautz Techilasan BSofan
The beginning is wedged in the
end. The HaYom Yom is the first
Seifer that the Rebbe printed. In
the last year of Sichos that we
merited to hear
have thus far
from the Rebbe, the Rebbe spoke
about empowering us to bring the
Geula. It is most appropriate to
connect these two components.
Regarding
this
weeks
parsha, Parshas Lech Lecha, the
Rebbe teaches in HaYom Yom
(3 Cheshvan): BReishis is a
cheerful sidra, even though its
ending is not all that pleasant.
Noach has the Flood, but the

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week ends on a happy note with

the birth of our father Avraham.
The really joyous week is that of
Parshas Lech Lecha. We live every
day of the week with Avraham,
the first to dedicate his very life to
spreading Gdliness in the world.
And Avraham bequeathed his
self-sacrifice as an inheritance to
all Jews.
Many ask the question: Even
in Parshas Lech Lecha there are
some disturbing and seemingly
negative occurrences. There is
the famine and the descent into
Egypt, the split with Lot, and the
marriage to Hagar which brought
about the birth of Yishmoel. If so,
it is not such a happy Parsha!
I would like to suggest a
possible answer: The HaYom
Yom does not say that the reason
for the happiness is because of
the events in the Parsha. What it
does say is that the joy is from
the fact that we live every day
of the week with Avraham, the
first to dedicate his very life
to spreading Gdliness in the
world. The Rebbe knows that
during the week of Parshas Lech
Lecha there are many events that
may not seem positive and happy,
yet this HaYom Yom reveals the
source of true happiness: When
you are living with Avraham and
focused on spreading G-dliness,
then you are not affected by the
vicissitudes of life.
This is a tremendous lesson in
Hiskashrus and in being focused
on our Avoda to bring the Geula.
One may feel that if he is overly
focused on connecting to the
Rebbe and on the special shlichus
that the Rebbe gave to each and
every one of us on 28 Nissan
5751 I have done all I can.
I give it over to you. Do all that
you can to bring the righteous
redeemer, immediately! I have
done my part. From this point
on, all is in your hands... it will

take away from his inner peace

and joy.
This HaYom Yom is telling
us that on the contrary! True
menucha, inner peace, and
joy come when you are living
with the Avraham Avinuof our
generation, the Rebbe, and you
are totally focused on seeing the
world the way the Rebbe sees it;
a world that is waiting to become
the dwelling place for Hashem
with the revelation of Moshiach.
It is not an abandoned jungle,
rather a Garden of Hashem
that is waiting to give forth the
most luscious fruits and delights.
If that is our outlook, then we
are not thrown off-balance by
the changes and challenges of
the world and day-to-day life,
because we are focused on our
mission and we are living with
our Rebbe.
Confusion comes when there
are unexpected turns of events,
things that change our plans
and goals. It is very hard to
remain constantly optimistic and
joyous when there are so many
unexpected turns in life.
When somebody feels that
he cannot live with the Rebbe
in 5777 It is so many years
since or that the Rebbes
mission, announced on the
very first day of accepting the
leadership of Dor HaShvii in
the Maamer Basi LGani, to
complete the process of drawing
down the Shchina within
specifically our lowly world,
is not realistic in our times,
that person will feel lost and
abandoned. He will have good
moments and also lonely and sad
moments.
When we are living with
the Rebbe and his shlichus to
bring Moshiach then there are
no obstacles. It is all part of
Hashems plan to bring the world
to Geula, so we can be truly

happy all the time and have true

menucha.
Let us finish with the words
of the Rebbe (Lech Lecha 5752):
As mentioned several times, all
the appointed times have already
concluded, and my sainted
father-in-law, the leader of our
generation, has announced that
tshuva has already been done
and we have also polished the
buttons. Therefore, according to
all the signs, our generation is
the last generation of exile and
automatically the first generation
of Redemption. What this time
requires is that one should
prepare in reality to Get you
out of your land... to the land I
will show you, imminently and
immediately.
Particularly
in
our
generation, the last generation
of exile and the first generation
of Redemption, there should be
a special emphasis on the Divine
service of Get you out of your
land... to the land I will show
you, and the acquisition of all
ten lands. This must be reflected
primarily in an increase in Torah
study, which foreshadows this
service. This needs to be not
only with his three intellectual
faculties as they are connected to
his emotional character traits, but
also in the essence of the three
intellectual faculties. What this
means specifically is an increase
in the study of the inner teachings
of the Torah (with intellectual
explanations),
including
the
subject of Redemption and our
righteous Moshiach.

Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh

Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch
Cincinnati and a well sought after
speaker and lecturer. Recordings
of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei
Geula uMoshiach can be accessed
at http://www.ylcrecording.com.

Issue 1043

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FEATURE

HAKHEL
EPILOGUE
Hundreds of families went to the Rebbe this
past Hakhel year. Some of them shared their
experiences with us. * These are the stories of
the Ceitlin and Sukhaik families.
By Yaron Tzvi

TRAVELING WITH FAITH

What better way to start the
Hakhel year than by spending
Tishrei (5776) with the Rebbe?
But what do you do when you
want to take everyone along and
there are ten children?
This is the story of R
Rachamim (Rami) and his wife,
Deganit, Sukhaik from Even
Yehuda, who went to the Rebbe
for Tishrei with their entire
family, twelve people!
The couple became involved
with Chabad years ago in South
Africa and continued their
spiritual journey in Eretz Yisroel.

They are close with the shluchim

in Even Yehuda, Menachem
and Chaya Neuman. They told
us about their Tishrei with the
Rebbe in a Hakhel year with their
family.
The idea of going to the
Rebbe was postponed several
times. The original plan was to
fly for our daughters bas mitzva
around Gimmel Tammuz, but
it was postponed because of
our sons upsheren that we did
at Miron. We went through a
number of life situations and
finally began thinking of flying
for last Tishrei, said R Rami.
It was difficult logistically

and financially and required a

generous dose of daring too.
Mrs S: For me, it was very
important that we find a decent
place to stay for the month. As a
woman and mother who would be
going with all her children, that
was the most important thing.
Previously, I had had unpleasant
accommodations when I went
to 770. We were less prepared
that time and I slept on a thin
mattress in a moldy basement. I
did not want to go through that
again. I told my husband we had
to find a normal place.
A few days before our flight,
we found a terrific place opposite

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770 for our entire stay. That was

a sign to me that our plan was
well received.
R Rami: For my wife, our
accommodations were the key,
while for me, the main thing was
being able to buy tickets and that
the trip be financially feasible.
Things worked out, little by
little. The two older ones, Netanel
and Binyanim, learn in Chabad
yeshivos in Tzfas and Netanya.
They got tickets for themselves
through the Dor Deia contest.
My bas mitzva age daughter
got a ticket as a gift for her bas
mitzva and I got a ticket from ElAl through their miles program.

We had to buy six tickets, which

cost about 30,000 shekels. I had
no idea where that money was
coming from.
One day, we were surprised
to get a new credit card in the
mail. I called a travel agent and
asked him to try to charge the
full amount but it did not work.
I told him to try 29,500 shekels
and it went through! That is how
I bought the tickets. We paid for
the rest of the expenses with our
money and with money from a
gemach, the main thing being to
travel to the Rebbe.
We ended up coming
for Sukkos and stayed until

after Shabbos BReishis. The

experience was incredible. I
thought we were coming as
guests but in the end, we ended
up hosting quite a bit in the
apartment we stayed in. The
older ones were on their own
in what to them was familiar
territory. We managed to get
the most out of every moment
materially and spiritually and
absorbed G-dliness. Even the
budget we made was just enough.
At first, we were under pressure
because of the sheer amount
of hosting we did, but heaven
directed things so there were
identical expenses every day and

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Feature

R Uri Ceitlin and his daughter in Crown Heights

we were able to plan and cover

the costs. We didnt even leave
Crown Heights to go shopping.
We had everything we needed
and there was no reason to
distance ourselves from 770, nor
did we want to.
It was a terrific experience. I
felt how the Rebbe was, so to say,
patting me on the back with the
gesture I received from him when
they honored me with hagba
with the Torah of Moshiach on
Hoshana Rabba. I felt it was a
sign of affection from the Rebbe.
Mrs. S: My message to those
who go is dont be afraid! If you
see brachos from the Rebbe that
the Rebbe wants you to go to him
then things will definitely work
out well. We live Moshiach and
the Rebbe is here. The trip to 770
shakes things up in life and puts
them on a truer and more proper
plane. Dont skip it. Get up and
go and the Rebbe will take you on
eagles wings.
R Rami: I second what my
wife says and want to add that
its a fantastic experience for a
family to go together for yom tov.
It is educational and builds family
unity. The Rebbe takes care of
all the details. We spent tens of
thousands of shekels and dont
regret it for a moment. We know
that the Rebbe pays it back big
time. He already paid us so much

R Rami Sukhaik holding the Torah of Moshiach

when he brought us to Chabad.

THE TRAVEL AGENT

CONFIRMS
R Uri and Mrs. Inbal Ceitlin
live in Petach Tikva, where they
moved a few months ago to be
closer to Inbals parents. R Uri
comes from an irreligious family
in Ramat Gan and became a
baal tshuva seven years ago,
thanks to the shliach in India,
R Shimi Goldstein. His wife is
from a traditional family and she
came to Chabad from the knitted
yarmulke crowd. She learned in
Pnimiut in Ramat Aviv for a few
years before she married.
When they flew to the Rebbe
for Chanuka, they were living
in Rechovot. We asked them to
tell us a bit about their decision
to fly for Chanuka in a Hakhel
year with their seven-month old
daughter and another on the way.
We decided to fly for
Chanuka because it is a very
special time. We felt that we
wanted to thank the Rebbe, to
thank and praise for your
miracles and your wonders
because we both became Chabad.
We found one another and
married and we also received a
wonderful little girl. We felt we
needed to thank Hashem and
the Rebbe for what we got and

Chanuka is an appropriate time

to give thanks for the miracles.
We also wanted our daughter
to absorb 770 from a young age,
said Uri.
The truth is, we were nervous
about the cold during that time of
year, said Inbal. But when we
arrived, it wasnt as cold as we
thought it would be. We were able
to stay with a lovely family who
hosted us and everything worked
out well. Even the long trip with a
six-hour stopover in Turkey went
smoothly. We divided the costs of
the tickets and our stay through
a payment plan and we managed.
We felt it was an enormous
zchus to go to the Rebbe for
Chanuka. Our daughter was at
the rally, along with hundreds of
other children, in 770, and did
not stop smiling.
I was used to flying alone
and would stand in the front
row at every one of the Rebbes
minyanim. I was afraid that this
time, traveling as a mother of a
baby, that I would have to make
changes in my priorities due
to circumstances and needs.
But I saw that it actually wasnt
necessary. I did whatever I had
done previously and my daughter
cooperated. Hashem helps, after
you take the first steps. You
just need to decide to go and
start making inquiries and it all

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works out. Whoever flew to the

Rebbe saw the divine providence
involved.
The
Chanuka
atmosphere so captivated us that
we didnt even feel like going
shopping.
We asked the Ceitlins for their
message:
We brought bikkurim to the
Rebbe. That is how we felt when
we brought our daughter. Of

course, everything needs to be

done with vessels of tikkun, by
consulting with a mashpia, etc.
But you need to go to the Rebbe,
especially in a Hakhel year.
Whoever went saw that it worked
out and all their apprehensions
vanished. Our specific feeling
was gratitude and we came to
say thank you to the Rebbe. It is
healthy for body and soul to go
to the Rebbe. Its a wonderful

experience for children and

parents and the family unit.
Why would someone spend
thousands of dollars to travel
to a beis midrash in New York?
Are we lacking battei midrash in
Eretz Yisroel?
There is only one Beis
Rabbeinu ShBBavel until it flies
on clouds to Yerushalayim. Until
then, we all fly to the Rebbe!

Continued from page 33

official residents of the Kfar, but

thanks to the Rebbes brachos,
we live in the Kfar.
Today, all the Gindi children
live in Kfar Chabad and are
Chassidim
in
every
way,
mekusharim to the Rebbe and
involved in communal matters.
***
As mentioned earlier, the
hostel was officially closed
in 5747 after the stream of
immigrants diminished, and
those who came were sent
elsewhere.
For a few years, the large
building
was
vacant
until
5750 when thousands of the
Chernobyl children came. This
is not the place to describe the
events of those days. However,
when orders came from the
Rebbes secretariat to bring the
children to Eretz Yisroel and
rescue them, various agencies got
to work.
The more time passed, the
more dangerous it was for the

children. It was decided to place

the boys in the immigrant hostel
building that had stood empty
for a few years, while the girls
were placed in the large Beis
Rivka campus where they had
dormitories and fully supervised
accommodations.
For fifteen years, many
groups of children arrived who
needed medical treatment. The
organization that was formed
specially to deal with them helped
with their medical and emotional
rehabilitation, as well as their life
and living arrangements when
they left.
Now that the danger from
radiation has diminished and
Chabad outreach has developed
in the former Soviet Union,
especially in the Ukraine, almost
no children are sent to Eretz
Yisroel.
The shul at the former hostel
is still active and is used on
Shabbos by Chassidim who live
in the area.

succeeded.
After such a big miracle
through the Rebbes bracha, we
connected to Chabad. When
my father visited the Halabi
community in New York, they
tried to convince him not to
remain in Eretz Yisroel because
his children would not make it
religiously, but when he told them
that we were in the immigrant
hostel in Kfar Chabad, they all
agreed that that was the only
good place for a family in Eretz
Yisroel.
These two things motivated
my father to do all he could to
remain in Kfar Chabad. When
they wanted to close the hostel,
they told my father that he had
to move. My father told the
Agency people, I will continue
to live in Kfar Chabad in a
tent if I have to; I refuse to live
anywhere else. There were many
other difficulties on the way to
achieving our goal becoming




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Rabbi Jacob Schwei

HISTORY

NEW OLIM
ABSORPTION CENTER
IN KFAR CHABAD
At the entrance to Kfar Chabad, on a small hilltop, among pine and
eucalyptus trees, is a large building which doesnt quite fit into the
pastoral surroundings. The building was used as a hostel for immigrant
families who arrived in Eretz Yisroel from the United States, Western and
Eastern Europe. Many irreligious families that made aliya went to this
Chabad hostel where they met religious Jews for the first time
in their lives. Here they absorbed the light of Torah
and got a taste of holiness. * Nosson Avrohom
visited the historic building and spoke
with many of the people who
worked there.

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hen you enter Kfar

Chabad, you cannot
help but notice the
large building among
the trees on the right side of the
main entrance to Kfar Chabad.
At the foot of this building are a
row of houses where Lubavitcher
families live.
Nearly forty years have passed
since the day this building was
built. It is much larger than the
other buildings in Kfar Chabad.
It was built on a hilltop and looks
out over Kfar Chabad.
Probably most young people
in Kfar Chabad, and even
those who are middle aged, are
unfamiliar with the history of the
building. As for me, as a child
growing up in Kfar Chabad, it
wasnt one of the places where
we hung around.
***
Around Eretz Yisroel today
there are thousands of immigrant
families who came from America,
Europe, Russia, the various
satellite countries of the former
Soviet Union, and even Iran and
Syria. Many spent some time in
Kfar Chabads immigrant hostel
where they first absorbed the
atmosphere of Eretz Yisroel as
experienced through a Chassidic
filter. Many of those people
still keep in touch with various
shluchim around the country
thanks to those first days spent
in Eretz Yisroel when they got to
meet Chabad Chassidim.
To the Jewish Agency, the
Joint, and the government
officials of those days, it was just
another place where immigrants
were sent when they first arrived
in Eretz Yisroel. But this is not
how the Rebbe viewed it. It was
the Rebbe who brought up the
idea to Mr. Shneur Zalman
Shazar, head of the Jewish
Agency at that time. The Rebbe
wanted the Jewish immigrants

to be in a place that reminded

them of their traditions. This
would counter the heretical and
liberal atmosphere which greeted
the immigrants upon their
arrival, despite many of them
having come from traditional,
conservative
communities.
Many immigrants were shocked
when they arrived, seeing
permissiveness rather than a life
of Torah and tradition.
This was the idea behind the
founding of the immigrant hostel,
the premise being that their first
impression was most important,
and this impression should be
one of Torah and mitzvos in
a Chassidic atmosphere. The
Rebbe asked the families in Kfar
Chabad to help the immigrants
and to invite them for Shabbos
meals.
The Rebbes efforts were
successful and the immigrant
hostel was founded. Its superior
reputation got around and many
new immigrants, no matter
their Torah background, asked
the absorption officials at the
airport to send them to Kfar
Chabad. More than the good
physical amenities at the hostel,
the immigrants were greeted
by a devoted staff of Chabad
employees who took care of all
their spiritual needs.

THE REBBE SENT THE IDEA

IN WRITING TO SHAZAR
On Pesach Sheini 5726/1966,
the Rebbe began to discuss
with Shazar his desire to open
a hostel in Kfar Chabad for new
immigrants. This was after the
founding of Beit Shazar in the
center of Kfar Chabad. At that
time, many immigrants arrived
in Eretz Yisroel from the United
States and Europe. In a long
letter, the Rebbe wrote to Shazar
about the necessity of opening
a hostel for immigrants and his

ideas about it:

There is a necessity for
new immigrants from our
former country who are not
accustomed at all to a normal
Jewish, traditional way of life,
certainly not a Chassidic one,
outside their homes, and did
not see a Jewish street and
Jewish environment like that
of Kfar Chabad to be, at
least for a few weeks, in the
atmosphere and surroundings
of Kfar Chabad whose influence
they greatly need. In order that
as soon as they arrive in our
Holy Land they should enter
into a Chassidic routine, a life
routine that is established and
organized which already exists
in the Kfar for eighteen years
now, where they will find people
their age, old people and middle
aged and young people too. So
that then, in the language of
our Sages the first, the first
will be nullified, and they will
acclimatize to a Chassidic way
of life lived openly without
difficulties
and
mishaps.
Therefore, it is vital and most
effective to build apartments
and a hostel for them in Kfar
Chabad.
After describing the benefits
that would accrue from drawing
close the new immigrants as well
as for the old timer Chassidim in
the Kfar, the Rebbe concluded
with these warm words:
Much more can be said about
this and I am only bringing up
the main points, in addition to
the main thing, that one such as
yourself does not require going
on at length about matters in
which you have contemplated,
thought deeply and lived (the
Rebbe added in Yiddish lived
in, lived over and lived through)
these many years.
The Rebbe had already
written to him about the idea in

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History
general terms and two years later
the Rebbe expressed his gratitude
in a letter upon being informed
that construction had begun.
Rabbi Zalman Sudakevitz, an
askan in Kfar Chabad in those
days, says:
R Binyamin Gorodetzky
came on a special mission from
the Rebbe, with copies of the
exchange of letters between the
Rebbe and Shazar regarding the
hostel for immigrants which was
planned for Kfar Chabad. This
hostel was part of the government
plan to establish ten immigrant
hostels in various cities. Shazar
dealt with this with the help of
friends of R Gorodetzky from
the Joint, and I was asked to get
involved.
It was a long and exhausting
effort, since it wasnt the norm
for an agricultural settlement to
absorb new immigrants. Being
the deputy head of the district
municipality and member of the
Urban Development Committee,
I had a good relationship with the
Interior Minister. Ultimately, we
overcame the problems and got
the necessary permits. A contract
was drawn up which said the
building would be funded by the
Joint and the Jewish Agency, and
this funding would be deemed
to be rental fees to Kfar Chabad
which provided the land, and
that after a set number of years
the building would become the
property of the Vaad of Kfar
Chabad.

THE REBBE TAKES

AN INTEREST IN THE
CONSTRUCTION
At first, the idea was proposed
that part of Kfar Chabad Beis
would be designated for Russian
immigrants, but the Rebbe
suggested and insisted that
Kfar Chabad Beis be designated

primarily for a girls school,

while in the original Kfar Chabad
they should build the hostel for
immigrants from Russia.
The Rebbe did not suffice with
letters to Shazar and got many
Chabad askanim involved. In a
private meeting with R Zushe
Wilyamowsky on 11 Tishrei 5727
about the needs of the Kfar, the
Rebbe discussed the immigrant
hostel, as detailed in his notes
recorded after that yechidus:
Rebbe: Whats with the
immigrant hostel? Where is it
located? How many floors are
they building? How many living
units will it have?
R Zushe: They wanted
to build near the youth center
(Beit Shazar) and now they are
planning on building next to the
vocational school on one side
and the home of [R Aharon]
Friedman on the other side
There are now eighty units in the
preparatory stages.
Rebbe: If possible, the
[immigrant
hostel]
should
have just two stories, two and
a half stories, so it should be
in a more rural and not urban
form, but if they already began
work on three stories, not to
make problems for them, for we
dont need delays, just speed. In
general, since there are cutbacks
in the various ministries there
needs to be an established grip
on the construction through a
substantial beginning such as real
indications that construction has
already started ...
R Boruch Gopin, a member
of the Vaad of Kfar Chabad at the
time, says:
The treasurer of the vaad, R
Zalmanov, and myself went twice,
accompanied by people from the
Jewish Agency, to already existing
immigrant hostels, to find a
model that we could copy at Kfar
Chabad. After many travels, we

found that the hostel in Ashdod

was most suitable for us and we
copied the construction in Kfar
Chabad.

YOU ARE MEANT FOR

BIGGER THINGS
After the building was
completed and immigrants began
to arrive, the Rebbe repeatedly
asked how they were doing and
how things were progressing.
He also sent many letters and
instructions to R Shlomo
Maidanchek, the director of
the vaad. In a letter of 23 Elul
5734/1974, we see the Rebbes
concern for the immigrants:
To the immigrants who are
in the immigrant hostel in Kfar
Chabad in our Holy Land,
greetings!
In advance of the New Year
which is coming upon us and all
the Jewish people for good and
blessing, I express my blessing
to each and every one of you,
a blessing of being written and
sealed for a good and sweet
year, materially and spiritually.
From time to time I ask and
receive information about your
progress regarding how you
are managing, materially and
spiritually. May it be Hashems
will, who supervises every single
one with particular supervision,
that you settle down in the best
possible way, both materially
and spiritually, and as fitting
for Jews with the supremacy
of spirituality over materialism
and form over coarse matter.
If this ought to be the case
everywhere, all the more so
in our holy land, a land upon
which Hashem your G-ds eyes
are from the beginning of the
year until the end of the year.
May there be good news in
all the above-mentioned in the
New Year.

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Respectfully
and
with
redoubled blessing for a good
and sweet year
M Schneersohn
Encouraging letters like this
were received every so often.
After
the
hostel
was
established, the Agency appointed
R Moshe Pollack, from Mizrachi,
as the general director. The
Vaad Kfar Chabad had to pick
an administrative director of
its own for the place and they
chose Mrs. Sarah Raskin. She
worked devotedly in this position
for twenty years until the mideighties.
We met with Mrs. Raskin in
her home in the center of Kfar
Chabad and she emotionally
told us her memories of those
wonderful years:
When
my
husband,
Menachem Mendel, and I arrived
in Eretz Yisroel and settled in
Kfar Chabad, we already had
two children. Back then, the Kfar
was just developing. The roads
were not paved and there were
no phones, but the achdus was
fantastic and real.
One day, I heard that a
branch of Bank HaDoar was
going to open in Kfar Chabad
and my friend, Mrs. Glazman,
recommended
me
as
an
employee. The financial situation
at the time was tough. Fruits and
vegetables were not plentiful as
they are today. I would give the
apple peel to my older children
and the soft inside to my younger
children. My husband worked
hard as a shochet but parnasa
was difficult. Of course, I was
happy with the job offer but the
Rebbe thought otherwise.
We went to the Rebbe that
year and the Rebbe asked me
in yechidus what I was doing
for parnasa. I told him about
the possibility of working at
Bank HaDoar and said its

Shazar meets the Rebbe

hard, especially with two young

children. I tried to convey that I
believed I could manage, but the
Rebbe interjected, Your abilities
can be used for far bigger things.
Around that time, R Shlomo
Maidanchek asked me to host
the farbrengens in which they
hosted the leaders of the State.
He considered my home a
model of a simple, Chassidic
home. I was happy to oblige. In
my childhood, in my parents
home in Leningrad, Chassidim
would come and go, to and
from our house. Of course,
I did not hesitate. On special
days in the calendar, Knesset
members, ministers, and people
from the military and the police
would come. President Shazar
visited twice along with the great
Chassidim. I would serve gefilte
fish and other refreshments. The
kibbutznikim among them would
marvel and say the food brought
them back to their childhood.
Then they began looking for
a woman to run the immigrant
hostel and R Maidanchek chose
me. I got along well with Mr.
Pollack, the Agency appointed
director,
who
appreciated

my
professionalism.
Many
immigrants who came to Eretz
Yisroel exerted pressure and
submitted requests to go to the
immigrant hostel in Kfar Chabad.
In the early years, religious
Jews came from the US and
Europe. Most of them were
intellectuals and educated. They
were greatly impacted by the
Chassidic atmosphere of Kfar
Chabad.
Throughout
the
years,
the hostel was praised by the
Agency and various immigration
branches of the government.
When they wondered about the
secret to our success, I would say,
We have the Rebbe who blesses
us. The Vaad Kfar Chabad
contributed tremendously to the
success of the operation.
As for the Rebbes brachos,
I made it a point to write
occasional reports to the Rebbe
about the hostel, knowing that
he considered it quite important.
In private audiences and in
responses to my reports, I would
receive encouraging answers.
The Rebbe spurred me on.
To the Rebbe it was very
important that the immigrants
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History
be impacted by the atmosphere
in the Kfar. Every Shabbos,
the immigrants would be sent,
according to a rotation system,
to families in the Kfar. The hosts
were always very gracious. In
addition to delicious food, the
guests listened to a thought on
the parsha, Chassidic stories, and
in general, were infected by the
passion and enthusiasm of the
Chassidim who had just left the
Soviet Union.
Throughout the years of
the hostels operation, we were
visited by high level government
guests who accompanied R
Maidanchek and other askanim
from
Kfar
Chabad.
They
expressed their amazement over
the Chassidic-village pioneering
and the Jewish atmosphere.
Some of the people in the
Kfar, as well as her children,
called Mrs. Raskin Maon
(hostel) instead of Ima, as a
result of her utter devotion to the
needs of the immigrants.
In those days, there werent
phones in every apartment and
communication was inadequate.
The immigrants who needed help
with everything, felt comfortable
visiting Mrs. Raskins home at all
hours of the day to get advice and
support.
The
immigrants
from
Georgia who made aliya during
the Chassidic aliya from Russia
in the mid-70s were very
traditional. One day, a middleaged couple came to us with a
girl and a boy. I welcomed them
even though I knew they had
been assigned to a hostel in a
different city. They told me they
were supposed to be elsewhere
but they asked to be transferred
to the Kfar, since in the place
they were supposed to go there
were many Georgian immigrants,
including from their city, and
they were afraid.

I did not understand what

the problem was. I would have
thought they would be happy
to be with their social group. I
questioned them and tried to
understand and then the woman
burst into tears. I was taken
aback and tried to calm her
down.
After a few minutes, when
she had calmed down a bit, she
told me that she wasnt actually
Jewish but she wanted to convert.
Every time she tried, they
dismissed her request. At first, I
was stunned. I did not know what
to say to her. Finally, when I had
recovered somewhat, I told her to
bang on the table and state that
she wanted to convert. I could
see that she was sincere.
After a long time in which
she studied Judaism with Mrs.
Gnesia Shneur (who gave
shiurim at the hostel) she went
through the conversion process
under the supervision of Rabbi
Ashkenazi.
I think that if the Georgian
community has such a strong
affinity for Chabad, it is thanks to
the fact that many of them passed
through the hostel and absorbed
the Chabad atmosphere as soon
as they arrived in this country.
***
Memories of how they were
treated at the hostel were not
forgotten even many years later,
as Mrs. Raskin went on to relate:
My son goes twice a week to
do mivtzaim at the airport. There
are workers there who used to live
at the hostel and they mention me
to him with excitement. Despite
the many years that passed since
then, they appreciate what they
got here.
Mrs. Raskin finished her job
in the middle of 5745 when the
waves of immigration nearly
stopped, while those who still
arrived were not sent to Kfar

Chabad. Two years after she left,

the Agency closed the hostel.
The division of labor between
the Jewish Agency and the Vaad
Kfar Chabad worked out as
the Rebbe wanted. The Agency
took care of material matters
and the people of the Kfar took
care of the spirit by instilling
Jewish tradition, and especially
Chassidic enthusiasm, within the
immigrants.

5732: IMMIGRANTS FROM

THE SOVIET UNION ARRIVE
In the years 5732-3 a crack
opened in the Iron Curtain and
hundreds of Chassidic families
emigrated from the Soviet Union
to Eretz Yisroel. This caused a
real demographic shift among
the immigrant population of the
hostel. The atmosphere changed
from formal to homey, and inside
the walls of the hostel there was
an authentic Chassidic feel.
The Chassid R Simcha
Gorodetzky was one of the
honored personalities at the
hostel. He served as the spiritual
guide and mashpia of the hostel.
He will not be forgotten by those
who lived there. His warmth
and willingness to help while he
himself lived with little amazed
people. His authentic Chassidic
persona along with his hearty
Chassidic conduct won the hearts
of many immigrants who forged a
strong connection to Chassidus.
R Simcha infused an atmosphere
of brotherliness among the
immigrants. He gave shiurim on
the parsha and halacha between
Mincha and Maariv, he ran a
gemach and gave loans to all in
need, even when he knew that the
person he was dealing with was
very poor and had little chance of
repaying the loan.
Every
immigrant
(from
Russia, and in earlier years, more

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from the US and Europe) knew

that R Simchas heart was wide
open to hear his woes. He was
willing to listen and ready to
help both spiritually and mainly,
materially.
His son Mordechai relates:
One Chol HaMoed Pesach
I was in Kfar Chabad and I
davened in the Gindi familys
shul in the Levi Yitzchok
neighborhood. When I had an
aliya and was asked my name,
I said, Mordechai ben HaRav
Simcha. When they realized
that I was the son of R Simcha
Gorodetzky, one of the Gindi
brothers told me about my
fathers great impact in shaping
his familys Chassidic life after
making aliya. He said that when
they came to Eretz Yisroel, each
of the seven brothers was given
a pair of tfillin from the Agency,
but my father asked them for the
tfillin and a week later brought
each of them mehudar pairs
according to Chabad custom.
R
Michoel
Kil
of
Yerushalayim, who lived with
his brothers and parents in the
hostel at the beginning of 5730
after making aliya, described R
Simcha:
He was a big help to
new
immigrants,
spiritually
and mainly materially. Many
immigrants arrived with almost
no money and their situations
were not easy.
He was an incredible
model of bittul to the Rebbe,
said Mrs. Raskin. In his
authentic Chassidic behavior he
managed to influence everyone,
the inhabitants as well as the
employees who expressed their
amazement and admiration of
him.
R Kil added, He was a man
of truth. The Jews who came from
Bucharia did not know much
about Judaism. Their spiritual

The sign set up by the Jewish Agency

at the entrance to the immigrant hostel in Kfar Chabad

level was low and he took them

on and helped them in the most
astonishing way. Many of their
children and grandchildren who
follow our traditions have him to
thank.

SHIURIM FOR
NEW IMMIGRANTS
Shiurim were given for
the immigrants in the hostel.
Rebbetzin Sima Ashkenazi was
one of the people who gave
shiurim.
At first, when immigrants
came from Europe and the US,
I gave a shiur every Shabbos on
the parsha in easy Hebrew. Later
on, when many Russian Jews
came, there were a lot of older
women who did not understand
Hebrew, even easy Hebrew. Out
of respect for them, I switched

to giving shiurim in Yiddish and

thanks to them, I now speak a
better Yiddish. I broke my teeth
until I got used to it.
The shiurim made an
enormous impact. Eleven years
ago, I stayed with a wonderful
family named Gold in Crown
Heights. They had made aliya
decades ago from the US and
had lived in the immigrant hostel.
They said that the impact of those
shiurim is still with them today.
In the immigrant hostel there
was a small hall that was used for
local simchas, lectures, and to
spread the wellsprings. Rebbetzin
Ashkenazi continues:
I used the hostels hall for
lectures on Judaism. At a certain
point, I found out that the nurses
at the clinic in Kfar Chabad
were talking to the women about

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History
limiting family size. I decided to
do something about this.
I went to the Health Ministry in
Ramle together with Mrs. Gnesia
Gopin and we spoke with the
supervisor, a Jewish woman from
Bulgaria who was not religious. I
asked her to convene the nurses
so we could give them a shiur
that clarified for them the view
of halacha and Judaism. At first
she refused, We cant add a
class since the study schedule
is closed. We tried looking for
other options but she remained
adamant. We left her candle
sticks for Shabbos candles and a
phone number and we left.
Apparently, what we said to
her gave her no rest and a few
weeks later she called Gnesia
and said that she freed up time
so she could accommodate our
request. I used the hall at the
immigrant hostel, which was one
of the only halls in those days in
Kfar Chabad. Duba Kaminetzky
and Sarah Raskin helped me
host the nurses in two groups
on two Fridays. We used the
opportunity to give them a tour
of Kfar Chabad. The shiur began
with a sicha from the Rebbe
encouraging birth and then we
had a program and a discussion.
As a result of this the issue was
resolved. Later on, they would
send me a car so I could come
and lecture to them on the topic.
Mrs. Gnesia Shneur was
responsible for the shiurim at
the hostel and she herself gave
shiurim in halacha:
I taught Hilchos Shabbos,
Kashrus and Family Purity. I saw
the effect my shiurim had. There
were those who arrived in Eretz
Yisroel without basic knowledge
of Judaism and they became
Chassidim, and even those who
did not become Chassidim,
ran their homes according to

halacha. There are families that

arrived with meager knowledge
of Judaism and thanks to the
shiurim, not only did they change
their homes, but their children
are shluchim today!
I lived near the hostel and
once in a while I would go there
and volunteer to learn with the
women. One time, R Tzvi Hecht,
who was in charge of Jewish
matters there, asked me to start
working at the hostel on a regular
basis by giving classes.
Over the years, there were
many interesting stories as a
result of the shiurim. One time,
I was learning the laws of Family
Purity with a young woman, and
her mother-in-law began yelling
at me. After calming her down,
I found out that where she came
from, they used a bathtub and
not a mikva. It took me hours to
appease her until she agreed with
what I said.
Gnesia spoke about how the
Rebbe viewed their work at the
hostel:
I realized the Rebbes
positive attitude toward the
immigrant hostel in 5730 when I
was asked to be the house mother
at Beis Rivka. That year I had
yechidus and I asked the Rebbe
for a bracha while saying that I
gave shiurim at the hostel. When
the Rebbe heard that, he said, if
so, I should not start working
at Beis Rivka. Only years later,
when the number of immigrants
began to slow down significantly,
and my work at the hostel
stopped, did the Rebbe approve
of my working at Beis Rivka.

THE REBBE MAINTAINED

CONSTANT CONTACT
R Tzvi Hechts official job
from the Jewish Agency was
cultural director, but his
real job was director of Jewish

activities. He was helped by Mrs.

Batya Naparstek as well as by
R Michel Rubashkin who was
the afternoon clerk and helped a
great deal.
The connection with the
Rebbe was serious and constant,
said R Hecht. We wrote to the
Rebbe about every activity we did.
We also encouraged the people
living in the hostel to write to the
Rebbe and ask for his blessing in
their personal matters. There is
no question that the Rebbe was
very fond of the hostel and those
who lived there. I remember that
one year an American who had
shalom bayis problems wrote
to the Rebbe and received a
swift reply to discuss it with a
knowledgeable rabbi. This greatly
strengthened him and after a
while I heard from him that all his
problems had been resolved. One
year we even had a representative
from the hostel who won the
raffle and was sent to the Rebbe
on behalf of the Chassidim in
Eretz Yisroel.
One of our blessed activities
was the Melaveh Malka which
we held with lots of people in a
Chassidishe atmosphere. People
who moved from the hostel
to other cities would ask for
a Melaveh Malka like in Kfar
Chabad. A few times we got
calls from other places with the
question, What is that special
thing that you do on Motzaei
Shabbos?
After the Melaveh Malka,
Chassidim and others would
come to farbreng with the people
in the hostel based on their
interests. When there was a large
group of Georgian Jews, for
example, we brought Chacham
Refael. Among the regulars who
farbrenged were R Yisroel Brod,
R Aryeh Kelner, R Yona and R
Meilich Lebenhartz. Those were
sweet moments that are etched in

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the hearts of both the mashpiim

and the immigrants.
R Tzvi Hecht, like his
predecessors, also says the impact
on the immigrants lasted many
years after they left the hostel.
The following story illustrates
that:
One year, they came to me
from the yeshiva in Kfar Chabad
and said that a former resident
of the hostel had become wealthy
and had made a sizable donation
to the yeshiva. He asked to send
me regards.
In the early years, religious,
academic immigrants from the
United States and Europe lived
in the hostel. The rabbanim, R
Meir Tzvi Gruzman and R Berel
Kesselman would give shiurim
there with the latter giving a shiur
in Gemara every Wednesday. The
immigrants would argue with
him and were very satisfied.
I wont forget another
colorful personality from those
days, the partisan, R Zushe
Wilyamowsky. He always came
and asked what was going on. In
addition, guests from the Jewish
Agency came often. For a while,
senior people from the military
came to see what the immigrant
hostel in Kfar Chabad was about.
The place became a brand name
so that even the Agency people
took pride in its success.
In general, whoever left the
hostel, left with a fondness for
Chabad even if they didnt put on
a gartel and a sirtuk. People were
exposed to generous portions
of quality spirituality, and as R
Simcha Gorodetzky would say,
When there is good gashmius,
you can demand ruchnius.

FROM SYRIA
TO KFAR CHABAD
The Gindi family (mentioned
earlier) was one of hundreds

HE KEPT HIS PROMISE

R Tzvi Hecht has a story about the early days at the immigrant hostel:
In one of the early years there was a simple Jew at the hostel. I once
asked him why he did not attend any of our shiurim. He said, After I make
my first million, I will start learning.
I took this as a polite refusal. How surprised I was when a number of
years after he left the hostel he showed up at a reunion we had arranged for
those who had passed through the hostel over the years. When I reminded
him of what he said, I found out that he had been very successful in the
business he started. He divided the profits among his children and kept
some in a personal fund and he used his spare time to learn.
and even thousands of families
who came to Eretz Yisroel and
lived in the hostel for a while.
This family miraculously escaped
from Syria and ended up in the
immigrant hostel of Kfar Chabad.
Immediately upon their arrival,
they brought a fresh spirit of
revival to the place.
Towards the end of 5744, we
arrived after many wanderings to
the hostel in Kfar Chabad, began
one of the brothers, R Avrohom
Gindi. I was a young kid. I
remember that my father was
amazed and excited by the place,
which looked like a Jewish place
in the fullest sense, as well as by
the people who ran and worked in
the place. Mrs. Sarah Raskin and
Mrs. Batya Naparstek welcomed
us warmly and took care of all
our needs. My brothers were set
up in appropriate schools and
the rest of my family as well, all
in the best possible way. The shul
on the premises operated part
time in those days since some of
the older Russian immigrants did
not know how to read and write
in Lashon HaKodesh and were
ashamed to go to shul.
My father took the initiative
and gave new life to the shul. The
Russian immigrants who saw us,
young ones, taking an interest
in the shul and being involved
in all the tfillos, began to attend
too. We were very influenced
by the Tanya classes given by

R
Mordechai
Nachimovsky
who served as rav of the hostel.
I remember my father leaving
Friday night, after his shiur,
being very impressed. Another
personality who had a formative
impact on our stay at the hostel
was R Simcha Gorodetzky.
We were very impressed by his
Chassidic appearance, something
we were not used to in Syria. His
humility and righteousness won
our hearts. We were supposed to
spend nine months at the hostel
but ended up staying there for
twelve years!
Regarding
his
fathers
decision to remain in Kfar
Chabad and not to leave like the
rest of the families, R Avrohom
said the following:
We left Syria thanks to
a bracha from the Rebbe. We
became connected to Chabad
Chassidus after two of my
brothers and sisters were able
to escape but we, the rest of the
family, failed in our attempts to
escape. My brother Ezra, who
was by the Rebbe, received a
bracha that we be able to get
out. My brother immediately
called and explained that we had
received the blessing of a great
tzaddik. At that time, we did
not yet know of the Rebbe and
we were afraid of getting caught
again, and yet, we tried and
Continued on page 25
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TZIVOS HASHEM

A HAPPY
SHABBOS
By Nechama Bar

One day, someone who

was not a Lubavitcher Chassid
walked into 770. He went over
to Rabbi Groner, the Rebbes
secretary, and told him that
he was planning a business trip
to Europe.
Please arrange a private
audience for me with the
Rebbe, he requested. I would
like to ask the Rebbe for a
bracha for the trip.
looked
secretary
The
packed
the
through
appointment book and finally
managed to find him a few
minutes with the Rebbe. The
yechidus was arranged for a
Sunday.
Although the man was not a
Chabad Chassid, he had heard
many miracle stories about the
Rebbe. He prepared himself for
his meeting with the Rebbe. In
the few days that remained,
he spent more time learning
Torah, he said a lot of Thillim,
and tried to concentrate when
he davened.
appointed
the
When
day and time arrived, he
entered the Rebbes room
(called Gan Eden HaElyon

by the Chassidim). The Rebbe

welcomed him graciously and
the man felt like he was the
Rebbes only son. He told the
Rebbe about his upcoming trip.
The Rebbe listened and then
asked. Where will you spend
next Shabbos?
The man said, According
to my plan, I will leave Europe
on Thursday and arrive in
New York on Friday morning.
Shabbos begins at seven oclock,
so there is no concern about
chillul Shabbos. With Hashems
help I will spend Shabbos with
my family and even have
plenty of time to get ready for
Shabbos.
The Rebbe gazed at him
and listened to every word.
When the man finished, the
Rebbe asked again, Where
will you spend next Shabbos?
not
did
man
The
understand why the Rebbe
was asking again when he
had already answered. He was
not a Chassid and he did not
realize that every word the
Rebbe says is precise.
The man repeated what he

said, that the flight was for

Thursday and with Hashems
help he would arrive on Friday
and he would spend Shabbos
with his family at home in
New York.
The Rebbe listened and
asked a third time, Where
will you spend next Shabbos?
The man realized that the
Rebbe had heard him and that
something was behind the
Rebbes question. He remained
silent.
After a few seconds of
silence, the Rebbe blessed
him, Hashem will help that
wherever you will be, you will
have a happy Shabbos.
The man left the Rebbes
room in confusion. He told R
Groner what happened and
said, I dont understand your
Rebbe.
This wasnt the first time
that the Rebbe said something
that sounded strange which,
in the end, was understood.
He reassured the man, saying
that surely they would soon
see what the Rebbe meant.
The man flew to Europe,

34 10 Cheshvan 5777
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On
planned.
as
he
after
Thursday,
finished his business,
he boarded the plane
back to New York. The
plane took off and
everything seemed to
be moving smoothly.
on
passengers
The
board were napping,
eating, reading, when
pilot
the
suddenly,
announced that they
were going to make
an emergency landing
in Greenland due to
a problem with the
plane. He reassured
the passengers that
wasnt
problem
the
dangerous and within a
short time they would
resume their flight to
New York.
emergency
The
well and
went
landing
breathed
gers
the passen
relief.
a sigh of
oclock
Twelve
noon on Friday, the man
was still in the airpor t in
Greenland. They finally heard
the announcement over the
loudspeaker that the flight to
New York would be leaving
shortly and the passengers
should get ready to board.
He looked at his watch,
made a quick calculation, and
began to wonder whether
he could board the plane. He
spoke with the crew and they
told him that the plane would
land in New York on Friday
after Shabbos began. He went
over to the gentile supervisor
and explained that for religious
reasons he would not be able to
board the plane. The supervisor
accepted what he said but did
not express any willingness to

help him find a place to stay.

The man didnt know what
to do. After much searching
he finally found a room in
the airpor t with a sign, No
Entry.
He opened the door and
to his great surprise he saw
a religious Jew with a beard
sleeping on a plain wooden
bed. At the sound of the door
opening, the Chassid woke up
and asked the man, What are
you doing here? And where
are you planning on spending
Shabbos?
I ended up here due to a
mechanical glitch, and now,
please tell me, what are you
doing here?
The Chassid smiled and
said, I am a shliach of the

Rebbe.
Lubavitcher
y base
militar
a
is
There
Jewish
many
with
here
Rebbe
The
soldiers.
spend
to
here
me
sent
and
them
with
s
Shabbo
.
chizuk
give them
You are invited to
join me on Shabbos. I
have just one problem. I
have a special pass that
enables me to enter the
base, but I dont have a
pass for you. I will try
to arrange it with the
commander.
Chassid
The
a few
for
disappeared
came
then
and
minutes
good
the
back with
for
pass
a
got
news, I
you!
the
Throughout
man
the
Shabbos,
tagged along with the
Chassid. He enjoyed the
sichos of the Rebbe and
the Chassidic tales that
the Lubavitcher told
the soldiers. He took pleasure
in seeing the soldiers listening
closely to what the shliach had
to say. It was an opportunity
for him to see a shliach of the
Rebbe in action and to get a
taste of the tremendous work
the Rebbe does through his
shluchim.
Now the yechidus with the
Rebbe was fully understood.
The Rebbe had given him
advance notice of his delay
and had even blessed him with
a happy Shabbos, and it was!
Upon his return to New
York he hurried to 770 to tell
R Groner about the Rebbes
miracle and that is how we too
got to hear another miracle
story.

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