Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 11, 2024

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

As this Friday is Beis Iyar, the 191st birthday of the Rebbe Maharash, his new Kapital Tehillim is Chapter 42. At least on his birthday we should say his new Kapital, (if for some reason one did not remember or get around to say it in on Friday, then I assume it should be said on Shabbos or the first time you realize it).

As the Rebbe stated many times, the Rebbe Maharashs motto and indeed the way he conducted his entire life was in the manner of Lchatchilla Ariber Not to be intimidated by any obstacle, but to go above it. In this article I am focusing on how the Frierdiker Rebbes approach in many or perhaps all of his communal matters were also conducted in this manner.

I came to this realization while working on the Frierdiker Rebbes biography. While this can be seen in many aspects of his activities, in this article I will be focusing on the chapter that I am presently researching and writing.

As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated. But this time it is even more so. Being that I am planning on using some of this information for my upcoming biography on the Frierdiker Rebbe, if you have additional details or insights, it would be especially appreciated, as it will enhance his biography for everyone.

Helping His Chassidim Resettle After the War

Before and during WWII the vast majority of Lubavitcher chassidim lived in Russia, so those who were fortunate and survived the war had no choice but to remain there, as Russia wouldnt let them leave. However, some months later there was a glimmer of hope for many of them.

During the war hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens, fled to Russia to escape the Germans may their name be erased. Additionally, at the beginning of the war Russia and Germany divided Poland between themselves, so there were an untold number of Polish citizens in Russia. Now Poland demanded that their citizens be granted the ability to return.

Russia agreed and even arranged the train transports to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of Polish refugees to return home. The agreement also allowed for Polish citizens to return to Poland with their Russian spouse. So, the first chassidim that left were those who were legally allowed to go. That was around Pesach of 5706 (1946). [Ny great uncle, Reb Eli Chaim Roitblatt was one of those, and being that he was legally allowed he boarded the train in Tashkent and not in Lvov (Lemberg) as most Chassidim did).

Hearing that they arrived safely without too much scrutiny, the thought came for others to try to leave Russia as well. The plan was to use the passports of Polish Jews who sadly had passed away during the war and to assume their identities.

Additionally, some Polish Jews willingly gave up their passports to help a fellow Jew, as they themselves would claim that their passports were either stolen or lost. This wouldnt prevent them from returning as they spoke Polish fluently and knew the names of the officials and geography etc. The authorities would believe them that they are Polish citizens, and allow them to return without a passport.

This enabled around a thousand Lubavitcher families to leave Communist Russia, during the next nine months, until the program came to an end on the final day of December 1946. (That escape was discussed in a post last year.) Once they arrived in Europe, they were considered refugees of the war and were given shelter in DP (Displaced Persons) Camp.

The Rebbe sent his son-in-law, the Rashag, to Europe to coordinate the efforts to help them obtain both their spiritual needs as well as their material ones. One of the biggest projects was finding them somewhere to live and by the end of 1947 most of them had resettled in France. However, the French government only granted a limited number of families with the right to become permanent residents. While the majority of them were given transit certificates, which allowed them to live in communal housing and receive food but werent allowed to work.

The next phase was to help them resettle someplace permanently and resume having a normal and productive life. In order to accomplish this, they needed countries that were willing to provide entry permits. The Rebbe resumed his efforts to obtain visas from various countries. In a letter that our Rebbe wrote in 5711, (1951) he notes that his father-in-law, the Rebbe, desired to establish Lubavitch communities in Australia, Canada, South Africa and South America [Among others, such as in Eretz Yisroel].

Obviously, such an undertaking requires large sums of money and the Rebbe sent out some of his students to fundraise to help cover some of these expenses. He sent Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner to Australia and New Zealand, while Rabbi Yosef Weinberg was sent to South Africa.(Possibly others as well, but as of now, I am unaware of it.)

Seemingly the effort that was most successful (at least at that time) was the initiative to establish a Lubavitch community in Australia.

The chossid Reb Zalman Moshe Feiglin settled in Australia in 5672 (1912), joining his brother Bera (Berel) who had settled there the previous year. Their families were from the handful of Shomer Shabbos families in Australia, and Hashem also blessed Reb Zalman Moshe with financial success.

He together with some additional Jewish families lived in the agricultural settlement of Shepperton and almost immediately after settling there, he hired a shochet to come there (from Eretz Yisroel) for a three-year stint and then another shochet would take up the position.

Around the beginning of WWII, he asked the Frierdiker Rebbe if he could sent him a shochet and Reb Betzalel Wilschanski was chosen. However, the Russian authorities were angry that he even dared asked to leave.

After the war, Reb Betzalel was one of the families that successfully crossed over the Russian border, and together with the other chassidim, he settled in France. When he heard that the Rebbe wanted that Anash should move on and settle somewhere permanently, he asked the Rebbe if he should now make the move to Australia and become the shochet, chazzan, melamed and mohel there, or go elsewhere. The Rebbe replied, he should go to Australia.

Meanwhile Reb Moshe Feiglin didnt know that he was waiting for the Rebbes response, so he wrote another letter to him, but that letter arrived in France after Reb Betzalel head already boarded the boat to Australia.

When his letter arrived in the communal hotel they were staying in, someone opened it up and saw that Reb Zalman Moshe was offering to support him and an additional six families. Some families wrote to the Rebbe that they wanted to go and being that the Rebbe wanted to establish a Chassidishe community, he mentioned that perhaps they should approach specific individuals to join them.

When those individuals decided that they would rather go to Eretz Yisroel or America, etc., , some other families asked if they should settle in Australia or in Eretz Yisroel or elsewhere and the Rebbe replied that they should go to Australia. Reb Zalman Moshe and his sons sponsored these families so they were granted an entrance visa.

Initially in addition to Reb Betzalel Wilschanski, Reb Betzalel Althaus and his brother-in-law Reb Klugant, Reb Yehoshua Schneur Zalman Serebrynski, Reb Abba Pliskin , Reb Nochum Zalman Gurevitz settled there in 5707 (1947). Reb Betzalel Willschanskis daughter and son-in-law Reb Dovid Perlow moved there a year or two later with their three children.

A few years later another six Lubavitch families settled there.

However, the Rebbes intention was not just that they should have a place to live and earn a livelihood, but he wanted them to make Australia their community and not that they conform and become members of the Australian Jewish community.

Rabbi Serebryanskis two sons Aharon and Chaim were then teenagers learning in Tomchei Tmimim in Brunoy. His and their plan was that they would remain in the Yeshiva there until they were able to learn in the Rebbes yeshiva in 770. However, the Rebbe instructed that they too move to Australia, so Reb Zalman realized that the Rebbes desire is that he should not just learn with /teach his two sons but, rather he should inspire other Jewish teenagers as well This was letter confirmed by the Rebbe in a letter he wrote to him. So he publicized that he is willing to teach other Jewish teenagers as well and thus he opened the first mesivta in Australia (or at least in that area). A few years later he opened up the first cheder/ Jewish day school there.

If at that time America which had some orthodox communities was considered the Treife country, where Jewish identity is lost, Australia which barely had anything for sure was a dangerous place to raise a Jewish family. Yet the Rebbe saw beyond that. He saw and recognized the warmth of the Jewish heart, and with the assistance of around a minyan of families, he was determined to completely change the Jewish Australia.

But the Rebbe wasnt interested in only getting his chassidim involved in reviving the Jews in Australia, he got others involved as well. There was a Jew by the name of Reb Yaakov Chim Kohn, who met the Rebbe in Austria some years before the war. After surviving the war he ultimately came to the United States and met the Rebbe In 1948. The Rebbe told him that since he already has tickets to Australia, he should go there. However, he is going as a soldier of Hashem, to inspire Jews to daven in a minyan and participate in learning classes.

The Rebbe continued, it is known that a king gives his soldiers the needs to succeed in their mission, and therefore you should be prosperous. Indeed he and jis four sons established the large shul of Adas Yisroel there.

Look at Australia now, the Rebbes work changed the landscape and there are now many other orthodox and chassidishe communities there.

In Canada, the Rebbe already established his yeshiva there with the nine students that were granted a visa during the war. Perhaps additional families joined them after the war and strengthened the Lubavitch presence. There was also a Lubavitch shul in Toronto called Anshei Lubavitch, but I dont know when it was established etc.

In South Africa, there were a large group of Russian Jews, who had a strong connection to Lubavitch, as they came from Rakshick, Latvia, and their Rov was a Lubavitcher. However, during the years right after the war, the South African government was extremely strict as to whom it granted visas, so not too many people who requested visas were granted one.

The only one I am presently aware of that received one was Reb Yisroel Chasdan. He settled there in the beginning of 1949. He served the community as a shochet and a Rov.

And concerning South America, I am looking into that. The first person I am aware that the Rebbe sent was Rabbi Zaintz, who was sent around 1935 or 36, to become the shochet in Brazil.

A Taste Of Chassidus

Al Yipuhter Adam Meichaveiro5733

Our sages teach us that when one takes leave from his friend, he should do so only with saying a Halachah (Jewish law) at that moment. The explanation given for this guidance is; Being that the ways of the true are pleasant and peaceful, and a Jew is instructed to love their fellow Jew, so when there is a separation (or distance from one to another), we are supposed to strengthen our unity, closeness and friendship, and this is accomplished through mentioning a Halachah.

The two people would not only remember the Halachah that was discussed but who or to whom it was said and that would bring them closer (initially mentally and then strengthening their friendship), negating the distance that is separating them.

The reason a Halachah can accomplish this is because the Torah (as we discussed last week) is higher than time and place and even nowadays we can and should learn the laws of korbonos (sacrifices) even though we are not allowed to bring them. But not only is it timeless, but it rules and controls time and space, and therefore it has the ability to take away the physical separation between the two of them.

But we must understand why specifically a halachah and not any thought of the Torah? Furthermore, why do our sages follow this guidance with the statement that that the places that Adam HaRishon decided should be settled were ultimately settled by humans, while the places he decided shouldnt be settled were never settled.

Additionally, our sages explain that the reason that Adam was the last creation to be created was that this way everything was already prepared for him. So why did he have to make this decision as to what should be settled, wasnt that already decided by Hashem?

But the point is that while every aspect of the Torah is higher than time and place, because it is from Hashem and our sages state that the Jews, the Torah and Hashem are one. Not only is the Torah one with Hashem in the higher worlds, but even when it came down in this physical world, it retains that oneness.

However, one may ask, how can we say every aspect of the Torah is from Hashem, when there are arguments whether something is permitted or not, is it pure or not? On this our sages explain that both opinions emanate from Hashem.

Nevertheless, while this is true, sometimes a person may find it difficult to truly comprehend how this is possible. But, when we say the Halachah/Law is like this opinion, everyone recognizes that this is Hashems true will. So only a Halachah openly shows that it is truly from Hashem and it is higher than the limitations dictated by the world.

Now we can understand the beauty and deeper meaning of this statement. The Arizal explains that one should not take leave from his friend, is referring to the journey every neshoma undertakes when it leaves its place from under Hashems throne to come down to this world where it may feel that G-dliness is not present.

So the neshoma is told dont go down until you realize that the source of everything, even of this concealment, is G-dliness, Once you come to that realization, then even when you are in this world you will remember where you and the concealment came from, and the truth that is obvious there, you are to reveal it in your new place as well.

Therefore, the sages continue and say, Adam decided where it should be inhabited and where not. Since Adam was created by the hand of Hashem and at that point he was the only person, he knew without a doubt that the entire world was created for him and his needs. In other words, he is the controller of the world. And this applies to each one of us.

The place where people inhabit is a place they are involved in, while the place that people dont inhabit is a place that they stay away from. This is analogous to the fulfillment of positive mitzvos, items that you are interacting with. While a place you dont interact with is analogous to a negative commandment that you refrain from.

However, a person has to know that even these places that seemingly are distant from Hashem and therefore it is inhabitable for man, referring to Hashem, to live there, that place also was created by Him. And through refraining from those items or actions and then by channeling those negative traits to serve Hashem, (iskafya and Ishapcha in Chassidic terminology) we are revealing their true essence that they too are from Hashem and ultimately Hashem is then able to dwell even there.

This is what Dovid Hamelech says at the end of Psalm 72 And the entire earth shall be full with His glory. The entire world includes even uninhabitable places, should also be full of His glory and then Hashem will settle there as well.

May we all succeed in our mission and accomplish that this descent brings about a tremendous elevation in the world.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com

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