Who Answered the Rebbe’s Call

Transcript

Welcome to our weekly program, The Inside Story of Chabad in America, through the Mindel Archives. This program is definitely a continuation, so please listen to the previous program - otherwise I don't know if we'll be able to follow this, because it is a hemshech.

This is a memo - an internal memo that Rabbi Mindel wrote to Rabbi Hodakov after the report to the Rebbe. Rabbi Mindel wrote to Rabbi Hodakov that yesterday, at 1:30 PM, Rabbi Groner called him. So remember the sequence: Shabbos, Sunday the Rebbe went to the Ohel; Monday the Rebbe called them in; Tuesday Rabbi Mindel wrote the report to the Rebbe; and now, Wednesday, Rabbi Mindel wrote a letter to Rabbi Hodakov. They also already received a report from the meeting that, I believe, Rabbi Krinsky had with some [people] - they already got it by mail, they already had reports. So maybe I'll read just the beginning - a few reports - soon.

So Rabbi Groner called Rabbi Mindel at 1:30 yesterday, meaning the Rebbe wants to know what we have done so far in our new mission. Mamash, [the Rebbe] went to the Ohel Sunday, and he wants to know right away - please report to him before Mincha. So I wrote this up, and Rabbi Mindel writes this to Rabbi Hodakov: "My answer to Rabbi Groner was that I would promptly submit a partial report. I could not complete it before Mincha." So he faxed to Rabbi Groner a partial report, so Rabbi Groner could give it to the Rebbe right away - only partial, because he didn't have the whole report.

"At the same time I gave the fax to Rabbi Klein to give it to Rabbi Hodakov." And Rabbi Mindel writes: "As of now, boruch Hashem, we fulfilled a good portion of our mission to publicize the Rebbe's instructions on the international project of increased activities. But the Rebbe's focus is not only on activities and shluchim the world over, but clearly with emphasis also on all institutions, whose administration should appoint a committee of three who should keep a watchful eye on all the additions and improvements being done this year. And this committee of three being created should be new - not merely a strengthening of an existing one."

This he wrote in Hebrew, but I'm saying it in English: "The administration should therefore appoint three members whose job is, as mentioned before, to report to the international committee appointed by the Rebbe shlita, just as other appointees are doing."

"And now, in the summer season," Rabbi Mindel writes to Rabbi Hodakov, "most institutions do not function as [they do] during the [regular] year, and also the members of the administration - so it's not easy to get in touch with them in a timely fashion. So this is not relevant right now to do this, but we should right now appoint three people, at least, to be ready whenever wanted."

"And another thing - if it is my suggestion, as it concerns the institutions, perhaps it is advisable to contact them with a communal letter which we will send to each institution individually. And being that we often have visitors coming from cities and communities the world over, we can send these letters with these visitors going back to their respective locations. If my suggestion is agreeable with Rabbi Hodakov, perhaps Rabbi Hodakov would consent to compose this communal letter, or at least list the major points to be included, and I will try to compose the letter. And all those who will do the will of the Rebbe will do what is in their hands to do," and send these letters to each institution.

And then he wrote that they should get ready envelopes - whatever he wrote. So this happened, and meanwhile, in these few days, people sent in letters. I will read you just some, not all - next time we will do the rest - just the beginning of what people sent and what they're going to do.

Six days later, in the month of Menachem Av, Rabbi Mindel wrote to Rabbi Hodakov: after Rabbi Mindel sent a report to the Rebbe, today, before Mincha, Rabbi Groner called him and relayed to him the Rebbe's answer. What was the Rebbe's answer? "It was received, and [the Rebbe sends] thanks - thank you in advance for the continuation of the report, and also for [the report] of Thursday that you sent me." And Rabbi Mindel told Rabbi Groner to give the answer also to Rabbi Hodakov before Mincha.

And Rabbi Mindel wrote to Rabbi Hodakov: "I don't have any additional material to add to the partial report, because I did not receive anything from Rabbi Krinsky." They told him that Rabbi Krinsky himself didn't receive anything yet, and he was supposed to contact the shluchim, so he doesn't know yet, so he can't send the whole report. "Since I don't have the entire list, I cannot fulfill the Rebbe's will [in full], but I've answered [partially]." So Rabbi Mindel has only the list of some people who wrote and answered right away. "The entire list I will [organize into] a system by which reports will be sent to the Rebbe. Being that Rabbi Krinsky is present, it could be preferable that he undertake this task, either on his own, or he can get assistance if he is able to." And they said there's the report and the project - of course we need people. So this is what Rabbi Mindel wrote to Rabbi Hodakov.

Now I want to read some of the reports that meanwhile came in, from those who were among the first to respond.

So here I have Crown Heights: the vaad hamosad [institution committee] that was chosen - three people - was Moshe Hilbert [?], Fradel Feller [?], and Rabbi Misha Feller [?]. He sent it in right away. He didn't write what they said they're going to do, but at least the names - the Rebbe should know the names, please: Osher Vidal [?], Zalman Zeilung Gold [?], Menachem ben Miriam Teichtel Friedman [?]. Also they chose Bentzion Shemtov [?] - that's one report.

Also from Chabad of Milwaukee - Milwaukee Chabad is Yisroel Shmotkin [?], Dovid Rappaport [?], and a third name [unclear] - they chose three people.

And [in another community] it could be [that it concerned] a mashpia, and it was asked of Rabbi Kalman Marlow that he should approve the three people - I don't know why they asked him, but that's what it says - and they chose [names unclear, heard as] "Banaca" [?], Mendel Marozov [?], and a third.

About the three people of [the city heard as "term," unclear], Rabbi Raskin writes that they also chose three people - only for now, maybe they might change later: Zaragi [?], Zalman Lapkowski [?], and Harav Eckhaus [?].

In England - this is one of the first they wrote - Rabbi Nachman Sudak [reported] that in England and in Manchester... I'm going to name all the cities mentioned, but I'm just going to name the names: Harav Sholemberg [?] was one of them in England; Levitzo Krasken [?] and David Tiffenbrook [?]; in Hempstead was Gordon [?] and Sabach Gorman [?]; the Dahlia Rockman [?]; SV Zolitsky [?]; Levitzka Arkis [?]; Official Cohen [?]; Rav Ryder [?] in Oxford; Gershon Oberlander in Brighton; Pesach Often Lydon [?] was Angluffy [?] in Manchester; Avrom Yafi [?]; High Empire Center Libero [?] in Vienna, Austria, was Bitterman [?]; and in [Anthro Shopside, unclear], Slovakia, and Israel High King [?]; Holland was Benjamin Jacobs; in Sweden was Levi Berlin [?]; in Italy was [name unclear].

And it says that Springfield was one of the first to send in - that was Yisroel Deren [?], that is right. Boston was [represented] by - chosen - Bruce Vogelman [?] and Gurkov [?]. Lazarus's [son?] - Maryland was Kaplan [?]. And Maine was Olenski [?]. [Georgia? unclear] was North Carolina - Weinberg [?] was in Missouri. There's a fellow in Minnesota, [and in] Canada [name heard as "Spiraling," unclear], and Rabbi Feldman [?] called the [?], and he called Rabbi [name unclear] and Rabbi Rosenblum [?], and he discussed with them about the message - what they should do and how they should do things.

And then it says that [Shacharis? unclear] was chosen in Morristown, in Sfas [?], as one of the first - [name unclear, "Curious"] was Levy; Levy Bistritsky [?] was all of them - he's the one who appointed [them]; [name unclear, "Introvert"] was Kramer, Yudman Kramer [?]; by [the] name Yisroel Halperin, Halperton [?] in New Brunswick, New Jersey; Toledo, Ohio was Yude Shapiro [?]; then more in Boston, [Cement? unclear] Montreal - and this is something special, I'm going to read it probably next week.

Right away he wrote back, and [the city heard as "Tzach"] was [chosen name heard as "King"], and in Miami - Avraham Kar [?] for the [unclear, "Sleeve of the Americas"]. And then they wrote [about] "the Duke" [?] also - I'm not going to mention it today, maybe next week - from [unclear, "Chani's Royal"] Montreal, what Joseph Kessler wrote, to give it over to Rabbi Hodakov.

And Rabbi Mindel [reported that] the Rebbe read every single name, and that's why it's important to read the names and the shem [name]. Next week I'm going to continue what happened later, and we're going to mention the names, and then, if we have time, we'll mention the names on which the Rebbe made comments.

Thank you very much.