Amazing photos from the Ohel are featured on some of the Chabad sites on the web:
Mrs Bassie (Posner) Garelik, wife of Rabbi Gershon Mendel Garelik of Milan, Italy, is interviewed by Dafna Chaim and talks about her relationship with the Previous Rebbe and, in particular, the Rebbe. The full interview appears here and contains some interesting reminiscences.
Some snippets:
Talking about her wedding:
The wedding meal was an extremely modest one. In those days, there was no catering, and my mother and aunts cooked the meal. At the yechidus before the wedding, my mother told the Rebbe that it would be a modest wedding so as not to go into debt. The Rebbe was very pleased by this and said, “If only others learned from you and did the same.”On going on shlichus (in 1959):
A few weeks later, on Sunday the 11th of Kislev, after we finished all the arrangements, we left on shlichus. The day before we left – on Shabbos Parshas VaYeitzei – the Rebbe farbrenged, and spoke about the inyan of shlichus.
The idea of shlichus was new at that time, and our going created a great excitement among Anash. You could feel the excitement in the air. Whoever was present that Shabbos, felt that special atmosphere.
The next day, shortly before we took off, we had a yechidus and received instructions regarding the shlichus. Among other things, the Rebbe said that the purpose of shlichus is to be mekarev the coming of Moshiach. At the end of the yechidus, the Rebbe gave us volumes of Tanya to give to friends of Chabad in Milan, and another Tanya “because you never know who you will meet on the flight ...”
What all the chassidim of Europe could not accomplish – along with the shpitz Chabad – they accomplished. A girl born in America and a boy born in Russia... Hashem makes matches and He had them meet in the U.S., and then sent them “wandering” to Italy. There they accomplished all the inyanim of the world, and they have yet more to do, in a way of “you shall break forth west and east and north and south.”.
He didn’t have a penny with which to buy the camp, but it was bought with loans. There were no children [registered] for the camp, but with strength, with a strong hand, with a great hand, and with an uplifted hand, he gathered children, and now they are full of joy, along with their parents.
Thus, in the environs of Rome – “from the destruction of Yerushalayim was Tzor filled,” which refers to the Kingdom of Rome – a Gan Yisroel was opened on 13 Tammuz 5719, a Shmita Year, in order to spread the wellsprings, in such a way that through the children, the parents will be affected.
This article, published in The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, was written two years ago by former Melbournite Gabby Wenig. For most readers here the article doesn't say anything new but I like her take on where Lubavitch is today.
Talking about Shlomo Cunin of California:
Cunin’s full-steam-ahead attitude is indicative of the way that Chabad has bloomed since Gimmel Tammuz. While Cunin and others admit that Gimmel Tammuz was the most difficult challenge the movement ever faced — far more difficult than say, surviving the czarist and communist prisons that incarcerated its previous leaders in the 19th and early 20th centuries in Russia- after Gimmel Tammuz Chabad did not disintegrate, as many predicted it would. Instead, it flourished.
In the 10 years since the Rebbe’s passing, the number of shluchim (emissaries) sent around the world to help Jews find Judaism has almost doubled, from 2200 to over 4000; there is now a Chabad campus initiative funded by philanthropist George Rohr that has put Chabad houses on more than 70 different college campuses in America; there are websites- chabad.org, chabad.com, askmoses.com that receive hundreds of thousands of clicks a day. In California, in terms of numbers of new buildings (42), institutions (84), shluchim (112), and dollars raised ($125 million), Chabad has grown more in the past ten years than it has in any other decade of its history. And though he is not physically present, the Rebbe remains a vital and iconic figure in Chabad.With regards to the Rebbe's philosophy regarding Lubavitcher chassidim:
Instead of keeping themselves holy, he taught, they should elevate the world around them and make that holy. He also taught that every Jew, religious or not, had infinite potential and a divine mission in this world. He encouraged traditional, Orthodox observance and sent emissaries out all over the world on lifelong missions to teach Jews Torah and thus hasten the coming of the Messiah.
"The connection between a Hasid and a Rebbe is not a physical bond, but a spiritual bond," said Rabbi Shimon Raichik of Chabad of Hancock Park. "And that is why there are people who are now connecting with to the Rebbe even more than when the Rebbe was with us physically."Let's hope that this continues to be the case.
Smorgon Steel has just been bought out in a friendly takeover by OneSteel (see the report in The Age here). This will mean that the last Smorgon named business will disappear from the stock market.
In reality this news doesn't interest me to any great extent but listening to David Smorgon talking about the family on ABC radio this afternoon made me think. However many billions the 4 generations of the Smorgon family are worth they still remain a major philanthropic force in Australia. Click here to hear Victor Smorgon talking about giving back to the community.
But what has always impressed me about the Smorgons is the fact that in the 1940s and 1950s they gave many holocaust survivors jobs in the family business. Many very successful Jewish families in Melbourne got their initial start in the Smorgons meat plants. To my mind this explains their being blessed with phenomenal business success. I am sure that the present and future generations of this family will continue in their good works.
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Click on photo to enlarge
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin just published this article in the Forward about the Rebbe. The story he tells about the Rebbe's relationship with his father is quite poignant.
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The final verdict was just issued in the court case between Agudas Chassidei Chabad and Congregation Lubavitch Inc. The Order and Judgement of Federal Judge Ira B Harkavy can been seen on Shturm.net here.
From my limited understanding of legal documents it appears that Aguch has been granted control over the 770 shul and the plaque outside. Whether this actually stands up and the divisive elements that have effectively taken over "downstairs" can be tamed is still to be seen. I would like to think that this is the end of the problems in 770 and that all can live and daven together in harmony - but,unfortunately, I cannot see this happening any time soon.
I originally this report on COL here.
In a related matter, I have recently seen this letter of Rabbi Yosef Avraham Heller of the Crown Heights Beis Din on a few blogs. The letter is supposed to be a translation of a letter that Rav Heller wrote to someone in 1995 to explain his take on the "Moshiach issue". I find the opinions interesting but am not sure that I agree with all of what he says. As Rav Heller says at the end of the letter, these are his personal opinions and he does not expect everyone to agree with them - "A Dayan can only judge a case in accordance with his understanding."
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The judgement and the letter from Rav Heller are pdf files. If you can't read them you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader from here.
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After 57 years the International Red Cross has finally accepted Israel as a member according to Reuters - see here.
From what I understand one of the main sticking points was that the Red Cross would not accept the Magen David as an emblem. It has now allowed Israel the symbol pictured here.
The American Friends of Magen David Adom says here:
On June 21st, Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s first aid and disaster relief organization, is expecting to finally become a full member of the International Red Cross after 57 years of rejection. The irony of this long overdue decision is that the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) will only be allowed membership if Israel is allowed membership.
A lack of official recognition has not prevented MDA from fulfilling the Jewish and humanitarian mandate of pikuach nefesh, saving lives both in Israel and around the world. On a yearly basis MDA serves the needs of nearly 600,000 Israelis with its fleet of ambulances while providing 98% of all blood needs for the society.
What happens if a fly falls in a cup of coffee:
1) Englishman:
Thanks to Jake for this.
One's household must be aware that a large property, honor, wealth, fame, and the like, are by no means more worthwhile than the study of Torah. That notion is dependent upon the choice of people that one's household hears being admired; if they generally hear the praise of wealthy businessmen, tough sportsmen, accredited professors, etc., they will understand that materialism and physicality are the ultimate. Conversely, when they hear admiration for a worthy Chossid, or someone known for his learning, Yiras Shomayim, Tzedakah, and the like, they will take these matters to be the ultimate.
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People must realize that they cannot be "Chassidish", i.e. act in the manner of Chassidim in certain aspects, whilst simultaneously disregarding the laws of the Shulchan Aruch; one does not justify, compensate, or excuse the lack in the other.
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Being Chassidish is not a replacement for Yiddishkeit. The necessary stages of development are: Being a Mentch, being a Yid, being a frum Yid, and finally being a Chassidishe Yid. The third level (being a frum Yid, a religious Jew,) can only be attained via keeping the laws of the Shulchan Aruch; and the final level (a Chassidishe Yid) requires the backing of the third level (a frum Yid).
Whatever your point of view or derech in Yiddishkeit - many, if not all, his points apply to Yidden no matter what their derech - at the very least I believe that all of us should take what he has to say seriously and try to apply some of these points to our own life.
The Kotel at last
Putting tefillin on soldiers
He's got the whole world in his hands
Mazal Tov to three people in the Melbourne frum community - one of them a member of Anash - who received the Medal of the Order of Australia today in the Queen's Birthday honours. According to the government website: "In the Australian honours system appointments to the Order of Australia confer the highest recognition for outstanding achievement and service." and the Medal of the Order of Australia is awarded for "service worthy of particular recognition".
Mrs Zipporah Oliver, well known in the Melbourne Lubavitch community, receives her honour for "service to people with disabilities, and to the Jewish community of Melbourne". Mazal tov to you Zippy and to your family.
Mr Reuven Herzog of Adass Yisroel receives his well deserved award for "service to the Jewish community of Melbourne, particularly through Chevra Hatzolah".
The third recipient, Mr Roy Tashi, is a member of Malvern Chabad and supports many Jewish institutions throughout Melbourne. His award is for "service to the Jewish community, particularly through a range of aged care, educational and cultural organisations".
Mazal Tov to you all.
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Spotted on CrownHeights.info this photo of Yossi (ben Reb Arel) Serebryanski . Yossi, who is on the right of the photo, is the shaliach in South Denver, Colorado.
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Yesterday a Kinnus Torah took place at Yeshivah Gedolah which included many of the Torah institutions in Melbourne. As well as Kollel Menachem and Yeshivah Gedolah there were speakers from Kollel Beis HaTalmud and Mizrachi's Kollel Torah Mitzion. Bochrum from the Smicha program and Yeshivah College Mesifta also spoke. According to reports on the YG blog over 125 people attended.
Yasher Koach to whoever organised this. This trend of trying to be inclusive of all can only be a positive thing for the entire Melbourne Jewish community.
Limoges Coffee Set
