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Ep. 60: How American Chassidim Were Made with Rabbi Leibel Altein
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In this episode, Rabbi Leibel Altein of Crown Heights shares fascinating stories and memories spanning generations of Chabad. He speaks about his grandfather, Reb Yisroel Jacobson, his early years in Lubavitch and his close involvement with the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe, as well as his pioneering askanus in the early years of Chabad in America. He also discusses his father’s becoming close to Lubavitch through his future father in law, Reb Yisroel Jacobson, his various Shlichus’n, and especially his shlichus in the Bronx. Rabbi Altein shares the fascinating story of the esrogim from Calabria that his grandfather began preparing for the Frierdiker Rebbe and later the Rebbe, including unique details about the Rebbe’s esrog purchases. He discusses his own upbringing and shlichus in Australia, and especially his remarkable work preparing Likkutei Sichos for the Rebbe to edit. He shares details of this unique zchus, along with personal stories and interactions with the Rebbe. The episode also explores Rabbi Altein’s lifelong involvement in Hafatzas Hamayanos, including Heichel Menachem and Chassidus Mevu’eres.
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Transcript
Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
Can you describe to me like what what
the process is of uh of this of the
system?
>> I can't describe it. No.
>> I don't know how to describe it.
>> Okay.
If you can't, you can't.
>> I'll just give you one small word, a
simple observations of this Abdul. I'm
saying
let's imagine
Albert Einstein
came into a classroom of of teenagers
and he he threw a sentence and that
sentence is
in physics or whatever it was.
I'm Yasi Cayman. Welcome to among
an ongoing fabin about life as a vibrant
connection with theb and inspired living
shaped by the way he teaches us each and
every day
Aline how are you
>> not a rabbi
>> Mr. whole time.
>> No smika.
>> No.
>> Okay. I I I without the certificate
seems to be a a lot worth a lot more, I
guess.
>> What?
>> The smika without the certificate seems
to be a lot more.
>> I dropped out a yeshiva. I'm a dropout.
Yeshiva dropout.
>> Okay. I I would love to hear that about
that. But let's start a little bit
earlier. Now before we get to you, I
want to hear a little bit about your
parents and also your Za Rabis Jacobson.
Um maybe you could tell us a little bit
of of Jacobson and uh I mean I know we
can talk for hours just about him. So
maybe
you want to start with my parents. I'll
start with my parents. Okay. My father
was born in America to shantes.
His parents came from Galitzia. Both his
mother and his father.
He was born on the low east side. Then
they his parents moved to Brownsville.
Stam interesting. He once told us that
when he was a mamikind,
his father sent him to yeshiva. He went
to elementary school to Berlin which was
in Brownsley New York. But he once told
us that when his mom the first time he
went to yeshiva to get to yeshiva they
had to take two buses and cross you know
a busy street that know was eastern
park.
So the first time he had to go his
father took him he showed him which
buses you have to take which street you
have to cross. The next day in the
morning he took him to the door
on his own.
>> Okay different world today.
Today they were arrested channel the
parents for child abuse right
upon him. So he went for elementary he
was in Kim Berlin
and then later from
he went to tadas.
This is already the sadics
and the sadics
my schol.
So my father joined this group.
>> So was from he learned in
>> Okay. So you want to hear about my
was born in the middle of the
when he was 11 years old.
So his the intel
he was already too advanced. He had to
go to yeshiva.
Besides in Adam Mhammed,
there was also someone who taught him
and his sister limud
languages.
They taught him a vit whatever. And my
said he excelled in it. So when he had
to go to yeshiva, there was a yeshiva in
Russia,
forgot what name was lead or something.
It was a modern yeshiva that had
so this teacher wanted my to go to that
yeshiva and he wrote him um lot they
should accept him
so so
my zed's father he came from kabat
families but he himself wasn't aesa
but he he was
my
but not he wasn't
good.
There was no active lobaviches in his he
said maybe there's one or two but he had
no shakavage whatsoever
>> in the
>> in the so he was on the train station
they're waiting for the train to go to
the yeshivan leader
when they were sitting standing on the
on the train said waiting so a ye comes
over to them he sees they're waiting for
that train he tells him you're waiting
to go to the sh leader so he say yes so
he starts telling And when you get
there, he tells them where they should
which part they should dorm in which
area. They shouldn't go to one section
because in that section there can be bim
who on shabas smoke along gur.
So that was the first room that they
had.
They were still on waiting. Good. So
they're wait they're going to wait venu
comes over to them.
He tells him, "You're waiting for the
train to to go to that yeshiva."
He says,
We don't know who who it was.
>> They didn't know who it was. No.
Say so when they heard that.
So they came
was 11 12 years old. He went into the
milavich
there there was the yeshiva but after
the yeshiva they started making for the
kinder
so he went to and they accepted him
so he was in labage I think this was
this was about Sam or Sam I'm not sure
which I don't remember exactly which
Yeah.
So you learned in the
then the su just like now there was you
learn you learned
there was like Mars town then 770 when I
went to yeshiva was Newark in 770. So
Lavish was also like that when you
finished the you went to the the
you stayed there for a year and a half
then you went to Lavich that's was
then he came to the zavage
not sure which year some
mis was in labavich till they left m
he was there after the rebash
went to the stove the yeshiv
for a little bit for a year or two the
yeshiva was still in labav so my was
there mish to the very very end when the
last wagons left he was there
>> this was he was I think till about maybe
Iess
he got married in to pay
and he lived he After he got married, he
lived where my bub was from. Homo,
his parents,
he used to travel sometimes from his
house to his parents' house back and
forth.
His parents immigrated to to the USA in
Toé Pimmo.
My Zeta had
grand uncles, his zeda's brothers who
came to America
in the early 1900s or even the 1899 90s.
I'm not sure exactly when they were here
in America ready. So they
encouraged my my elder Zeta and his
brothers to come immigrate to America.
They were shocked. My eld was ah and his
brothers were also shocked.
So they came to American to pay
after they were here a few years.
They wanted my zeta to come with his
family. By then my zedu was already had
had
two two daughters. My my aunt
my mother were born in Russia. So they
they worked on getting them papers to be
able to come to America.
So in to pv
they actually came but before then
your your grandparents
>> that was a very rare thing for to to
come then.
>> Yeah. What happened was before then my
asked if he should come to he says his
parents want him to bring him to America
if he should come.
So the Reb said yes you should go.
Then he was atus another time and the
freed told him.
So after the
told him he should go to America and the
told him he should come in. I forgot who
it was
for
when he came out.
So he so
he was this one was by the and he told
him that.
So the said
he'll get the papers.
So my says that it took three months to
the date to get the papers.
>> So he was in Hu then he
>> in Hul and he got the papers
and he came and he and he got the
papers. He finally got the papers and
the money he needed to go and he he left
Russia.
I think he left Russia
is when he actually left Russia.
He came to Ria.
I think he was kissing
>> took so long.
>> Yeah. Until
>> from of till till
>> Yeah.
It took way to That's how long the
procedure took,
>> right?
>> You had to wait.
There was a whole procedure to to get
the visa
officially he came as a in a shul so
they had to verify so the consul at the
had to verify that it's true and
then they stamped it so it took a long
time till all the papers went back and
forth I think he came to America on hey
tavis
>> okay
but then he got the first letter from
The letter was
a letter that
was.
>> Yeah.
I forgot. It's a a page and a half
letter.
This was like uh the mission statement
for us coming to America.
>> It's like a like a
>> Yeah.
>> I think I read in his safe
when he got to America he like did a lot
of effort to make sure that he could
find the langa lang and like to keep
>> Yeah. When he came that was Yeah. He had
a came with a long neckl but they would
when
so he says you know you make patch
they said
that they had to
so he said
they said in America it doesn't work
that way everything is finished made you
know
>> off the rack
>> off the rack and and no stores sell lang
>> whatever
and then became a sh from
so like I said he he had uncles who were
shocked he came to America before him
his father and they were in they were
ready they but they didn't want to take
him and say you look like a bottle we
can't take you in you know you're too
>> disappear you know
so they said
so they looked around
then there was already a this kabad in
America there was a ro his name was
Lshin
so they went him and asked he was the
officially raari for all the kabach in
in Brownsville
>> there were many
>> in Brownsville
>> so they looked around
the only one who was here before was
Abby Simpson was already here I visit
Abby Simpson whatever if I can from the
kits and imitates
they first they finally found the sh
from Eden who had come from theettle
where they came from from Russia.
Name of the was ani babisk but babisk
thetle and they came from was close to
babres. So a lot of people from the ded
was a respected member of the of the of
the kil in in the
so when he came so they gave him so they
said sure. So my ZA they took my ZA for
a test. He was there and they
were mabo him
and he became a
one of the people Davin
Mayor Greenberg his father Davis Dul.
So, Mayor Greenberg,
he was a kid
and Isaiah said nothing.
But since he he never was in yeshiva
before so when they came to yeshiva they
put him in a lower grade because he he
pushed he didn't know enough to be in
the in the grades of his his age. So his
father came to complain to my how can
you send him to yeshiva? So my says you
know he didn't want to send anything
even earlier. So so my tutotor him a
whole summer that for the next year he
was able to get into a class of his age
when it came when May became mitzvah. So
my says yes
so he started teaching him.
>> Was he from originally?
>> No.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay.
So ma start teaching mayor greenwork
and then some other
of his started
being
the
>> what the yeah the one of them some of
them yeah there were others the whole
group whole group
this was the beginning of in America
soci group first it was only the
Mayor Gim and they were from Vadas.
Then the group started growing from
other yeshivas also. They used to come
to my ZA taught them
started teaching my mimm fab with them.
They became
my my father already wrote to the sadics
from America. He has I think a letter
from the from the
>> So your father basically joined this
group of
>> Yeah.
>> So he's a mur of
Jacobson who later becomes
>> Yeah.
This group became
bigger and bigger and it made a big map
in America.
called this group.
That's the original
not the yeshiva but the
>> so they're an extension of basically
>> yeahba
then wanted that from every yeshiva
should be one for the holy yeshiva.
So each yes yeshiva had a nit in charge
of that yeshiva.
A lot of interesting letters from the
freeba.
One of the interesting letters is he
writes they should be caveman on Tuesday
to learnus
and he wants to know exactly when they
come. He also said that an
they should learn in moi and that an
should take turns to to be there when
they learn. So if they have shus they
have someone should be there to answer
them. But he wrote
them.
>> He wants to know
in Europe want the hours when
are learning in America
a lot of mice about
the rebas
to be here.
One time he was here, he wanted us to
come a second time, but the papers
didn't work out. So he sent a different
from
was a
so he used to bring with the bo a lot
and when he came back to
I think it was
so he he gave a he came before
so said that's
I'm cite this quot he was a so before he
was busy with it he says so he'll take a
a clos
he writes the clos
looked at every single name he wanted to
know every single
he writes he writes
he was reading the names
Whatever
>> later when the fa came.
>> One second. But then there was also a
whole group that went to
>> wait. Yeah, that was okay. Later.
>> Okay.
>> Then
so two of the bim decided to go tatsk.
Better Levy
and Avon Betski
they decide they want to go to another
and they taken
we s American boys coming to the
primitive
whatever
but on holiday thereus
then my uncle went
>> who also married
He was married already. But the tonight
was that he should go after his to go
learn.
>> This was a thing in there was such a
thing I even in Europe to go after to go
after your married for
>> whatever
>> a year.
>> So they went out they came to so my my
aunt Americana made
you know.
So the rebbit
like they took care of
the kids. So what
>> your father was also part of this? Oh,
this was before. This was before later,
a few weeks before the M. But
there were letters I think from
a bring in.
So in to Saddict
about a month before the war, Isaiah put
together a group a group of six Bim to
goats. My father was part of those six
Bim. They went they came tow
right before the
>> we had two um in the recent deer
magazines we had two articles last few
months just about this.
>> Yeah wrote it in English.
>> Yeah. From him. Yeah.
>> So they came they came the first Friday
they were there the bomb started
falling.
The Fredic ever told them
they should go to run to they were not
thoughts. They should go to Ria. They
had to go to Vash and go to Ria and he
they should wait in for him to come
there.
So it was a Friday night. They took the
train to Vasha. They came to Vasha
Friday night. Where were they going to
stay? They thought they'll go into a
hotel. But to go into hotel you have to
sign your name.
So shabas
said he didn't know what to do. So he
went to es
one of the invas
was
famous
by the
>> so he told them
okay they found a place where they
didn't have
So after Shabas they they went on a
train to go to Ria. By then the the the
the war was already the bombs were
flying all over the place. So they they
were on the train to Ria
the Nazis
the planes were trying to bomb the
trains that were going.
So
when the train went stopped, so a lot of
people decided to get off the trains.
Sakus, the Nazis are bombing the trains.
They got off on the station. The
what happened at the end? The Nazis saw
the people getting off the trains on the
station. So they came down and they
strayed you know the this this they load
they came down and they were f they
killed people on the train station.
>> They bombed the train station.
>> Yeah. The people who on the train
meanwhile some Polish planes came
and the the Nazis train planes.
So the trainers coming.
>> So listening to the daba saved their
lives.
>> Yeah.
They came to they were.
So when the came so they called him
the used to give
him
my father once told me that
he says his soul is still burning from
the
not in Ria they wish to the mas.
So they were in Ria. So the at that time
it was known that the Nazis are soon
coming into Latvia.
So so the there told the Bim you have to
run back to America. Save yourselves go
back to America. the didn't want to go.
So they didn't want to go
again. So then was they went they left
they left they left it again came to
America later there was a letter from
the
I mean
there was no communications then it was
in the middle of the war
whatever but that's what happened
so he made it back to America
or another one of the ones who was there
I'm not sure if he was a dis he also one
who went before
>> I think he was if I remember correctly I
think he was like before
>> and before I think
>> I think so yeah
>> I think I once heard from you soul
Gordon
about
that when he
when he came back to America
so all the B what did they do so they
they were going back to Vadas yeshiva
because before the freed ever came they
were in tadas
He said
he can't I cannot let us say.
So he he sat in the sh I forgot on the
east side or wherever it was
>> that's I think I heard from you Gordon
>> amazing
they came when the came they all went
>> so
went back then comes
>> they all and
>> he started. So those are the first in
the yeshiva this group.
>> Mhm.
>> So your father learned in 770.
>> Yeah.
My father learned in 770 in the
beginning of tam
shabas. He he was sitting in the z he
gets a tap on his shoulder
tapping his shoulder. them.
So he goes upstairs to to Fred Freda
tells him that he received a letter from
Labava in Pittsburgh
was in a bad neighborhood. So the
Aliunga young young families moved out
to a better neighborhood.
in every camp
help take care of them.
So
figure
as in Pittsburgh
from Pittsburgh then it was mish a few
days before he used the skis.
I don't know how my kids have figured
out it was the night of December 7th the
night of Pearl Harbor.
I don't know. But
my father was an
No, for Morgan the free.
So my father went the next morning train
station went by train
comes to Pittsburgh comes to the train
station in Pittsburgh
the captain there'll be a welcoming
committee
he gets off the train station's empty
but he had a telephone number for the
president of the sh so he calls the
number
guy answers says who are you so he says
he says
what can you help us and he slams the
phone down but gets it
>> nice cabal pun
>> yeah so my father had the address of the
shaw
so eggate in the sh so he went he he
came comes to the sh while he's standing
sitting in the shaw the postman comes
into the sh with a special delivery
letter. There was a shamus an alter
shamas and shul al shamas gives a look
at the letter and he throws it into a
closet.
After the shamas walked out of my father
was curious so he gives a look the
letters from the
it was the letter from theb
so they didn't know yet that he was
coming right. No.
So my father stayed it was the
my father when he was there
told him
that
he should send them a list of and will
send them the money. My father used to
say cooking
every time he went to the store to buy
something to eat at mall. What he should
buy?
Then
he saw that in the afternoon when public
schools closed.
So he went on out on the street
and he started teaching the kids.
So
This is only this was in one section of
Pittsburgh.
couldn't teach her home at once. So he
slept from 770 to come help him
when he wanted to expand more. So he as
told him that this is
and
he should ask.
So any question he has.
So he basically founded the school in
Pittsburgh.
>> Yeah. Whatever.
>> And that was that the first
>> It was actually the first one. Yeah. But
it was it was an afternoon school what
we call nowadays a
>> Mhm.
But it's it expanded to
it was get my father was still
so it came a point that
also my father's already
that someone has to anel
in this whole operation.
So my wife's grandfather pos was in
Chicago. So the free told my
sh pos to move to Pittsburgh and take
take over the whole operation. So he
came to Pittsburgh
and he he made a regular a regular
school from this mud kadesh in the
morning in the afternoon.
So the school in the sea of a school he
he was the one who established.
>> Yeah. But his but the garden was from my
father. Yeah.
So he so ultimately he came back to New
York
>> then later. Yeah. At the end of ten giml
he came back it was this and tsh gimmel
he came back to New York and he got got
engaged.
>> So is there a story about the with the
with the I'm saying
it was
Jacobson in New Year's one of one of
his. So
>> yeah of course you know he made the
Yeah. Sure.
Yeah, there's letters from
the to my father.
So maybe you could tell me about your
mother because I know there's a lot uh
there's a special that the Reba had with
her.
>> Yeah, my mother well my mother my mother
was born like I said she was born in
Russia. She came to America one and a
half years old.
She grew up, you know, and she went to
public school. There was no there was no
B anchors those times.
My mother had a gain and shak
like top in the class whatever.
So any she had was from the home.
So her understanding was is from looking
at my Z
just to give you an illustration my
mom's corp my father used to learn
my mother used to sit next to my father
and my father
then my
used to learn three prohibit
unique.
>> Yeah. My mother was like a big debater
any on any every wherever.
She had very strong
days, you know.
No shortest. She didn't go for any
shortest or anything.
And
you could argue for hours with her. She
wouldn't budge, you know,
whatever.
So
I want to ask about the shahim.
>> Okay.
>> But maybe maybe maybe it's better better
to go chronological order. So your
parents got married. parents got married
in Toshan Daled. My father
after he was in Pittsburgh,
they got married in kiss of Toshan
Dalid.
In the summer of Tasham Dalid, he
started the yeshiva in New Haven.
So that was the establishment of it.
>> What?
>> That was the establishment of the
yeshiva.
>> Yeah. He started the yeshiva mish.
>> Okay. Two so far two yeshivas under
under his belt.
>> Yeah.
>> That are still around. Yeah.
Then
I don't know exactly when he wrote the
that he he knows the area of the Bronx.
I don't know exactly how. Could be
because my elder Zeda lived in the Bronx
because his great uncle, he had a great
uncle, like I said, who came and
they they moved into they lived in the
Bronx. So, I imagine that's why he moved
to the Bronx.
>> Your father's
>> my Z Jacobson's parents.
>> Okay.
>> They lived in the Bronx.
So,
>> could be that's how he said he that's
why he knew the Bronx.
There was a very big nahar sh in the
Bronx
there was the malik
>> who also had his own thing going on in
Tadas but
>> yeah that's a separate
same time as your za
>> yeah that's a separate issue okay but
but my el za
Like I said, he was ash.
So he so he ded
and he he was like I don't know if he
was.
So,
so when he so the told like I said
everything
l
went back and forth. Lupel he he started
the yeshiv in the Bronx. I think it was
not sure if it was to or
he started in the Bronx.
They moved to the Bronx.
The yeshiva
lasted until the end of the laments. By
then the whole Bronx was going for vice
for Sher.
There were no Eden left there.
So that's the Bronx. So that's and
that's so that's where you were born.
That's where you grew up.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. Fine. So
um maybe you could tell me a little bit
about there's a lot of letters from your
mother to the Reb
like maybe you could tell me something
about it. Oh, no. The letters they
printed that was alsist
without a name but it's to my father.
My mother was she was brought up in the
depression years. So she was very
fetched
and had to move from one place to
another. every every gashmi zika you
know the it was very depressing for her.
So, so my father once wrote to the Reb
that my mother's so down.
So there we wrote on the bottom
something like that.
>> Donus I think.
>> What?
>> Donis is that
>> what? Donus. Yeah.
How does she have this?
>> Yeah.
>> So, so then
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. Then I think it was the end of the
was the Yiddish.
Y the shame had the Yiddish and the
English.
So
I don't know exactly why there was an
editor for the English
for whatever reason. So so she I don't
know exactly how it happened. She became
the editor from the English
of the Yiddishim.
So just like the talks and tales the
same with the Yiddish
the Yiddish
was the
English. So the Reb himself was mir side
the talks and tales in Englishside the
Yiddish in English.
>> So your mother's the editor
>> and the Reb is editing every
>> every ishum. Yeah.
>> Every ishum.
So that means that every single English
article indeed the looked over. Is that
what it means?
>> Every single every single article
>> I think. Yeah. Then the wrote I think it
was
the is relying on her.
>> Yeah.
So are there are there are there any
interesting or that your mother got
because of the
I think this was the reason
people paid for the printing of the
>> it's $1,000 each
mention
mention so one of the 10 was my mother
the
everyone of these 10 people the gave his
these 10 people could make their own
but the reb the the one that the rebu's
mother's name Rebana's name that was the
reb's
>> so one of the hakoshas was for was for
>> that was the main hakosha
>> okay
>> so the reb gave a potatoes the one with
the rebbit's
each one of these 10 people got got
>> oh you're saying that
these people had their own hakasha also
okay
>> each one
I have a look with the what my parents
printed it on the name of my brother.
So
>> when he he was alive
>> not
>> he needed a foolish
>> my brother they printed it
>> the but on the reb the one that the
rebba gave the rebba inscribed every
look he wrote two or three shudas the
lion of the shbatusem
And then he signed his name.
So
had liquid potatoes.
So So my father was once in current
heights. He wanted to pick up the
liquidator.
So said, "My mother has to come get the
liquid potato.
Then the Reb told my mother
she should teach it to Kalus Father
Kasna.
So it's like the Madria for the Kalis.
So she had to come from Bronx to Crown
Crown Heights.
A train ride was not a very Gishmaka
ride.
Could take at least an hour and a half
if not more. A car ride is a half hour.
And the train itself, it didn't go
through the Mosaic Gishak Gishmaka
neighborhoods.
The train ride was an L train. It went
through South Bronx. South Bronx is
famous for mention
history from New York. South Bronx was
mafica
as one of the worst neighborhoods in the
whole America. the biggest slum areas.
I mean, I went to yeshiva also. I used
to go to yeshiva. I went to bed and
every Sunday morning I would take the
train. So, pass through. You pass
through the South Bronx. You looked out
the windows of an L train on top. You
looked out the window. All you saw was
buildings, burnt out buildings for miles
and miles
with the windows wooded up.
look like the bonded out city m.
>> So my mother was very uncomfortable.
So my mother
maybe
soul she should be able to come with a
taxi.
So agreed to pay for the taxi for my
mother to come to He to teach.
>> He agreed for that. It must have been
important. I'm see
>> um what was the Reb's involvement
with your your brother wasn't well his
whole life. What was the Reb's
involvement with that?
>> So,
so here we have to go a little bit maybe
to the because
>> that was my next question.
>> Okay. It has a that's why I want to say
it.
>> Okay. Fine. So, we have the Aline.
>> Yeah. which I think was once the
Jacobson
he was an asan
but he was a doer
in fact when my mother asked the rebba
about printing
safer theness of my za.
So or or the the story of the soul of
the wrote
I don't remember the exact lotion. It's
printed in
your the story of your grandfather. It
is the story of
>> Yeah.
>> Kabadis.
>> Yes. So the kit like I said before came
and to he was also heavily involved with
rescuing the he was a big heavy
like if he was part of the vadum of
Brownville he was busy in
America
every in those years my hand was in the
middle
whatever
Every Mes from the early years
was involved.
The kids came to America.
The only he knew then was Rabbi Simpson.
So at the end of
before before Sukus.
So he went to Abby Simpson and he as
simp
I'll have one for you
Isa
Isa knew
in
in Italy there was a yid
who supplied Europe with the
like he didn't own the fields but he he
was the one he lived in I forgotten
which city but he there's letters from
the rebuild
He was the way people got Yanov in
Europe.
>> So contacted him
contact I think even the yeshiva and
vasha
and he ordered the
he got aim
box of not only one he got a whole box.
in the beginning had they get a sim
grew wild. It's not there was no wasn't
an orderly way. So they used to hire a
to go to the fields to to the places
where the sum grew and the cut the
seum and sent to the yid he sent them to
America. No one looked on this. So the
sum were you know they weren't exactly
the shim.
So like this as they started my zeta
started more and more people started
wanting yum.
So my za started ordering more and more
and he he bought you know what he paid a
good price for them until the gazen
something's developing here. So they
started
you know taking care more
whatever.
So twickled the whole thing when the
came to visit America to sadik.
So when he came in saddic
so the also ordered this
>> from
>> no before then he ordered they should
send from Europe a to him they came to
my address because the address in
America for kabad was my zed's address
so the fid's box of came also to my
kachagen also came with the fed to
America
was a mutin took my zeta
whatever. So he stayed by my zeta a lot.
So my zeda had his boxes of
soach was by my in the house and he saw
my so he tells my
sob
that's all
looked at later I think they went into
the
It's not goalless. We have we have
>> Yeah,
whatever.
Whatever.
There was a mafus with the my aunt.
She was a small girl then.
She was crosseyed.
So they brought her into the fora.
So when she they came in so the freed
turned to my aunt. She was a small girl.
I don't think she was even 10 years old
yet.
And he called her over. She should she
should so he he walked she walked over
to the freed
told her cook.
So she looked to then turn
that
she walked out healed the kids.
So that was the mafus
also told by Za should bring he told him
that's how the whole thing
>> that's where it comes from.
>> That's where it comes from.
that were mad to have the mach.
>> Yeah,
>> that was very hard as a kid going to Al
and trying to find one with the now. Now
they come in packages.
>> Yeah.
So that's how that's how the things
started.
Next year next is
>> so
>> and once a came to America So the so
once came to America so my visa supplied
Bum
I think from the beginning the rebu was
the one who took care by the
the choosing the minimum the reb took
care of it. So yea was always working
with on this on
>> I think I believe so.
So my supplied bas with the all the
years
I think
Milan Italy was
so he wrote to the
gov
>> this whole issue of mim
began the whole
>> the whole problem
>> that's when he was mal the problem
originally when it was a wild fields so
it was no problem but once the go
started making
you know fields dedicated for yen so
then the
tree is a very weak one so they had to
strengthen it your mark of it
so then the reba
and be every free to make sure it's not
av
>> and they have to have and told him he
has to have
>> two people should be bic every tree.
So my zeta started going every summer to
at that time the rebba gave my za money
to be from the holy
and the hats.
Every year since then the rebi used to
send out to my zeta and when my zeta was
na my father took over he sent out to my
father every year $501 every year to for
the travel to Italy. Yeah, for they saw
us in the gash.
I remember my Zic going to Ital when I
was a young
thes
I remember we used to go to the country
in the middle of the summer. My father
would disappear for for a month.
>> My father used to travel with my zeda.
My zedi used to tell us
it's a bush. Ess is a bush. It's not a
big tree. It's a bush full of thorns.
And a lot of time was on the bottom,
even under the under the ground. So,
and dig up. If you see, you could tell
if there was like a little mound of
earth. So, you had to dig with your
hands until you can see where they're
going.
So it was
wasn't a big,
you know, automated
work. It was
it was like dark. So Isaiah had a
flashlight to be able to see was doing
every year.
would send out the beginning of the
summer theat was in the business and
then the
you know
>> to all the
>> Yeah. So every year was a different
amount
>> according to how how many people was.
So the order
from other places.
>> No, even from Calabria.
>> Okay.
But
>> and he used to pay for it
used to
for the sake was all in cash.
$100 bills.
>> When did the Reb pay for it? So the Reb
paid
the
right
also.
>> So he paid he paid time
>> in cash.
>> Yeah. So my father my father was show
had stacks of $100 bills from the
>> right. So when he wanted
so was $100 bill from the
>> and this is all the years
>> it's paying cash and your father would
go into the to receive it or was no
>> what happened was so when it came when
this when they had to give the
so usually it was the night of
so my father used to bring the Reba
suitcases of a
>> you you were part of it also.
>> No.
>> Her father would bring let's say 30 50
and in
they put a long table the whole way
through and my father would unpack the
suitcase.
than the Reb would
I don't I'm not sure if my father was
there when the Reb chose the but my
father always had a with the with the
Reb
the Reb would
had a
those
so they would ask him all kinds of
things there a lot of things about
what's doing in in Italy with the fields
over there but a lot was private family
things so that's when a lot of times my
father would says the Reb about my
brother.
He needed special help. He was totally
paralyzed. I think he had ALS. They call
it MS or ALS. I forgot which one. I'm
not sure what he had. But he was totally
paralyzed.
The Reb used to tell him what give her
what to do. I think it was
my father always wanted
revolt
after the finished picking the so he
called my father back in
and my all the rejects
my father would take all the rejects and
pack them back in a suitcase
so
one time I forgot
so
after my my father packed it
So the reb asked my father.
So So my father said,
"So the came out and I was standing ting
the whole way."
>> You cuz you were helping tak your
father.
>> I was going to shle it back to the car.
>> So the
threw open the door. He saw me.
That's the extent of my involvement.
>> Okay. Uh but I'm Mama behind the scenes.
You're involved also because there's
also a whole business of selling a
that's a whole thing, right?
>> My father
my father didn't come to Crown Heights
to sell the sen. He used to hire people
to to sell for him.
Hold Satan used to sometimes sell the
sen for him.
my cousin Yosi old time.
Then
came a time he asked me to help out in
the store. So for a while I started so I
started helping out in the store
not by myself. I just I used to go in
but I didn't run the whole thing. I was
busy in the you know was not
>> which I'll talk about soon. whatever
wasn't shy that I should
take over a business.
But then after my father moved to my
parents moved to so then I took over the
business.
>> Mhm.
So um to the
>> and
so my father
used to go to Italy after my pet
even before then
my suffered a massive heart attack.
So in the summer of the doctors didn't
let him go already.
So then my father went to Italy
and
mazar
started with
I think mazar started with my zeta. He
told me a lot of times he picked a sing
with my za already
>> cuz he was there you know.
>> He was there. Yeah. So he helped my zeta
but after my zetas went stopped going.
So my father Michel were the ones who
picked us up in Lammed V. My father
suffered a heart a major heart attack.
So he the son of Lammed Vovv he couldn't
go already. So then
started
going with Mishel Lazar. He was also
lived in in what? He lived there.
>> He lived in Milan. Yeah. Milan. Yeah.
>> Right.
>> Okay. So um
>> so since then so
were the ones who picked the forb
all the years.
He still goes on the field when he has
but both of them trained their children
in the
So they work together with you.
>> Yes. Yes.
>> So if you want to buy a
from the place that has a you have to
buy from offline.
Okay. Um
>> for business but it's
>> I said it. You said it. Okay. Okay.
>> That's it. 1 plus 1 equals two. I don't
know.
>> You don't have to.
>> Okay.
Very good. Um, so I want to move on a
little bit to you
>> to me.
>> I think we're ready. So you're born in
the Bronx.
>> Born in the Bronx. I went to my father's
yeshiva till I was about 11 years old.
>> So what was the first So you're not
living in Crown Heights. What was your
first uh like seeing the saying exactly
the first time?
>> I don't remember.
>> I think
I don't remember. Maybe I remember with
my brothers. I'm not sure.
>> Younger brother.
>> My older brother.
>> Older brother
>> was born to
Zion. No, I don't remember.
I think I remember coming to 77. I mean,
we used to come very often to my ZA's
house for PE other times and he was
living in Crown Heights then. Sure.
>> Yeah. So, you grew up being around
around the rabbis. What is your like
your earliest times remembering the
rabbi?
>> Not a time. I'm saying like what was the
mak what was the what was going on?
Fabian
>> I only remember two mares very vague you
know I don't have clear memories I
remember dabbing in the clan all
upstairs
yontiff
you know packed in the CL
and I also remember a little
in the shash I wasn't in the shalash I
was with my mother.
The vibr show was around
the shellash goes down but
around
like where the where the building is the
left side the apartment building. So the
the women used to go around used to look
down in the shellash
>> like by by behind the gate.
>> Yeah. So you look you they used to look
down into the shellash. So I was with my
mother I remember by
think
I was a little kid I don't remember I
don't even remember what year it was
my father used to fabangans
>> so those years you were learning so I
mean so that that those are your early
memories from the
>> okay my father used to fabrangas as a
kid remember going to
to the holes
>> the fabang in the halls.
>> Yeah, I remember I remember my father
help me to hold that's all
in the
>> Yeah, in the
I remember my
whole title remember the kind of I
remember I don't know some vague memory
of title.
>> So you're learning in the Bronx
for the whole elementary you learned
there.
>> Yeah. She didn't go to bed and
>> what?
>> You didn't go to bed in No. Your father
is
>> Yeshiva.
>> Yeah, I went to I went to to betine
I think
I believe
>> when you were already
>> 11 years old 11.
>> So you basically grew up it's like it's
like a basically like like you're
growing up in the Bronx. There's no
other kids like
>> like like kids grow up today like that
that type of thing.
>> Yeah. weren't a lot of from we lived in
a neighborhood where there weren't a lot
of yidden
>> right
so you end up going to Bedford and Dean
at 11 years old
>> 11 years old I went to bed my brother
was already in bet before me
>> so and then you're learning in the then
you had your mitzvah you're already in
the labs
>> yeah and for I imagine
Yeah.
>> So, anything that you want to anything
from those early years when you were
younger
that that's worth sharing?
>> I don't remember anything any I don't
remember any before
my father.
In other words, not for a kid to say.
>> Mhm.
It was my father sat with a pen. You
know those days he wrote it out on on
paper 20 pw written pages.
When I went we went
as me.
So, so the rebar me on the
So the rebug
is given.
So
I tried to answer
you know
question till I got stuck in my father
was embarrassing me I was going to go
all I remember is that
that's all I Um, I think he said,
>> you didn't know what that meant then?
>> At that time?
>> Yeah,
>> probably not.
>> Uhhuh.
>> That's all I remember from the mitzvah.
>> Okay. So, I imagine once you're in uh
whatever they call it, yes, high school
in Bedford, you started becoming a
little more.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Whatever. I think you told me that
you listen to Yeah. tapes you
>> later on. Okay. But this is this is
so
like I said we used to come a lot of
times to my fora.
So like this I used to go every Shabas
used to go back home to the Ram for
Shabas.
But once in a while I I stayed in Crown
Heights for Shabasim when I was after
Bitzah. A lot of times I would stay for
Shabasim
by Z.
Not every shabas
but but a lot of times
I didn't understand the fabings was over
my head completely.
I do remember that.
Yeah, I remember the
right
>> the whole story. Yeah,
>> story.
>> Okay, that that was I forgot.
I forgot which year was
I remember
from the like
Remember
when the Reb said the Ma
something like that.
>> Only knew one.
But I remember that that
was
>> So you're starting to uh
So then also I learned in Bedford every
Sunday
already was a mifa every Sunday used to
the whole ma would sit around the big
and would
for the for the kids
>> for the kids. Yeah. So I guess so when
he used to the rashis you know used to
he used to
so we we'll be able to hop so later when
the rebas
so the the rashes were already easier to
follow you know kash empress
>> you're saying you got used to the style
>> you got used to
>> we were able to understand it yeah
>> so so then we I so then I start we
started understanding the
I feel you know
was easy to follow
wasn't
so
started
I was already getting older
So
we already learned by the real
officially
>> in Bedford.
>> In Bedford.
>> So like were you you by that time you
already
>> I would say much more. Yeah.
>> So were you like were you like part of
were you like going to Khaz? Were you
doing that type of thing right away or
are you still these things take time?
>> I used to go to Khazar. Yeah. I used to
go to
Yeah.
>> Okay. So, what happens afterwards? You
you I know you were in
>> more chicken.
>> No, I'm saying I know you're in I know
you're in Melbourne. That was
>> a lot later.
>> That was after you're learning already.
>> Yeah.
>> So, so just give me chronologically what
happens. You you
was my last year in Bedford.
I learned in Newark
>> and that's when you were uh listening to
tapes of of previous years.
>> No, that was in Betin and Bedford still
in Bedford.
>> What happened?
So I had two who had tape recorders.
In those years a tape recorder wasn't
the little tiny cassette. It was
gigantic machines with reels
>> real tore.
>> Real tore
actually had three
Arank of Golding from Ann Arbor. So, so
he he had the tapes from his father from
all the old years
>> from the Yuds
>> from the Yuds.
Well, who had tape recorders, but Mav
had a tape recorder. So, I borrowed the
tape recorder from Mav in the dormatory.
And the tapes I borrowed from Any
gave us tapes.
So Thursday night,
lights out was officially 9:30.
So after there was a dormatory,
counselor, whatever. So after lights out
10, 10:30, I used to take the machine,
go down to the to the basement where the
kitchen was, plug in the tape recorder,
hand tapes, whatever. Then there was no
there weren't kadesh. all the sikas was
it was partially unavailable.
So I used to write
I used to write the I couldn't write as
fast as I could. I started writing
the fabings.
>> So you're getting used to the
>> what?
>> So you're getting you're you're training
yourself. You trained yourself forever
forever
>> to to write to write a little bit
>> infas
and faban I used to go to a table to sit
was much higher than but I took a pad
and I wrote the spoke
>> during the week.
>> Yeah. During the week I wrote Bash
as fast as I could for
>> So you were just doing this for yourself
because you wanted to because you wanted
to understand the that that's basically
what you what you were doing
>> and the the reason why you were
listening to the Yod was for no reason
was because you had that's what you had
available.
>> Yeah. Push it.
>> Yeah. There was I used to sit sometimes
till 6:00 in the morning push it six
hours straight
listening to fabulos. Yeah. uh
>> it wasn't available those you know those
years everything was you know
>> okay
so
>> this was
we came to 770
>> and then the whole happens
>> and yeah at the end
we learned in 770 in the in the middle
of the winter I forgot exactly when
I get a tap on my shoulder. By incline
calls me out of
that
in
Australia. My brother was from the six.
So this was
so
See?
>> Yeah.
>> He you have he's asking you to put your
name on
>> that
and you have no gaz problems whatever.
So I said yes
my niggle was captain from Baltimore.
So he was also
but
called each one separate when the tra
came.
So officially
we didn't know each other. We learned
together but the whole winter when
was
>> without speaking to each other about it.
>> Yeah. So just looking at the the t the
tension.
>> Mhm. So we understood that we both under
the same tension
gave them.
So
always the the day after the grace of
so
we're pushing
But in mit
I was standing there.
So gives me a tap on the shoulder to go
into room.
So when
tells him that
for Australian
>> yeah green.
So he also went he saw he said he saw it
settle
with the rebreing.
So the reb had a shim of all the other
he said he saw I think if I remember
correctly he said he saw the reban on
the settle whatever
so this was
we had to get visas
what happened was the first went on
tours visas
so when they wanted so the government
there you know once
so they want us to come on Student
visas. A student visa was much more
>> complicated.
>> Complicated. So it took time until the
visas came.
L we left.
No
was Thursday.
That Thursday lip
brought us safe potato from Morocco.
Maka he brought it into the reb's minion
and we so we rolled into I rolled into
770 for
I come into the hallway and I see in the
hain of the bank
came down
this was up. Okay.
>> And
after
then it was the beginning of Nissen.
Then this the kitchen was in 7:49.
That's where the yeshiva kitchen was.
But from the was close.
So how so where did the B meet? There
were buses that took the B to bet and
Dean three times a day to eat breakfast,
lunch and supper. The bus driver was
his name was Pearlman. I think Pearlson
I forgot his name. was where her name
was.
After dabbling used to go into the Reb
came out from the Reb's room with a
bottle of wine
as lip.
So brought in the bottle of wine to the
Z and told.
Meanwhile, this palish guy, he was
sitting
bum g you know he was trying to the boss
to get breakfast.
>> He had to go to bed
came running out of meas.
So we stayed in the Z upstairs
in the
gate
was sitting under windows
facing Kesh.
So the is
around and sat down next to
go from the vine.
That was Thursday morning.
in the afternoon.
So
they told us
we were going after Shabas to Australia.
So we're going
told us the get ma
so we should prepare paper bags to to
put on the mat. So after
we all went into
into the Reb's room was by his desk
the said the is printed already
and then the said we should take matzah
didn't give us the box was in the back
of the room.
Then the Reb gave us
guilt.
He gave every one of us a 20, a 10, a
five, and a one. $36
>> in American currency.
>> In American currency. Yeah.
This was Thursday after
I remember
and gave him to the Reb was Thursday
afternoon. Thursday night was officially
from the
So the Reb gave out the in time for the
sh
there was mish like seven eight
wines of
marmis on the on the
gishim
The callous
is ready.
>> The first
words.
So he said what the sun is.
But was this I always like the when the
on the
of Australia. So
If I remember
as a
so
officially we went for two years.
We're coming home after two years,
>> right?
name.
There's no such thing
temporary.
>> Yeah.
>> So before we go back to Australia,
I forgot to ask you something.
I just want to move back a little bit
before we continue to Australia. There
was a story that you had with um I think
it was in this about about
with yourself. Can you tell me about
that a little bit?
>> Yeah. When you
want to My parents wanted me to finish
high school,
my mother mainly.
I wanted to quit English.
Oh, which year was it?
I think it was
it was the summer of
I asked the I wanted to quit English,
but my parents don't want. So the Reb
said I should talk
with my
I learned them by
He spoke to them but he didn't get
anywhere.
Then was
he was in the Nile.
He at Jagel with a D.
The next year there was a whole chef.
I was
It's a question of
skipping a class because the yeshiva
wanted to
take half the ka and skip them a class
somehow
my if I stop going to English he'll be
able to skip me.
So pale that's what happened.
So I didn't finish English so I skipped
out of English.
This was going into
that was the that's the whole my
>> that's what happened.
>> That's what happened.
>> That's interesting. So
um let's go back to Australia. So you
had the the
with the Musco
>> and then you went to Australia.
>> We went to Australia. Yeah.
>> You were there for two years.
>> Two years. Yeah. Anything
you want to mention from that that's
important?
>> You were there. You learned you were
with the
>> learn. Yeah,
>> there were six bim and they all the the
other bum weren't in the yeshiva. There
was no official rash yet in yeshiva.
So every B from the six B each one
learned taught three or four B nigla and
cameas
whatever
there for two years
we came back right before
we had an interesting story coming back
in Australia there was a yid
is gant
He was the Reb's cousin, Klu Gant
was from the Hanovski family. I believe
he had an older brother May
who was left in Russia.
But they had
a pair of fillin
muk
when
went out with all the the
so this ped was by his older brother
Mayor
>> in Russia
>> in Russia when left Russia
so his older brother said he doesn't
want to keep the tin here because well
who knows what's going to be he so he
gave it to him to take out of Russia so
this pair fill
was by
then his older brother was nif in
Russia. So he
this happened right before we came back.
So he decided
so he decided he's going to send back
the film with us
>> to send the film. But so
our heshel greenber was like he was the
elder of he was like the from all of us.
So he so he picked him and told him I'm
making you a to bring the to the but he
told him that he wrote to theb he wants
that.
So we came back.
So we wrote to the
wre
as theb
wrote back.
It was the next day in the morning went
to the ale.
So
told us we should all be waiting on
before goes out to the hill.
So you were all standing there
had the film
then
was the time when the
and the spoken
So when we came
the
from
he gave each one of us
the of the from the
and he shall added film. The Reb was
standing in the doorway of
the Reb took a step forward towards us
but he kept his foot that the door
should not slam
because when Hash gave the Re so the Reb
took the tomb with two hands. So he
didn't want to use one hand to keep the
door. So he shouldn't have to open the
door with the handle with his hand.
So when he after he took the tomb, he
kicked the door back open with his foot
and he went in with the tomb. That but
what happened was when we were coming to
New York.
So we stopped in Hawaii. We went through
customs in Hawaii.
So when we went through customs, we all
had our trill in our handbag and they
looked they checked our handbags.
So
Dorton by the customs he made everyone
open up the trill bags and open up take
out the trill from the shock which
diamonds
the only that they open was the soon
I think I read somewhere that it was
like the bak were able to look at it
>> what like for a day or two it was like
sitting it was like the bak were able to
look at it
>> I don't remember I read that somewhere
>> I don't remember that. Mhm. I remember
film.
>> Oh, maybe I'm mixing up.
>> Alter's film I believe was
there was a from Montreal. His name was
Zurich
and he brought from Vaultist
film
then the from the VA and
you were able to get stuff out of out of
there in a museum. deps you able to get
it out. That's why there was there's a
lot of
kadesh from from thebot.
It was taken from there from
he brought the film. I believe it was
the gazik.
I think it was after
and he said I forgot who was holding
him. He said,
"So after there was a long line
that I remember I was a bet
>> I mixed up." Okay.
>> But I don't remember.
>> And those are in the library.
>> It was in the library. It's in the
library. Yeah. I remember to
there was a whole thing with the shin on
the on the shr the t of the shin was
different than the way the suffering
used to do it. So they were brim who had
took aluminum foil
to make you know to press it on the film
to be able to make to get
the se of the shin. There was a bot in
Montreal. I forgot his name. And they
sent it to him that when he makes the
shin
nowadays.
>> So that's the shin that we uses based on
that.
>> The was in the in the bottom of the
shin.
A mole.
First there was like a V, an upside down
V.
And from the from the bottom from the
top of the V they made
but but also
like like this but it was a very long
rego
and well it wasn't a long rego. It was
like
it didn't come to a point down.
>> It was like flat on the bottom.
It was like a upside down box like this.
The bottom was flat.
>> So not pointy.
>> Not pointy.
But now the bottom of the shin is a was
a long it's a longergo,
>> right?
So you you come back from the So this is
the
surprise for
>> surprise for bringing I think.
>> Yeah.
It's a surprise for bringing
>> and you stayed in 770 till you got
married.
>> I stayed in 77. Yeah.
>> So
>> So what do you want to share about? So,
so that's when the
made
so the mat the made them that we should
learn after summ
from 9:30 to 10 to 10. That was
something that you were involved in in
starting
>> that was
to this thing.
>> I don't remember
>> something about um
the 10% from the
>> was
>> 10% from the Kashim.
>> Oh, that was something. We'll soon get
to it.
>> Okay. What was that?
>> One second.
>> Okay. And this was
so we learned
it was became a big
but that's how began from this learning
start
I forgot
So typed up
and we stencled it. I don't know if I
explain what a stencil machine is a blue
stencil. A blet
and we used to Fernand throw throw the
blet on the tables in 770
through the summer.
I think
from the
blood.
So from this
so
there was a marus
was on the I was on the
including
our
type
and we wrote a
we wrote the Reb that we want to print
from all the
and we gave to the Reb
a copy of the Shalot of the of of the
coverb
of the
that's all.
So the
>> that's why I changed
>> and I know it said $600. So the wrote
10% from mosquitoes
was
going from the owl of Mes. This is my
high.
>> Yeah.
>> Many.
>> What?
>> Many mistas.
>> Yeah.
So is that how you got involved in this?
Yeah.
What? What are we talking about?
>> What?
>> Which
>> when like what is it? Which is that?
was
>> started from braces
being my gear. I used to I was close
with so I used to
>> was already doing
>> was already in the already.
>> He's older than you.
>> What?
>> He's older than you. He was he was a
younger man. He was a bachim.
He was a younger man already.
>> Okay. I think so. I'm pretty sure.
Yeah. Yeah. I think he was already in
mind.
I was surely
used to whatever.
because he he felt that we need a new in
order for the start
wanted to be able to focus on the bench
forgot whenever stopped being I think it
was
stopped for a few weeks but then the
started again forgot exactly how it
happened
that's when he he they offered him the
the Shiva Miami.
So the question was he like he couldn't
be with the canon.
If I remember correctly he said if he
has summon a door some health
then filthy I can tobe them.
So that's when I went into the so I they
asked me to come work in the vat work on
the
>> bak still gimbals in the middle some
gimmel
but what happened then later on
in
so then there was a void
official void
So that's how I went came into the
>> that's how you became you know
>> very involved.
>> So what's the job of what do you have to
do?
>> So what does that mean?
So you had all the of all the years. How
do you do it?
>> Yeah, of course we had
we had we had
we had
of
certain other words we had
like
for you can use this.
So the the vad would make these dur
>> we had them by ourselves. We forgot how
the rishim started
sawik
shabas
and you saw a sika that that's not
printed. It's not muggi yet but it can
be used for certain para. So he added
soima became bigger and bigger.
>> Mhm.
So is to take the take a
>> what?
>> So could you describe to me like what
what the processes of of the of the
>> I can't describe it. No.
>> You can't meaning
you won't or or
>> I can't. You
>> can't. What does it mean?
>> I don't know how to describe it.
Okay.
If you can't, you can't.
So, what was the
>> I'll just give you one small word, a
simple observation
of Abdul. I'm saying
let's imagine
Albert Einstein
came into a classroom of of teenagers
and he he threw a sentence and that
sentence is
in physics or whatever it was. But he
said as a sentence
that a teenager can can repeat it.
And let's say the teenager someone has a
good mind a good and he writes down the
sentence
is noism.
>> Mhm.
Whatever it was, whatever it is,
imagine you have a call
and he says this one line
is what's leaked in them. That one line
in order to understand what that line
really means. So first you have to learn
the
And that that line can have layers and
layers.
It's only
I'm just trying to explain it in a way
that you should be able to understand
what I'm saying.
>> You're saying this is the function of
the
>> Yes.
A transcript was gazok. But try to
understand
foreign dog is
again
a hurdle one layer deeper than the
simple whatever said
that was one of the
So
write it. Yeah. Like the
name.
So he used to say
again and again.
So, and that was a big part of of the
>> So, that's the that's the first line.
You want a description? I can't describe
it. I'm just explaining
one small
>> right.
So
>> before we could even start preparing
>> and the asking the questions was often.
>> Sure.
>> Even though the could have been from
years before.
>> Yeah. Sure.
>> Mhm. And what what was the process of um
there was how many like can you take me
take me through the basic process of how
>> that was every two times.
It's hard to describe nowadays what a
typewriter is.
It's like telling people what a dinosaur
is.
But used to type up type up the sika.
You look in sikas kish now the old sik
kadesh. So you see what a typewriter
looked like.
So he used to given the sika
double space a lot of space between the
lines so the rebu would edit it. So he
had a lot of space in between on the
side of the paper.
That would be the hag number one. After
the reb was m the first time to then it
went to the printer. It was type set.
In those years type setting was not like
today when you print say for you
everything you do on a computer
you had all the graphics are on a
computer.
In those years
the machines for printing were called
liner top lino type machines. Liner tops
machines
was based.
It was hot metal
like burning hot soft. And when you
typed it imprinted
a piece of metal, one line
on that one line, it imprinted whatever
you typed in. So one line at a time, one
shoot at a time was typed.
So let's say your page, you had columns,
you type, let's say a whole column.
But when you typed it, it was one thin
column. So a let's say is eight pages.
Let's say
eight pages. Every page has two columns.
16 columns. But in the original it was
one long 16 columns. One long
one long thing of six of 16 columns long
of of
of type.
So in order to proofread it if there
were mistakes on the typing. So the
printing shops had a machine that
it would it would take this long long
let's say 16 pages one long 16 page one
column and would come out on a on a long
sheet of paper
a thin column a long column. This was
called gollies. That's what it used to
be called.
This was all all books were printed that
way at that time.
So So when you proof read it, you read
through that long column
if you found a mistake. So there was a
mistake on that line. So how do you
correct it?
So the printer had to re retype that one
line
and then he had to go through the metal
all the metals
find the line of metal that had the
mistake, throw it out and replace it
with the new one.
And then obviously he made another one
to see maybe when he retyped he made a
mistake.
That was the second proof reading. So
the Reb was after this after the the was
type set. So first we proof read it
ourselves
and simple typos were corrected and then
another one was made until it was clear
from all print typos and then it went
into the Reb for a second type. the
goalies a set of goals of the whole sika
the sik itself with the mm came as
separate the reb would then edit a
second time the sika
this wasn't for proof reading the proof
reading was done already
and here's a lot of times the reba the
second time would write holy yonim that
weren't on the first go that was the
second a lot of time the would write a
piece for example
short, concise and kadesh and he would
say
to translate this into Yiddish
was not word for word
>> but you know to expand it should be
written out they would say to
a lot of times you can see on the first
sometimes they would write a short piece
he would leave like a little circle on
the
The circle always meant that was going
to go over it again a second time.
A lot of times whenever wrote a mim
wrote a mazal and he didn't write the
mim but he would leave a little circle
to fill in the mim
and then
after after the hag we didn't understand
something we would ask the rebba and
sometime would a third time
>> not always
>> what
>> not always
>> not always sometimes
in other is sometimes the Reba just
answered the question. But sometime
after the Reb answered the question.
>> So that caused that whole priestess had
to be rewritten.
>> Right? So if nothing needed to be
rewritten then
>> nothing had to be rewritten major. So
then
>> right
>> then but if something major had to be
rewritten so we could ask the Reb a
third time and Sante Mia a third time
certain pieces at least.
>> Mhm.
Um, and you were only
working on the on the not in the
>> No, only the
>> only only look.
>> Yeah, only look.
>> You were involved in in writing
>> a little bit. Sometimes I certain times
I wrote certain
I I wor I wor I worked a little bit and
sometimes some I wrote ciphel cipher
and cyhel a little bit very very little
bit once in a while
um so I want to so I want to ask you
maybe specific uh sikas
so first of all there's
of um
memb
>> I don't remember
>> some when the spokesson
had a injury
>> I'm not sure could be when theson fell
and then it was
the
wanted to be my
I forgot which year it was.
So it's connected to the
>> why.
Yeah.
>> Okay.
Um and also so you doing this as a bak
but then you got married in the middle.
How did how did you end up uh doing this
afterwards?
Well, I worked
then
again the reb
but the Reb said in the beginning.
So we started in the beginning
every week we printed a
built
did this.
>> Yeah.
What was interesting
a lot of those after Shabas the leak was
printed the Reb sent out the leot with a
hashm a new on the
>> show I give to them
>> even though it was built in mug but the
rebb added on the sikhas
And later years we use a lot of these
for the
>> later on.
Yeah.
>> So
>> so so
at the end of
when it came to
so we decided
you're already a younger man at this
point. What?
>> You're already a younger man at this
point?
>> Yeah. I got married. Yeah.
>> And it was a question if you should stay
in the or
>> when I went into
I asked if I should go into
I was a dropout like I said because
because of the so I was I I didn't keep
siddha because I was already in working
full-time on the sikas.
So what happened was
to go into the cable you needed a settle
from that
it wasn't
very mental told me I'm going to give
you a settle anyway that
say should take me into
when I went to I as if I should go to
kaleb didn't answer me
what was my shil my shil was because
I didn't I didn't write it clear to the
but my was that I go into I should stay
in the even though
so that was the premise of the sh
didn't answer me so a m is grand
hope say lane. That was the way I
understood it.
So, I never went into Ko
>> straight to the
>> I stayed with the
>> to start what should be again.
>> Yeah.
>> Mhm. And the rebel
no
on
he just started being mik
there was
killed on
so
that's when I started again working on
the snow
from to there's no halfick Can
>> every single week?
>> Every single week.
>> The last
>> that was the last one. Yeah.
>> It was always interesting to me to look
in.
Sometimes you can see that the Reb
references something
in the that's touches upon some in that
week's like some once in a while you see
such things.
>> Does that make sense? What
>> sometimes in the fabangans you can see
something that's connected to
>> sometimes
>> to to so very interesting thing the
rebba has fabans every week there's new
fabangans and there's a whole
>> a separate a separate a separate line
>> yeah it's like a separate line of the
coming out also every week
>> I think um that was also a every week
there's there's from theb
>> what can you tell me about
the hashkar that you saw the putting
into
invaded.
The reason why the stopped at the end of
was because it was taking too much was
taking too much time. You would be
faded.
The years that I was in Los Kadesh
originally
was very very very
a lot of Hagore.
You saw Bashmi
I think it was much more than in the
later years. I think after after
the Reb stopped being mir twice to
I think not 100% sure
>> stopped being
>> stopped twice only once
I don't remember clear. So you're saying
that it took it took uh
it took took a lot of the's time.
>> Yes, that's there's no question.
>> And how how quickly would the like what
was it say that how quickly did the was
was the
>> a lot of times they saw the taking
taking it home at night and coming the
next morning with the week. So he was up
a whole night. I don't know how many
hours
>> there's a time
>> in the later years whenever
so they saw
those were standing on
that would come out in the middle of the
night and put out in the middle of the
night 2 in the morning we'll tell you
>> yeah we had him on
>> what
>> he uh had him interview
>> I think there was a time also my like
onish
I don't know if it was Mia the M
he he he wrote a it wasn't on the M it
was on the
I believe the Reb said
>> give me
human
>> about about making us human.
>> Yeah. No, not about
then. See what
So here the whole see it says
>> she's saying that was done on.
>> So one of these herus.
>> Mhm.
forgot which one the reb sent out
of
>> after
>> what
>> after
remember
he was mug
>> never happened before
>> and I remember he was he was he was
again
so he told us stories then I remember he
told us
He
he worked.
He told us then about one time
a countis came out
aunt from aunt of my modem and the reb
sent him
to
>> the printer
>> the print for print
but the kudum was weren't ready yet
could have his hand on him
>> yeah and The Reb told him to wait till
he'll soon have the kitsum.
The Reb gave him the kitsum. He said,
the kitsum
theb wrote
his
likebud,
>> right?
>> I remember he told us
I remember clear. So those are
>> he wasn't like he was he was such and
his spiralist from the the sent out. So
he told us
>> so that's
>> so he told us that the kitsurum the reb
gave the ksurim it was typed but the
hagos the rebba was m with you know
added it and with
>> was it was it written by theb
>> I don't know I'm just saying this this
is what I remember
>> right
>> was written by the
I I think I heard people people people
theorize that I don't know
>> they theorize it but he said that
whenever gave it to them to to bring to
the printer the on it was like
rewrote pieces
>> besides the there was also sometimes
that the asked certain to be prepared
for
right
>> what I mean for example there's like a
on
>> like on an Indian like um
about
not getting operations
before uh
before Shabas. Yeah,
>> it's it's in it's in the back, right?
>> But it's not it's not just a regular
format to look at. Is that something
that the Reb asked the to prepare these
type of things?
A lot of those things were prepared for
ham or hapard.
>> So that was done by the vad.
>> No reveal yourself a lot of used to
prepare these things
>> like in
>> right
or the
>> mhm.
>> So it was printed the first time in
hapardis. Which had
>> you say that you say this the big the
haden the famous had
>> the
l I think
>> but it was many years later
>> many years later
>> like me I think
>> it was printed in me
>> Mhm. But but it was
no it was the first time it was it was
it was in
>> then.
>> Yeah.
Mhm.
So that was uh so this this is a
different Indian that wasn't that wasn't
part of the vat.
>> But there also
>> I think the on the raam there's a whole
story
If I remember correctly,
So he he he made an on the and he gave
him to the
>> on his own
>> I think. He was a bak. He was a I don't
know if he's I don't know exactly
the issue
a couple of times more than two times
there's but then the rebels only
revealed Sugi great the ones for Rambam.
Here's the
>> onib
>> the beer and the ones.
>> Not the whole thing. Not the
one when was the first big.
So then
so we added
the the piece on the end of the ram
and the
so we added that
and the was
then that's that's when the kus came out
haden
>> you also did some noi
>> what
>> then the kadi
>> that was the only Yeah. I don't remember
doing any other. Why did I do the I
don't remember
>> the famous the every
>> Mhm.
>> Why did you end up doing that?
>> Why I end up do I don't remember.
I don't remember how it happened.
>> It's a hard
>> maybe remembers.
>> Okay, we'll have to ask him.
>> What's interesting about is
added
him. But the main thing was on in the
so wrote
that that was the
>> getting back to
>> right and that and that's the m The said
by the by the
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> So the said
that was the
>> when the gave out the
gave it out.
>> Mhm.
>> And with all the all the memor from the
>> Mhm.
>> It's in there.
>> Yeah. So,
um, was there anything you're able to
see
that invested into the Fabangans before?
What is there? Or was there anything
you're able to see like how the Reb
invested into the Fabangans before
before the Fabangans? something that you
saw in the narat
>> that you have to ask people who knew
what was doing by the reb in the house
on the simmon
>> right
okay so I want to ask you a question
um a lot of people ask me this
>> what
a lot of people ask not me a lot of
people ask what's the what's the I I I
asked Leel Shapiro about this but what's
the kadesh or yiddish and then then it
changed. Was there any like I I I heard
there was no from about it but was there
>> wasn't
they had there was a bush
didn't understand
there was a big
a big demand.
>> So therefore it got changed.
>> Okay. So the the last thing I want to
ask you about the is that a number of
people told me that in the later years
specifically I don't know nalif
that you used to do
and that a lot of people I interviewed
somebody who bal didn't even speak
English then but he went to your in
English that was that that was the best.
So, how how did that start?
>> I don't know how it happened. I'll be
honest with you. I don't remember how it
happened.
>> And specifically in English, like like
>> I said, I don't remember how
>> someone asked you.
>> I forgot. I forgot how it happened. I
have no idea. I don't remember these
things.
>> Okay. So, beside besides working on
Besides working on, you also um did the
every week. Okay.
So I want I want to ask you um some
personal things. So first of all moving
away from the back to the other things.
So you lived in 706 East Parkway. Yes.
For many years.
>> So I heard that uh there with the
Revitson
706.
>> You know the Reb was the Rebson was
close with Rebson Rifken. You know that
>> barriker. Yeah. He lived in the
building.
>> Belken lived in the building on my floor
rather
a few a few a few doors.
So when when passed away and she was
sitting Shiva the Rebbitz came to seven
walked
>> the Rebbitson.
>> Oh the Davidson came
>> the came to not the Reb the Rebbitson.
I was punk walking out of the building
and the reverson came.
So she stopped me and she asked me if I
know where
where the rifkin's apartment is.
>> You ever spoke to her before? Never.
>> So I said
and I went so I went into 706.
I went with her in the elevator to the
third floor and I and I showed her which
door it is.
That was the extent of the
of the Mson
after we got married
got married in Kislv
and remember was Shabas Khan.
So, Lil Shabas.
So, I
So, we were going to 770 for Cababola
Shabas. So, I was walking with my Revson
out of 706 towards 770.
It was very quiet. So, I don't know. And
I don't know. I got the feel. So, I
turned around. D was coming to show
behind me.
for he walked on the side.
I think
this
that once our kids were playing in front
of the house,
>> front of the building
>> in front of the building with a ball and
someone threw the ball at us and was
rolling on the street and the was coming
to 770 and the stopped it with his foot.
That's what she says. I don't remember
the story.
>> That mom stopped the ball.
Um,
>> okay. So 7:06
my bedroom my bed was to Eastern
Parkway.
So when the deb used to come
we all had windows along Eastern
Parkway. We also had windows on Brooklyn
Avenue. So when the used to walk to 770
we could see the reba coming from
Brooklyn Avenue and coming down Eastern
Parkway.
I remember my shri was once in the house
with my aunt with her aunt with her
sister Reson Gorellic they were in the
house could be so the third her third
sister was also there remember they were
how they were running from the bedroom
to the to the front of the house to see
the reb going you know
>> what I do remember is the famous shabas
So
>> second time.
>> Yeah. The second
after
I was washed out. So So after used to
come home.
So I remember that chabas after. So I
came home and I lie down. After an hour
my window was open. I hear a big tuml.
So I open the window. I say what's
happening? So some was a says
770. I came in the middle by the time I
came.
So you're uh you lived hesh of 770
basically
>> location location location we of
English.
>> Yeah.
>> Um there's a there's a story
something happened when um when was uh
was not wellb.
Yeah.
>> Yeah. He once came to New York to Sloan
to be in Sloan over here. He had to be
here for Chavis. Well, pay there was an
apartment. It was in the middle of the
winter and
there was wasn't proper heating in this
apartment and he caught pneumonia and
what with with the chemo so his body
couldn't fight it. See, Mameish was like
fell Mish into a coma.
>> He's in Manhattan.
>> What?
>> He is in Crown Heights. He's in
>> No, he was in Manhattan.
>> He the first time they caught by him was
many years earlier
at that time.
So, I wasn't I wasn't it was I wasn't
even married then, you know. I don't
know who went to the rebba his brothers
sisters maybe
and after that
whatever
we went
>> you weren't married
>> no I wasn't married
>> okay
>> this was way before I was married
>> okay
>> as a velomatess whatever
>> okay
>> we went over to the Reb. Then I think I
went with
>> You say when he was with pneumonia?
>> Yeah, he went to the Reb.
months later I went we went to visit him
when he was already
but he was home already for a short
while. So he went home to visit him when
he was home.
So he told us then
told us that when he was in that coma
he felt like you know you have these
after death experience
>> out of body experience
>> out of body you know you're falling into
a a dark hole.
He said he felt he was falling a fault
on a fault.
He saw the
I forgot. He said the Reb told him
and he woke up.
Oh, he told us that was in Kis
later. It was in Nissen. In the
beginning of Nissen, he contracted
menitis
and he fell into another coma.
The doctor told my
get out of this coma.
So again, we went over to the Reb again.
The Reb gave this.
>> Yeah. So we went for Pes to Pittsburgh.
I remember I went out of we went we flew
from
Pes so
I remember
we we came to Pittsburgh.
So someone had to say
so
in the hospital remember I brought the
mat
he had machinery you know he couldn't
so I figured
gave
ma
was
I came to the second s
I told him
So
I told him the second night I told him
by me going to Shila how was I allowed
to bring bring I had to carry the mat
and the motor
I ask him
bring
so on the spot he tells me
This was after a comb getting up from a
com
this week on Thursday of
>> and they went to you went to the before
before And
>> yeah,
forgot the day before I was in New York
before I my
she used to write maybe hour on hour to
the every hour and another settle. So
she
Remember
I went over
the answer
>> to her?
>> Yeah.
>> Like what?
>> Like
whatever. I forgot already what the
answer was.
>> Too much.
>> So I figure
Where was this? This is
>> I went after going back.
>> And you said something to the
>> I said something.
I don't remember even what
that
no more
show us.
>> Then he passed away right afterwards.
>> What?
>> He passed away right afterwards.
>> A day a day a day or two later.
But the last the last answer for the Reb
was to my was
I remember
we were sitting in the hospital
and uh
the blood pressure was going lower and
lower.
was
exemp.
>> Mhm.
>> No,
>> you had a
>> You want your personal stuff?
>> Yeah. But I have I have another one. You
You had a story when your wife was go
going into labor.
>> What?
>> With your wife going into into labor.
>> Yeah. Shavasia.
>> That's what happened.
>> So
she gave birth in my man in Borak.
So Shabas morning
it was
so
on the way to Crown Heights.
There was such a know that if you had a
baby on Shabas, you would tell the
rabbit, right?
>> Yeah. Sure.
>> Yeah.
>> So I thought, but this was my
So I when I came to Eastern Park, I did
it was coming down Brooklyn Avenue
already on the way to SH. So I ran to
770.
Now what happened was so Friday night
she went into labor
Tuesday or Wednesday and so going to and
nothing was happening.
So Friday night was really Friday night.
So I told label
He went in after might have and at the
Mont Friday night.
I came home an hour later. So he already
went to the hospital.
So Shabas morning
I told the Reb got a maid. So the Reb
asked right away if it was if it was a
Syrian or not.
>> Yeah.
>> And the Reb said asked that question.
>> Yeah.
What was the deb used?
>> I forgot. I have it written down
somewhere. I forgot the word, but I
forgot the
said.
Yes.
And what was the name?
>> What? Yes, I gave the name K.
My malaba was sure I gave the name
of whoever gave a name.
>> Yeah.
>> So you got a letter like that.
>> Yeah.
>> If you if you did after the reb you got
>> what
>> if you named after the
you got you got uh
yeah whatever
I got. Yes. I got that. Yeah. Uhhuh.
Okay. So I want to I just want to ask
you um in the last uh few decades you
also been very involved in
and
>> how did you get to that from
>> Well, it started on the telephone
after.
>> Yeah.
>> So then
that's when the
to make this on the telephone
>> saying people we can't go teach them so
we have to make a telephone
>> we can't go can't go there person you
know face to face so with a telephone
>> hotline
>> what
>> hotline
>> oh yeah whatever
>> 7187357333
>> yeah so
so there was a vod you know to take care
of it
reveal the letter to the rebba
Riel signed it. Barry Weineberg and Bor
spoke about
so
somehow I became involved in managing
the thing.
>> The project.
>> What?
>> The project.
>> The whole project. Yeah.
The rebroki
pony
the mitsus was there was no one person
whose money on top of it.
So it started me gimmal
but after 3 years it mama frizzled out.
There was no money for the telephones.
There were 100 lines
100 telephone lines and had to pay
people to run it whatever.
There was no money.
So I took it over.
You had time.
>> I did whatever I could, but I found
guilt.
>> This is before.
>> This is me.
>> She's starting to fund raise now.
>> Started to fund raise.
>> Okay.
>> So, first I found someone who who
undertook to pay the telephone bills.
I thought the 100 lines
I forgot how much it was a month or
divided into
dividing is each one to give at central
from the
remember I needed $12,000
>> a year
>> no for the to pay the
>> there was a of $12,000
6,000 was for the telephone company
another 6,000 was for the other hate
source. Rabiel
Gashaf Susan Dolan forgot his name. A
younger man
can't remember his name.
>> An
Yeahad.
But but the real asked him to give
money. He gave money. So, so after
so on telephone
was reun rejuvenated
at that time it worked on a tape
recorder. Tape recorders you put in a
tape
had a system where the tape recorders
was able to connect to the telephone
lines.
But then it came I forgot which year it
was
me. You know me.
>> Eastern Parkway.
>> What?
>> From Eastern Parkway.
>> Yeah. Then he lived in Montgomery
Street.
So we used to go to the country
together. So one tells me you know label
nowadays you can make this whole thing
computerized. I said good. He says so he
wrote a program. This is ready to basim
a computer price program
where you can you can
he wrote it and we had to buy hardware
and software.
Then it was it was the thing then to
make cost about was about a $36,000
project.
I won't tell you how much it costs
today.
>> I'll give you an example.
>> Today, a telephone line doesn't cost
anything.
>> I'll tell you what what the hardware
cost.
>> That time we wanted to put in all of
Rubio.
So, you needed
a hard drive that I forgot how many
megabytes you need. How many gigabytes
you needed? Four gigabytes.
four a hard drive with four gigabytes
cost $8,000 then
that was the I remember
four gigabytes we had to get a hard
drive of 4 gigabytes $8,000 we had to
pay for it today you buy
a gigabyte of
>> for nothing yeah although it's going up
now by the way
>> it's going back uphon
but Yosel Gut think
gave a big swarm of money
>> for that.
>> And so so so we had the computerized
system.
So from the telephone which was made
specially
so from that
>> in bar park
>> mhm
>> and now there's other it became a whole
model
>> and that's also why I started doing
>> what was the idea of
doing it was
a person can sit in his house.
So is basically having someone teach you
look at the
>> what
>> it's having someone teach you look at
the
>> You shouldn't have to come
walk into a into the into the center to
hear the you can sit at home and learn.
>> Yeah.
>> The light to help me.
So they came up with this concept
>> and that's the same thing with the Tanya
that
>> once after. So then we went into Tanya
after we finished with if we went into
so there was a demand to make on the
same style
>> and
has become a major major tool of but
also for foratanas for ourselves too
saying
>> I wasn't meant for it but
>> I had a mashia that taught us like mifa
already then came out some of them he
told us officially it's for I'm telling
you it's for you guys too like you could
benefit from it also
>> the side benefits
>> okay so
I always have there's a famous
brings it in no
The mind
of
from the
Mhm.
from the
was for a vacation.
Oh, there's a house. I have to eat.
>> That's the same thing with that.
I don't put any labels anywhere.
>> Okay.
I want to Mosquito.