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Ep. 4: The Transition to Shlichus with Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf
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In this packed episode, Rabbi Yitzchak Wolf, Shliach of the Rebbe in Chicago, IL, discusses: -Traveling to the Rebbe as a child -Ahavas Yisroel of Chassidim -Yechidus'n with the Rebbe -Shlichus in Australia, Detroit, and Chicago -The Rebbe’s instruction after a car accident -Horaos in Chinuch -Hiskashrus of Bochurim after Gimmel Tammuz And more!
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
When I walk into the mifter, I come some
and I see Shabas
morning. It's a
it's to see how the is working
[Music]
today is unbelievable by the way. It's
unparalleled in Jewish history because
we know what people said about the day
after and and everyone has that it's
felt. I'm Yasi Cayman. Welcome to
among an ongoing fabin about life as aid
our vibrant connection with the reb and
inspired living shaped by the way he
teaches us each and every day.
Shalom. Rabbi Wolf. How are you? Shalom.
Okay. Um, so I I actually saw that uh
you um wrote some articles recently. I
think you're commemorating uh 50 years
of correct.
So I mean I I read one I think there was
multiple. I read one of them. So I
didn't realize you were in Australia.
It's 50 years commemorating that or in
Chicago?
No, the in general which began with the
in Melbourne.
So that
was we walked
into and that's where it all started.
I have to say it started daled Nissen
earlier when we were called in by the
mosquito. I was called in by Minyam
Klein but our group was called in
different times of the day I
guess and asked uh three
questions. Are you willing to go to
Melbourne? Would your parents give you
permission? We need their
permission. And if you were Mavri, these
were the three questions within I think
uh 90 seconds or 180 seconds, as long as
it took to contact my parents and by the
pay phone on Kingston
Avenue, Yamulla pay phone that we used
to use for a dime. So, uh, it was all
straightened out within several minutes.
And, uh, so your parents, what you you
asked permission or you told your
father, we need I need permission. No, I
told my father that I need permission.
He said right away, yes, you have to
understand where my father came
from. If not for my father and some
accountant, I wouldn't be sitting here
today. I think I should go into that.
Your father was a labraer. My father
obviously he wasn't born and bred as a
labid but later on he was one of the
refugees that ended up in
Samarant Polish
refugees. So he ended up in Samarant
like so many Polish refugees did. And if
I can share with you an incredible story
how he met
Kabad the I would love to hear it dude.
The refugees at the time coming from
Poland to Russia they didn't know the
language. They didn't know Russian and
they didn't know how to work the system.
So people were literally dying from
hunger. He lost his father, his
mother and he ended up being sent to
Siberia in January of
1940. In
1941 he is off somehow Pakistan sakant
first ashkant then
some people were dying from hunger every
day. He told me that he was so famished
ago that at nighttime he became blind
from malnutrition. Can you imagine? He
told me he once walked into
ancient into his house and it he didn't
know where he was going. It was night
time. He was blind. But
then so the guy picks up a butcher knife
and he starts chasing him. He said he
doesn't know how he was saved. But
anyway, one second. So could I go back a
second? So he's he's a glatian living in
Poland. So World War II breaks out.
Where is he from? He's from Krakco. From
Krakco, a suburb of Krakco. So he
escapes the Nazis over the border into
USSR. Correct.
and he he was you know he was up to
Lmberg and somehow in Lav area there was
some type of a border with Russia and he
made a critical decision and that was in
late December of 1939 or maybe the first
week of January and he made a decision
which he had to make either to stay
behind in the German side one second the
war broke
out in the December 1939. September
1939. So the first several months
December, you're busy running, right?
Okay. So he's running and he ended up, a
long story short, he ended up in Russia
and they sent him immediately to
Siberia. So he was one year in Siberia.
He used to say how they were cutting
down trees and even Pes
saying while they're cutting down trees,
actually my mother went the same
journey. They didn't know of each other.
They were both refugees and following
actually the same journey played out
with my mother. But anyway, they ended
up my father ends up in a Samarant as I
told you. He's famished. He's he's one
mother Shabas. He's walking the
streets. No father, no mother.
The people dying the kadisha came every
day driving through the
roads and they picked up the
mason. So he is
mamish famished. He's walking m shabas.
He's hallucinating and suddenly he hears
singing thinking. He thought he was
hallucinating. But as he's walking, not
walking, the singing is becoming louder.
He walks into what he told
me and it was shabas. There was a mal
from the going on.
It even told me who was
there that whole was there and they saw
walking in hunger vvelt and there was
the only food that was on the table he
told me was koshka
mabis mashka and they took him under his
wings and the rest is history. So later
on after the war in 1945 he ended up at
the DP camps in parking in parking over
there too he met Rebutri all the other
that ended up in Montreal he met in
parking and he was five six years in
Belgium in Belgium anthropy was a
diamond cutter finally came he was
hoping to go to New York because they
had a diamond district but pipel Mamashi
ended up in Montreal. The Hayas ended up
in Montreal. The reason why he left
Belgium was because of the Korean war.
And there was talk that it's going to
reach Europe reaching Europe. He had
enough of war and dying and famine and
whatnot. And these people were
traumatized. So was my father and
mother. My father and mother met in some
accountant. They were describing their
their wedding. It was Friday afternoon.
And that's how that's where they got
married. They got married in Sakant.
Yeah, they got married. They met. So
your
father came
into you
know they they g they gave because he's
whatever he ate. It wasn't exactly
Benimoik was a bit older. But I'm saying
like they gave him something to eat.
Yeah. Yeah, that's right. They gave him
something to eat.
The he ended up in Montreal and there he
got back to Paris Mk and
torien and he sent us I was 5 years old.
He sent me to labavich. You were born in
Montreal in Montreal. Yeah. So he sent
me was called the labi but was a small
room on gene man street whoever is a
Montrealer that will be hearing this and
who was my first malam an incredible
shided abdavid le maraf if you heard of
David le he was the oldest son of
kanyaf I can I can picture the room that
I was sitting I wasn't even five years
old yet I came in and l I was a month
before my fth birthday. So I'm a little
kid. There wasn't a toy in the room.
Wooden
desks and he had such a like a regal
appearance. He was he had a always wore
his double breasted it was like a more
of a a langanger that the Pisha used to
wear maybe today too. And he was sitting
with his hat and jacket. He had a pencil
and a wooden ruler. And he was such a I
can never forget it. I don't remember
what I learned. I remember one thing
that he taught us
the tanunim of
the recordings of him singing singing.
Yeah. Now it's very interesting because
he suffered from asthma.
So in fact sapp he he couldn't catch his
breath at times but we're little kids
and we we learned
in he taught it to us and the way he
said the way he taught us how to
read but he passed away in the I think
it was that he passed away but I can
truly say that that that was you know
when you learn about you
know that's the
but anyway I had tremendous
was there too right? Yeah, I had him two
years different times. I had I had him
two years. He taught me my and he taught
me out the lane and he
was his mashia. So we heard a lot about
I can't tell you that I remember
everything that he said but
alapon there would over there. I
remember going
into fabangans. I remember one purim
which is so much I remember it very
clearly. It was before the time I was a
kid. I was 10 11. It was before tin lame
when the hookups
began was sitting in his basement where
he lived. He lived next to the labi
yeshiva Montreal and mame today the it's
the yeshiva gdela is there now. So it's
a different building but it used to be a
house and he lived in the basement. It
was pur night. I went with my father a
parrots was like his reb you know he
taught him and he got him involved every
shabas used to end up being there 6 7:00
in the morning
learning nakman Shapiro even lately
reminded me about that he was a kid
staying over by and how they used to sit
and learn from the early hours of the
morning but anyway it was
pur and he was sitting he took a lot of
mashkar
was behind
them. I remember it well because they
were singing some of
the I heard grow from from David and
other they were singing but it made a
tremendous impression. One of the things
that was missing at the time was as a 10
11 year old there was no fangans with
the kitas. I don't know why there
wasn't. So this fear of really really
registered it resonated
etc etc. So there's a there's a painting
of Z climbing
of and there's some kids in the
background. So this is that painting is
what you experience probably 100% 100%.
I mean I remember even at the
time like every second year used to come
and
fab. I remember one thing that he used
to say over and over again and I was a
kid 12 13 you know
kids and the way he said it you
know made an impression. There were
times used to come to
Yeah. And and one of the things that
came out
from what is at you know what is at of
course and they were the role models
of I'll soon get to the part of this
whole thing but uh what was very
interesting was the way
in I remember he repeated this several
times. He used to come to visit his
son-in-law quite
often and he used to talk
about. So he mentioned the way he said
it remember so
clearly by him was of course the
said
that means by the he was by the he was
by the vice there was one
there said there was one
so there's no question that these
uh people made an impression. I had
another
Mhammed very
shar I was about 13 14 in
his I mean definitely Shar his hopes
here he loved
his love was all over him and if he had
to if he had to explain something 10
times he did it 10
times and And he was makid in the
writing and everything but everything
was lip shaft. No today getting a
malam I have great malam over here but I
was going to say that uh if anyone
doesn't know that uh you you're the head
of institute of so when you talk about
malam you're you know uh you know what
it's all about. Well, so I saw this and
of course it made a tremendous
impression. There was one se that I
remember that I can never forget. It was
tough of
Zion. I was my Mhammed was Raban
Jükovich. His son is the
Lud is remember as a B.
So if you rec if you know that was a the
spoke unbelievable about the massive at
the time was that the war was
anticipated the six day war six day war
it was in the air and the the rumor had
it that Israel as a soul was preparing
10,000 body bags
Now every one of my malam was a nits
messiah. Rabayovich was a nit messiah
survivor at the time. We had a lagma
parade. Lagma was in Sunday. We had a
laga parade in Montreal and we knew that
there was a laga parade in New
York parade but we were not hooked up at
the time. The hookups weren't working at
the time not until
lmed. So he kept on telling us that
we're getting a tape. We're getting a
tape. And I can picture where he was
even standing in the
classroom just hearing that there may be
another
holocaust and they're preparing body
bags. I mean he was reliving.
He was standing I I can see it by the
light and we got a cassette
tape cassette tapes and he for the class
he's he's
playing the was like
shouting speaking so loudly he is
standing all of you have heard you you
had heard what we heard
We were kids. How old was I? 12 years
old. That we heard
of and the
gave telling us, you know, that there'll
be. So he's standing there and he's
listening.
with 12 year
olds the Reb is speaking and it made
such an
impression it's crazy
unbelievable
when but that gave him so much courage
listening to
the was just unbelievable
there was one thing growing up there and
I left LA when I was 16 years old. I
left that as well. That's a whole pass
between Montreal. I left Montreal. So
we're
leaving which
was from Detroit from Brazil. I was on I
was on in Brazil. Sorry. Okay. Yeah.
He's an incredible
guy. uh he went at his yul son which
used to come often to his he lives in LA
now used to come out into there was also
we grew up from I know him from when he
was 8 years old and I heard that he went
to there are some from our yos was in my
class there were others that are in my
class and they
bas younger but
No, they were going they were going to
places. Okay. My father told me that he
would appreciate if I
got you
know that resonated with
him, you know. But whatever you wanted
to go to the he he he
he sent a
settled and the turtle came with an
answer.
That's so so that's so one second. You
used to go to the as a child. Okay. So I
can talk about that. Of course is my
father. I'll tell you a story that my
father told me about. Okay.
Indian we we'll hold a we'll hold a
note. We have to get back to you going
to but
it
was that the
[Music]
Montreal
and was a given. Remember even how we
used to go the the bus used to take us
and we used to stop in my gay mikvah and
uh there was a story then
that at times went with the bus too you
know the some of them went by car but
most of them a bus was a to go with the
bus how many had cars to go
and we used to come there so I don't
know they'd stop by a mikvah and
somebody was telling him
I don't know if you heard this before.
So Isaac
said, "So the guy tells
him
so." So we used to go those two times. I
remember tapin
lmed. We came early Friday
morning Friday afternoon was the same
the big the big the big.
So I remember that when the buses pulled
up the arrived. So what I recall from
that seal that the Reb was going up the
steps and the buses there were five
Greyhound buses. It was historic. Five
buses historic from Montreal at one
time. The buses were pulling up. They
were lined up in the service lane and
and this what I recall the Reb turning
around with such
a it's very
difficult to be Messiah but it was
unbelievable you saw it wasn't a smile
it was like I remember that clearly was
a kas was already a 15y old b like in
English you would say pleasure
Yeah, like a like a like a gishmakite
like a very hard to describe aapon. So
tough raft lammed base. I remember I
went with my father. We were sitting
next to each other on the bus
and lad
was it was everyone went. was before Pes
and and for me for my father to go then
Pes was but everyone went it was
a so everyone
went I remember on the way
back that that resonated so much you you
couldn't
leave it so inspirational
whatever I'll tell
you when I was a kid but there was my
father's first time that he went to see
the rebber was either tion or
yud I'm not sure what year were you born
I was born in
Tes okay so second so you remember did I
have a teaching
nigaster what did I have a teaching in
nigaster I remember the last one. Well,
the also not the whole but the last one,
you know. Okay. But listen to this. This
is incredible. So my father tells me
that there was such a big and this was
the night after you know at night I
remember even that fabans used to finish
2:00 3:00 was nor late the the was
already like 12 12:30 even 11:30 you're
talking about the night of the no the
night
after and the night
later So that year my father told me
there was so many people going at the
that they made two nights for the
Montreal
Eden and his time to go was the second
night. He was supposed to be there 3:00.
I don't know where he came. He said he
came early 2:30. I don't know where they
came. And he says like this, it's about4
to
3 and he's standing
like
area and a woman walks. That's probably
told
me was the rabbit and she said like
this lost them
up. Everyone packed out the door closed.
This was canceled.
Wow.
Incredible. If you're talking about how
Montreal was uh
that's a crazy story cancel as well.
Okay. That's what my father told me was
there.
Wow.
So la what happened
was that we used to go often but I have
to
admit the
in I didn't get in Montreal at all. Now,
let's be honest with ourselves. If
you're talking
about
lad, I left after
B. It wasn't the normal talk of the day.
How many were
there? You know, but maybe there was 10,
12. It was a it was a select very select
few very select few. And it wasn't it
wasn't on everyone's agenda. You know
what I
mean? So
therefore of the mash
green they didn't talk
about
but was not mentioned. So
Leo opened up new horizons.
Why I came
after Pes
l it was about a year
after the mashia passed away
but his his vision his what he tried to
to get to
the and all that that is what the se
wasn't about at the time his
vision said I remember the first Shabas
I was
there it was about 2 3:00 in the
afternoon wasn't like really it was
at David Feldman was there at the time
there were other guys over there Gopin
was a younger man in Ka at the time I
mean there was sur over there you I mean
Slavatitzky there was a whole group Bim
that came from Cultter. One of them was
called Borovski. One of them was
Slavatski from the Kakabad. There was a
whole group of them and the one that
brought them was instrumental was Yosul
Seagel. There was also um Greenfield was
there. Yeah. Cipher. There are a whole
group of them.
There was another
couple
but it
was and who was the interim type of
mash was me what
was again he was a muik I guess from so
what did he talk about he talked about
that was the language of the it seems
very seamless from Montreal to it was
similar. Yeah. Yeah. Similar. Yeah.
Everything
was until Reb Mendel
came and then label Kaplan all talk
about
that comes Mendle
[Music]
came I
think from what I understand was very
from what I understand the was very
involved and
pushed they said that
Right. So
the you know whatever I once heard that
there was push back
because like like is the famous that
everyone knows but you know in those
days you know was it was a different
style was I don't know 100% we'll soon
get to that. So mendle's first it was
advertised. So he's
gonna all the from
came from was there everyone was there
and his opening that's what I remember
his opening words
were when you make such a
statement you know like what's going on
like this is coming from somebody's is
going to be the mash on encouraging the
I guess as a continuation
of and he explained himself. He everyone
opened up their eyes like what is he
talking about? They said like this.
Everyone's trying to get to
the So he brought in such
a it made such an incredible impression
that it emptied out. I heard there was
no meaning yeshiva. The place emptied
out. I didn't before. Can I ask a
question? Go ahead. What is I'm just
curious to understand. A menal came from
the same place as all these other people
that you're mentioning. So what what
what shift? Why was a menal different
you know I personally think if you want
to know my personal uh he had a mashpa
Z and he spoke so much about Zamesha. He
even described to
us as a Neville. He was a
Neville
and that's my
opinion. He spoke so much
about
Yeah. I think that had a lot to do.
That's my personal opinion. But
He didn't even mention I don't recall
mention he didn't use those
words. It was like
yeah like it it was like such a natural
thing and everyone went to that but was
an incredible type of a
mashia
that he did tell a lot of the stories of
past his
favorites
may
sim He wants to
describe can I do this one of the he was
holding talk about mayor. So he told the
following story and he wanted to bring
out they told the following story. He
said he
was who was
the talk about
Neville. Who was the
So this is
after was left
the main we we actually recently had an
article in about Neville this month
actually. And so we it says over there
that um the for for that period was in
Neville. That was the main the main
branch. You know, he Kadi told us before
I got to Mayor Sim, he told us that
Sigan, it looks like it was a day
after
the he used Repeat this many times.
They heard
that and then they heard that there's
afterwards. Yeah. Yeah.
And we don't know how long
whatever
said like calm down you know
right as he used to
say you know you
know they
says and he said
so it's very interesting because if you
learn
the always explains that even though
there was something afterwards but it's
of the it's the beginning
so some
saying
was to speak about you know years later
by the way I got a I have a personal
letter from the dated
giml so anyway we'll leave it for
another time
but this is very interesting
that if you're talking about
in the meaning of he spoke a lot about
it in many occasions in
770. So he he wanted to tell us
the is coming to town.
So the
anticipation a lot of people heard
of you
know he was a real he always spoke about
mayor
may this day was from 8:00 till 10:00 in
the
evening. I think he said from 8 to
10 is and then supper and then 8 to 10
was maybe he said 9 to 11 I think he
said 8 to 10
was so he said that we
were and we saw that
But we were told that we can't come till
10:00 at
night.
So, but we're not going to go in because
they'll kick us out. So, sense it was a
summer day or whatever.
He says we come to the
window and he
said is standing
and mish he thought he said the
whole master didn't
speak and
his no
z was
He
said that was it. They're parting ways.
Are you saying to one another there this
to one another they're going to be
parting ways? He said the whole
time didn't say a word. He
said we marching. He
said he says a year later he
meets and they're
talking what came up. One of the things
was so he says
And he said it's as if between them
nothing happened and he wanted to bring
out here
is
telling
him and he
said that that that is what was front
and center of this whole thing going on.
So it
wasn't that there was
a it was the way when told it to the
miss knew it's coming from so it's
so I think I think what the the problem
maybe by some people today is they only
do the first part they they know how to
zone someone else without the right well
there's a whole from the about that and
whatever
you know, talking about Mashk and all
that. When we were in Melbourne, man, we
walked into
Alto. He wasn't like his brother at all.
He was more of whatever there's a whole
history about him.
He was crying already and he used to
say today you can't say that but he
said it was
palpable going back to to a menal that
menal was two
things was a must. You said his was also
to the
right. No, explain to the for sure. He
was
so one Ber from Chicago. He ended up in
Chicago. He's not around anymore. I
don't know what his son
Rebend spent so much time with him
learning with him. You were able to
see sometimes too.
What was very interesting is how
at from 6:30 to 7.
Mhm.
It wasn't today
guys. The way he said
it appropriately although it was the way
he said it, the way he
sat it
was it was a whole different you
mentioned the Shan
Begrari Rabari from Brazil. So he told
me and that there was a baker that was
uh I don't know today would say he's
depressed I don't know exactly he was he
wasn't so men called over maybe you
remember the story he called and says
see this bak he needs to be we need to
make him happy so I want you to do like
this I want you to make a with him the
first five minutes of the sed you have
to learn every single second. The last
five minutes you have to learn every
single second. The the rest I only
wanted to talk to
him. You're you're going to cheer him
up. You're going to make him happy. I
want you to only talk to him. And that
was a he did the mashia told him to do
it. So he did it. Yes. I mean that
that's like uh I I can't even see Mashim
today do doing such a thing. I mean the
uh the outlook. But here comes the part
where Schlis came into the picture. At
that time label
Kaplan was sent by the Reb to be to
start a
minionalite
invas in those days the ro remind me
what what year are we talking about?
We're talking about as far as I remember
late Bimlim.
Okay.
And in those
days
from to
from getting to move there was like I'm
telling you to move to
Honolulu. It was a 4hour drive.
But the theas
they it was not something that was
considered normal to move away
from wasn't a normal thing to do and at
first he
wasn't and I
heard that the Reb told him gave him
like
ultimatum that's what I heard I don't
know how true it
is So invited
him to come
to us, you know, and get them to come.
No. So I remember who was sitting by the
table and guppin. These were all young
and ka second yok third y whatever it
was. I think
uh Salin came to K maybe even
whatever but he was in Koda the younger
was sitting
around and talking and sitting here and
label sitting next to
him and Mendel told him to
say which he did a lot of and he and he
took over the
show.
Mendel was elbowing him Z and he started
to speak
about we we never heard such words. I
can tell you
being somebody from Montreal that
started when I was 5 years old. I never
heard such as before.
I remember the highlights of the words
that he
used and he's talking to guys that in
their
minds not even a question those same
guys he was targeting those they were
sitting
in he was the Russia that wasn't the
subject matter that He spoke and
and that gave
the
myself such
a what does it all mean to
us that I can tell you honestly that
that was the first time that it
resonated. it
as he gave in that thing. I mean, you
can ask anyone who's in but before at
the time or
before saw that it was not in the in the
cards. I mean it wasn't
the when they were so let me ask you a
question. I think by the bakim that
learned in
770 even in the yuds or especially in
the yuds that was something that they
talked about but I think maybe because
they they were hearing directly from the
rabbi I'm saying I don't know
I can't ask you because I was
young I
remember this but I
don't I'm basing this on I heard from
from so I was told directly by someone
that was
aud the the the cloud you can count them
on your finger right okay
on your
salaponim that's when a lot of it
started
and uh it started to
resonate. Lee
elimo I ended up in New York and uh
in which was the
place where you went first before 770
afterwards. Was that like that was the
kit? I wasn't even Yeah, I was I was
still 17 in Elo then. So that's where we
went. Uh and who was sitting in at the
time was Rabbi Menlik. Menick was a
mayor of the
Gil and
um by the way I lately heard from one of
my that he heard it from somebody who
saw it. You talk about Rabbi Mlik that
Rabbi
Mlik I think you're allowed to tell the
story that Rabbi Mantley was once Friday
night walking out of his out of
770 and he lived like Kingston over
there where is his house and in front of
his house he saw a from the floor. Have
you ever heard this? I did. Yeah. Yeah.
Anyway, that he looked into and he did
what he did
and you know he walked around with his
gu and he walked
around were always saying something
Mishna whatever but then the
fabangans turned into different types of
fabangans was at the beginning of
his hashbour and all that He was there
already two three
years and
and he made a tremendous impression on
us and don't forget that he was a Tommed
Muik of Rabiel.
So Rabiel wasn't wasn't Mashia in then
in in 770
Rabiel used to give Shum in 770. I heard
some from some but but but Rabiel was
there was a lot of inconsistencies that
he used to be six weeks seven weeks then
he stopped and on it wasn't cons but the
one who gave us the first year I heard
was I
learned and he gave it was
the that's the
first and that was lame
giml his was totally different what
resonated everything was about his learn
was about and was
about it wasn't necessarily about but it
was
the first side it was getting already on
in time and from time to time we heard
Rabik from Italy from England
770s. So
then became one thing as you're getting
older were coming out every week.
But as you're getting older, 20
21 but then the middle I was 19 and a
half. So that's when I went on to uh to
Melbourne for two years. So when you got
when you got the when when you were
called
inv this was you're waiting.
So you're you're waiting for for this
moment. You know what it's very easy. We
wait now's the time.
[Music]
Was that the only group then?
I think at the time there was also
Miami.
Okay.
But was thinking that I will be picked.
I didn't think I will be picked. That's
the honest truth.
I'm just done practically. I didn't
think that to me, but he called me it.
And after that after that whole shik we
understood that it's
mish I don't know how the rabbi picked
names but it was after we finished
our gutnik who was the one that used
to communicate with theb write to theb
about the
yeshiva he got an answer from
the was published already And uh so
there wasn't going to be but months
later
meaning that till
now yes can exist without
what happened was that they wrote a
letter to the
rebutnik and he wrote
that whatever he wrote
So the rabbis answered to him, he told
me this several
times. That was the answer. So we heard
this answer. It was a good feeling. You
know this
is after we went. So that means that
till now the deba was choosing each
person
and then so we heard this you know is
was interesting the
alapon there was and I wrote about this
that there's no
question because of the time that
growner spent with us
there's no
question that one of the Mus was to hear
from
it
was every Thursday night we used to sit
in his house sometimes till memories
2:00 3:00 4:00
was that he had I mean everything is
published today already with tapes and
everything one of the things again that
was so at the beginning of
his he was a schlak in Buffalo, New
York. In Buffalo, New York, he wasn't
that much. He was there was a school
there,
whatever it was. I didn't know what a
was talking
about. So, he was a there. He wasn't
that. And he came back to the Reb and he
told the Reb
that. So what happened was the Reb told
him he repeated this many
times. And the Reb started crying.
There's no question that all of these
stories and what he
had gave even more, you know, we're
already getting older and when you're
20, 21, you start
thinking, you know, and
yeah, I
mean, you know what I
mean? you know to prepare for.
So, so we heard a lot from and it really
resonated time and again and uh before
we went into
Yehis going to Australia. So the Reb
said that that morning that the
Allah of in Australia should come in
with
us and in the in the past the previous
group we were the
group four groups before us was part of
your group was the previous group. My
group
was so what happened was the also said
that you should also come in. So we came
in they told us to come in the first
when we came in I was in before this
several time mental uh note I want to
hear about the okay so what happened was
we come into the room and there's
butcher paper covering all of the the
Reb's
desk but we came in first the room fills
up there were 22 people in the
So if this is we come in and the Reb is
standing and you can only see the Reb
like from here and up because the table
was covered and it was covered like a
foot and a half or like more than a
foot. So if the Reb is standing here, I
ended up standing here next to me. And
this part in front of the Reb was not
covered with butcher paper. Mr. Do that
prepared the
room thought that no one is going to
stand over here and see what's going on
here. They're going to be standing
behind the desk. But
lum stand there. the table at least
twothirds threequarters of the table was
full of
sperm and the
last of the table the last like a third
or whatever it was quarter a third
was
satlock envelopes and newspaper
clippings but to see that was like
unbelievable later
on told us that he heard from his other
label that there's that the Reb has a
minute, two minutes, two minutes in
different and quickly the table fills up
and at times the Reb tells Label to
get if it's more than a minute or two
and he comes back the Reb is already
learning something else already was as
on the table other things already and
and interesting
Klein I once
went I once went back from the with him.
So I asked
him so he tells me
that once it was about4 to three and
3:15
so it comes
with and he wants to bring it into
theb he wants to bring to the he said
you can't just walk it to the rebba I'm
going in with the mail in a couple of
minutes. Whoever saw the mailman coming
in, sometimes with two sacks, sometimes
with one sack. So male was always a big
thing, but but he told
me was always the first thing the Rebel
looked at. Always. So it says he took
that safer in with the mail and vice
bakham told the fellow that he was
carrying vice.
He wrote the safer or is it? Yeah, he
wrote the he was the Maba. Mhm. But he
had the others copy of the safer with
him. Said that when the Reb comes out
the M. So stand in the lobby over there
in the front room and the Reb will see
you. You're holding the safer. This time
it's you. And the Reb walks out 350. The
Reb walks by
him
and the Reb for a second like stop.
And the
rebather
my something similar not totally my was
aim at
the who recently passed away. So he uh
his great uncle was called
the
was it
wasn't but he
[Music]
was so he wrote a safer and he wanted
the rabbit to look at it and the reb so
when he went into I because it was
before it was published. My was outside.
He didn't go into but it was outside
maybe whoever he was and he told them
right away the story and he said that he
walked in
with in his own handwriting and he said
the Reb went like
this looked at the page turned the page
look took about two three minutes went
through everything said that the was for
an altered that you can hardly read,
right? And the Reb
and and he says to
the and the
Reb. So he
says, so the Reb said that's what he
told the Reb says
that and the Reb gives him on what he
has written in that in those 30 pages.
Wow. So he went out of he
said he said he
saw before the war but he never never
everyone says that by that
[Music]
wouldb would just in one second read the
whole thing like
yeah gather talking about
reb it was in me after the rabbitson
passed away so at the time. Maybe it was
measuring at the
times. He
was and he came to Chicago because his
vivik
sheni were had children in Chicago. He
had a son in Chicago, a brahawitz.
I get a call
from Shalom. There's a lot to talk
about and he calls me and he says the
rash is in
town and he got a call I don't know from
whom that we should go over to him and
visit him and so I went with him. We
went to this uh Abrahamitz's
house and we meet him there and of
course he knew who we were and uh he
knew from 77. Yeah, I got a sm from him
if I had me several times whatever you
know the normal thing so he knew who I
was. He knew who the neil was too you
know he was very
comfortable and he was speaking about
the rabbits and the rabbits passed away.
He said to
us, you know, like whatever. But then he
told us like this. He
said and he starts naming
them
the Alexander. He went to the whole
list. Everyone that he knew. He said he
learned in he learned in
he said he said like
this the bub of a roof if I remember he
said the above of a roof he
said I he named the other ones I forgot
which what he said about the
other boy
I remember clearly he said not the he
said he said he said the told him he
should print the
rabbit
and what happened was he
says he says before I left town I used
to go into the
in previous years. Previous years. Yeah.
So he
said in
a he said and he was really like he
didn't have to be you know we're like
young guys you know I'm talking already
30 some years ago. Mhm. And he was very
taken by the Reb and the Reb was him a
lot. But you know at you know at first
alone and you
know had talking about him when I was in
yeshiva in Montreal going back a bit.
Rabb used to give us a
bas of the Shiva or he was like a guest.
What was you know what Isaac handled
with Rash but he gave a sh every week.
Mhm. And he was the B if I heard us. He
was part of the faculty officially.
Yeah. He was he was the
best
val because he gave the question he gave
the
answer. He did everything you know. He
was so excited when it came to
learning. He was I heard from someone in
Montreal that he would drive him to I
think I think Tridle I think that he
would um drive him to Montro to Faban
sometimes and he'd sit in the back uh
with a gum the entire time you know the
whole the whole trip.
So what he told us
was
that he spoke about
himself and then he spoke about Reb. So
about himself he spoke that he told us
when he was 16 years
old he said he met
the was his or
whatever and the koshu met him. He was
16 years old and he
said
CH.
So he says I like I acknowledged
it. So then he asked me he said
So, so the coastal governor said to him,
he
said, then he put him on the spot. They
started to talk about he
said, he said, he said,
you
said I think he said but I'm not sure
the word the word
you
know so he start he said the in
learning came and he's
saying there are a lot of things that he
said about the reb be
because he loved seeing it. He was very
taken by the Reb. I heard that the
last they didn't invite him because of
Shak is still
so whatever. So anyway, as far I'm being
sidetracked, but anyway, with him and
Rashisha, Robert Picassi Picassi was a
very interesting rash. I remember once I
don't know if it's remember once he was
sitting in Zo and
and 770 they knew what to learn.
The can Yeah. There was in the whole the
started like in in the youths though.
Yeah.
was one of the Yes. The rabbi wanted
certain bakim to
become masters in that's the idea right
correct so what was it say you have to
you have to give a sh to give a sh I
remember he was giving a
shabask so goldberg is sitting there and
he
says so he caught him off guard so he
says
That's a
typical he was no questions of you see
in the early pictures we
had anyway. So then that was in the in
Australia and then you came back to 770
and in a in a Yeah,
we came back in 770. Can you can you I I
I said we're going to talk about I said
I don't know if you you want to but what
happened when you're in this when you
were a kid like so I'm going to come
back to that I'm going to come back I
just want to finish this part of before
we get to the other I want to finish
with Melbourne when we came back was
Niss early Nissen lad that's when we
came
back and by the way the Reb told us when
we were
He gave us $100 and said, "And that
was we were given hours a
day and for and we came
He
said he said and he repeated
it twice. He repeated it. You can see in
the in
the You bet. We had it ready and we
worked with the local. We did it
ourselves. Whatever we did. So anyway,
we come back and we asked the Reb what
we should do in the summer.
When you came back after two years in
Australia? Two years in Australia.
So in those two years you can't go
anywhere and
nothing. So upon we asked the Reb what
we should do in the summer and the Reb's
answer was sure
770 and really it was an incredible
summer. First of all the fabang in the
770 was it was kamat vic. I mean you had
a couple hundred people maybe. There
were two benches and two benches in the
shel and and because everyone's in camp
or in the country or whatever the Reb
saw everything is not a good he always
the always saw everything but then
was excuse me was a smaller alum so I
remember the head of betar from
Melbourne came to town I knew him what
what is betar a Zionist group. Mhm. But
Ara came to town and he knew me from
Melbourne. So I invited him to come for
Shabas. He came for Shabas. I got him a
place and then by
Fenan I sat him down by the end of the
benches and I stood by the
last leaf of the bench and between the
sis I mammish bent down. I don't think
the Reb could have seen me and I gave
him over at the and the Reb was so of
that
that men and and you're attending to him
you know there's no uh thing for them to
hear a shabas it wasn't a hookup it
wasn't and so is about to end goes
they pointed to you yeah but I I didn't
think it's to me so I just turned around
cuz there was a in the
backbre told me to say and him to say
and it was a feeling that
the how can I tell you the reb every
smile was I mean smile the I remember
the
reb Thursday nights late the great
whatever late we were up 770 at night
Thursday night was normal for game
Ranges, you know, 14
148. There was always things going
on. The Reb is walking out of the room
always most of the time with a with a
bag with one of these big envelopes,
these manila envelopes, a big one, a
small
one. The nais that you
felt was unescribable. I didn't
again.
But the the the
the stop
it when we walked the rebel home on
Friday night.
Friday
night, we walk the Reb home. The Reb is
walking the Reb's face, the Reb's We
behind the Reb, but watching the Reb
come
out. It was just unbelievable. It was
And you couldn't get tired looking at
the Reb. You just couldn't get tired. I
remember as a kid I
came the first Shabas Chu.
Hey that we came
Friday was shabas it was it was the
first yard fight of the
rabbit we were kids you know I've seen
the rabbit before that then then we came
um simply too but then it was the first
yard site there was a bus of kids
came we were standing how old was I man
11, you know, kids 11 want to play. You
know, we couldn't take our eyes off the
reb. It was like glued to the
Reb. What did we
see? But it was like such a
a was against
there was such
a looking at the Reb is just
unbelievable. Whatever.
I don't know if it's
Yeah, I know. But I'm just saying it's
just so anyway so the Reb told us this
day. So people came in already some
people from the country or whatever but
that whole was such a sitting that we
didn't have there was no shak other than
Monday and Thursday but Monday and
Thursday the upstairs was not
crowded. It wasn't crowded. It was 10
o'clock. Yeah.
So it was very uh just watching the reb
was a it was like a tiny it was
like like you're in Ghana you know what
I mean like you're
watching told
me and he said that he used to come
often
for by the way he stays in my house
every year for the past 30 years a
Chicago he said he used to stand by a
coffus and he
said at that time you didn't
need
mashiach you had mashiach ganed in full
display this was it you didn't need more
what what do you need
more talking he said a coffer remember
an incident Then I don't know when this
was I don't recall but I wanted to
see I want to
see so I know I'm going to miss out on
going to the early so I'm going to go to
east east flatbush east flatbush coming
smart boys yeah yeah but a smart boys
okay so I wanted it out so I was inside
and of course the bham
By the way, I don't think there were
more than 30 people inside. It's all
upstairs.
Yeah. Because the setting up downstairs
was set up for Yeah. Yeah.
Theb says Mar was downstairs, right?
was up and all the reb comes in puts
down the sid and he turned around with a
and where the stood Friday was not where
we stood
vis was right by the
door you know by the by the hallway by
the magnet and
uh it was on the other side. Yeah. Yeah.
So what happened was the Reb comes in
and if you know there's a door next to
the
omid that door was open maybe a half an
inch or maybe less because there were a
lot of outside
in so they stood outside and the door
was you able to see
Mhm.
The puts down the sid
and don't ask me what but one of
these suddenly the goals
exist. Can you imagine? It's the only
time I ever saw that in my life. So when
the Reb did that there was some
excitement like cooking. So you were
circling the cooked whatever the door
opened up from so much maybe maybe 3/4
of an
inch walks to the door opens up the door
and goes like
this and everyone started dancing.
Whoever was there ran in a lot didn't
but the ran in satir from was there I
also mention I remember talking
about I remember once the
um
the the shul was like a third of the
shul so you know how the shul was built
in three installments yeah that's like
three apartment buildings that the base
there's the shalah
Yeah. So, so it was only 784 and 78.
That was still
about I don't know
when whatever. Then they built the the
next ones.
Ramadal.
Yeah. They built it not before the last
one. The last one, right? Yeah. The last
one was but then only the first one was
standing. I remember over also when I
came I remember clearly where I was
standing in the back by the colored
windows watching the
rebap upon him. So
um what was I middle I lost my train of
thought. So you're saying that uh when
you
came downstairs just the first part of
770. Oh, this first time. So the it's
it's and the Reb is the middle of and
the Reb stands up to dance. Suddenly
abruptly the Reb stopped. The Reb said
looked at
Godz and it was like a hush you know and
then the Reb continued. So these are
things that noticed
everything and there was by a coff many
times as you know and the fact when it
grew when the much more people came from
different parts of the world there was
different nationalities.
Okay. So it used to be the seder that
by that when it came to he went
into so I went once as a kid with my
father
maybe
what before your father's
no I don't know when my father went in
it was huge about time but I went in
with my father I was 8 years old 9 years
old. So I don't remember much only the
sitting by the
table by the
way and then I went in for my mitzvah.
The bait mitzvah was short was
interesting because I went in after my
bait right after my mitzvah
is so I wasn't there for my father was
going to go some I went in right after
my father and he and and just said one
word and I'm
talking and this and yes said the but
didn't fire me or like he did the wells
and all that just
as that was it like
every year
thereafter
14 15 and 16 I went in right after t
don't ask me why I didn't go
in I don't know was nois
was no but I could have gone in but I
was
intro when I
was no then I was in Montreal I was a
Montreal camp could be that's why I
think didn't have
no but not only I could have gotten or
could but I didn't you I'm just telling
you my went after that all these were
very short remember asked for my mother
asked this very nothing extraordinary
except
by the
um when I was 18, I asked the Reb about
[Music]
u the Rebi always looked at
the there was a time the Reb looked at
the title of Dhala and all that first as
you came in you had to give the
from
yeah and
um when I was
18 I asked the Reb about I told because
after I came back from I asked Reb about
putting on film putting on then everyone
asked the
Rebain when you were 18. It's
interesting. I didn't put it put it on
on my 18th year which was I don't know
why I should have but I I wanted to be
in and asked the Reb first. So I asked
the I wrote in the
said then then later changed the said
everyone should do it from
then but it's interesting because when I
came back from Australia I had
no there was no
uh no but then was right away lad
was right away after I came back.
So, yeah, after the summer was so that's
a whole separate
para, right? And the Reb said the in the
Reb's room and all of that. So it
was and then came the which I had very
interesting things
the in Detroit I have to say
was that when did you get married? I got
married.
So
yeah. So gadam my parents
were in in the in gnat my mother and my
father. So he he
gave and they gave them all but to my
mother he
said and she lived till she was 90.
Yeah. and she had you know lived a long
nice life.
So I got married in Latas and just to
point out how the Reb knew everyone
who's there even in the later years as
the crowds were so big. I'm not saying
aish the is when the Reb takes note of
it and tells you about it. That's the so
I was going to go to Russia.
You're saying you're already living in
Chicago. I'm already in Chicago. Yeah.
You're doing a special uh trip. A
special uh special trip.
Yeah. So, I'm I'm going to uh Russia and
I was in New
York. It was going to be after and
after I was first in New York for about
several days to get some training
preparation
was whatever was still the beginning of
glass. So it was very important that you
know you don't talk what you're doing
and you don't
blasphe you know the
the when the former Soviet Union began
to westernize okay so to speak so to
speak
said we still have to be very careful we
only have to stay in the hotels and not
speak in the hotels what we want to
speak. So I came in then and then I was
going to meet my shouldv that was the
first guy Plutkin who went as a former
Russian they wanted to see whatever they
sent him first time somebody who left
Russia went see if it works yeah see how
works yeah
so I didn't I didn't go that Sunday to
Dallas I was in Chicago I was going to
meet him in the middle of the week at
JFK Okay. And from there go to
Russia.
So he goes by the Can I just ask you a
question? They were taking a from his to
go to Russia. That was that was that was
You weren't the only one now that think
about it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't
only but also
also went
like of course Shapiro went several
times went Malu. Yeah. They all went I
went to me. Some of my friends went to
Marsha went hash went and he went at the
time where there was the Chernobyl
reactor and all that
that walks by the Rebotkin and the Reb
asks
him
who they say is in Chicago. So the
said
Chicago was there because my niece got
married to Adelman. Whatever one of the
Turks got married to Adelman. So I just
came and I just I wasn't going to come
again. You know have a lot of nieces and
nephews.
I wasn't going to go but the Reb said
and
Shabas was a a big crowd you know like
every Shabasan the members big crowd
that my father was there my my my mother
was there and that you're related and
the whole thing yeah
whatever living in Chicago
so from then you
know the rabbis saw everything what was
going on there were times
that when the rebba walked into the
rebba really looked around and knew
who's there not there once went into
when I was a upstairs in
770 so where we at the uh so you're
talking about yeah I want to tell you
also I think it's neg
for to know this very neg
I was a in
Michigan for three
years. I used to write in a lot to the
Reb
about my experience over there. the
relationship with was
is so there was a lot that I learned
from but then there were times that
we've had let's put it this way our
disagreements and I wrote to the Reb a
lot about it and once I wrote a
lot that was from my last settle
And the Reb's answer was so clear.
you can leave. And I was I was pleased
with the answer because first of all,
the Reb it sounds like the Reb is
telling you to go. The Reb is saying as
long as you don't have a contract that's
holding you down, you should I want to
tell you how it resonated by me. Mhm.
The
reben that he picked. He's not changing
them. If
if I think maybe it's too sharp for you
to hear these days, but in my
opinion and and you know what? And then
later on I had the Gaba Mliff is over
here. So I went straight from from there
to Chicago. But this answer was maybe an
other and I came to Chicago. I left
Kafal of from uh Michigan and I came
Kafalov to Chicago. So there was no Bay
Lebane in those days. There were a there
was vast you know that was already me.
So there was a lot of I came over to
Michigan. I left. I came I
came and I
left. I told
Barl he didn't want to hear about it but
I got but anyway I learned a lot from
and um so one of the offers of course
was Chicago and I came to
Chicago and of course I knew Denil back
from yeshiva Montreal about a year older
than I am and
um Gibl was that
uh I want write into the reb because
because of the money situation without
going into an
IAT so I wrote a letter position was the
position that you have now the yeah to
start the school there was a preschool
but to start the elementary school that
was why I was going to come to start an
elementary school in Detroit what was
what were you doing in Detroit I was
doing the same thing I was I was
teaching two hours a day and taking care
of an holaf whatever. Mhm.
Okay. We won't go into all that, but
whatever. I write to the I have I get a
letter from
the Chicago.
that was in a letter which was also a
letter for the
upsh of my
son. So it wasn't specially about that
but it was a bit in and the
letter. So it wasn't like even an answer
he the reb could have given an answer.
It wasn't a minor. It wasn't a minor
although I wrote a letter. The reb could
have written the minor on the letter
like the Reb did so many times. Right.
So
alapon what happened was that the
uh say I'm going to look into other
things.
Okay. Okay. So the is telling me
also I'm done.
I don't know if several weeks or two
months later I get a call from Rabbi
Alash and he tells me it's like I want
you to know that the shilus that you had
are being
resolved for a very interesting reason.
There was another younger man that came
from Montreal for the position and the
Reb's answer
was we don't know what means what kind
of no one has the position. No one is
giving away that like the only thing we
can think is of you.
I said you have your answer and I have
my answer but I have an answer.
No. So he says, "You know what? You're
writing in Mama sauce." In those days
that sauce were all over the place and
there were to open new places or to to
everything whatever whatever there was
like nut remember Buffalo wanted to open
up something nearby and even Wisconsin.
I was there once and there were
offers and
uh but I was already involved in
so right back into the that came to me
and he has
another and that five people are going
to money for the first year or whatever
there was
a right away within two hours I
So although there was a letter like that
and so basically what the Reb
said is it was
fake. So
and then I guess
came the answer you
know but then there was other that I had
but the time is rolling is the time for
uh I don't there's no on time continue
while I was take take off your watch
while I was in I have a question what
happened when you
to Detroit. I'm just curious like there
was to go by going to Detroit Yeah.
Yeah. Of course. Mhm. I think then I
also had and all this. We discussed my
my lipids who was uh lived in Detroit at
the time convinced me you got to go to
need somebody for Neil for
administration whatever. I went I wrote
to the rabbit
first while I was in
Detroit me
me. So I had two kids at the
time
and when I used to bring them for
our copas was very late. One of them was
a year old the other one was two and a
half. So it was you know you can only do
so much and I one of them I held on my
shoulders and the other one myvagers
took care of them. It wasn't easy
bringing the kids. You must be stupid.
Anyway, I brought them. I wanted them to
see them. So, I'm
standing by the miser to the left on
top. There was pyramidus over there. So,
I I was able to see the Reb perfectly.
The Reb was able to see and it was
noticeable. I was holding Mashi, my son,
on my shoulders. It was noticeable that
the Reb was looking several times even
made with a hand and it was noticeable
but you know what it could have been
somebody near me but it wasn't used to
stand near me but
whatever make a long story short a day
afterwards
after I go to I drive
back I had myself my wife my two
kids and one of Stein's children been
seeing Stein and
Dr. We're driving back when the
Poconos and the car goes out of
control and smashes onto the side,
whatever. And the one that was not
buckled in P at the time was my son
Moshi was a year old.
And uh immediately, I don't know how,
there were no cell phones. Then the
police from the Poconos came. We were
all tied in except for him. He got out
of his car seat and he banged his head.
They immediately made an MRI and he has
a not just like a fracture, but an
indentation in the skull.
And they suggested that surgery would be
the right
thing to lift the pressure from the
skull because if
not if you don't lift the pressure from
the skull he can have seizures and all
of that as the child grows and all that.
Okay. So I said I'm going to call the
Reb and the Reb's answer was it took
about two three hours till I got the
answer and I kept on calling. The Reb's
answer was
Now this is the day
after and they were ready for a surgeon
to do the surgery.
But and we're talking about one day
after which is I
think so it's about five weeks away from
right so it was an interesting thing so
you were ready to do the surgery like in
then yeah I mean yeah they in the penos
yeah they suggested
that l what happened was that when I
come to by the way when I before I went
back to Detroit I went back to New York
with my son. We left him there for a day
because he was in
trauma. So I came back to New York. I
came to Min with my
son and I stood by dimes. So it's
interesting what happened
because the Reb gives him a dime. He
looks at me. He gives him a dime, a
nickel.
and he throws it into the pushka and the
reb and he turns back
around just gave
him yeah
interesting I don't know it was whatever
okay the doctors were matsa in Henry
Ford hospital that reb
would they were mia that make the make
the surgery. So I'm going to ask the reb
right away. So the reb's answer was you
should ask another doctor. We went to
another doctor. The other doctor said
you should definitely do it. You should
do it. He's mata to do it. So then there
was a doctor that came from Pittsburgh.
He was a surgeon, a pediatric surgeon.
And he said, we said, we're going to go
to him because he knows the mala make a
long story. We made an appointment and
he's going to do the surgery. A day
before the surgery or two days before
the surgery, we had another appointment
with him and he says, "Rabbi, I don't
think that you should do the surgery."
So my high said we just finished
research on such
injuries and the same chance that he may
have from
seizures
from the injury he can have just from
the surgery. So it doesn't pay but now
I'm really stuck
because two doctors said yes, one doctor
said no. Right?
So I asked the Reb and there is simply
no
answer. V ask again and
again. So I asked B what do I
do? Said if you don't have
an you don't do a surgery. You just
don't do
it. Several weeks later I wrote to the
Reb about another Indian about
Detroit. and I wrote to
the so the
circle I wanted to be
so there is like no fault insurance in
Michigan so I thought that we could
Anyway, it was in court for about 5
years.
My son was suing me because I bought two
old tires, used tires for the trip. So,
my little son is suing me. It was in
court several years. They even wanted to
make a settlement. the insurance
company the the OID I had to have
somebody that called that case and I
asked Lamelik Silverberg to on behalf of
my little son to sue me you know to but
I'll make a long story short it took
about several years and I came back for
the final thing and the judge says that
uh we're going to have to do over all
the tests again because the attorney was
saying, you know, these tests, it's it's
such these injuries. It's not like a a
stuck. It's not like you have like a
small injury. It was an indentation in
the skull and that can still be putting
uh pressure on the skull and what on the
on the brain. But Pale Yates, what
happened was we we made more the the
judge said, "Let's make over the tests
and the pictures and the MRIs." We did
it all. We come back several months
later and the doctor who's appointed I
guess from the judge or whatever says
and he had all the pictures lined up in
front of the
judge. Your honor, there is no
indication from these pictures that this
child was ever in an accident or ever
had an injury on the brain.
And we didn't get a my son didn't get a
dime. And I was very happy. That's
what I want to because it's starting to
get I want to say something
about which I think two things.
you read you read you read my mind
because I was about to tell you that uh
I'm sitting
across and I don't know you know among
podcast I'm sure we'll have many types
of people but I don't know how I don't
know who the next person so so I want to
talk I want to talk
about when you
wrote the reb Ever read the
d? You ever read the
d? So I
remember I didn't know if his name was
mentioned but it could be there was a
child
in 11 12 year old for some reason he was
sent to Chicago from Detroit.
He was there was a makurv over there and
for some reason they sent him here to
learn this goes back about even 35 years
ago no maybe less 32 years
ago and I got a call from
label and he was having difficulties
this is like
no No, this was earlier. This was
me M test maybe. M Tashman Test wants to
know what you doing with the kid in
Okay. Yeah. Everyone know me. Everyone
know what we're doing for that kid? The
kid obviously is Kite I think
then two things
really. I mean, this was already one of
the my stories, but it's worthwhile to
repeat
this. Before I get to that, I want to
say another story that at the beginning
of our school in
Chicago, they wanted people in the most
of the kids we had were from non-abat
homes, but they liked the private
attention, the small classrooms and all
that. people who are not necessarily
from the kabat community had no problem
sending their kids. But then we saw that
when it comes to first grade they take
out the
children and then there was a case
somebody wanted to come back afterwards.
So we made a rule once you leave you
can't come
back because it
it's because you can have a class of
then it was a class of eight 10 kids if
two of them leave
it's so there was a living in Chicago
and I don't think he would mind me
telling the story
because he's already over 90 and his
benzunim
Ben Zakunov's name was ofi he sent him
to uh kindergarten and like pre one
night and then he wanted him to go to
the lit vish in town which is a very
good mid by the name of the three he's
not as so as long as he was in preschool
nice kid nice program alter fine even
there was yedish in the school by then
full-time yedish in the school. So
everyone liked
it. He calls me up. So okay, I I said
you know that once you leave, you leave.
Okay. He calls me up. This was in
Castella
also. I don't know if the year was me,
whatever year it was. It was it was
around there. Hey MV, he calls me up. He
says, "Rabbi
Wolf, my kid doesn't want want to go to
any school other than Labish. You got to
take him back." So I said to him, "Rabbi
Rder,
Rabbi, we have a policy
now. I know your son Mustam really wants
to be here, but frankly speaking, if you
won't take him out now, if you'll send
him back now in a year or two, you'll
take him out again. And I know what's
going to happen. You tell and I have big
nice community that tells the community
in town very nice. They have their
school and everything. So, so I don't
want to do this a kid back and forth and
back and forth. You don't go school
hopping with
children. Says,
"Okay, you're not going to take him.
Okay, I'll live with it." He calls me
back several weeks after sukus. Rabbi
Wolf, this kid have a lab in the sh you
must take him
back. I said we have a policy. He says
policy say you're going to take him
back. He sits every day in front of the
classroom. He's six years
old. He doesn't want to see the
classroom. Only wants to come back
to I took him
back. Great kid. And today he's
achiev the youngest of of his children.
beautiful
Mishbah today somewhere in New York
somewhere New York state recently I got
to spoke to him and his father
now and he lives on 580 Crown Street he
moved into so
it's very nice his mother very very very
nice people extraordinarily nice people
and of room is one of our success
stories there was yuchvat
Hey Tavis time and you know what
happened at the time that the Reb said I
think it was that there should be
three and
after after the after the seven days of
after the seven days of
celebration I what I used to do second
so that that applied to schools all over
the yeshivas everywhere test so what I
started to do at the beginning of the
memsovski. We were in yeshiva in 770
together then
ka and he not in kao because he went in
yeshiva we were in z together and leo he
tells me
well everything that the teachers give
out you should send them to the
everything a worksheet anything they
give out they should know first of all
they would be more
careful and try to develop velop sheets
that should be acceptable. They would do
that anyway, but make them more aware
this is going into the as the says if
they know that the if they know that a
bus of a dam is looking at it. Yeah. So
anyway, so I used to have a tray on my
desk and they used to throw in the
copies of the sheets of paper on my desk
and it used to go to the Reb. I always
got
answers, you know, all these answers. It
was always kamati always answered. I did
it once a month. If Shamal gven once
every two months alo but this time hey
tavis I
had a
gald a gald of stuff from clean from
papers. to mamish a box like this. I'm
not exaggerating. I brought to New York
and I send it in. I leave it in the
office to
grown asked for
the two days after your I'm back. I get
a call from I can go on a lot
about I had a nice cash with him. I was
going to say that um because you were in
that extra special connection because he
right. Yeah. The one who got me into
that with and I thank him for that. He
told you he told you to call all the
time. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. A once wrote a
letter
to my letter head with
a
zash that I got to give in to the
federation audited statements. I tell
him that the day is
not. He sent it into the Reb. I have a
copy of it. The Reb wrote an admo here
last Kain and the initials to give it
over to Yud Krinsky
to give to give what it the letter the
contents of the
letter audited statements and what he
told me later on is that as a result of
that he makes
that by the copy of the letter on my
phone that's the reason why he makes
announcing the order the letter that I
wrote was I don't know if it's important
to read it but the reb's answer was
like I think I that would be the
approper thing to do I
write and and the reb's answer was very
interesting so I'll come upon him so
going back to calls me two days after
and he says
So I
[Music]
said, you
know, so he says that
And he asked me if I know about that
which was inappropriate. It was a Kav
book, a book uh from Kitav that used to
give publish like Hebrew with Hebrew
lines that you should be able to write
carefully and alang
carefully and in the back it was more of
a Zionist
book. So he like a song a song. Yeah.
He asked me if I know about it and I
said, "I know what it is." He said,
Can you imagine? It's two days after and
I sent it to the Reb. Now what the Reb
did with it? I don't know. But there was
already a response two days after that
response.
Do you know Do you want Do you want to
show what the sh was? It was a Zionist
cheer. I'll leave it I'll leave it up to
your imagination.
um the
um one of the Zionist songs, but it
didn't belong in
aim. It's it's not the first time that
you get the feeling that
mishhat on everything I used to send in
the Reb. But sometimes some things are
happening and you don't even know it's
going to end up by the Reb. Uh I'll give
you
something Gman came to for some odd
reason in our old building. He came with
Denil brought
him and he brought him to then he said
pictures and so somebody had somebody
was there with a camera from his people
that he came with. He took a picture
with me and Denil standing next to him
and snapping pictures.
Several weeks later, I met him in New
York. I said, "Oh,
And then you know suddenly it's going to
be by the that's what he told
us but it came from himself. I didn't
ask him about the pictures because it it
wasn't an issue. He himself initiated
the conversation. So
I'll there was a lot of
things that it was obvious that I asked
once because I used to have
conversations with them. Is the rabbit
for a typical
answer in
Illinois the twostep is mid this was the
typical I don't know if it came from the
you know I asked him on a telephone
conversation by the
way was always involved in things so I
once asked him for a certain in several
in Yonim we were going to move the girls
school
here and on the phone he's giving his so
at the end several things at the end of
the conversation I asked
him and this was in the end of me the
fax machines were going
[Music]
So he said, "Yeah, yeah." And he sent me
back with and I
remember I read
it. So you never knew what comes from
the Reba, what doesn't come from the
Reb. But that was
adva that nakov was so
involved with hin that this was sometime
in the mems that after rashan passed
away
kataski somehow the his children had a
copy of that letter I'm not sure how it
came but could be through khadakov it
came to him so I wrote a letter to
khadakov that I need malam I need over
here because he's in charge of maybe he
commits if he knows people that want to
go into he said but see them to contact
me can you imagine writing such a letter
to go you know like like asking him
please help me in my I need some some
employees and I'm just telling you that
the involvement with kadakov was it
there was another thing that I had from
kadakov that gave people but People
think that is not
is 100%. I take great offense when you
make such a statement. That's why I
asked that because I wanted to. It
wasn't a statement. It was a It's a
question. I wanted to refute it. I don't
want to do anything. I'm just bringing
it up because people say this.
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So the ones that were
right
and it went into the was that so even
the in New York were over there and
then is part of our over here. It's so
obvious, you know. I wrote into the as
soon as I came here, I took the blank
that I copied from
Detroit the side things was my own. But
the
and those days, every blank you sent
into the Reb, you know, I mean, you
started a you have a stationary, the
blank they called it, you send it into
the Reb. And of course, I send it into
the Reb. And it was normal. I didn't I
didn't get a no. I didn't get a yes but
it
was great. Yeah.
So I'll so to say that those were not
was I'll tell you another thing which I
think is is important
and it was meion the famous mezian
hatavis but the
rabbel you know about that famous the
said that 50 10% I think the rabb said
he'll give him 50% of the the budget or
the yeah meas yeah He's going to give us
a havo. It was Yeah.
Yeah. So, we we didn't know what's, you
know, what's going on because I'm asked
like, "What's going on?" What do you
mean? We didn't We're not getting Oh,
you didn't receive it. Okay. Yeah.
So, I mean, this is what I heard. It
went to Khadakov. Khadakov said,
Alman was gone already eight years or
something
and Mos and everything did go through
him. So I'm not sure what meant and I'm
not going to judge but hearing that I
got an I got like what's going on? I'm
afraid who brought me
down. What do you mean then? then I'm
nothing, right?
So I contacted Fakov and I said that's
how I know that I'm
a neo masc if he's not a I'm not a I'm
resigning tomorrow morning.
was others. Another one from the Schlim
here that I heard wrote a letter
whatever
and the pilot was nostalgic. the Neil
was the what he meant. Who knows, you
know, by him could be if he didn't get I
didn't even want to know what he meant
or say what he meant. I don't know. But
there were things that was self
understood that when Khadakov speaks at
times, he speaks from the Reb. And I'll
give you a mushroom what happened. his
oldest son which is now here was field
Illinois
whose son
me yeah okay so at the time of his
bitzvah he uh his father wrote a letter
to the rabb that the mid has some and he
would rather see his mitzvah not have
him engaged
in and he's going to send them to his
aid in Toronto. His neighbor was from
the Mandal. Yeah. Was
Mandal I remember he used to come to
Montreal. I think he's he had aviger
over there or a mother. I'm not sure who
he had. Yeah, he had somebody in
Montreal. He used to come and visit.
Maybe he came to visit the Satans
because Hashel
Satan. Yeah, I learn I learned in SFA in
Toronto. I know. I know. I know him.
Yeah. I mean I knew
Yeah.
Soon. So I right away I write
at that there was ongoing
conversations with him I
write that he was
also he was a big advocate of
so he I read it
that he's the son
of and It's eighth grade. So I'm ready
to close the eighth grade and just have
all day because I get a call from and he
was
livid as I
said. that we're part
of. He was
adamant. So that was very important to
hear this that sometimes we hear I
mean there was
sometimes but it doesn't mean that that
became I don't want to go into that but
it doesn't mean that it became
Okay.
So, I have a I have a question. Um,
did you ever did you ever speak
to anything about tuition?
No, but the people that I hired all went
through. We had a man over here that I
brought into the mid which now is the
manal of a very big lab of Chicago.
what I should do whatever with the
whatever it was
someh it went through the everything
so was involved and and the reb was
involved in our so to say
that I I think today it's so obvious
that our biggest challenge
is and and
and I can say that we gave out a lot of
nice from Chicago and now with the MIFA
it's becoming the normal thing they go
from to to the Mifa and then we have the
girls high school which is also an
outgrowth it used to be Labavage
girls labage girls high school then at
the end the Neil felt that it should be
independent for fundraising for a lot of
other things and it went and today
raz from this big mid so it's beautiful
and we have just in elementary and
preschool. We have just under 500 tides
and the school is growing. We're middle
of a big project and
uh I can just say one thing that the uh
it was in
1991. It was lip on memorial
day. We had a big in our
house and it was right after that
shabas. I forgot what day in it was that
the reb came in and washed after m on
his place. What day? Shabas pious
shabasi. Right. So right after that
Monday morning was the fire. The
children were in the
hospital and the Reb told me three
times, two times to me and one to my
wife. After that
[Music]
The are growing on the we see over here
and it's 50 years since
my and I can
say is today what saves
yungalite and and we're not doing it
because it it saves yungalite because
his today is So let me ask question
there are four levels
of there's no other way there's no
detour that you can
for
the Reb's
the which is so beautiful
and is what the Reb wanted them in the
belt.
So what do you
um what's your
message? I mean before you were
describing very beautifully first of all
the whole upbringing and the atmosphere
and everything that you grew up with but
also the
the you experienced by the rabb and
obviously even on all
these and the answers you
got what's your message
to someone like my age and
younger that doesn't have that
experience
How could and we know it's a fact
[Music]
that and everything is continuing
until but how do you re how do you have
that I mean for you it's like you
experienced it so it could come with
even without today it feels like there's
more than needed so what's your message
to okay so generation so first of all I
want to say when I walk into
I come
al it's
it's to see how the is working
today is unbelievable by the way it's
unparalleled in Jewish history because
we know what people said about the day
after Gimot and and everyone has that
it's I was once sitting at a table by a
dinner a banquet over here.
So I was on that
table. So a guy says to me, "Rabbi Wolf,
you guys are with your networking. You
guys are just so unbelievable what you
accomplished. If you would only omit one
thing, can you imagine what you could
accomplish? What's that thing? This
whole thing. I said, then we we would
look like
you. I want to look like you. So, of
course, we need a Reb
thing. Is a thing that it's
beyond. Can you understand that when
you and says
go and how it happens we don't know the
gave
the and he gave four things and he gave
it a huge udalis when theb basically
wrote the
of so you're asking so I look at what's
going on and I scratch my head and I
don't understand it just like I don't
understand how a mitzvah
is I also don't truly understand
the 30 years later
learn and that inspires them and they
go, you know, think about it today.
We're living in the United States 2025,
a teenager Friday
afternoon from one floor to the other.
One floor of offices they let them in,
the other one they kicked them out, come
back on Monday morning and
and the comes back and he's glowing. Why
is he glowing? He could have done so
many other things Friday afternoon. I
know what teenagers are. I mean, I'm
somewhat involved. No, I I
know and and you watch this or you watch
kids want to do want to do with their
parents. How was this
happening? I mean, if you really think
about it, how is this
happening? Was a great man. He didn't
accomplish that. Even if you think back
about the you know when you speak about
the
And you're talking
about but you see
the not normal thing. I mean we all can
agree it's not a normal thing. So you're
asking me I don't have the answer. I
just know it's not normal.
and and that's the beginning and that's
the end for for man to take his
wife and we're living in a big world and
the world is small but you take somebody
and you send them to Vietnam or South
Korea I have my own son in Montana have
other other children too Miami is not
Montana. Montana is not Miami. Uh, New
Hide Park is not uh Montana. You know
what I
mean? Montana. And I know certain things
that my son would be upset if I repeat
it.
And you know what I mean?
In think about this. I was a kid. The
only safer in Yiddish you had was toxin
tales. And then you had a hutz toxin
tales. There was the safer a blue book
the I don't know if you ever came across
today it's included in so many
others one
chapter. What did the
do whatever he told them to
do? It's a whole story. There's another
story over there.
a story when I
read whatever
he
was all you need people to
feed. Yeah. Okay. Then you
go you're talking
about okay I get
it you know I get it they they tell a
story that I heard this from Rabman he
was he was in
Chicago and it was
in he stayed in one place for two
weeks and he had his whatever he had was
that he didn't eat by these people and P
two weeks later I get a handful. So they
see that the bed wasn't even
touched and they needed a for children.
see them. So they came to him, they
said, so he
said, they basically told him, you're
enough of a good
reb. And they took
away. He had a baggage. That's a small
suitcase. They said, "We're not giving
it back until you give us a
suitcase." So he gave
them and they had a child. He came back
when he came back he I heard this
from he said that he told the what he
did and the said this time he let it go
through.
He didn't want to touch
that. Which was we talking
about when we came to Australia. So the
one that used to come with us everywhere
was Zusha de Pathan. He was our guide
and he
was in Australia. On the way to
Australia on the way to Australia. Yeah.
So what happened was this time the one
who met us
was we
camed everywhere where we went he is
following
us we were
shabas shabas we went to we came back 12
1:00 at night from 4:00 we got to go
to we come we come to the
airport and the man is standing there
and we're
leaving. He
said he
made several weeks later. Yeah. The
accident passed away.
So you think about
it. And what are they doing?
We're talking We're not talking
about
these. It's unimaginable. It's
unparalleled. What What you want to say
to Mim? Just think what we're doing in
that are going know this. They have to
articulate
it. That's my message. What a message.
Look what's going
on. It's unbelievable.
No. Have a nice day,
[Music]
Rabbi. All the best.
[Music]