Rabbi Yehuda Leib, Laibel Alevsky - Russia, Lod, USA, Head Shliach Ohio, Tzach- RC Dalfin

This is a tribute to Reblud Balefki aka Leelki Hes of Cleveland and its environs. What can I tell you? Rabbi said was a good good friend of my fathers a few years younger but they met by inim in the yeshiva in the 1950s later in Bruna by Nissen and then later by the I just want to say a few things. I happened to have a chance in the last year last year I was in Cleveland fabing and I went over to the bling he was home and he was glad when he heard that I who I am I'm his his father's my you know my father is his good friend he welcomed me in and sat and spoke told me things and then in the past I spoke to him on the phone I even wrote things that he told me in one of my books on kabad on college campuses is because he was very he was he was he was the head of Tah under Abdrasin in the 1960s until he left in the 1970s to Cleveland. The Reb actually handpicked him and told him to go to Cleveland. His father-in-law Rebein and Schula and Mr. Rebes and Kasan were there and the Reba wanted him to be there to help his his elderly father-in-law and mother. But just to tell you that he was a star student in you know his father was drafted in in Russia and he never came back. He was born in in um Russia, Ukraine and um he grew up without a father and he was raised by his kagan who raised him from I believe. So he had a good and then he came to and then they immigrated and he came they learned by and left a great impression on him and made him into this is what he told me he had tremendous rec recognition and and thanks to when he came here I believe he became aidis uh the had seven conven and he was a a Russian boy an Israeli boy knows no English comes to America he learned such a good English that he became a spokesman for tak in a sense for English took the leadership position organized shabatones on college campuses the first shabatone I think in ' 62 which Mulu went and uncle kanoka and all that he organized did I believe and then had connections with professors and people all over New York. I I put this all in the book. I don't remember all the names now, but clearly you could see him on the deas and speaking at the TAC conventions. Levki was like one of the main speakers. And here is a Russian Israeli boy speaking English eloquently. He had a shar keell, a sharp head. He was uh he was he was very much um with it sharp understood and uh he did tremendous tremendous things and it seemed like he would have continued but the Reb in the early 70s I believe um asked him to go to Cleveland and that's where he went and he started you know helping and spreading the kabat house type of situation in Cleveland. Then ultimately he hired other some other in different areas in in Ohio. He told me about the mikvah that he built. He had answers from the rebba and he had also some opposition and how he did it. There a lot of lot of details. I hope it will come out one day. Um because someone you know recorded it. That was one of the things I wanted to do but unfortunately he passed on and he was a stroke patient so it was difficult but this it's clear to me that you know his his dedication to the reba and his dedication to helping yeden was his number priority that was his priority in the later years I I believe I even saw him e I think in the 70s He's bringing someone one of his balabatum a few balat to the Reba and they gave them a plaque probably was Udalof Nissen and and the Reb gave him I I think I have this vague recollection as a teenager standing and seeing that his oldest sonki I must give him a personal thanks uh for a situation that I had one of my children and he he visited and he played the guitar and he's a wonderful very very creative person very creative and a fine good heart so it's a shout out to coming from such a father and such a mother may the mother I think be well and for the children grandchildren only have a beautiful family others you know who are who are active and doing the the inim label was a powerhouse he was a powerhouse in Lebavic he was a powerhouse of building the reb's army in the 60s and 70s 80s you know the foundational years it was a powerhouse but it came all as a result of his zulkin who gave and and then he was a you know was his teacher I believe in in in initb he had he told me spoke to the about and the rebba gave him guidance he asked questions so he he he was mlly full full full of of kabad well neighbor should healthen that all those good things that he built and all the things that he left for the ch in the children and grandchildren and friends and families should continue growing in a peaceful way and help should be only only toki so Mish. Amen. We amen.