YOM KIPPUR ANTHOLOGY See INSIDE

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1 MOSAIC EXPRESS Tishrei 9, 5773 Friday September 13, 2013 YOM KIPPUR ANTHOLOGY CANDLE LIGHTING AND YOM KIPPUR SCHEDULE Friday, September 13 Mincha :00pm Candle Lighting*/Fast Begins..6:50pm Kol Nidre...6:50pm Children s Program :00pm MTC Graciously Acknowledges This Week s Sponsors of the Day Joey Berdugo Adler in honour of the birthday of Louis Adler, September 16 Shmuel & Chani Gniwisch in honour of the birthday of Yosef Chaim, Tishrei 12 Stanley & Carole Satov in honour of the Yartzeit of Sam Pockrass obm, Tishrei 16 To become a sponsor of the day, please contact ext 223 Yom Kippur Day, September 14 Shacharit... 9:00am Children s Program :30am Rabbi s Sermon :15am Yizkor...12:00pm Mincha :00pm Neila...6:15pm Children s Program :15pm Fast ends...7:52pm * Do not light after sunset. Yasher Koach to our Kiddush co-sponsors! Last week Yehoshua & Chani Berkowicz Perry Caplan Ronnie & Debbie Cons Stewart & Chana Diament Sara Eldor Coty Benchetrit & Estrella Farache Evan & Osnat Feldman Elizabeth Flam (x2) Lou & Sidney Flam Leon & Luba Hirsch Velvel & Baila Minkowitz R Mendel & Assia New Gaby & Sheila Segal Judge Michel & Barbara Shore Baila Steinberg Kiddush co-sponsorship is $136 A heartfelt Yasher Koach to Gaby Segal for personally looking after Rabbi New and Itchy s Sukkas Perry Caplan for transporting the Machzorim for the Sefardi Minyan Julius Suss, John Finkelstein and David Fine for repairing the shul s woodworking and Benny Friedman for the carpeting May G-d repay them manifold for their kindness See INSIDE MTC wishes a hearty Mazal Tov to Itchy & Zeldie Treitel, and the Treitel and Hecht families on the birth of a daughter to Moshe & Mushky Hecht Montreal Torah Center Bais Menachem Chabad Lubavitch Joanne and Jonathan Gurman Community Center Lou Adler Shul 28 Cleve Road, Hampstead Quebec H3X 1A Fax mtc@themtc.com Mosaic Express l 1

2 WEEKDAY PRAYER SCHEDULE Sunday Shacharit. 9:00 am Monday Wednesday Shacharit... 7:00 am Sunday-Tuessday Mincha/Maariv.. 7:00 pm Breakfast following weekday services Hampstead s Yom Tov Accommodations Tolerance for overnight parking from 2 am to 5 am, from the evening of September 4 to 29. An extra gargabe collection in Hampstead on Friday Sep 20 and Sep 27. MIKVAH HOURS EREV YOM KIPPUR Members with card access 2:30 am - 10:00 am 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm Non-members 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Adult $10 Children $5 Opening hours Monday to Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Shomer Shabbat Free Delivery Yasher Koach! 8 am to 7 pm 8 am to 4 pm Closed 9 am to 1 pm MTC member Anne Benguira Pharmacist Owner affiliated with 7005 Kildare street, Montreal inside the medical clinic, next to the CIBC bank YOM KIPPUR SERVICES IN A NUTSHELL Shacharit The morning service consists of the following: the morning prayers, the Shema, the Amidah, the reading of the Torah, the Yizkor service, the Musaf service, the priestly blessing. Torah Reading The reading of the Torah is about the solemn service in the Holy Temple on the Day of Atonement, conducted by the High Priest himself. This was the only day of the year on which the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies to offer incense and pray on behalf of the Jewish people. Yizkor Service The Yizkor service is recited by those who have lost either one or both of their parents. Others leave the synagogue until the completion of the Yizkor service; the reason for this is to advocate long life for the living parents. The Yizkor is more than a service of remembrance, but rather it is a time for the relatives of the departed to connect with the souls of their loved ones on a deeper level; tradition has it that during the Yizkor service, the souls of the departed descend from heaven and are joined with those who are close to them. Musaf Service The Musaf service- which is held immediately following the Morning Service) consists of the Musaf Amidah, the cantor's repetition of the Amidah, the avodah -- a recounting of the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple -- and the priestly blessing. Priestly Blessing The priests, or kohanim, direct descendants of Aaron, the High Priest, are commanded to bless the Jewish people with a three-fold blessing. It is customary to perform this duty during the Musaf service on festival days. In preparation for the blessing, the priests remove their shoes and the Levites ritually wash their hands, they then gather at the front or by the eastern wall of the synagogue. During the blessing, one must not gaze at the Priests directly as the Divine Presence rests upon them. It is customary for men to cover their eyes with their prayer shawls, and for women to gaze into their prayer books. After the blessing, it is customary to thank the Priests with the words, Yishar Koach. Afternoon Service The afternoon service consists of the Torah reading, the Amidah prayer, the cantor's repetition of the Amidah, the recital of Avinu Malkenu ("Our Father, Our King"). Torah Reading The Torah reading speaks of the purity of Jewish life. The Torah warns us not to follow in the immoral ways of Egyptians and native Canaanites, "that the land spew you not out also, when you defile it, as it spewed out the nations that were before you." The Haftorah We read the entire Book of Jonah. It contains a timely message on the importance of repentance and prayer. If sinfulness can cause the land to vomit its inhabitants, repentance can cause the fish to deposit Jonah back on dry land and return him to life. One should never despair, prayer and repentance lead from darkness to light, from the shadow of death to a new life. Neilah The Closing Services The concluding service consists of the Opening prayers, the Amidah prayer, the cantor's repetition of the Amidah, Avinu Malkenu (Our Father, Our King), Declaration of our faith and the sounding of the Shofar and the closing prayers. Neilah means "closing the gate". As the awesome day of Yom Kippur comes to a close, and our future is being sealed, we turn to G-d to accept our sincere repentance and new resolutions, and that He seal us in the Book of Life, granting us a new year replete with goodness and happiness. The Ark remains open for the entire Neilah service, signifying that the Gates of Heaven are wide open to our prayers and entreaties. Closing Prayers The apex of the service, the emotional peak, is when we pronounce the verses proclaiming G-d as our G-d, all together. It is written that when we recite the first of the three verses, the Shema, every Jew should have the intention of giving up their soul for the sanctification of G-d's name, this intention will be considered as if we had indeed withstood the test to sanctify the Divine Name. This is followed by the declaration of G-d's unity, "G-d - He is the Only G-d" -- First recited at Mt. Carmel by the prophet Elijah. This last verse is repeated seven times in the most ardent way. The shofar is then sounded one long sound and the Neilah service ends with the prayer: "Next Year may we be in Jerusalem!" 2 l Mosaic Express

3 LOU AND JOEY ADLER LEARNING INSTITUTE CLASS SCHEDULE SHABBAT 8:45-9:30 am Insights into Prayer Understanding the deeper meaning of the prayers as illuminated by the teachings of Chassidus 45 minutes before Mincha Women s Torah Class Studies in the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 1 hour before Mincha Men s Torah Class Practical Halacha based on the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch with Rabbi Mendy Rosenfeld SUNDAY 8:00-9:00 am Tanya The primary, classic work of Chabad chassidus. A blend of mysticism, philosophy & psychology 10:00-10:30 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha MONDAY 6:15-6:55 am Chassidus Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha TUESDAY 6:15-6:55 am Chassidus Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 11:00-12:00 am Women s Torah Class A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, or holidays. In a private home. Please call for details. WEDNESDAY 6:15-6:55 am Chassidus Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 8:00-9:00 pm Kabbalah A tapestry of Divine wisdom woven from strands of the Talmud and the Kabbalah SPONSORED BY THE MIRYAM & BATYA MEDICOFF LECTURE FOUNDATION THURSDAY 6:15-6:55 am Chassidus Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 12:15-1:15 pm Lunch & Learn EMPIRE AUCTION A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, current events or holidays FRIDAY 6:15-6:55 am Chassidus Textual study of Chassidic discourses related to the weekly Parsha or approaching Yom Tov 8:10-8:45 am Chumash Study of the daily portion of the current Parsha 12:15-1:15 pm Lunch & Learn C&C PACKING A discussion on the Torah portion of the week, current events or holidays Delights by Tzvi Freeman G d has many delights: The delight that comes from a pure and simple act of love. Greater than that, the delight that comes from an act of beauty sparkling in the darkness. Greater than that, the delight when a child who has run away returns with all her heart. Delight lies at the essence of all that is. and finally "Does marriage change one's personality?" Greg asked his buddy Mike. "In a way," says Mike. "You see, when I was engaged, I did most of the talking and she did most of the listening. When we just got married she did most of the talking and I did most of the listening. Now we both do most of the talking and the neighbors do all of the listening." Mosaic Express l 3

4 About Prayer Rabbi Yossi Yaffe Director of Chabad of the Shoreline, Guilford, CT : Contemplative personalities in Chabad often Q prayed in solitude, and the High Holy Days seem to be especially suited to solitary prayer. But in fact, these times of year more than any other, when individual introspection and personal soul-searching reach an all-time high, Jews flock to the synagogue to pray together as a congregation. It is ironic, is it not, that the Yom Kippur services call for communal prayer, and that synagogue attendance is highest during these days? Why do we conduct our most intimate reckoning, self-scrutiny and deepest prayers in a public, social setting? : This is a struggle but I believe it is A meant to be that way. In the how, when, where, and who of prayer, there is always the tension of these two competing values. How: Natural prayer vs. formal prayer. Do I call out to G-d from my heart and pray in my own words or do I attempt to find meaning in the words composed by our prophets and sages that have been sanctified through time and usage. When: Inspired prayer vs. prayer to inspire. Do I pray when I am inspired to call out to G-d or do I pray in order that I become inspired? Where: Do I pray under the stars, by the sea, in a natural environment that makes me aware of the grandeur of the Universe and the Creator of all, or do I pray in a building dedicated to prayer and study? With Whom: Do I pray alone, go at my own pace, sing my own songs or do I join a congregation in formal, structured service? The Mishnah says On Rosh Hashanah, all the world passes before Him like bnei maron. The Talmud has three opinions about what bnei maron means. A) young lambs being tithed; B) travelers through rugged terrain; C) soldiers. The Mishna says: How does one tithe the animals? He gathers them into the pen and makes a small opening for them so that two cannot go out at once, and he counts them with a rod: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine; the tenth that comes out he marks with red paint, and says: "This is ma'aser [tithe]," as it says in (Lev. 27:32): "Of whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to the Lord." Animals that had been designated as tithes were eventually brought to Jerusalem, where they were sacrificed in the temple. (The owner was then permitted to invite his friends to partake of the meat, which had to be consumed in Jerusalem.) So the first opinion compares us to young lambs: G-d passes each of us beneath His rod, counts, calculates, and considers the soul of each living being, just as the shepherd does his sheep. We are part of the flock but we have our own accounting with G-d. The second opinion says that bnei maron alludes to the idea of ascending a steep mountain path. Maalot Beit Maron was an ancient road that ran 37 miles from the port city of Jaffa to the center of the country, to Jerusalem. This road was known as the Beit Horon road. About five miles from Jerusalem as it passes the village of Lower Beit Horon it begins a steep climb with deep valleys on either side. The road is so narrow at that point with perilous drops on either side that travelers had to pass through single file. This difficult terrain lasts for about two miles until it reaches the village of Upper Beit Horon. It seems that the Romans had cut steps into the pass to make it a somewhat safer journey. It was called the ascent or the stairway of Beit Horon or Beit Maron. Today Route 443, also known as Ma'ale Beit Horon connects the city of Modi in to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and it runs over parts of that same ancient road and shares its name. In this view we pass before G-d one by one, like travelers going up a steep narrow mountain path. The third opinion is that bnei maron means we are like chayalot shel Beit David [soldier s in King David s army]. For they pass by their king one by one in a procession on the way to battle. In a similar fashion, G-d examines each of us at this time, as a king would inspect his soldiers as they march off to battle. Lambs, mountain climbing travelers, and soldiers each symbolic of a unique aspect of the experience of repentance, each exemplifies the tension of the individual who is also an integral part of a community. The lamb needs the flock, the traveler needs his fellow travelers, and the soldier needs his troop. And yet, their individual destiny is on the line. On Yom Kippur, as synagogues are packed to capacity but every individual is preoccupied with his own personal accounting, this existential experience of prayer is exquisitely realized. 4 l Mosaic Express

5 At-onement By Tzvi Freeman he Yom Kippur Machzor (prayer book) translated T into English resembles a graceful bird of flight, an albatross, clumsily waddling along the ground; a ballerina in an astronaut's suit -- on Jupiter; a romantic sonata performed by a jug band. All the more amazing, then, that there is one word -- a key word -- that the English language got right. Not just right, but exquisitely right. One could say, even better than the original. And that is "atonement". For this is certainly what Yom Kippur is about in its very essence: A day of "at one-ment." How did this language know? Our sages had picked up on it long ago, that the Torah speaks about Yom Kippur as a day "once in the year". Of course, that could simply mean it is a unique day, distinct from every other day in all regards. But in a deeper sense, at the core of Yom Kippur lies a theme of "onement" and our act of being there -- at that onement. Yes, you'll tell me, I've got it all wrong. "Atonement" is simply the translation of the Hebrew Kapparah -- any act that effects forgiveness, cleanses our soul of the stains it has acquired over the year and allows us and G-d to make up and get on with things. What has that got to do with "oneness" or "onement"? Everything. First of all, because atonement achieves atonement. When the inner soul of man below and the Essence of Being above forgive and make up, they are at one once again. And because at-onement achieves atonement. Because, in order to achieve atonement we must first arrive at onement. But the rest of the year we are not at onement. Why? Because of the way we see things. Looks are deceiving. With our fleshly eyes we see ourselves as aliens in a universe harshly cold and silent to the drama of emotions and desires, agony and ecstasy, aspirations, failures and achievements that make us human beings. But a deeper sense tells us that, no, deep within this reality and entirely transcendent of it is an essence that resonates with the stirring of our inner hearts. For (Continued on page 6) THE ENLIGHTENED MACCABEE The Message of Chanukah in a Modern World We all know the story of Chanukah the miraculous victory, the oil that lasted eight days. But what does this ancient history mean to us in the 21st century? By deepening our understanding of the lesser-known history and mystical meaning of Chanukah, this lesson explores what it means to be Jewish in today s modern, enlightened age. Tuesday November 5 MTC Lounge Supper 7:15 pm Class 8:00 pm FOR MORE INFO OR TO RESERVE CONTACT ZELDIE@THEMTC.COM X4 Mosaic Express l 5

6 (Continued from page 5) do not we also emerge out of this universe? If we have a heart, a mind, a soul, must not the universe also have such? "The One who formed the ear, does He not hear?" We call that Essence, "G-d." And so, we pray. All year round we live apart from this Essence. Yes, we have a conscience driving us not to fall out of harmony with it in a sort of pas de deux. But it is a harmony of "should": We would rather do "this," but that other voice says we should do "that." So we do. But sometimes we don't. At least, not exactly as we "should." We fall out of sync. Like two musical notes not quite in tune, a dissonance ensues. We fall further apart. Our backs are turned to each other. There is no dance, no duet, only the friction of two disparate travelers acting out their own scripts. But on Yom Kippur we embrace, our essence with that Essence Within and Beyond. And we say to one another, "The dance may be faulty, but the hearts are one." There is no longer "should". There is "is". All is forgiven. At onement. Insights on Selected Prayers By Moshe Bogomilsky The Letters Are Still Flying Nisraf Vesefer Torah Imo The tyrant commanded them to bring out Rabbi Chananya ben Teradyon... he was immediately consumed with the Torah Scroll [in which he was wrapped]. Rabbi Chananya ben Teradyon was one of the ten martyrs who were killed by the Roman government. His body was wrapped in a Torah Scroll and consumed by fire. While he was experiencing excruciating pain, his students asked him, Our teacher, what do you see? He responded, I see the parchment being burnt and the letters flying into the sky What did he mean to convey by telling them this vision? He meant that all attempts to destroy the Jewish community and the Torah would fail. Even at a time when the "parchment" (the Jewish body) was being destroyed, the "letters" of Torah would ascend and be transferred to another part of the world, where another Jewish community would be built anew. This has been true throughout the history of the Jewish people. Our generation witnessed a holocaust where a tyrant sought to eradicate the Jewish people. Miraculously, the survivors have re-established themselves in other parts of the world and have succeeded in building new citadels of Torah learning which are, thank G d, greater and larger than the ones destroyed. Who is Worthy? Mi Yaaleh Who may ascend the mountain of G-d, and who may stand in His holy place. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not sworn in vain by My soul and has not sworn deceitfully. To swear falsely is one of the many transgressions Torah forbids; why would the particular virtue of avoiding false oaths qualify as sufficient merit to ascend the mountain of G-d? The Talmud says that before a child leaves the womb to enter the world, an oath is administered to him: Be a righteous person and not a wicked one. The oath is also explained in terms of a delegation of power to the soul so that it be able to fulfill its destiny in life on earth. This Psalm is referring to this prenatal oath. One who honors this significant oath, i.e. one who fulfills the oath he took as an unborn child and strives to develop into a righteous person over the course of his life, did not take the oath deceitfully and is thus qualified to be among those who merit to ascend the mountain of G- d. ** * This Psalm is recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur after the the evening Amidah, is a vessel through which one elicits material success for the entire year. Thus, it should be said with proper thought and intention. 6 l Mosaic Express

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8 The 1973 Yom Kippur War: Forty Years Later By Dovid Zaklikowsky Director of Lubavitch Archives The Rebbe and President Shazar The Holiest Day of the Year On October 5, 1973, the Jews in the land of Israel were concluding their preparations for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. On this day, Israelis would gather in synagogues to pray, fasting for close to 26 hours. Some soldiers were held back from returning home because of a "C alert," the highest alert just short of declaring war. But relatively few reservists were called up for duty as the war neared. By that time Israeli intelligence was already fully aware of what was about to happen, and predicted that the war would begin the next day at around 6 p.m. Many on the front line had a strong premonition that war would likely break out tomorrow. One general pushed off his departure from the front line and told the base rabbi to remain because "tomorrow there is going to be war." This knowledge, however, was all but ignored by the decision makers. While the military men on the ground felt that an immediate deployment of all reserves was crucial, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan refused to deploy the entire combat reserve, agreeing only to 50,000-60,000 men. Early on the morning of Yom Kippur, word of the d e f i n i t e impending war trickled from commanders to generals. By 6 a.m., it was the opinion of most in the ranks of the army that there was immediate need for a pre-emptive air strike. In a meeting with the prime minister, General David Elazar argued for a pre-emptive air strike against the Syrian airfields, and another, a few hours later, against their ground forces. To the general, the Syrian threat was much stronger because it was closer to Israeli towns where there were civilians who needed protection. The general turned to the prime minister, who was by then a grandmother herself, with a passionate plea: "A pre-emptive strike would save many lives!" The prime minister thought for a few moments and announced unequivocally that there would be no pre-emptive strike. Later that afternoon, as millions prayed in synagogues, the Egyptian and Syrian armies surprised the Israelis four hours earlier then predicted with attacks on two fronts. Only then were all the reservists called up for deployment. On the west bank of the Suez Canal, the Egyptians had 100,000 soldiers, 1,350 tanks, and 2,000 artillery pieces with heavy mortars. On the Israeli side there were 450 soldiers with 44 artillery pieces. A meager 220 Israeli tanks were spread out along 100 miles of the Sinai desert. In the Golan Heights there were eight Syrian tanks for every Israeli tank. In addition to the major discrepancy between the number of Israeli and Syrian forces, the Syrians were also well prepared with secondary defense lines. The next three days were horrible for the Israelis. Gone was the Israeli pride that had been shared by all after the triumph of the Six Day War. Hundreds of soldiers were killed, and many were taken into captivity. The Arab nations rejoiced the Israeli army was proven not to be invincible after all. The soldiers' spirits were broken as they lost on many fronts. Over the following twelve days, the Israelis made advances, but only with great sacrifices. By the time the war ended with Israel declaring a military victory, they had lost 2,527 soldiers. The wounded numbered 7,251, and an additional 440 soldiers were in captivity. A Call from Brooklyn For years Israelis had known that there was a sage in Brooklyn who, in the words of General Ariel Sharon,1 was "interested and well versed" in the Israeli military and "deeply worried" about the situation in Israel. The Rebbe's approach was that fierce preemptive military action was needed to save lives, combined with heightened spiritual activity to beseech G d's mercy in minimizing the loss of life and injuries. In fact for several years before the war the Rebbe called on Israel to fortify its borders with Arab nations, warning numerous times that the Bar-Lev Line was a disaster. "He considered [it] a disaster," writes Sharon in his autobiography, "an outmoded Maginot-like concept (Continued on page 9) 8 l Mosaic Express

9 (Continued from page 8) which could not be effective 'in our time of jets and airmobile forces.'" Months before all the events described above, on July 12, 1973, the then former president of Israel, Zalman Shazar, arrived at Lubavitch World Headquarters for a Chassidic gathering, known as a farbrengen. The Rebbe, of righteous memory, had recently begun a passionate campaign encouraging parents to teach their children additional Torah during the summer months, citing the verse from Psalms (8:3), "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings You have established strength because of Your adversaries, in order to put an end to the enemy and avenger." Following the farbrengen, which included scholarly talks, words of inspiration, and the singing of Chassidic melodies, Shazar entered the Rebbe's office. Not much is known of their discussion, however Shazar did share this: When the Rebbe encouraged the extra Torah learning for children, he had in mind a specific danger that was hovering over the land of Israel. To Shazar it seemed strange there was no forecast of immediate danger; on the contrary everything seemed to be calm in Israel. "What all of a sudden happened?" Shazar asked the Rebbe. The Rebbe did not respond. "He looked at me with a very serious look and tears began to flow from his eyes," Shazar said. The Rebbe continued his campaign to increase children's Torah learning and prayer throughout the summer. Children Gather On September 21st, as Israeli intelligence was receiving more warnings of the coming war, the country's largest newspaper, Yediot Ahronot, had a news flash: "Tens of thousands of children will travel up to Jerusalem on Sunday for a special prayer service, following the call of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to his disciples in the town of Kfar Chabad. The Rebbe called for boys under the age of 13 and girls under the age of 12 to travel up to Jerusalem, to organize for a special prayer and to give charity near the Western Wall." Three days later, on Monday, the paper reported that an "impressive gathering of thousands took place yesterday... The children arrived at the Western Wall in tens of buses, trains, trucks and private cars. With precise organization, the children filled the plaza before the Wall and the paths to the Wall, to capacity." Four Torah verses selected by the Rebbe were recited at the rally. Every child received two coins of 10 Agurot, one as a gift from the Rebbe, with the suggestion to give it to charity, and another with the request to give (Continued on page 10) Children gather at the Western Wall to pray at the Rebbe s urgent request Next Class - Wednesday October 2 visit to watch it live and view previous classes SPONSORED BY THE MIRYAM & BATYA MEDICOFF LECTURE FOUNDATION Mosaic Express l 9

10 (Continued from page 9) it to charity. "Bank of Israel prepared tens of thousands of shiny new coins for the occasion, amounting to several thousand Lirot," reported the paper. The "heartfelt event" was over within twenty minutes and the crowd dispersed. Similar gatherings took place across the globe. Four days before Yom Kippur, the Rebbe called for a gathering of children at Lubavitch World Headquarters, where he personally gave every child two coins to be given to charity. "I Did Not Know" Throughout Yom Kippur the Rebbe s mood was somber, regulars at the prayer services pointed out the crying and tears A mobile bridge built by the Israeli Defense rolling down the Force to cross the Suez Canal. Rebbe s cheeks. At times during the prayers he cried bitterly over the fate of lives at stake in Israel. Three days after the war began, there was another Chassidic gathering at Lubavitch World Headquarters, this time to honor the anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Shmuel, the fourth Chabad Rebbe. At the gathering the Rebbe also touched on the war in the Middle East. He said that at this time the most important thing is to keep the morale high and to serve G d with happiness. The Rebbe quoted the sages that, "happiness breaks all boundaries." At this time, Israelis were scratching their heads about how the Rebbe had known of the impending war. "How did the Rebbe know?" asked Yediot Ahronot. The Rebbe also turned to this very issue at the gathering (paraphrased here from the original Yiddish): "There are things that are done, however, at the time we do not know what the goal of these activities are; only later on do we realize the reason. "I do not know why all of a sudden there was a call to gather the children in prayer and charity, it only seemed that at the time there was a need, 'to put an end to the enemy and avenger.'" TAHARAT HAMISHPACHA FAMILY PURITY COURSES for Women, with Zeldie Treitel 3 TRACKS: Tuesday Oct 8, 8:00pm THE BASICS an introduction for the uninitiated Tuesday Oct 22, 8:00pm LET S REVIEW a refresher course for the already practicing Tuesday Nov 19, 8:00pm NEVER TOO LATE mikva post menopause FOR MORE INFO OR TO RESERVE, CONTACT ZELDIE@THEMTC.COM X4 10 l Mosaic Express

11 An inspiring story for your Shabbos table Here s my Story Practical Advice Rabbi Efraim Sturm ב ה שבת פרשת שופטים, ד אלול, תשע ג Shabbos Parshas Shoftim, August 10, 2013 first met the Rebbe when I visited him to discuss my mother s I illness. I was not a chasid. In fact, I was educated in the Mesivta Chaim Berlin and I received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner. But when my mother fell ill, I went to the Rebbe because everyone among the Orthodox Jewish public already knew it was in the public domain, so to speak that to get good advice, to get a compassionate answer to a difficult question, to glimpse a solution to a complex dilemma, you went to the Rebbe, and that the Rebbe s door was never closed to anyone. My mother s doctors could not agree on whether they should operate or not. An operation offered the possibility of a cure, but it carried a risk. Yet doing nothing meant that things would go on as they were, with the inevitable ending. As a son, I was torn. And my mother, may she rest in peace, couldn t make the decision. So I went to the Rebbe. I wanted to get his blessing and his advice. Now, the Rebbe didn t know me, didn t know my mother, didn t know anything about the family But when I told him my dilemma, he looked at me and I saw tears in his eyes. He reacted as if he was my brother, and I felt as if I was discussing the problem with my brother. His advice was that they should operate, but that s not the point of the story. It was his reaction and his sensitivity that struck me. He had a holy look, such an air of compassion about him. I d like to describe his expression and his intense blue eyes, but my words wouldn t do justice. I felt an immediate heart connection as they say, words that come from the heart, enter the heart this was a man of truth, a man of G-d. Even if he had said nothing to me, I would have gone out with something, just having seen him. Now, on this visit, I didn t go representing Young Israel. I said nothing about being the chief executive officer of Young Israel I was just a Jew asking for his blessing and advice for a personal reason. And for him to show such empathy, such emotion, such care, such concern that, in itself, was remarkable. It s strange how he could relate to every individual, to every community, with the same intensity. I m sure that decisions made on the world scene by the Rebbe were made by him with the same depth of understanding which he showed to every individual that came to see him about a minor issue, and with the same depth of caring that he showed me. Which brings me to my second visit with him. It was the early 1960s, and I had discovered that too many Orthodox men and women who were going to out-of-town colleges were dropping Yiddishkeit and intermarrying. At first the number was three percent, but this number was going up rapidly, and this alarmed me. I called together the officers of Young Israel and I said, We have a problem! We agonized over it, and we decided to ask a number of Jewish leaders what to do. continued on reverse An oral history project dedicated to documenting the life of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. The story is one of thousands recorded in the 800 videotaped interviews conducted to date. Please share your comments and suggestions. mystory@jemedia.org

12 continued from reverse I remember that one of them said we have to make sure that there are more Orthodox college professors. Well, that was not in our power. Another said that we have to make sure that the Jewish high schools imbue Yiddishkeit in their students so that they are able to withstand the pressures of college. How could we do that? Another said that we in Young Israel should issue a proclamation that nobody is allowed to go to an out-of-town college. But we did not have that kind of clout. And then we went to the Rebbe. The Rebbe was the most fascinating of them all, because he had the ability to speak to the individual but consider the whole. He had the ability to look past the symptoms and go to the heart of the problem. The Rebbe analyzed for us what was really happening here. He said, In Berlin, if you were a religious Jew, or if you were a member of any other religion, you had to defend your religion; you had to be able to answer people who challenged you; you had to know the philosophy of your religion in order to defend it. But Americans are not interested in defending religious philosophies. They are more interested in consistency. If a person is religious consistently, the average American will respect him. So, let s look at what consistency means. A religious boy or girl goes to an out-of-town college, and says to the parents: Don t worry, I ll observe Shabbos and I ll keep kosher. I ll have cottage cheese every day for lunch, I ll have salad every day for dinner, and I ll have corn flakes every day for breakfast I ll manage for four years. Maybe they mean it, maybe they don t mean it. Let s assume they mean it. But can they do it? Imagine a young man sitting in a college dining room with his non-jewish peers, the Rebbe continued. How long is he going to put on his yarmulke and eat cottage cheese every single day? And what is he going to do when a girl says to him, Take a taste of my lunch, it s delicious! How can he deny her? After a while, the peer group will pressure him not because they mean to pressure, not because they are opposed to what In honor of our daughter Miriam Mariasha 13 Menachem Av 5773 Shloma Yehuda Halevi and Shterna Sara Litzman Monsey, NY You can help us record more testimonies by dedicating future editions of Here s My Story he is doing, but because that s just how life is. And in the liberal atmosphere of the college campus, how can he not yield to that pressure? And then the Rebbe gave us his advice: What you have to do is create a program to bring together all the young Jewish men and women in one place at the most vulnerable time. That most vulnerable time is not in the classroom when they are each interested in their own notes or their own marks, but in the nonclassroom area. The best thing is to establish kosher dining clubs on college campuses. This was his practical solution, and this was something we could, and did, do. Young Israel started kosher dining clubs, which were hugely successful. These clubs became places where Orthodox men and women could eat, meet and be friends with one another, and be protected from outside influences. Of all the advice that we were given, the only one that we found practical was the Rebbe s suggestion. And it worked. Rabbi Efraim Sturm served Young Israel for 45 years, including 36 years as the organization s Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. He was interviewed in his home in Far Rockaway, New York, in October, לע נ ר ישראל יעקב וזוגתו מרת קריינא ע ה לאקשין ע י בניהם ר נחמן ור אברהם ומשפחתם שיחיו This week in. > > , in a letter to the Rebbe, the Rebbe Rayatz asked that he and his brother Reb Yisrael Aryeh Leib look for old manuscripts of Torah books in the libraries in Berlin, Germany, for the Rebbe Rayatz s library. I ask of you to please research to see what you can find in the libraries of Berlin, and get their catalogs to see if you can acquire old manuscripts 1 9 Elul > > , the Rebbe called on schools to create joyful experiences when children return from their summer vacations, to create fanfare so that students should be motivated to study Torah with joy. He also called on schools to ensure their buildings are attractive and beautiful, increasing students positive feelings toward their Torah studies. 2 6 Elul 1. Igros Rebbe Rayatz Vol. 15, p Sichos Kodesh 5741, Vol. IV, p A project of: JEWISH EDUCATIONAL MEDIA interviews@jemedia.org myencounterblog.com Eastern Parkway Suite 403 Brooklyn, NY Copyright, Jewish Educational Media, 2013 Generously printed by