Many of the big cities did not have the privilege. It was the small towns that produced T’mimim who were giants of the spirit and baalei mesirus nefesh, whose souls were forged in the forge of Tomchei T’mimim Lubavitch.
THE BINDING THREAD
Our small town of Krolevets had the privilege of playing a vital role in the astonishing and extraordinary wandering of Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in the red hell of a country which was Soviet Russia.
It is nearly impossible to relate today what Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim was, who the T’mimim were, and what role they filled in the incomprehensible and incomparable life of the Chabad Chassidim in Russia. I am speaking in practical terms of the establishment and maintenance, with mesirus nefesh, of Torah and islands of Jewish life among the stormy waves of bloodletting in the communist sea of death.
In short, one can say that one ought to be amazed by the prophetic vision of the Chabad Rebbeim who founded Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim (in 1897). With G-dly and Chassidic powers they implemented the single pioneering act of spreading Torah. Completely alone, they stood like solid granite as they faced off against the Soviet regime. Chabad paid for this with dozens of human sacrifices shot to death in the cellars of the NKVD or else sent to their slow deaths in distant, frozen Siberia.
Obviously, the battle of the Lubavitcher Chassidim was as secretive as possible (otherwise, they could not have done as much as they did), but very active. In the final analysis, those few oppressed Lubavitcher Chassidim were victorious over the mightiest and most merciless power in the world.
It is not news to say that Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim was “Holy of Holies” to the Chabad Chassidim under Stalin’s rule.
The strongest and most secret rope that always connected Chabad Chassidim with the Rebbe, who was outside the country, was woven of two primary threads which Lubavitcher Chassidim guarded like the apple of their eye: Maamad for the upkeep of the Rebbe’s household and the Rebbe’s yeshiva, Tomchei T’mimim.
The poorest Lubavitchers in Soviet Russia could not allow themselves to withhold money for Maamad (which was sent in roundabout and secret ways) and for Tomchei T’mimim.
Just as an illustration:
One of the big mashpiim in Samarkand spoke at a farbrengen about the “great and wondrous quality” of a Tamim (a “Tamim” in the life of Chabad in Russia referred to someone who learned in Tomchei T’mimim). He emphasized the good fortune and privilege that were the lot of a talmid in the yeshiva who was the son of a Tamim; the enormous spiritual powers that were passed down as an inheritance, etc.
Among the talmidim at the farbrengen was Eli Mishulovin a”h. He was one of the best talmidim in his group (14-15 year olds). After the mashpia finished the farbrengen, some of the talmidim remained and continued to farbreng. Eli was there too, and after having some mashke he burst into tears and complained: Why did he not merit being the son of a Tamim?
THESE ARE THE NAMES
Let’s go back to the bachurim-T’mimim from Krolevets. About six or seven bachurim from Tomchei T’mimim learned in Krolevets during the worst years of persecution. I will mention their names:
Yoske Tiraspolier – Rabbi Yosef Goldberg z”l, who later became the famous rosh yeshiva in Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim in Brunoy;
Berel Zhlobiner – Rabbi Dovber Gurevitch a”h, the famous menahel of Beth Rivka in Paris (and my mechutan);
Nissan Pinson a”h – for many years an askan and shliach of the Rebbe in Tunisia (also my mechutan);
Shaika Hoffen – R’ Yeshaya Gopin, my second cousin;
Shimshon Charitonov a”h – a superlative Tamim from the famous family of singers from Nikolayev;
Berel Robinson and Gedalya Bumestrovitz – both bachurim from Krolevets who would join the above mentioned talmidim of the yeshiva.
FROM BRESLOV TO CHABAD
I also remember that an older yeshiva bachur passed through our town while accompanying two new talmidim to Yeshivas Tomchei T’mimim. The yeshiva was at its last “stop” before the war years, in Kutais, Georgia. The name of this bachur was Wolosow a”h. The two talmidim were children of Breslover families: Ovadia Shtroks and a bachur’chik by the name of Moshe.
When World War II began, Moshe went home (to Uman?) where he perished Al Kiddush Hashem at the hands of the cursed Germans.
Ah, what Chabad accomplished for Yidden during Stalin’s time! Truly G-d fearing Jews who were Breslover Chassidim and wanted their children to become B’nei Torah, erliche Yidden, had to send them to the sole secret yeshiva – Tomchei T’mimim. Loyal Breslover Chassidim did this because they had no choice. They knew that this meant that their sons would no longer be Breslover Chassidim, but they would be faithful Jews.
I will mention two of the few Chabad families that sprouted forth from children who learned in Tomchei T’mimim in Krolevets: Brod and Shtroks. They are grandchildren of R’ Yechezkel Brod a”h who came to learn in our town. For this same reason we had children from Skver, Boyan and other Chassidic groups.
In the final five years before the war the yeshiva had a little peace at its final stop in Georgia. In my bar mitzva year, my parents discussed sending me there too. But then the war began and my father was sick and my traveling to learn had to be postponed. One of my nephews in town, Leib Shapiro, who was older than me, went to learn in that yeshiva.