ON THE WAY TO REALIZING THE DREAM: A CHABAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

If, in all times and places, there was a necessity for a Torah center that is bound up with fear of Heaven, all the more so in our times and in such a place where the Jewish community is starting to grow is it necessary to invest the greatest energy and engrave firmly in one’s mind and heart the statement of the Sages that whoever saves a Jewish soul is like one who sustains an entire world. * From the life of R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman Serebryanski a”h.
 * Prepared for publication by Avrohom Rainitz

THE REBBE’S INTEREST IN THE OPENING OF THE SCHOOL

R’ Nachum TrebnikThroughout the years, the Rebbe took a very great interest in the development of the mosdos in Melbourne. He often urged R’ Zalman to write him detailed reports about what was going on and when several weeks went by without a report, the Rebbe mentioned this in his next letter.

For example, Erev Yom Kippur 5715, R’ Zalman wrote a relatively short letter (one page) to the Rebbe with details about the development of the school over the previous three months since the new building was opened. R’ Zalman told the Rebbe that about thirty children came in the afternoon for Jewish studies and after the Yomim Tovim additional students were expected. He also wrote briefly about his plans to open a preschool and elementary school.

He ended his short letter with a request for a bracha:

I see that Hashem conducts Himself with us in a manner above nature, and may Hashem help us in the days to come with much success that the holy mosad be strengthened and develop in quality and quantity to raise the glory of Judaism in this country. For now, we have difficulties arranging the classes because the students are of different categories, but we hope with Hashem’s help that it will all work out.

I beseech and ask Hashem to have mercy on me so that I can arrange for myself set times to learn Nigleh and Chassidus and for t’filla, and that I be worthy to be involved in the yeshiva and be mekushar with the innermost part of my heart to the Rebbe, and may Hashem have mercy on me that my sons and daughter and son-in-law with their daughter merit to fulfill the Rebbe’s wishes, each in their way, in good health and with ample parnasa and that we all merit to see the Rebbe soon.

In response to this letter, a letter was sent to R’ Zalman by the secretariat on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan:

Your letter of Erev Yom Kippur was received and it is surprising that since then you don’t mention any of your good activities. Surely you used the days of Tishrei in the appropriate way and certainly you will report this in detail at the next opportunity.

Surely you already received a letter from the Rebbe with blessings for the new year.

Respectfully and with blessing

A. Quint

Secretary

CONTACT WITH R’ NACHUM TREBNIK

R’ Zalman probably wrote briefly due to the lack of time on Erev Yom Kippur. Therefore, before he received the secretary’s letter, he wrote a more detailed letter on 2 Cheshvan.

At the beginning of his letter he told the Rebbe that since his last letter another ten students had joined the afternoon Jewish studies program, so that now they were forty. The great success of the program was due to the high level of learning and also because of the fact that unlike other shuls that arranged Jewish studies for the children of their members only once or twice a week (usually on Sundays which is why they were called Sunday School), the Jewish studies at the Chabad yeshiva took place five days a week.

The increase in the number of students made it necessary to hire good teachers and R’ Zalman reported that R’ Leibel New, who was a talmid of the Chabad yeshiva back in Shepparton, had joined the staff. Also, the bachur Yitzchok Gelbard, who was a talmid of the yeshiva, taught in the afternoon. Gelbard was convinced by two bachurim who had learned in Telz in Cleveland to learn there too, but he taught boys in the lower classes until he went.

R’ Zalman wrote that he also tried to convince R’ Nachum Babroker of Sydney to join the staff. He summed up his efforts as follows, “We need teachers who know English. We would settle for those who don’t know the language well, but for now we cannot find any at all.”

Anash joined the effort and R’ Betzalel Wilschansky committed to teaching every day. R’ Zalman wrote to the Rebbe that he was also trying to recruit R’ Abba Pliskin, and at a meeting of Anash they would try to bring it up with him.

R’ Zalman also wrote that contact was being made with R’ Nachum Trebnik, a teacher in the yeshiva in Brunoy and later on the rav in Kfar Chabad, to convince him to join the staff of the yeshiva in Melbourne. R’ Zalman noted that R’ Nachum was known for his tremendous scholarship. If he joined the yeshiva, this would attract good bachurim. R’ Zalman also contacted R’ Mordechai Levin (Neveler) who, being young and dynamic, would be able to easily learn the language and work successfully with the youngsters in Melbourne.

R’ Yaakov Eliezer Herzog, one of the first talmidim of the yeshiva, worked on this while he was learning in a yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel. He felt a sense of responsibility for the yeshiva in Melbourne and met with outstanding young men in Eretz Yisroel in order to convince them to travel to Australia. In his letters to R’ Zalman, Herzog wrote that he reported to the Rebbe about these contacts, but since it entailed large sums of money, R’ Zalman did not want to deal with it before receiving the Rebbe’s approval.

GREAT INVESTMENT 
IN THE FIRST CLASS

At this time, R’ Zalman’s son Chaim worked on registering children for the first full-day class. This was very hard work since most of the families were not religious and did not understand the need for a Jewish school. Parents from low socio-economic backgrounds wanted to save money on tuition and preferred sending their children to public school which was free. They saw no problem with their children learning with non-Jews.

Even when he met with parents with a stronger Jewish identity, who understood the importance of a Jewish education, many of them wanted to send their children to the Har HaTzofim School of the Mizrachi movement which had opened.

R’ Chaim went from house to house and convinced parents that for the sake of their children they should register them in the Chabad school. To parents who preferred Har HaTzofim, he emphasized that this school was an hour away from the Jewish center and the children would have to travel two hours a day. The Chabad school was in walking distance. He also stressed the fact that in public school and in Har HaTzofim, there were thirty children in a class and the teachers were unable to give personal attention to each child. He promised about ten children per class and said their children would receive the attention they needed.

R’ Chaim did not speak about tuition at all so as not to scare off the parents who sent their children to public school for financial reasons.

Every evening he devoted three hours to talking to parents of children. After dozens of house calls, he was able to register ten students for the first class. He was exhausted and consoled himself by thinking it would be easier the following year, assuming that these children would bring their brothers and so on.

THE REBBE REACHES OUT TO R’ MORDECHAI RICH

Among the children who were registered were twins, children of a friend of the yeshiva, R’ Mordechai Rich. He was a warm person who owned a large clothing business. He was an enormous help to Anash who entered the world of business.

He was aligned with the Mizrachi party in his outlook and for a while he served as president of the Mizrachi movement of Melbourne. Naturally, at first he looked askance at Chabad’s work, but the relationship between him and Lubavitcher Chassidim in the world of business also drew him into their inner world.

When R’ Chaim suggested that he send his boys to the Chabad school, he candidly said that his views were not in accordance with Chabad chinuch since he was an ardent Zionist and the Chabad yeshiva was definitely not of that persuasion. Nevertheless, since one of his twins needed personal attention to succeed in his learning, he would register him in the Chabad school.

He ended up being so satisfied with the personal attention his son received that a few weeks later he switched his other son to the same class. Aside from the personal attention, Mr. Rich was pleased by the high scholastic level of the school. By the end of the year, his children could read Hebrew fluently and had even started learning Chumash. He knew that in Har HaTzofim they would have to spend another two years in order to achieve that, and his estimation of a Chabad chinuch increased dramatically.

The fact that his sons attended the Chabad school strengthened his ties to the school and he became a friend and supporter of the yeshiva even though his views remained Zionist.

When the series of Igros Kodesh were printed, it was apparent that he had written to the Rebbe with questions about the necessity of a Chabad school. From the response letter printed there, it turns out that he had yechidus with the Rebbe, as in this letter the Rebbe writes, “Surely you remember our conversation.”

B”H

11 Menachem Av 5715

Peace and blessing!

I received your letter and was happy to read that you are starting to take a serious role in Yeshivas Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Lubavitch in Melbourne. I hope that energetic action and the needed efforts will bring blessing and success from Hashem. If, in all times and places, there was a necessity for a Torah center that is bound up with fear of Heaven, all the more so in our times and in such a place where the Jewish community is starting to grow is it necessary to invest the greatest energy and engrave firmly in one’s mind and heart the statement of the Sages that whoever saves a Jewish soul is like one who sustains an entire world.

Previously, a Jewish school for a child saved him from ignorance and made him into someone knowledgeable and, in the cases of many children, a scholar too. However, in our days unfortunately, we must think of saving children so that they remain Jews. For this, we cannot rely on the environment etc., but must build schools for them that guarantee that they will remain Jews. It is not necessary to go on at length about this.

… However, it is of utmost importance to avoid giving the yeshiva a political coloration or party character since learning Torah is not associated with politics or any party. This is one of the reasons for the success that Lubavitch mosdos enjoy, for they have always been apolitical. If you contemplate this deeply, the Torah was given simultaneously to all 600,000 Jews, from the greatest to the smallest, and they all heard the Dibros simultaneously – “I am Hashem Elokecha, Remember the Shabbos, Do not covet” – they are for all Jews. From Anochi we need to reach not only “Remember the Shabbos” but also “Do not covet.” Likewise, you cannot be careful about not coveting if it is not based on “I am Hashem Elokecha” and if all efforts are not invested in fulfilling “Remember the Shabbos.” Therefore, side matters should not be mixed in here, for sometimes we are scared off by side matters, whether it’s a party or politics, and we lose the opportunity to connect with the Torah of life and its mitzvos.

Surely you remember our conversation, and I hope that it is unnecessary to reiterate and ask and urge you to act on behalf of the Yeshiva Oholei Yosef Yitzchok Lubavitch to whatever extent possible and to use your great influence in this … With blessings for success in all the above and in your personal matters. I await good news.