Even before the nesius, one of the special events at Beis Chayeinu was the parade that took place when Lag B’Omer fell out on a Sunday. Hundreds and thousands of children from Mesibos Shabbos and Shaloh would come to an event that was an unprecedented Jewish experience for them. * Brief recollections from some parades, some of which are less known, from years past.
5713 – THE FIRST PARADE AFTER THE REBBE ACCEPTED THE NESIUS
We have a short description of the first parade after the Rebbe accepted the nesius from a letter written by R’ Yoel Kahn:
There was a short sicha today and I will describe the events surrounding the sicha. On Lag B’Omer, all the talmidim from our yeshivos and Talmudei Torah gathered, from New York and nearby, in the yard of the Rebbe’s beis medrash. They all stood very nicely arranged.
The Rebbe came out on the balcony (from the room to the balcony you need to climb about seven, eight steps) and next to him were members of the hanhala of the yeshiva.
The Rebbe instructed them to sing and they sang Ani Maamin (lately, he often says to sing this tune and all the children know it well). After the niggun, the Rebbe said a sicha. After Mincha, the Rebbe told the talmidim the inner dimension of what he said in the yard.
5717 – A DEMONSTRATION WHICH MADE A BIG IMPRESSION
We have a colorful description of a parade in 5717 from the Bitaon Chabad of that year:
On Lag B’Omer 5717 there was an especially beautiful parade, attended by over 6000 youth, boys and girls, from all sectors of Jewry in Brooklyn and outlying cities like Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal, etc.
The parade was arranged by the division of Mesibos Shabbos which is part of Merkos L’Inyanei Chinuch under the leadership of the Rebbe shlita.
The job of the Mesibos Shabbos division is to gather Jewish children in every neighborhood in New York, every Shabbos, and to talk to them about the holiness of Shabbos. Chabad emissaries work energetically to boost enrollment for these Mesibos Shabbos, especially among those children whose parents are not yet Shabbos observant.
The beautiful parade this year on Lag B’Omer included the boys and girls who participate in these Shabbos gatherings. About 100 buses were sent throughout the city and outside the city to bring the children to the location of the parade on Eastern Parkway. The police, teachers and madrichim (counselors), kept things in order and this was accomplished in an outstanding way.
Near the Rebbe’s beis medrash on that street, a large platform was erected on which the Rebbe greeted the parade and delivered an address to the participants.
The boys and girls passed by the platform and blessed the Rebbe. They held various signs such as: “Observe Shabbos,” “Don’t shop on Shabbos,” “Give your children a complete Jewish education,” etc.
The Rebbe addressed the participants at the parade and spoke about the importance of a Jewish education and the special quality of Jewish children who are our guarantors for our receiving the Torah.
At the conclusion of the Rebbe’s talk, the boys loudly sang Ani Maamin accompanied by the band and the girls clapped. The children marched down the street to “MiMitzrayim Gei’altanu” and “Ki B’simcha Seitzei’u” as they held aloft their signs about Shabbos and chinuch. They walked until where the vehicles were parked that brought them to Prospect Park.
The streets of Brooklyn were full of men, women, and children. Passersby stood in amazement at the unusual sight which refuted the false prophets who claimed there was no spiritual future for Judaism in America. This parade demonstrated the fact that Boruch Hashem, Am Yisroel Chai by being connected through the Torah, the Toras Chayim, to the Elokim Chaim.
There is no doubt that this demonstration of Chabad-Lubavitch made a public Kiddush Hashem and showed clearly that there is much room to accomplish a great deal, even in America, on behalf of chinuch for the young generation.
In Prospect Park there was a Lag B’Omer feast. The masses of children washed their hands, said Al Netilas Yadayim, HaMotzi and Birkas HaMazon in an orderly way. The thousands of people who gathered to watch this convocation of children, many of whom it was the first time they saw washing hands for a meal, were very amazed by the tremendous order during the washing, which was done with troops of madrichim and madrichos who were in charge of order and discipline.
After the meal, there were games and contests for the children.
Similar parades for children took place at the Mesibos Shabbos divisions in Worcester, MA, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Montreal.
5730 – A SHARP AND UNPRECEDENTED SICHA
They made a Lag B’Omer parade here for boys and girls. At first, they all gathered on Eastern Parkway and the police closed if off to all traffic for four hours! This is not the only time that the police do this, as they do this regularly for all Chabad matters. Every holiday, for example, they do a Tahalucha and the police not only stop traffic but also escort the procession to protect them, mainly from blacks, so nothing untoward happens.
At first, before the parade, the Rebbe spoke to the children about the Parsha, “If you go in My statutes and observe My mitzvos, etc,” then “I will give peace in the land … and I will break the rods of your yokes and lead you upright.”
Then the Rebbe spoke about the terrible decree of Mihu Yehudi. It appeared in all the American papers. On television, in the segment that is set aside for the Yiddish language every Sunday, they played the Rebbe’s sicha. The sicha took 45 minutes! That’s very rare. Usually, the Rebbe speaks for fifteen minutes at a parade, since after all they are children.
After the sicha, the thousands of children passed by the Rebbe. Some waved and the Rebbe waved back. It was a wondrous sight to behold the Rebbe wearing his gartel on the large, high wooden platform set up over the front yard of 770 waving at each child.
In the evening we were surprised by an unexpected farbrengen in which the Rebbe spoke forcefully about the enormous devastation of the Mihu Yehudi law.
5740 – THE YEAR THAT THE REBBE SAID THERE SHOULD BE PARADES EVERYWHERE
Shabbos, Parshas Emor, 17 Iyar. When the Rebbe arrived from his home, he said there would be a farbrengen that day.
At 1:30 the Rebbe came in to the farbrengen and spoke at length about Lag B’Omer. He indicated to sing and then said a maamar, “L’Havin Inyan Hilula D’Rashbi.” Then he gave instructions about the parade and the follow-up with the children throughout the year.
At the end of the farbrengen, the Rebbe told R’ J. J. Hecht (the one who organizes the parade) to say l’chaim and asked him where his assistant is, and R’ Butman said l’chaim. Then the Rebbe gave R’ Hecht from the mezonos in front of him and began singing, “V’Harikosi LaChem Bracha.”
The farbrengen ended at 5:10.
Tonight, the Rebbe conveyed a message to Eretz Yisroel that the murderous attack in Chevron (in which 6 were killed – 1 died subsequently of injuries – and 16 injured in an attack on worshipers leaving the Meoras HaMachpella) should not interfere with the Lag B’Omer parades (in Eretz Yisroel), for one moves aside the deceased before the kalla, and he sent 16 Tanyas and 3 dollars for the 16 injured people in Chevron.
All night, many of Anash and the bachurim worked hard to finish the final preparations for the big parade that would be taking place the next day with the Rebbe’s participation.
On Sunday, 18 Iyar, Lag B’Omer, the Rebbe arrived from his house at 9:30 and entered his office via the yechidus door (because of the platform erected for the parade).
In the morning already, Eastern Parkway was closed off to traffic (as were Kingston Avenue and Empire) by hundreds of policemen who provided security for the grand parade.
One after the other, buses began to drive up from all parts of the city, bringing thousands of children and their parents who came for the parade. They estimate that close to 20,000 children and their parents stood facing 770 and 788 which were decorated with huge, colorful signs in Hebrew and English that said things like: “V’Anachnu Amcha,” “V’Heishiv Lev Avos,” “Lag B’Omer - Shnas HaShloshim L’C”K Admur shlita,” all the 12 P’sukim, etc.
On the pavement at the entrance to 770 they built a high platform for the Rebbe that was decorated with a purple silk covering and on it was hung the “crown of thirty years,” an emblem for the parade, and an emblem of Tzach. The Rebbe’s lectern was placed on the platform and a red carpet was spread from there until the entrance to 770.
At 11:20, to the sounds of the band playing Ani Maamin, the Rebbe came out to the parade (walking alongside the carpet and not on it, and so too on his way back).
The Rebbe said two sichos which were translated into English by R’ J. J. Hecht and one sicha in Russian. The following, in very brief, are points that were addressed: an emphasis on achdus between the participants and Am Yisroel; the idea of “returning the heart of the fathers (through) the children,” as in the redemption from Egypt when “they [the children] recognized Him first”; the words of the Rashi that “wherever they were exiled, the Sh’china went with them”; and the lesson to fulfill Torah and mitzvos even during exile and not to be fazed by disturbances; and an emphasis on the statement of Chazal “and I will dwell among them – within each one of them.” S’firas HaOmer teaches us about the preciousness of time and the need to fill every day with mitzvos and alacrity.
In Russian, the Rebbe explained that it should be openly announced that even according to the laws of that country it is permissible to learn and do Torah and mitzvos.
At the end of the sicha in Russian, the Rebbe asked whether there was anyone who could translate and say a brief synopsis of the sicha. When they said no, the Rebbe made a dismissive motion with his hand.
At the end of the sichos, the Rebbe spoke about the events in Chevron and said it was a result of the government’s policy of concessions, and he expressed his hope that the attack would motivate those at the top to change direction and stand firmly, according to Torah.
Then (at 12:50), the parade began passing by the Rebbe as he waved to the children and clapped at the floats with their displays.
Then 26 floats went by with displays. Each one had days and nights of work put into them.
On one float they (the K’vutza from Eretz Yisroel) built a model of the grave of R’ Shimon bar Yochai in Miron with all the details, and near the grave they put people standing and saying T’hillim or learning Zohar, giving haircuts to three year olds, and more. Near the grave they put a live goat (bought especially for this) and a shochet with a knife that he was preparing for sh’chita (as is the practice of Sephardim in Miron). The Rebbe gazed at the float with a serious, powerful look and when he saw the shochet sharpening his knife his moved his head aside.
Another float represented Jews leaving from behind the Iron Curtain, on a plane, directly for 770.
Another float’s exhibit was of Pesach with all the details of the Seder; another float presented Shleimus Ha’Am, the Torah, and the Land, etc.
The Rebbe gazed at all the floats, saluted, waved and occasionally even clapped. One of the floats had a big pushka and the Rebbe motioned with his hand two times to put tz’daka into it. When they gave him the pushka, he put in a coin.
Then the children marched and the Rebbe waved his hand at them and clapped.
When representatives from the American army passed by, including command officers who stood on jeeps and saluted the Rebbe, the Rebbe saluted back.
At the end, R’ J. J. Hecht suggested to Anash and the bachurim that they also march and the Rebbe began clapping forcefully to the singing of “Al HaSela Hach” with everyone dancing in place.
Then R’ J. J. Hecht asked the Rebbe if they could announce a farbrengen for that evening and the Rebbe said he did not know yet. Then he asked the Rebbe whether he was satisfied and the Rebbe said yes. R’ Hecht said a lot of work was put into it, and the Rebbe said, Hashem also helped.
At about 5:00, the Rebbe left to go to the Ohel and when he met R’ Hecht he asked him whether the event in the park was over (where the children had gone after the parade) and R’ Hecht said it was over and it was successful. The Rebbe said, the success should continue all year.
At 8:45 the Rebbe returned from the Ohel and went in for Mincha and after davening announced that there would be a short farbrengen at 9:30.
5753 – WE DID NOT MERIT TO SEE THE REBBE
Shabbos, 17 Iyar. The Torah reading of Shacharis took place at about 11:00 in the zal upstairs with all the doors open as usual. At the end of the davening, most people went home, feeling that nothing would happen, which was their recent experience. This was following what had happened on the previous Wednesday, and that the Rebbe had not come out for Mincha for several weeks, and especially in the past two weeks when the Rebbe had hardly come out even on weekdays, and in addition, the opinion of the secretaries was that “Mincha for sure not; maybe tonight, at Maariv on Motzaei Shabbos.” But to the joy and surprise of all, it turned out that they were wrong.
It was 1:20 when people heard about Mincha “now” and that the Rebbe would be going out to daven with the congregation. At the end of the davening, after the recital of Chapter 4 of Avos, the Rebbe went out on the porch.
They sang with great vigor and a cry from the depths of the heart, “Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach L’olam Va’ed.” The Rebbe scanned the crowd a bit and lightly encouraged the singing and after a minute he motioned to close the curtain.
Although everyone felt “the Rebbe came out for me” and the joy found expression even after the Rebbe returned to his room as the crowd continued to dance in place over the privilege of “seeing and being seen,” it seems that the Rebbe’s attendance at this t’filla was because of just one person.
Among those present at Mincha was a well-known lawyer from France, an irreligious Jew who had heard about the Rebbe, and after much importuning on the part of friends and acquaintances, he acceded to their request, saying, “If it doesn’t help, well it certainly can’t hurt.”
The lawyer spent Shabbos in Crown Heights and Mincha was an opportunity for him to see the Rebbe. It wasn’t an ordinary experience though. When the Rebbe came out on the porch, his eyes met the Rebbe’s and he was stricken mute. What happened during those seconds was related by the bystanders who saw him burst into tears that lasted a long time.
When he was asked by his hosts what happened, he said that when the Rebbe’s gaze met his, he resolved to change his life completely. “I saw before me a very young man, way above the crowd, the embodiment of Moshiach. I don’t understand how everyone remains quiet and doesn’t make a commotion.” He decided to make a commotion in his own city. His Pintele Yid had been aroused, and when Shabbos was over he called home and told his wife, “That’s it, we are changing our lives.”
She hung up the phone, but half an hour later he called again and received her consent. She said, “I agree to wear a wig but ask you to suffice with a kippa without a beard.” The man agreed and decided that he had to bring his wife and children to the Rebbe.
That’s the miracle the Rebbe performed at Mincha with a glance of a few seconds.
Motzaei Shabbos – the Rebbe did not come out for Maariv. When Shabbos was over, preparations for the parade the next day went into high gear starting with preparing the Rebbe’s special platform. That year, they closed off the entire length of the platform, from where the Rebbe would come out until the place where he would sit, with a sleeve-like curtain. They worked for hours upon hours to arrange this in the best possible way, in a dignified way, for this would be the first time that the Rebbe would watch from where he was sitting, not standing.
Throughout the neighborhood, one could see flatbed trucks with students preparing their displays. In front of 770, thousands of chairs were unloaded; 12 large signs with the 12 p’sukim were hung on the front of 770 and a “Yechi” sign the length of the roof, fifteen meters long. On another sign was written, “Tzaddik k’tamar yifrach …” and there were other colorful signs that decorated the place in preparation for the big parade.
Sunday, Lag B’Omer 5753. At about 10:00, Eastern Parkway was closed to traffic for a number of blocks. Kingston Avenue was also closed. The thousands of chairs were arranged facing 770, with Lag B’Omer material on them.
At about 10:30, R’ Yosef Goldstein (Uncle Yossi) began the program. He held the children spellbound for about half an hour. Then, at 11, the time they estimated the Rebbe would emerge, R’ Shimon Hecht began to emcee the kinus and parade until the end. R’ Hecht got everyone excited about the imminent participation of the Rebbe.
In the meantime, R’ Y. Y. Gutnick was asked to bless the Rebbe with Birkas Kohanim.
A few minutes later, to the disappointment of all, they were told that the Rebbe would not be coming out. Having no choice, the parade went on, starting about 11:20.
Leading the way were police on horseback, representatives of the NYPD, who marched in honor of the Lubavitcher Rebbe as in every parade. Then representatives of the US army, led by Chaplain Yaakov Goldstein, followed in a military transport vehicle. They were followed by a double decker bus with a sign that said, “Upshernish,” with fathers and their three year old sons who were getting a haircut that day. They were followed by hundreds of children from many schools, most of them wearing hats or crowns that bore the words “Yechi HaMelech” and holding signs that said “Yechi Adoneinu,” “Boruch Haba,” “Yechi HaMelech.”
Seven trucks went by with fabulous, creative displays, designed by the students of Chovevei Torah, Oholei Torah, Tomchei T’mimim Morristown, Lubavitcher Yeshiva, FREE, Beis Rivka, and Machon Chana.
Although each of the displays was different, there was a common theme – that of the Geula and the third Beis HaMikdash.
The creative work of the bachurim on K’vutza in Chovevei Torah stood out, for they had made a large, beautiful crown on which it said “Yechi …” and a globe under which were the letters of Geula with a letter Alef that went up and down. They also showed the reality of Yemos HaMoshiach when “all delicacies will be found like dust,” showing a field with trees on which hung treats and money. This included non-fruit bearing trees about which it says in the future they will bear fruit.
SPECIAL EDITION NEWS FLASH
The students of Morristown also designed something wonderful. You saw “Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel in its future incarnation standing next to the third Beis HaMikdash, having arrived on clouds. On the side of the truck it said, “All go together to the third Beis HaMikdash.” They had a wall with mocked-up newspaper excerpts related to Yemos HaMoshiach, with headlines like “Jews Can Leave Russia,” relating to major events that happened in the year 5751. They also had a copy of Time magazine with the main headline “Special Edition – The Unbelievable Has Occurred – the Messiah Has Arrived! People are Flying on Clouds.”
FREE demonstrated the fantastic thing that the Shluchim Office had done two months earlier. They sent five mitzva tanks to cover the US with the Besuras Ha’Geula. On the float the viewers saw familiar buildings like the Twin Towers, the White House, etc. and the sign said, “Yechi … – Let’s Welcome Moshiach.”
Lubavitcher Yeshiva divided their display into four sections for four stages or eras. Stage 1 started from the sicha of Chaf-Ches Nissan. Over it were the words “Do All That You Can.” They showed the first activities of Matteh Moshiach – vehicles on busy inter-city and international highways adorned with signs which said “Moshiach Is On His Way.”
Stage 2 described the learning of Inyanei Moshiach and Geula, which was represented by all the books and booklets that were published on the subject. Stage 3 was what the Rebbe said about “and they will grind their swords into plowshares” – the era of Moshiach, and they showed swords that had been turned into plowshares. We just need to “open our eyes …” Stage 4 depicted the true and complete Geula! They showed the gateway that leads to the third Beis HaMikdash, going from Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel to the Beis HaMikdash.
Oholei Torah did a portrayal of the fulfillment of the prayer “Gather our dispersed” and the promise “And come on clouds of heaven,” showing Chabad Houses coming on clouds as well as famous buildings from around the world like the Eiffel Tower, the Tower of Pisa, and the Twin Towers all going to Eretz Yisroel. They also showed the idea of T’chiyas HaMeisim.
Machon Chana’s display had to do with bringing bikkurim to the Beis HaMikdash.
SALUTE TO MOSHIACH
During the parade, some bachurim had a surprise for the crowd. Five planes wrote the words “Salute to Moshiach” in the sky in Hebrew and English. During the parade they did this four times. This is something that could be seen by two million people. In Manhattan, where a Salute to Israel parade was taking place at the same time, they also saw it.
There was also a small helicopter that flew over the parade pulling a sign that said “Salute to the Rebbe King Moshiach” on it. It made a number of flyovers and drew the attention of all the participants and then went to the parade in Manhattan. The parade lasted about an hour and a half at the end of which people went to the park.
Needless to say, people were disappointed. It was such a beautiful event in which so much time and money and effort were invested, but the Rebbe did not make an appearance. Nor did he come out for Mincha or Maariv.
Later on people heard that the night before, the Rebbe had been asked about the parade and did not respond. During the parade, they asked the Rebbe whether he would go out to the children and he said no several times.
It is difficult to write a suitable ending for an article like this. The only acceptable ending is to march to the Geula with the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach at our head.