TRANSFORMING A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT ON SHLICHUS

How would you react if you visited a home to distribute matzos, and the person demurs politely saying, “Thanks, but I eat bread on Pesach.”? What would you do if you came to a community council meeting, and instead of welcoming you they hissed at you, “You can come in, but leave your religion outside.”? * That was the exact welcome that awaited R’ Avrohom Yitzchok Prodanshetsky, shliach of the Rebbe to Ganei Yochanan. According to him, those statements only spurred his desire to crack the wall of coldness with “brazenness of holiness” and lots of love and caring. * A fascinating glimpse into a huge shlichus in a small modest settlement.

By Y. Veknin

Moshav Ganei Yochanan is a small and rustic colony. The entrance is reached by way of a long road bracketed on both sides by ranch style homes. Behind each home is a large farming area, and above are blue skies unsullied by the smoke and pollution of city life. The house of the shliach is no different than any of the others, and overlooks an orchard from which wafts the scent of ripe fruit.

“We are working here in Ganei Yochanan for more than eight years,” says R’ Avrohom Prodanshetsky with a sparkle in his eyes. It is obvious that he is excited to talk about his life on shlichus. He feels a strong personal connection to the place, in which he invests all of his energy and talents along with his Chassidic intensity.

If we thought that his shlichus is a peaceful one, as what possible drama could there be in this small enclave, we were surprisingly quickly disabused of that notion and were exposed to a unique operation that could well serve as a model for many other places.

“I grew up in Beer Sheva in an atmosphere of shlichus. I was strongly influenced by the personality of R’ Avrohom Cohen, the shliach that oversees one of the older Chabad Houses in the city. For me, he was an exemplar to admire and to emulate,” says R’ Avrohom. “I learned from him what it means to love every Jew, and how it is possible to be so caring even towards someone that you do not know at all. The seeds of shlichus were already planted back then.”

After getting married, the Prodanshetsky couple moved to the Chabad community in Rechovot, in order for him to study for the rabbinic ordination tests administered by Heichal Shlomo in the Kollel of R’ Meir Aharon. A number of years passed until he was discovered by R’ Aryeh Greenberg, the shliach to Mazkeret Batya, the adjoining colony to Ganei Yochanan.

“R’ Greenberg was searching at that time for a young married man to help him in his work, doing home visits and the like. One day, he asked if I was interested in getting involved in his shlichus, and I answered that I would be happy to help out. I arrived in Mazkeret Batya, did home visits and helped out in working with the residents. After about a week, R’ Greenberg approached me again and shared with me the moving event of printing a Tanya that he had held in the adjacent community of Ganei Yochanan. He suggested that I go and try to get the residents to donate towards the amount needed to complete the binding of the book. I had no idea that this would be the beginning of my fascinating shlichus in Ganei Yochanan.”

THE DOOR WAS OPENED WITH A BIG SMILE

“I began to visit the residents in their homes and I explained to them about the printing of the Tanya. The doors were opened with great trepidation, and when they saw me, a bearded youngster in the whole getup, many of them reacted with suspicion and mistrust.”

Despite this reception, R’ Avrohom was not put off and he launched into conversations with them, with his characteristic smile and forthrightness. These traits helped thaw the first frost. He went from one home to the next, until he got to a house where he was met with a surprise.

“I knocked on the door and it was opened by the homeowner. Instead of the narrowed eyes taking my measure from head to foot that I encountered in the other doorways, I was met with a smile from ear to ear. The man invited me inside as if he had been waiting all day just for me to show up. When he heard why I had come, he hurried up to the second floor and returned with a donation. Truth be told, I was a bit shocked, but even more than that, I was curious. I thanked him warmly for his donation, but I couldn’t resist and asked him the meaning of this endearing reception.

“He answered excitedly: Listen, I was just sitting for the last two hours watching a movie. The movie was about a wealthy man who had a unique approach to philanthropy. He would show up to various organizations that support those in need and would join as a volunteer without anybody knowing his true identity. When he would see that the organization was doing a good job, he would go to the director and leave him a fat check and then move on to the next place.

“At this point his tone of voice became emotional: I was mesmerized. I thought excitedly to myself that I also want to be a philanthropist! Exactly when the movie ended, you came knocking at my door…”

In these home visits, R’ Avrohom succeeded in getting donations from forty families on the moshav, until he reached the needed sum.

As in everything else that R’ Prodanshetsky does, this activity was in fact the opening of the door for a continued connection. “When the volumes of Tanya were ready, I returned to each of the donors for another visit. Each donor received a copy as a gift, and we took the opportunity to learn something from it. With one of the residents this was the opening for a Tanya class that continued for an entire year,” he says with satisfaction.

By amazing Divine Providence, it turned out that “this person is a member of the community council. Obviously, I pulled him into getting involved with the matters of the Rebbe. At a later point, the council held a meeting to decide about whether to allow me to organize a day camp. When I arrived at the meeting, one of the members hissed at me, ‘You can come in, but you should know that religion will not be allowed here!’ Four members of the council voted against and one voted for, that being this fellow who hosted me in his home.”

The principle of continuity of action was put into practice by R’ Prodanshetsky only a short while later. “We decided to arrange a Lag B’Omer parade on the moshav. Since we did not have enough time to organize, we did not advertise on a big scale. We made do with putting notices into the mailboxes of the residents. At the moment of truth, we were shocked when twenty kids showed up, a huge achievement in a place like this, especially with so little exposure.”

After the parade, R’ Avrohom felt his connection to the place growing stronger, a connection that he categorizes as “inexplicable. I simply felt that I am connected to this place and that I want to work with the local residents.”

PROVIDENCE CAME KNOCKING ONE EVENING

“At a certain point, my wife and I considered moving to Ganei Yochanan. We decided to write to the Rebbe and see where the Rebbe directed us. I wrote to the Rebbe and described what was going on and how I feel strongly about being a shliach there and that I seemed to be suited.

“The answer we opened to was in Igros Kodesh, volume 10, and the words jumped out at us: ‘Yehi ratzon that you be a good shliach and report good news in all this.’ We didn’t need more than that.

“Still excited by the answer we got, I got a phone call from Rabbi Aryeh Greenberg. ‘Listen, someone told me he wants to be a shliach in Ganei Yochanan. I told him that you are operating there and you have first rights. That’s why I’m asking you first.’ I was stunned by the Divine Providence. I excitedly told him about the letter and bracha from the Rebbe that I received shortly before, that same evening. To us it was a clear sign from Heaven.”

What spurred on the move of R’ Prodanshetsky to the moshav was something that occurred at the Purim seuda he made, to which he invited everyone he knew on the moshav, as well as the people who davened in the shul. Only four people showed up.

“At a certain point, one of them said to me, ‘You do so much here, how about moving here? You can come and live on my farm.’ I jumped at the opportunity and told him, ‘Gladly, onward, let’s sign a contract.’ He mentioned a date when the apartment would be empty and we signed a contract.

“What happened next was amazing. The date that we moved in was no more and no less than 11 Nissan! We felt that the Rebbe was with us.”

MAKING A MINYAN AND TURNING OVER THE WORLD

The shul in the center of the moshav was active even before the shliach arrived, but this was mainly on Shabbos, whereas there was no minyan on the weekdays.

R’ Avrohom Prodanshetsky decided to launch a revolution and make the shul an active place on a daily basis. “What gave me a strong push was connected to the well-known sicha of the Rebbe, in which he can be heard screaming, ‘Ker ah veldt haint – turn over the world today!’ In that sicha, the Rebbe goes on to say how one can turn over the world, with the study of Chassidus, the study of Nigleh, giving tz’daka, davening with a minyan, and the Rebbe adds an unusual expression, ‘And I, the small one, among them.’

“I said to myself that the Rebbe is saying that one of the things with which it is possible to turn over the world is davening with a minyan. The Rebbe is giving a clear instruction about what to do, and emphasizes that he is also a part of those who daven with a minyan!

“So I decided to promote the issue in a creative way. We went public with a slogan, ‘I also complete the minyan in Ganei Yochanan.’ I set up a WhatsApp group, posted notices on every notice board, and the issue began to generate interest and make people aware of the lack of a morning minyan. We also publicized photos of smiling residents holding signs with the slogan written on it. All of this was done in cooperation with R’ Mordechai Zigdon, the devoted gabbai of the shul. As a result, the minyan got off the ground.”

SMALL PLACE WITH LARGE SCALE ACTIVITIES

After the couple made the move to Ganei Yochanan, R’ Avrohom continued his activities full force. The Rabbi of the moshav happened to retire his position at that time, and in an unofficial capacity he became the default rabbi of the place with all that entails. “People turn to me for every Jewish matter, such as the checking of t’fillin and mezuzos, preparing boys for their bar mitzva, marriages, celebrating the moving into a new home, and when the need unfortunately arises, to officiate at funerals. We also have regular Torah classes, and for every holiday and auspicious calendar date there are activities for the children, farbrengens for the men, evenings for the women etc.

“Since I am particular to visit the home of each family at least three times a year, we have formed a close and personal bond with many families, who turn to me for all their Jewish needs.”

It was no easy task to break through the outer cloak of resistance that the residents presented in the beginning, but with a lot of stubbornness, diligence and love, the Prodanshetskys have managed to tear down the walls of alienation.

“The residents here are wonderful people. In getting to know them, I have seen that they are absolutely searching for a connection with G-d. When we sat and talked in their homes, some opened up to me and told me about the grandfather who observed Torah and mitzvos. Other told me that they put on t’fillin or go to shul on Shabbos, and so on. Despite that, most recoiled from displaying their connection in an open way for fear of being seen as strange and out of touch, or even for fear of a loss of status. On some level, they adopted the idea promoted by the Enlightenment movement of ‘Be a Jew at home and a man on the street.’

“There was one resident who appeared to have no connection to Judaism. To my sorrow, I was unable to influence him to observe any practical mitzvos. One day, I arrived at his home for a visit, and to my shock I saw him wearing a tallis and davening! Apparently, he registered the shocked look on my face, and he immediately explained, ‘Yes, after I retired, I decided that I wanted to start davening! Since I do not own any t’fillin, I daven at home with a tallis.’ I suggested that he purchase a pair of t’fillin, but he told me that his financial situation did not allow for such an expensive purchase, and he is perfectly fine with making do with a tallis. When I suggested that he take a pair of t’fillin on loan from the t’fillin gemach that I maintain in my home, he agreed. I immediately went home and returned with a pair of t’fillin in my hands. Obviously, I helped him put them on. He thanked me warmly and said that he would now begin putting on t’fillin every day. We parted happily.

“After a few weeks, I thought to myself that perhaps the t’fillin are just laying around in his house without him really knowing how to put them on. And perhaps he is not even really interested in doing so. From thought to action, the following morning I arrived at his home at the set time that he told me that he davens. He opened the door and it was clear that I had disturbed him. He stood there in tallis and t’fillin and was deeply involved in his davening.

“I once again saw how people here love Judaism but are fearful of displaying it to the outside.”

THE POWER OF A PERSONAL VISIT

“The most powerful influence has been through the home visits,” states R’ Prodanshetsky. “I go into a home with chayus and leave with even more chayus; it is, simply put, a powerful tool for bringing hearts close, and it is the easiest way to bring people to actual observance.”

He makes this statement with a lot to back him up. “That is also how my wife’s parents were brought close,” he says dropping a surprise.

“Her family lives in Argentina. They were openly far from Judaism and didn’t even know what a siddur looks like. One day, they were visited in the business that they own by the shlucha of the Rebbe in the area, and she offered to put up a mezuza. From that visit, the father ended up coming to the Chabad House to hear about Judaism and Chabad, and when he understood that this was the true path, the transformation was quick. Within a few months, the entire family came close to Judaism and Chassidus. The father began to grow a beard and wear full Chassidic regalia, including a sirtuk and a gartel. The children were transferred to Chabad schools. My wife was five years old at the time.

“Over the years, a strong desire to be a part of the army of shluchim of the Rebbe took root in her, and after we married, she was the one who pushed me to spend a number of years sitting and learning in Kollel, despite the fact that it required a great deal of sacrifice and material constraint from her. When the offer to come to Ganei Yochanan came up, she once again provided support and readiness to get involved, with her being an integral part of the work that we do here.”

In fact, the women and children of the moshav have a special personal connection with the shlucha, Mrs. Leah Prodanshetsky. She works constantly to provide new and highly organized activities. “We do evenings for women,” she says. “The first evening for women that we held on the moshav was held in the home of Yossi Alkobi, one of the respected members of the moshav. To our surprise, no less than sixty women showed up! That special event held in his home caused him to get involved in helping the Chabad House, and when there was a need to fight for the opening of a day camp, he stood at our side, and he continues to help us to this day.”

WOW, MOSHIACH’S TIMES

R’ Prodanshetsky sees much success, but there are still many difficulties along the road. With all of his work, he often encounters opposition. He once wrote about it to the Rebbe, and the answer was to consult with rabbis. Following their guidance, he specifically set out to build connections with the main sources of opposition, and through peaceful means has gotten them to at least hear where he is coming from and has even softened them up somewhat. During the tough times, what helps a lot is the support of the rest of the residents who are pleased with the presence of the Rebbe’s shliach and his family on the moshav.

The following story clearly illustrates the challenges he faces, and also provides a glimpse into the unique approach of R’ Prodanshetsky, who when necessary does not back down and responds with firmness along with tremendous Ahavas Yisroel.

“After the recent Lag B’Omer parade, one of the locals posted an item on the yishuv’s WhatsApp group, speaking harshly against our work and against me. He wrote, ‘He entices our kids with gifts.’ Since I am also a member of the group, I read it, sadly.

“It didn’t take long and the residents began responding, one by one. Their reactions were enthusiastic and most of them spoke highly of ‘our rabbi,’ and they rebuked that poster. The truth is that this did not reassure me. I was worried about what would happen next. Sometimes, opposition begins by saying something or other, but it can lead to other things that can make a negative impact. I consulted with veteran shluchim and decided to speak to the man directly.

“We arranged to meet for coffee. First, I let him speak his mind. He spoke nicely and suddenly began to tell me about his roots and about his grandfather. He remembered that his grandfather would go to shul. When I asked him, ‘Did your grandmother light Shabbos candles,’ he thought about it and then, as though waking from a dream, he said, ‘Yes! I remember her lighting candles!’

“I could see that this memory woke something up inside him. When I saw he had softened, I said, ‘You see that they too kept mitzvos. They were also Jews. We are all brothers! There is more that unites us than divides us. You know that I am the rav here. I am happy to be at your service for whatever you want and need. So why do you undermine me without even checking the facts or at least talking to me?’

“He was taken aback but had to agree to what I said. I asked that then and there we be photographed together, smiling, and send the photo to the group list of the yishuv. He agreed and within minutes, the photo was seen by stunned residents. The reactions were swift to follow. One of them summed it up perfectly: ‘Wow, Moshiach’s times!’”

RIGHT ON TIME

R’ Prodanshetsky paused in his storytelling and gazed at the scenery around us. “The timing of our arrival at the moshav was no less than perfect,” he said suddenly. He explained:

“When we arrived, the moshav was in an expanding stage and many young families came to live here. Of course, we did a lot of work with the children and today we’ve reached the point where those children have grown up. Now I prepare them for their bar mitzva. So the seeds were planted just at the right time. Hashem runs the world.

“One of the children, who attended the camp, is now preparing for his bar mitzva. When his mother asked him whom he wanted to learn with, he said unhesitatingly, ‘With R’ Avrohom!’ The close connection was forged back in camp and he felt comfortable to learn with me.”

When R’ Prodanshetsky talks about investing in the children, he knows what he’s talking about. “When we asked the moshav’s committee for permission to have a camp in the yishuv’s clubhouse, we had to fight for it. The factor that turned things in our favor was the parents who demanded that they allow the camp. We were ultimately given the keys to the place.

“When we arrived there, we saw the building had to be fixed up before camp began. Only a few days remained until camp would be starting, and with great effort I enlisted young men from the Chabad community in Rechovot who work in renovations. They came here and worked hard until the place was ready for the children. I bought the materials we needed and also helped paint the place. When the children came on the morning of the first day to a beautiful place, nobody had any idea what it had looked like before.”

GANEI YOCHANAN PREPARES FOR THE GEULA

R’ Prodanshetsky talks to the residents about the Rebbe as Moshiach and about what the Rebbe says about the era we are living in, the eve of the Geula. What do people think about this, we asked him? He responded:

“I once heard R’ Yisroel (Rali) Halperin at a farbrengen and what he said really caught my attention. He said, ‘Look at Shimon Peres as an example. A smart man, articulate, who tells the world his idea of “peace” among the nations of the new Middle East. He totally believes in what he’s saying and he tells it to everyone. This is why he has succeeded in getting many people to accept his ideas. All the more so we, who have the eternal truth and the Rebbe MH”M and all the sichos of the last period, if we come in the right way, articulate, with the ideas properly ordered in our minds and hearts, then the likelihood of it being accepted is greater.’

“I’ve seen this myself. When you present the subject of Moshiach and Geula with the entire external packaging of genuine love, concern and caring, with deep faith, the person you’re talking to accepts it, even if he doesn’t understand it fully. What difference is there between the topics of Geula and things like resurrection of the dead or even placing animal hide on your arm and head?”

FOCUS ON GROWTH

R’ Prodanshetsky is not satisfied with his work within Ganei Yochanan. He also goes to nearby Moshav Yatzitz where he works primarily with youth.

The caring that he radiates draws people to him, and he holds a place of respect in their hearts and homes.

Now, the Prodanshetsky family is marking eight years of outreach work. “Eight is above nature. I decided it is time to go forth and conquer new vistas that have no comparison to what I’ve done and to what I’ve been able to do till now.”

Among his many ideas is a plan to put up a permanent structure as a Chabad House on the moshav and to make a Lag B’Omer parade for all children of the Gezer Regional Council.

“The time has come to break forth ‘L’chat’chilla aribber,” he says enthusiastically.

R’ Prodanshetsky’s non-stop work, as well as his special approach to reaching hearts and minds, can well serve as a model of operations for many other locales.

NEVER GIVE UP ON ANY JEW

R’ Avrohom Prodanshetsky shares a fascinating story:

Before Pesach, I made house calls and gave out shmura matza. At one house, when I knocked at the door and offered matzos, the homeowner looked at me and politely said, “Matzos? What for? I eat bread on Pesach … You want to help someone by giving them matzos? Go to the neighbor. I don’t need it.”

I said to him, “Listen, take the matzos, and maybe, if you eat them, it will make you not want to eat bread.”

But the man shrugged and said, “I am very liberal. Those who want to should eat matza and those who want to eat bread should eat bread. I have nothing against Judaism.”

Of course, I left the matzos with him.

A while later I met him at the park. He had a foreign worker serving as a personal aide for him. He was in a wheelchair and could barely talk. I asked him how he was and he weakly said, “Not good, very sick. I don’t have much time to live.” I was very sorry to see him like this.

I went to his house and we spoke. He told me he has a daughter who lives in New York and works there. She is married to a non-Jew who worked with her. They had a son and he, the grandfather, flew to New York because he wanted to ensure that the baby had a bris. I asked him, “It doesn’t bother you that she is married to a goy?” He said, “No. I told you, I am liberal.”

He went on to say that he is the sole Holocaust survivor of his entire, beautiful family. “This grandson is the continuation of the family and I wanted the continuation to be Jewish, in the proper manner,” he said, surprising me.

Once again, I was witness to what a Jew is all about deep down.

A few months later, I was informed of his passing. I wanted to go to the family to see how I could be of help, but I didn’t know any of them. I finally decided to simply go over to the house.

I knocked at the door and saw one of his daughters, who lives in Eretz Yisroel, for the first time. She had never seen me and she began screaming, “Who are you? Chareidim who always want only money …” I was shocked for a few seconds but the widow calmed her down and said to me, “What do you want?” I said I am a shliach of the Rebbe and “I came to offer any help you might need.” After the funeral I went to the house again. Of course, there was no minyan for davening but we sat a bit and talked.

Some time later, I went to the Kinus HaShluchim and planned on contacting the daughter married to a goy to see if I could convince her to give her son a bit of a Jewish education. In New York, I called the mother and asked for her daughter’s phone number. She was surprised that I was calling her from New York and wanted to speak to her daughter. She was very moved and gave me the number.

I called the daughter and arranged to meet her on Monday, the day after the Kinus was over. I began by saying to her, “I knew your father.” She burst into tears. I asked her why she was crying and she said, “My father died and my son won’t remember him.” We spoke about Judaism for an hour and I finally said to her, “I have two requests. I brought a book of stories for children in English and hope you will read it to your son at bedtime.” I explained to her that I think she should put her son into a Jewish school.

I also said, “Your father told me that he loves his grandson very much. He even flew here to make his bris. I think that it would be a great nachas for your father if he got a Jewish education.”

She said, “But it costs a lot of money …”

I said, “We need to invest in our children and it is worth it! They will not raise themselves. If he goes to a non-Jewish school, then that is the end of the Jewish heritage of your beautiful family.”

She promised to switch him to a Jewish school.