Another diary from the files of Rabbi Sholom Dovber Wolpo, describing the shlichus he carried out during the summer of 5726/1966, fifty-one years ago, together with his friend, R’ Avrohom (Bumi) Friedland. The two of them plowed through Baltimore and met many Jews, igniting their slumbering Jewish spark.
By Rabbi Sholom Dovber Wolpo
Every year, the T’mimim learning in 770 use the summer months for spreading Judaism among the Jews dispersed in the various cities of the United States. This is instead of taking vacation time as is the practice in other yeshivos. Hundreds of thousands of Jews, castaway souls, dispersed throughout the USA in cities and towns, hunger for a bit of Jewish nourishment.
Reaching those Jews is the mission undertaken by Lubavitcher bachurim who go out on shlichus, referred to in Chabad nomenclature as “Merkos Shlichus.” Generally, they travel to places that do not have a permanent shliach, and based on the reports that they send to the Rebbe, the Merkos L’Inyanei Chinuch decides which of the places that the bachurim visited would be suited for a permanent shliach, and who are the locals that would be likely to assist him in getting started. The shoots that the traveling youngsters plant in the rocky soil of distant plains grow, over the years, into blooming fruit-bearing trees.
In general, the Israeli T’mimim on K’vutza would not travel on this shlichus, since as the Rebbe said it was only for the sake of Torah study that it was permissible for them to leave the Holy Land. During those times there was a unique atmosphere in 770, which was virtually empty, as the remaining Israelis felt like they had the Rebbe to themselves. However, in an exception to the rule, the Rebbe allowed the young Wolpo to travel along with his American study partner, Bumi.
Fifty-one years have passed since these two young T’mimim, learning partners, considered among the elite students in 770, R’ Sholom Dovber Wolpo and R’ Avrohom (Bumi) Friedland, went on a shlichus of the Rebbe to outlying cities to spread Judaism.
DAY ONE – PARTIAL SUCCESS
The two T’mimim set out for Maryland, mainly to Baltimore, to meet the local Jews and to infuse them with a spirit of Jewish pride. In the report that R’ Wolpo sent to the Rebbe upon their return, under the heading, “Diary of the Trip on Shlichus for Merkos L’Inyanei Chinuch 5726,” there are interesting stories about moving encounters with Jews.
Neither of the two had a driver’s license yet, so they were forced to do the work of planting seeds in the large city on foot or by taxi. Even this travel time was put to use in the work of spreading Judaism.
The diary opens with: “We arrived in Baltimore on Sunday night, 29 Tammuz, at 11:30 at night. We immediately traveled to the home of R’ Itche Springer,” who was serving then as a shliach in the city, along with R’ Shraga Rice, who worked in the local post office, but who devoted all of his free time to spreading Judaism and helping R’ Springer.
The two began their work the following day, Monday, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av:
We woke up at 6:30 and went to the shul of R’ Feldman. We did not have any special success. Two people signed up for Talks and Tales, and one bachur bought a Hagada of the Rebbe. We spoke with him in learning and about Lubavitch.
After Shacharis we went to the main library, but they told us there that they cannot purchase any books from us without consulting the one in charge of deciding if they are needed in the library, and he was not there at the time. However, they informed us that they would contact us by telephone. (In the beginning, they did not want to talk to us at all, but Hashem helped, and a Jewish woman clerk suddenly arrived; she probably was Jewishly inspired somewhat when we told her the reason for our coming.)
We left the library and went to find a place where there were Jews. Suddenly a man approached us and told us that he has a room for rent, and he asked if we were interested. We told him that we didn’t need a place, but meanwhile found out that he was a Jew and we began talking to him about Judaism. We asked him to put on t’fillin, but he did not want to. Despite that, he gave us general directions to where there are stores owned by Jews. As a result, we circulated among the stores and spoke to a number of Jews, and with one young fellow we said “Shma Yisroel.”
After that we went to Sinai Hospital (on the way we spoke to the Jewish taxi driver and gave him the pamphlets “T’fillin” and “Shabbos,” and we said Shma with him). At the hospital, one clerk sent us to the next until we got to the person in charge of religious matters, but he told us that the rabbi was not in then and the rabbi would call us later.
From the hospital, we took a taxi and we asked him to take us to the Jewish area. Meanwhile, we spoke to the Jewish driver about Judaism and said Shma with him, and he promised us that he would put t’fillin on that day. Every time that we travel in a taxi with a Jewish driver, we discuss Judaism with him. When we went today, the driver was so affected that he did not want to take money from us, and even ran to unload our luggage, but obviously we paid him and even added a tip.
On the way, the driver told us that not far from there the Yeshiva Ner Yisroel was located, and we asked him to take us there. We arrived there at 1:30 and spoke with the bachurim in learning and on topics of Chassidus. After Mincha, Bumi spoke with the Mashgiach of the yeshiva. Bumi asked him a question in learning but he switched the topic, and it seemed as if he did not have an answer. After that we already wanted to go, but Hashem arranged it that we saw the brother-in-law of Kasriel Kastel and we spoke with him in learning. As this was going on, more bachurim came over and bought s’farim from us until we ended up selling almost $100 worth of s’farim, and we spoke a lot in learning and it was a Kiddush sheim Lubavitch.
At 6:30 in the evening, R’ Shraga Rice came for us and we went with him to visit the rabbis of the city and other regular folks until 10:30 at night. We hope that tomorrow will bring greater success. It is now midnight – good night – U’faratzta.
WE HAVE TO TOIL
Tuesday, 2 Menachem Av, 5726
After davening and breakfast, we went to the “Sun” newspaper office where we delivered the documents (press releases) from Merkos that were prepared for the newspapers, and they told us that they would arrange an interview with us for the newspaper. After that, we went to see Benny Friedman at the Jewish Times newspaper, and he received us very nicely and took down all the details and the documents. We spoke with him about the purpose of our mission, and he told us that he hoped that it would be in the Friday paper. In fact, on that Erev Shabbos there were articles about us in a number of newspapers. Afterward, we took a taxi and drove to the area of the main post office where there were office buildings which housed many lawyer’s offices, and we spoke about Judaism with a number of lawyers.
One of the lawyers bought a Tanya in English and a number of other s’farim, and we spoke with him awhile. Then we went into his neighbor, who is a writer for the lawyers’ journal. He has some not so positive views in connection with faith. From there, we went again to the library where we were received nicely. It turned out that they already had many of the s’farim, but we still managed to sell them some more, and tomorrow we hope to visit another three branches of the library. Later, we drove with R’ Shraga Rice to a number of rabbis. We also visited the Tzemach Tzedek shul.
At 8 in the evening, we drove to R’ Shraga’s house to eat supper, but on the way his car broke down a few times. Boruch Hashem we were able to fix it. After eating we drove to visit Rabbi Taub. Just as we parked the car, we met a shochet who is a misnaged and we spoke with him in learning. We demonstrated to him that he is not as great a scholar as he thought himself to be and that in Lubavitch they definitely know how to learn. That is how we undermined for him his staunch position against Chassidus and against the Rebbeim. We explained everything to him in ways of pleasantness and in ways of peace, and we saw clear Divine Providence in that exactly when we arrived in the car he was there. In the words of Bumi, “We fixed him good.”
After the conversation with the shochet, we went looking for Rabbi Taub and we found him walking in his yard. We began talking to him about the idea that even without talking, if someone sees a Jew with a beard walking in the street, it awakens him to repentance. He told us a number of stories in connection with this topic, and we also spoke at length about the activities carried out through Merkos Shlichus. Afterward, we went into his shul and showed him the s’farim, and he bought from us a set of Tzemach Tzedek and a Siddur. We spoke with him in learning (we also wanted to sell him some s’farim from the Rebbe, like “Hagada shel Pesach” and “Likkutei Sichos,” but he was not interested). Following that, we shared an idea from the Rashi sicha of the previous Shabbos, Mattos-Massei, and he enjoyed it and we parted in friendship.
At night, R’ Shraga gave us a work schedule for the next day, and we hope it will be with great success. By the time we went to sleep, it was already 1:30 in the morning. I was saying the nighttime Shma and heard Bumi scream: “We must toil! We must toil in Gemara Z’vachim! We must toil with the head!” And he said to me laughingly, “Du gei puffen” (you go snooze), and he opened the Gemara Z’vachim and began to sing…
NOBODY STOPPED US
Wednesday, 3 Menachem Av
We woke up at 8 and went to the shul of R’ Feldman. Afterward, we drove to R’ Rivkin of the Petach Tikva school. He received us nicely and gave us a long speech about his views. We sold him about $55 dollars’ worth of s’farim. In the middle, a group of boys arrived who were preparing for their Bar Mitzvahs and put on t’fillin. They read a few verses in the Chumash and practiced the blessings over the Torah, and after that they read the Haftora and practiced the blessings for the Haftora. From there, we drove to visit Mr. Lisson and his brother. They bought a Tanya in English and we had an enjoyable conversation. We spoke to them about coming Motzaei Shabbos for Melaveh Malka.
We stopped a taxi in order to go to the downtown area, and the driver laughed and told us that we are already there. But meanwhile we spoke with the driver, and he said the Shma and bought the pamphlet “T’fillin.”
Near the library, we saw a young fellow and spoke with him about putting on t’fillin. We saw that he wanted to but something was holding him back. In the end, he told us that his mother was a gentile.
From there we went to Lexington Avenue to Mr. Kulin, but he wasn’t in. Someone suggested that we go to his brother who was in the nearby courthouse. We went there and saw a huge building, like a palace, with many chambers and courtrooms (they judge life and death cases here). Nobody stopped us, because whoever saw us figured we hadn’t entered without permission, and if we were there, we were probably important people. We went to all the rooms and opened doors and went in, and wherever we found someone Jewish, we spoke to him and read the Shma. We will probably go back.
From there, we went to R’ Shraga and then to R’ Samson, the Rosh Yeshiva of Chafetz Chaim, who bought $95 worth of s’farim from us including Likkutei Sichos. We spoke with him in learning and about disseminating Judaism in the area.
Then we found a young man who did not daven and we convinced him to say the Shma and Shmoneh Esrei every day and to put on t’fillin. We arranged a shiur in Kitzur Shulchan Aruch for him with his landlord.
It is 1:30 in the morning and Bumi is again with a Gemara Z’vachim.
Good night.
THE UNEXPECTED NEWS CAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VISIT
Thursday, 4 Menachem Av
Right after davening, Bumi went to R’ Shraga to take some s’farim he was missing. On the way, he read the Shma with the driver. Then we went to R’ Akselman and he bought Likkutei Sichos and gave us the address of someone who needs to be influenced. Then we went to a bookstore owned by a Jew and sold him some s’farim. In the middle, they told us that a relative of theirs in New York is very sick. We suggested they call R’ Chadakov so he would ask the Rebbe for a bracha. They called someone by the name of Shuchat who lives near 770 and he went to R’ Chadakov. Then we visited another bookstore and sold a lot of Chabad records.
We went to a Jewish writer who writes the Kehos books for children, Mr. Kranzler. The driver was Jewish and we read the Shma with him. We convinced him to go into Kranzler’s house with us and we put t’fillin on with him, and he recited Shma again and davened the first bracha of Shmoneh Esrei. When he said the bracha on the t’fillin, I saw tears in his eyes.
We were warmly received by Kranzler and we sold him many sifrei Chassidus. After we had finished, a call came that his father died in New York. His wife called Bumi over and asked what she should do. He did not know what to tell her; in the end, she called her husband aside and told him the news.
Considering what was going on, we left the house. We went to a Hungarian ben Torah, about 70 years old, and spoke with him in learning. We sold him a set of Tzemach Tzedek.
We ended up returning with Shraga to the home of R’ Itche Springer and in the car we spoke about our upcoming activities. It was two in the morning.
Good night.
THE LIFE OF THE SHLUCHIM
Friday, 5 Av
We began working very late with Shraga. We were by Miller from the Bais Yaakov Shul, and by R’ Goldman, rabbi of the Reform synagogue. Shraga asked him to agree to let us speak about Judaism and Chassidus to the youth who davened by him, but he said it would confuse them since the views they were taught were contrary to ours. Then we were by Rabbi Feldman and we asked him to let us speak by him on Shabbos morning, but he only agreed to the third Shabbos meal. At night, Bumi went to Shraga and I was by Itche Springer.
I went to daven with Itche at She’aris HaPleita. We waited until they finished davening and then went to the mikva, and on the way we spoke about the Rebbe. Then we davened and went home and Itche remained to daven at length. The people here are used to Itche’s ways. It is so interesting to see how the Rebbe’s shluchim live (Shraga also has a schedule like this, mainly on Friday mornings, since he doesn’t work at the post office on Fridays. He uses this time to daven at length).
A SHABBOS PACKED WITH ACTIVITIES
Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh, 6 Menachem Av
This morning, Bumi went to the Adas Yisroel Shul and spoke to the youth there. I went to R’ Taub’s shul and there were about 45 people. I reviewed a sicha of the Rebbe and spoke to them about how they need to get involved in the spreading of Judaism etc.
After the davening, Shraga began his own davening which lasted until 1:30. Then I went to Itche but he returned from shul at 4:30. In the meantime, I slept a little, and Bumi went to the Jewish hospital and spoke to the Jewish patients.
On Motzaei Shabbos, we made a Melaveh Malka. Present were R’ Feldman, R’ Shenker, R’ Yanovsky, Mr. Fisher, Shraga and Itche Springer. Bumi reviewed the sicha about seeing that which is heard etc. and I reviewed the sicha of Parshas Mattos-Massei on the topic of “he should not profane his word.” R’ Feldman farbrenged a little and then Bumi made a siyum on Krissos.
Sunday, 7 Menachem Av
In the morning we went to R’ Toback’s shul. Since we didn’t know the way, the driver brought us to the Reform synagogue whose rabbi is a well-known heretic. Afterward, we went to R’ Toback. At his shul there is barely a mechitza and it’s really a Conservative synagogue. During the day we found a young man near the Adas Yisroel Shul and we put t’fillin on with him. At night, we were by Rabbi Potashnik, Kastel’s grandfather, a Chabad Chassid.
During the 9 Days we visited a number of rabbanim who were in the middle of a meat meal, having made a siyum.
Tuesday, 9 Menachem Av
We were in R’ Taub’s shul until 4:00. After the davening we were tired by the fast and slept a little on the benches. The night after the fast we were by R’ Poliakoff. He wanted to show us his Torah scholarship and yelled, “Amaratzim (ignoramuses)! That’s how you learn in Lubavitch,” but we demonstrated to him who was the ignoramus, and it ended well enough.