Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Ben-Ari founded “U’faratzta – Kibbutzim” with a special bracha from the Rebbe. In honor of the recent International Shluchim Conference and in response to growing calls for more extensive outreach programs, we asked Rabbi Ben-Ari about the nature of his kibbutz activities, the recruitment of new shluchim to the existing format, assigning appropriate tasks, and the level of compensation and cooperation.
Translated by Michoel Leib Dobry
Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Ben-AriThe interview with Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Ben-Ari was conducted via telephone from London. Each year, he uses the opportunity of his journey to the International Shluchim Conference to make a swing through Europe to see many of his supporters and charge his physical batteries. This enables him to continue and expand his activities on kibbutzim throughout Eretz Yisroel.
In Marcheshvan 5750, Rabbi Yaakov Ben-Ari from Tzfas was a young avreich beginning his journey in his public avoda spreading Yiddishkait among the kibbutz communities. Some years earlier, he was a young poet, a kibbutznik thirsting for spirituality when he met Rabbi Yechezkel Sofer, who was then the rav on the campus of the University of the Negev in Beersheva. Kobi, as he was known to his friends, began to learn Chassidus and felt that he had found what he had been searching for.
“Until then, the subject of spreading Yiddishkait on kibbutzim did not receive its proper due,” said Rabbi Ben-Ari. “This was an area that no one dared to touch.”
The natural concern over Ben-Ari’s unconventional activities led him to request an unconventional bracha from the Rebbe. “On the 26th of Marcheshvan, I passed by the Rebbe for dollars. I felt that I needed a special bracha for success in such a challenging place, and I told the Rebbe that I wanted a bracha to spread Yiddishkait on kibbutzim in a miraculous manner. The Rebbe replied, ‘Amen,’ and then added, ‘It should be with much success in all matters there.’”
All right, armed with the Rebbe’s bracha, did you then go to the kibbutz residents and say, “Hello, I’ve come to open your eyes”?
Rabbi Ben-Ari (laughing): “Not exactly. In truth, I already knew that what goes in city neighborhoods doesn’t go on kibbutzim. Then, I recalled one sentence that I heard from Rabbi Sofer, which has ultimately served as an outline for the very nature of our institution’s activities to this day.
“As I got to work, I needed to find something original that wouldn’t pose a threat to their way of life, i.e., they shouldn’t think that I’m coming to turn them all into baalei t’shuva or try and take over the kibbutz. On the other hand, I had to reach them – their heart, home, and family – building a bridge between two worlds and making Yiddishkait more accessible to them without creating a wall of opposition.
“When I was beginning my trek along the path of Torah and mitzvos, Rabbi Sofer told me, ‘Take one mitzvah and stick with it. Go with it all the way, like a daily offering.’ This instruction became engraved upon my heart. ‘Take one mitzvah campaign,’ I said to myself, ‘and infuse it into the kibbutzim.’ It began with giving out honey before Rosh Hashanah, matza before Pesach, and the birthday campaign. Slowly but surely, we built up a list of dozens, hundreds, then thousands of kibbutz residents who got an injection of Judaism in small but regular portions. We paid them a visit two or three times a year.”
Judaism in small portions sounds quite harmless. The question is: How effective is it?
“Our activities are comparable to a homeopathic treatment. The results appear after a period of time, and you can’t always see a direct connection. However, as time went on, women started lighting Shabbos candles, men began putting on t’fillin regularly, families started keeping Shabbos, and we later began hearing about children getting stronger in their mitzvah observance or doing t’shuva during a trip overseas at some other stage in their lives. While we give a little ‘injection’ here and there, it provides kibbutz families with the feeling that we’re there for them all year round. This has a tremendous influence, especially on the children. All children whose families have been in contact with ‘U’faratzta’ grew up with a very friendly attitude towards religion and Jewish tradition, as opposed to other kibbutz children.
“Over the years, our activities have expanded, and there was a serious need for another shliach to coordinate the organization’s outreach programs. For this purpose, we have been joined by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Chaviv. This has proven to be a good decision, and since then the activities have been increased quite significantly.”
I asked if Rabbi Chaviv could join the discussion, and Rabbi Ben-Ari proceeded to arrange for an international conference call. Rabbi Chaviv began to explain the challenging nature of kibbutz activities:
Rabbi Chaviv: “You have to understand that for a kibbutznik to get closer to Yiddishkait is something very personal and intimate, something they don’t discuss. This is also the reason why families associated with ‘U’faratzta’ for years still find it difficult to demonstrate this openly within their immediate environment. I remember once as I was entering the home of one of our supporters, the wife called me aside and showed me a Book of Psalms that she had hidden under a decorative cover. ‘You see? Just know that I say T’hillim every day,” she said as she quickly covered the seifer again. This was not because her husband or some family member opposed the idea. Judaism was something you simply didn’t talk about, and if you’re a part of it, you surely don’t flaunt it.”
In Tzfas, they say that you’re one of the biggest suppliers of mivtzaim for avreichim and their families.
Rabbi Chaviv: “There’s something to that. The first thing we did was to make a serious enlistment of as many avreichim from the community as possible for our activities. The community in Tzfas mobilized most impressively, from young avreichim going out with their wives one or two nights a week, to yeshiva rabbanim and mashpiim joining the activities like young soldiers. This enabled us to establish and widen our system of home visits and holiday activities by a substantial degree.”
Rabbi Ben Ari, you spoke earlier about small portions. How does this work in your holiday activities?
“Our deep-rooted groundwork did its fair share. Together with the mobilization and readiness of young avreichim to take responsibility for the kibbutzim, this led us to the decision to move to the next phase. We started organizing community events for the purpose of bringing our people out into the open and trying to get new members to join our activities.”
What do these activities include today?
“Today, ‘U’faratzta’ activities take place year round. They include community programs, activities for children, and organized prayer services on Shabbos and Yom tov at dozens of kibbutzim throughout the country.
“Prior to the holidays, we come to thousands of kibbutz families with an attractive Rosh Hashanah package containing honey, an apple, a Jewish calendar, and other interesting items. This year, for example, we included the ‘Olamot’ magazine.
“On Chanukah, we organize parties in the homes of our local kibbutz contacts, either as a one-family event or together with several other families in our growing circle of supporters. On Purim, we make Megilla readings and children’s parties, and on Pesach, we naturally give out matzos and a special holiday gift. On Lag B’Omer, we organize special parades for children run by community volunteers and students from the Beis Chana Seminary in Tzfas. The program operates in dozens of kibbutzim in cooperation with the local education and culture coordinators. All this is in addition to the regular home visits we make to dozens of families each week.
“The more serious avreichim who regularly go out on outreach activities have met with much success. Each week, I hear miracle stories and moving experiences from our staff of volunteers when they come back from the kibbutzim. With the passage of time, they have begun to establish solid contacts, thereby expanding our circle of friends and supporters. We constantly encourage our volunteers to take greater responsibility for their activities, to the point of reaching a level of independent shlichus.”
What does that mean exactly?
Rabbi Ben-Ari: “Our policy is to bring the avreich or the volunteer to a situation in which he takes full responsibility as a shliach for the kibbutz or kibbutzim where he conducts his activities.”
This is your shlichus. Are you giving it up?
“G-d forbid, I’m not giving up my shlichus. On the contrary, I’m expanding it. If a young shliach accepts responsibility for one of the kibbutzim and sees activities on the premises as his life’s shlichus, this is a direct extension of my shlichus from the Rebbe. But more than that, this shliach also benefits from the bracha the Rebbe gave me: ‘It should be with much success in all matters there.’ This is the continuation.
“Regarding the well of Miriam, the Torah states that the Jews would make a scratch in the dirt and from there it would flow and turn into a river. It then branched out into smaller rivers that would water the fields, the villages, and the surrounding towns.
“We’re merely making a scratch in the dirt, and the dream is for avreichim to come and extend it, draw it forth, thereby enabling the wellsprings of Chassidus to rise and water the entire region. We establish contact with kibbutz families, but do you have any idea how many families we’re talking about? Even if Rabbi Chaviv and I would work twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, we wouldn’t be able to devote the proper time and attention we want to give to each family. Every avreich who comes is a bracha. My dream is for every kibbutz to have its own shliach.”
Just like that? Anyone who wants to take responsibility for a given kibbutz can come and do so?
Rabbi Chaviv: “It’s isn’t ‘just like that.’ Avreichim sometimes call me and say, ‘We’re ready to take on a kibbutz. How much do you pay?’ That’s a joke. We’re not in the business of giving out jobs or distributing plots. This isn’t the Employment Service or the Israel Lands Authority.”
So how exactly does this work? How do you know if someone makes a suitable shliach?
Rabbi Ben-Ari: “First of all, we include the avreich or the family in the existing activities operation. During the initial stage, he goes out to see a wide range of kibbutzim. He has to know that not all kibbutzim are the same despite the wide common bond among them. This has been especially true in recent years since the kibbutzim were privatized, and many of them already have an expansion program as the kibbutz sometimes exceeds its original size. Some kibbutzim have synagogues where longstanding kibbutz members gather for prayer services, while at some you can’t even get together a minyan on Yom Kippur.
“In any case, the avreichim go out to all kinds of kibbutzim, and as we and our volunteers make a tour of the various locations, we start to identify what they connect best with. Sometimes we ‘click’ with a kibbutz or an influential kibbutz member who is prepared to offer assistance – and sometimes it’s a very tedious and frustrating process.
“When we see that there is a good connection between an avreich and a certain kibbutz, we encourage him to take responsibility for the kibbutz. We give him full independence and freedom of action, while we support, assist, and provide all necessary backing.
“It’s also important to note that we don’t send a permanent shliach to a kibbutz until the two parties write to the Rebbe and get his consent. We and the shluchim usually receive precise and encouraging answers.”
All this support and backing sounds very good. However, let’s get to the bottom line: Does a shliach who goes out on your behalf have to fend for himself or is he paid a salary?
Rabbi Ben-Ari: “Look, we can’t pay a salary and employ someone full-time – and there’s no need for that. To this day, all the shluchim who go out to the kibbutzim on our behalf continue to work at their regular jobs. Work is done primarily during evenings, on Shabbos and Yom tov, and it need not encroach on a couple’s normal work obligations. However, we provide all the support we can.”
For example?
“First of all, there are the contacts. We connect him with all those we know on the kibbutz and all those who can help in the region. Beyond that, we provide him with decorative sets for pre-holiday distribution, shmura matzos, and birthday gifts for local residents. We also assist him on the logistical side: For example, on Lag B’Omer, he gets a ready-made program with assistants, prizes, informational material, and more. Furthermore, circumstances can create a variety of possibilities for greater assistance and cooperation.
“In general, we don’t abandon our shluchim. We are there to help, support, and provide direction whenever there is some problem or trouble.”
Do they then move to live on the kibbutz? Is that possible?
“Not for the meantime. The kibbutz is still a very closed society that is extremely hard to enter. From our experience, unlike city neighborhoods, it’s far easier for kibbutz residents to accept us when we come from the city and return there at the conclusion of activities as opposed to living among them. Over the years, we have learned that efforts to get accepted as a kibbutz resident do not enhance the success of outreach activities – to say the least.”
We’re giving you here an opportunity for a little free publicity. Who are the people you are trying to reach? For whom is this best suited? Young couples, families, perhaps elder Chassidim?
“It’s suitable for anyone who’s prepared to devote himself and do something to bring the Redemption. Our model also represents a marvelous solution for avreichim with regular jobs. On the one hand, they have a burning desire to go on shlichus and take an active part in the Rebbe’s outreach work, and they know that they have an untapped ability to influence people. On the other hand, the whole idea of fundraising and living off charity and contributions simply isn’t for them. For these people, shlichus on kibbutzim is tailor-made. They receive informational material from us, and the nature of kibbutz activities is largely on a personal level. It demands virtually no financial investment from the shliach.”
For some reason, your activities are predictably connected to Tzfas and the northern region. Is this something that is also appropriate for Anash from the central and southern regions?
“Absolutely. First of all, we conduct operations all over Eretz Yisroel. While it’s true that our more extensive activities naturally take place in the north, we also spent several weeks in the south during Operation ‘Protective Edge,’ and we covered kibbutzim throughout the Gaza Belt region.
“Furthermore, there is a tremendous concentration of kibbutzim in the Kiryat Malachi and valley regions. Therefore, it can be quite suitable for Anash from Nachalat Har Chabad, Migdal HaEmek, and essentially every part of the country where kibbutzim are located – even the outskirts of Petach Tikva.”
It sounds wonderful.
“Look, shlichus on the kibbutzim is no picnic,” said Rabbi Chaviv, as he tried to get me to see things in their correct proportion. “This is very difficult work that must be done with a high level of sensitivity and thoughtfulness. One wrong move or one improper statement can provoke the whole kibbutz against you. Particularly in this new technological era, when there are WhatsApp groups and forums encompassing all kibbutz members, people can slander and vilify you without the slightest problem.
“On the other hand, there is an intense thirst and high demand. Although the kibbutznikim have been living alongside us in Eretz Yisroel for decades, they’ve been in their own little bubble, totally cut off from the smallest sliver of Judaism. Take someone living in the city, even if he’s as far from Yiddishkait as one can possibly get. If he’s going through hard times or his wife gave birth, or even he just wants to say Birkas HaGomel, he can always come to the local shul, speak with his frum neighbor, or call the rav or even the local religious council. You have to understand that there’s no ready solution on a kibbutz. Even those families with some connection to Jewish tradition don’t mention this publicly; it’s like some dark secret that no one talks about.
“Therefore, a shliach on a kibbutz has a very significant role. I regularly go to one of the kibbutzim, and I return with a fascinating story or a case of amazing Divine Providence. This work provides a great deal of satisfaction.”
HOW I WENT OUT ON SHLICHUS
Rabbi Elazar Wilhelm
Several years ago, “U’faratzta – Kibbutzim” founder Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Ben-Ari approached me and asked if I would take part in his activities and even accept responsibility for one of the kibbutzim. However, time after time, I kept pushing him off. Finally, one year during the Chanukah holiday, I agreed to go to a kibbutz and visit the homes of local residents. It was a very unique experience. A few days later, I learned that my children’s swimming instructor lived on that kibbutz. He was very excited, and he promised to help in whatever way he could.
Since then, we started coming on a regular basis, and each time we returned with a renewed sense of joy that we are privileged to be the Rebbe’s shluchim. On Purim, we came to read the Megilla, and on Pesach, we gave out shmura matzos and sold the chametz. On other occasions, we checked mezuzos and signed people up for letters in the Seifer Torah. The “U’faratzta” organization handled all logistical arrangements, including holiday sets for distribution.
One day, our friend asked us to come and put up mezuzos in the new store his wife had just opened on the kibbutz. We came with all the children, brought a guitarist with us, said a few words of Torah, and affixed the mezuzos. This was our first real introduction to the kibbutz as a whole.
When we go to the kibbutz with our children, we feel that this is the only way to experience shlichus and realize that we are actually the Rebbe’s shluchim. Shlichus in the “U’faratzta” format allows us and the children to be shluchim in the fullest sense of the word, even though we live in the warm environment of the Chabad community, and my wife and I both make our living full-time in the field of education.
The author serves as a rosh mesivta in Yeshivas Chassidei Chabad-Lubavitch in Tzfas and as the Rebbe’s shliach in Kibbutz Kfar HaNasi.