From the life of R’ Yehoshua Shneur Zalman Serebryanski a”h
Prepared for publication by Avrohom Rainitz
In the months that followed, Mrs. Hertz worked as a supervisor for the secular studies in the boys’ school. She saw, from close-up, the wonderful work and dedication of R’ Zalman and the other teachers in the school. She was very impressed and slowly softened in her demands regarding running the girls’ school. When the topic would come up in conversation with R’ Zalman, she expressed her consent, in principle, that the school be Lubavitch and only asked that the schooling take place in her house.
Since, from the Rebbe’s letters, it was clear that the Rebbe wanted the school to be in a separate place, R’ Zalman pushed off the discussion in the hopes that in the interim Mrs. Hertz would agree to this point too. He reported to the Rebbe and asked whether he should insist on this point or was it worth agreeing with her, especially when, if they needed to build classrooms it would take many months.
MOBILIZE AND UTILIZE EVERYBODY
Since the end of Tishrei 5716, R’ Zalman was already running classes for girls in the afternoon, personally paying the teachers because he did not want to raise the issue at a meeting of the vaad of the yeshiva. When some months went by, R’ Zalman wanted to develop a more established framework and he asked the Rebbe whether he should suggest to the vaad that the yeshiva be responsible for this program too or was it better that he give over the responsibility to someone else among Anash, or perhaps give the responsibility over to the N’shei Chabad.
The Rebbe responded on 29 Nissan and stressed that it was very important to maintain the relationship with Mrs. Hertz since she was talented and a yerei Shamayim and certainly taught her students properly. At this point in time, in Australia, all those who were suited and worked along these lines needed to be utilized.
As for whether the school for girls could open in her house but under the yeshiva’s auspices, the Rebbe wrote it had to be done in such a way that there would be no fear that they would lose control of it.
In answer to his question about the afternoon program for girls, the Rebbe said he was pleased that R’ Zalman hired a teacher for the girls. “As to your question if to include this in the activities of the yeshiva, to inform the balabatim etc. – this is something to be considered as per the state of mind of the balabatim. Although in general it is proper that it be in line with the truth that this too is amongst the activities of Anash, but not to scare them that the expenses will grow in an exceptional manner, but generally in the period we are living in now it makes a very positive impression when they see G-d fearing people making efforts in the chinuch of girls as well.
“What you write about the involvement of N’shei Chabad in this matter, that is also proper, and it is possible that this will draw them in more to the activities of Chabad in general, and thus cause a number of the members to become even closer.”
THE REBBE SAID HE WOULD FINANCE THE FIRST MONTHS
After a month and a half, on 17 Sivan 5716, the Rebbe sent another letter in which he urged about the need to open a girls’ school. Since R’ Zalman was afraid to bring the topic up for discussion with the vaad, lest they reject the idea so as not to incur additional financial expenses, the Rebbe offered to pay all the salaries for the first two months of the school’s operation.
The Rebbe made it clear that his donation toward the opening of the school needed to be leveraged so as to gain additional donors. The Rebbe expressed his certainty that during those two months R’ Zalman would be able to establish the school on its financial footing.
For some reason, the Rebbe’s letter was delayed for several weeks and in the meantime R’ Zalman reported that the Mizrachi people had bought a big building in the area of the yeshiva and rumor had it that they were going to move into this new building. R’ Zalman was very afraid that this building would be used for schooling boys and this would adversely affect the Chabad yeshiva. Considering the attacks from Mizrachi, which was related in previous chapters, R’ Zalman was very nervous about this development, as he told the Rebbe.
The Rebbe added in the margin of his letter that the letter he had written had been delayed and in the meantime he received R’ Zalman’s letters. The Rebbe expressed surprise that R’ Zalman’s conclusions were always negative and never considered the conclusion that more work was needed. The Rebbe then went on to discuss the purchase of the new building by Mizrachi and in diametrically opposed disagreement with R’ Zalman’s pessimistic view, the Rebbe considered this development a very encouraging sign. Why? Because it indicated that there were people in Australia who were interested in improving chinuch. If Anash “conquered” an even greater “territory” in the area of chinuch, the fear of encroachment would be that much less. The Rebbe urged both the men and the women of Anash to do much more for chinuch.
THE REBBE TELLS THE ASKANIM: YOU MUST OPEN A SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
R’ Zalman quickly called Anash to a meeting and spoke to them about plans to open a girls’ school. Anash, who found it difficult to donate their time and money toward the yeshiva, were afraid to undertake another project that would obligate them to devote additional time and energy. They said there was no need for a girls’ school.
Even after R’ Zalman told them what the Rebbe said over the previous months, they maintained that the idea was R’ Zalman’s and the Rebbe merely agreed to his idea, but this wasn’t something that was the Rebbe’s inyan. Some of the people quoted the saying, “The way you ask is the way you are answered,” and said that if R’ Zalman had not brought up the idea, the Rebbe would not have brought it up.
They accused R’ Zalman of two things: bringing up the unrealistic idea in the first place and then, once he brought it up, not telling the Rebbe how difficult their material standing was, especially when the boys’ school was expanding and the expenses were high, so that it just wasn’t possible to open another school at this point. They said R’ Zalman had to write to the Rebbe and tell him these points.
R’ Zalman explained to them that he never tried to push the idea of opening a school, certainly not during this difficult period. On the contrary, in his letters to the Rebbe he described the dismal financial situation and how much harder it would be if they opened another school. Since, despite it all, the Rebbe said to move ahead with opening the school, it was clear that this is what the Rebbe wanted and Anash had to rise to the occasion and Hashem would help maintain the second mosad too, as He helped until now with the first mosad in a supernatural way.
In his letter dated 11 Av, R’ Zalman reported about the meeting and Anash’s claims and wrote that since Anash were basically good Chassidim and their true desire was to fulfill the Rebbe’s horaos, he would get busy opening the school.
When the Rebbe received his letter, he quickly sent a special letter to the askanei Anash of Melbourne in which he said a school for girls was a must and he was surprised by the doubts about this. The Rebbe Rayatz emphasized the necessity of chinuch for girls dozens of times, no less than chinuch for boys.
The Rebbe assured them that just as they were enjoying outstanding success with the boys’ chinuch, so too, they would see outstanding success with the girls.