By Oded Mizrachi
In 5736, the Rebbe sent ten bachurim to Seattle to open a yeshiva near the university. About 600,000 people lived in the city at the time, with 15,000 Jews. At the edge of town was a small religious community. Few Jews were registered in any Jewish organizations.
Chanuka was approaching and the bachurim wanted to do Mivtza Chanuka which the Rebbe had announced two years earlier. They tried to figure out how to reach as many Jews as possible. They finally decided to rent a truck, to put up signs and a loudspeaker, and to give out menorahs and explanatory brochures. The local shliach agreed to pay for it and they ordered 1000 menorahs and brochures from New York.
A talented bachur build a large electric menorah and arranged recording equipment and loudspeakers. The bachurim rented a small truck, put the menorah on the back and hung large signs on the sides which had pictures of doughnuts, latkes, Chanuka gelt and said in big letters: If You Are Jewish, Come Get Your Free Menorah!
The bachurim started the project a week before Chanuka. They drove the truck to malls and to shopping centers. They were amazed by what happened. Wherever they went, they heard people shouting, “Stop! I’m Jewish!”
They stopped and spoke with whoever identified as a Jew. Sometimes, it wasn’t possible to stop and one of the bachurim would toss a menorah out the window.
The project created a huge buzz in the city and in the local paper there was even a headline that said, “Hundreds of Lubavitcher Chassidim Bring the Menorah to Seattle!” Alongside the item appeared a picture of the bachurim giving out menorahs. The story was also covered on radio and television. By Chanuka, the bachurim had given out most of the menorahs they had. It was a tremendously successful project.
***
The first night of Chanuka, very late at night, there was a knock at the door. Mendy Gluckowsky who was sleeping on the top floor near the stairs was woken up and he went downstairs. After opening the door and seeing no one, he went back to bed.
In the morning, before davening, there was a knock again. In the doorway stood a young man with long blond hair and an earring in one ear, wearing denim shorts and a backpack slung over his shoulder. He smiled shyly and said, “My name is Eddie and I’m Jewish. Last night, when I passed by, I realized from the sign on the truck that it’s Chanuka. Can I get a menorah?”
Mendy invited him into the kitchen. The bachurim began talking to the young man who said, “I live in Boston. Two years ago I finished high school and registered to study psychology because I felt I would discover the secret to life. A year later, I was still confused, so I decided that in order to really acquire life wisdom, I would travel around and see the world. I stopped going to school, took a backpack and a little money, and I’ve been traveling and working at various odd jobs. A few months ago I was in the mountains of New Mexico. Then I worked in the vineyards in California. Recently I was in a town near Seattle where I worked for two weeks picking apples with guys from Scandinavia.”
Mendy asked, “How did you get to us?”
“After I finished that job I arrived at Seattle’s central station at midnight and I looked for a public park where I could put down my sleeping bag. A map on the wall showed me where the nearest park is and I walked over. A little before I got to the park, I saw your truck and the sign on it. I noticed that it was parked near your house which was partially lit up. I tried knocking and when nobody answered right away, I went to the park and slept there. I decided to come back here this morning.”
Mendy asked, “Do you need to go anywhere now?”
“No, nobody is waiting for me.”
“You said you are traveling around to learn about life. You know what … Come and stay with us for Chanuka and learn something about life with us.”
Eddie accepted the invitation. He had a driver’s license and they asked him to be the driver when they went on mivtzaim. He drove the truck with the bachurim who continued giving out menorahs to Jews they saw on the street. He was amazed by the wide ranging Jewish awakening they were stirring up.
The days of Chanuka passed and at its conclusion, Mendy said, “Stay with us and continue learning about life from Jewish books.”
The bachurim divided their time and volunteered to learn with him. One taught him to read Hebrew, another read Torah stories with him, a third taught him some halachos. He stayed with them until Pesach and then he went to learn in yeshiva in Morristown. After that, they lost contact with him.
Mendy went on shlichus to Eretz Yisroel and eventually became the rav of the Chabad community in Rechovot – Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gluckowsky.
***
Twenty-five years later, Rabbi Gluckowsky went to Toronto for a bar mitzva of a member of his community. A somewhat older Lubavitcher, with short, light colored hair approached him and said, “Shalom aleichem Mendy!”
Rabbi Gluckowsky looked at him but did not recognize him. “Excuse me, but what’s your name?”
“Yehuda.”
“That doesn’t help me …”
“Don’t you remember? I’m Eddie who got the menorah from you in Seattle!”