“Rebbe, I need a hug!”

I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia and despite the fact that I grew up going to a Jewish school with Jewish friends, the extent of my family’s observance was making kiddush on Friday nights and attending Pesach seders.

 We also went to shul for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and that’s about it.

In the year 5763 (2003), I was married to a non-Jewish woman and living in Oceanside, California. Around that time, Rabbi Baruch and Nechama Greenberg moved to Oceanside as emissaries of the Rebbe – Shluchim. They started a Chabad House, and I became very close to them. I enjoyed studying with the rabbi and attending their holiday programs. Rabbi Greenberg organized a Shabbat minyan once a month and after participating a number of times and learning more about Judaism, I would move into their home for Shabbat, as I lived too far for me to walk to synagogue.

Among the several young men who participated in the minyan, was a young Marine named Ben who was stationed at Camp Pendleton and over time we grew very close. On Shabbat when there was no minyan, Ben would stay over at my home and we would host large fun Friday night dinners with many Jewish and non-Jewish friends. The two of us were growing in our Judaism at about the same pace and through our shared experiences, we developed a very strong and deep friendship. Eventually Ben left the Marines and moved back to Philadelphia. The last time I heard from him, he was planning a trip to Israel with Birthright. By this time, I had grown in my Judaism to the point that my non-Jewish wife and I both realized that we were headed in separate directions. We went through a very amicable divorce.

I very much wanted to start a Jewish family but finding a shidduch (match) proved to be very difficult. I knew that I wanted to live a frum (orthodox) lifestyle, but I was not yet on that level in my personal observance.

I was at a crossroads in my life. I felt that I had one foot in Yiddishkeit (Judaism) and one foot still firmly set in my old lifestyle. I was far away from my family in Australia and my best friend had just moved away. My family was not very happy with my sudden interest in religion and the rest of my friends in Oceanside, although they were supportive, really had no way of relating to my situation. I felt isolated, vulnerable, and emotionally distraught. I desperately needed some guidance; so, I decided to go to the Rebbe. I took the red eye flight from John Wayne Airport (in Orange County) close to Long Beach, California to NYC and landed at JFK airport very early in the morning. I hailed a taxi and went straight to the Ohel of the Rebbe*. After going to the mikvah and davening shacharit (morning prayers),I sat down to write my letter to the Rebbe. I poured out my heart in my writing and after detailing my situation and asking for clarity and a bracha (blessing), I expressed myself in these words: “Rebbe, I need a hug!”

I needed someone to support me and give me the feeling that they’ve got my back. It was a cold winter Tevet morning. When I entered the Ohel so early in the morning it was practically empty. But as I stood there engrossed in saying Tehillim (Psalms), many people started coming in and shuffling passed me. At some point someone stood right next to me, but I paid no attention to him as I was very focused on my prayers. All of a sudden, I was startled to overhear the person next to me mention my name – Gabi ben Leah. I looked up and was astonished to see that my good friend Ben was standing right next to me. He had just returned from his Birthright trip landing at JFK around 45 minutes after I had. He, too, came straight to the Ohel to pray. We were both unaware of each other’s plans. Now here we were standing side by side at the Ohel without realizing it. When Ben mentioned my Hebrew name, he had no idea that he was standing right next to me.

“Ben,” I exclaimed.

“Gabi,” he said, equally astonished, and we embraced each other with great excitement!

Aware that we were standing at the Ohel, we quickly quieted down and continued with our respective prayers. But at that moment I felt that the Rebbe had sent me the hug I had so desperately needed. Ben and I spent the morning together in Crown Heights catching up on the last few months. I purchased a pair of Tzitzit, since that was the resolution I had made at the Ohel that morning. Needless to say, that morning I received the clarity and support I needed to make the proper decisions going forward in the right direction.

And today, I am, thank G-d, married and raising a frum Chassidishe family. I feel this is all thanks to the Rebbe’s blessings.

Gabi and his lovely wife Shulamit live in Australia and derive much Yiddishe nachat from their children.

By Mr. Gabi Silver as heard on Derher Audio Podcast – I Need a Hug!

Verified with shlucha Nechama Greenberg and Gabi. Thank you.

*Ohel of the Rebbe – located in Montefiore Cemetery, the Ohel of the Rebbe is a place where the Rebbe would visit often to pray for blessings for all who turned to him, as the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe is buried there. On many an occasion, the Rebbe would answer a letter with ‘azkir al haTziyon’ – I will remember you at the Ohel of the Previous Rebbe. Today people travel to the Ohel of the Rebbe and Previous Rebbe for blessings. For more on the Ohel and to send a personal letter to the Ohel, please see: www.TheRebbe.org and scroll down to The Ohel.

Gabi and his lovely wife Shulamit live in Australia and derive much Yiddishe nachat from their children.

By Mr. Gabi Silver as heard on Derher Audio Podcast – I Need a Hug!Verified with shlucha Nechama Greenberg and Gabi. Thank you.*Ohel of the Rebbe – located in Montefiore Cemetery, the Ohel of the Rebbe is a place where the Rebbe would visit often to pray for blessings for all who turned to him, as the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe is buried there. On many an occasion, the Rebbe would answer a letter with ‘azkir al haTziyon’ – I will remember you at the Ohel of the Previous Rebbe. Today people travel to the Ohel of the Rebbe and Previous Rebbe for blessings. For more on the Ohel and to send a personal letter to the Ohel, please see: www.TheRebbe.org and scroll down to The Ohel.