chassidim – Page 8 – Melava Malka Stories

The Community In Adelaide (Part 1)

During the first years that I lived in Sydney, Australia I was contacted by the Jewish community in Adelaide.

The Rebbe Knows

One morning I walked into the B’nei Ruven Synagogue in Chicago at 7:00 AM for the morning service and took my seat at one of the tables.

A Yeshiva Student’s Diary On The Rebbe

That the Rebbe was a titanic genius is known. That he could communicate in myriad languages is known.

The Tefillin Campaign

A number of years ago, shortly after 9/11, Sarah and I travelled to Iowa, On our way home as we were going through Security, I got called over for additional screening.

The Rebbe Will Find A Way

It was a long summer Friday.* My neighbor, who lives a block away from me in crown heights, decided to go to the Ohel of the Rebbe and help put on Tefillin with people. Many people were coming and going. as he stood close to the information desk, he noticed a group of young man coming over to speak to the person behind the desk.

The Honor For The Rebbe That The Rebbetzin Had

It seems only as yesterday that I was speaking with the Rebbetzin. Her voice still echoes in my ears.

Stories With The Rebbetzin

In 1978, after making her way back to Judaism, Devorah was a Seminary student at Machon Chana in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. Here she tells her story of her encounter with the Rebbetzin and the life lessons it taught her.

The Hug I So Desperately Needed

I am originally from Melbourne, Australia and despite the fact that the overall community is traditional, I grew up with minimal Jewish exposure. I would have wine and challah on Friday nights, attend Pesach seders, and go to Shul for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but that was the extent of my involvement with Yiddishkeit (Judaism).

The Brocho That Didn’t Make Sense

Naglar was a Jewish landowner, had owned a huge alcohol tank on his property, which was nine feet tall. One of the nearby gentile farmers dreamed about access to the tank. His mind was made up – come what may he would find a way to steal some of the whiskey. Stealthily, he made his way to the alcohol tank and set up a tall ladder by it. He climbed up and as he reached the top and leaned over, he lost his balance and fell into the alcohol tank and drowned.

The Rebbe Maharash And The Old Men

The Rebbe Maharash would travel for health purposes, using the opportunity to visit and consult with overseas rabbinic and communal leaders on matters of public concern. At this particular trip he traveled incognito, accompanied only by his assistant, the gabbai Pinchas Leib. The Rebbe Maharash relates: