Magazine Uncovers Historic Photo

By COLlive reporter

The host was the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The visitor was Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, the revered posek of American Jewry. The location: Lubavitch Headquarters 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn.

But a photographer standing nearby didn’t appreciate the historic moment.

He was hired to photograph a Chabad wedding in the Crown Heights neighborhood. Rabbi Feinstein officiated the chuppa in front of 770 and went in to meet the Rebbe, joined by Rabbi Simcha Elberg, Chairman of Agudas HaRabonim (Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada).

The meeting on Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5734 was labeled by the Jewish media as “an historic meeting.” They discussed halacha and whether a chosson is exempt from reciting the Shma. For years, Rabbi Feinstein recalled in awe the Rebbe’s greatness and genius.

In the years following that meeting, Rabbi Feinstein has come out in support of the Rebbe’s initiatives, such as putting on Rabeinu Tam Tefillin, calling on Yeshiva bochurim to assist Chabad’s Lag BaOmer parades, learning a daily portion of Rambam and supporting the 10 Mivtzoim campaign.

When Rabbi Feinstein was elected President of Agudas HaRabonim in 5729, the Rebbe sent the head of his Mazkirus Rabbi Mordechai Aizik Hodakov to represent him (he was one of only 3 speakers at the ceremony).

The expanded Sukkos edition of the Kfar Chabad magazine reports this week that the chosson of that wedding was R’ Avrohom Shmuel Levin, who served at the time as secretary of Agudas HaRabonim and had distinguished guests in attendance.

For the past 40 years, Levin has been searching for the original negative film of his wedding photos. They were misplaced and later lost. But when they were recently found, he saw that the photographer did capture a moment of that meeting.

In the photo, which appears for the first time in this week’s Kfar Chabad, the Rebbe’s secretary is seen helping Rabbi Feinstein with his coat. Partially seen in the background is the Rebbe smiling, and nearby Rabbi Elberg.

In another photo, Rabbi Feinstein is seen sitting with the Rebbe’s secretariat in discussion with Rabbi Zalman Shimon Dworkin OBM, the rabbi of Crown Heights.   

The Kfar Chabad magazine includes this week 4 separate sections – the magazine itself, a supplement about Tishrei with the Rebbe over the years, a supplement for women and a supplement for children, as well as a free CD of Rabbi Tuvia Bolton‘s music.

Its feature articles include an interview with the Speaker of the Knesset, and with Chief Rabbi of the IDF during the Yom Kippur War, a note from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu written this week, and the first Israeli bochur to learn in 770 shares his memories.

The magazine is currently sold in Crown Heights stores or by subscription.