A Remarkable Holy Man…
The proclamations are in honor of the Rebbe, “A remarkable Holy man who inspired millions of Jews and non-Jews alike to greater dedication, loyalty and commitment in all matters between man and God and between man and man.”
The Celebration for the Rebbe
It was not an easy time in Albany, the Capitol of the State of New York. The Budget was not passed yet. The state legislators were very busy. They were hurrying from meeting to meeting and from committee to committee. But they came for a Special Celebration in honor of the Rebbe. For the Rebbe they found time!
A tradition in Albany
Chairman of the Celebration Committee, Assemblyman David I. Weprin, Chairman, National Association of Jewish Legislators opened with words of welcome to the members of the New York State Legislature, their associates and their staff. “This has become a tradition in Albany. I remember when my late father the speaker of the Assembly Saul Weprin was the chairman. We are all here for the Rebbe.”
Assemblyman David Weprin introduced State Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie, the Sponsor of the Senate resolution.
Senator Myrie spoke with great friendship of the achievements of the Rebbe not only on the religious level but indeed on the community level. “It was the Rebbe who instructed his people not to leave Crown heights and continue to live together with our black brothers and sisters.”
The Assemblyman representing Crown Heights Brian Cunningham said: “The staple of our community of Crown Heights is unity and today is about unity, education and tolerance.”
“To all of you who are here today to support education, to support love, to support tolerance, which were the foundation of the Rebbe’s philosophy, we say ‘a Sheinem Dank’ – thank you very much” said Assemblyman Chuck Lavine, president of the New York chapter of the National Association of Jewish Legislators and chairman of the assembly Jewish Caucus.
Assemblyman Lavine spoke about his teacher, a prominent Lubavitch Chossid. “Rabbi Yehudah Leib Posner taught me that whatever the consequences, just do the right thing. That’s a philosophy that is part of the Lubavitch movement. I have great bias in favor of the Lubavitch movement having been a student of the famous Rabbi. Rabbi Posner knew the Rebbe. The first wedding that the Rebbe officiated was Rabbi Yehudah Leib Posner and Tirtzah, of blessed memory.”
A special guest at the Albany Celebration was State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a former Assemblyman. “I never had the privilege of meeting the Rebbe but certainly over the years I always appreciated when Rabbi Butman would come up when I was in the legislature. The presence of Chabad across our state, including my community on Long Island, has been very impactful and very meaningful and supported families both Jewish and non-Jewish. I will take the Matzah that Rabbi Butman gave me and bring it to my Jewish friends on the night of the Seder.”
Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, chairperson of the powerful Ways and Means Committee and the longest serving woman in the history of the Assembly remembers the Rebbe Rebbe personally. “I still carry a dollar in my wallet from the 1980’s when I went to see the Rebbe,” he said.
Rabbi Shmuel Butman, director Lubavitch Youth Organization thanked Assemblyman David Weprin for his able chairmanship of the Celebration Committee and Senator Zellnor Myrie for his sponsorship of the Senate resolution.
Rabbi Butman thanked Judy Rapfogel and her son Michael Rapfogel for their great help in arranging the reception.
Rabbi Yisroel Rubin, the Shliach (emissary) of the Rebbe in Albany and vicinity, overseeing many Chabad Houses, spoke about the scope of the Rebbe’s activities all over the world. “The Rebbe worried about everyone.”
The Outreach activities of Chabad Lubavitch
At the opening of the Assembly, assemblyman David Weprin, chairman of the Celebration Committee spoke about the international activities of Outreach of Lubavitch in over 1000 cities and 102 countries in the world. “They are there to help in any capacity that they can. It is my pleasure to be involved with the Chabad Lubavitch mov 00ement for many years and to sponsor the Resolution in honor of the Rebbe’s One hundred and Twenty First Birthday.”
The message of the Rebbe
In his prayer Rabbi Butman noted that when the Rebbe speaks about education he talks about the education of all children regardless of race, religion, color or creed. The Rebbe emphasized that the children should be taught that there is ‘An eye that sees and an ear that hears and that the world is not a jungle.’
Pointing to the world situation today Rabbi Butman stressed that if the leaders of the countries involved in the international disputes of today would be educated as children that there is ‘an eye that sees and an ear that hears and that the world is not a jungle’ we would not be in the situation we are in today.”
The Advice of the Rebbe for opening Senate in Washington
Rabbi Butman recalled with reverence that before he opened the United States Senate in Washington in the year 1991, the Rebbe told him “Take a Pushka (charity box) with you and let everyone see what you are doing and let them know on what money should be spent for.” In accordance to this directive, Rabbi Butman brought a Pushka with him to Albany. During his prayers he offered a dollar bill in the Pushka. He also asked the legislators to join in putting a Dollar into the Pushka. “This is not a fund-raising campaign, for if it were we would ask you for much more than one Dollar, this is part of the Rebbe’s campaign to do mere goodness and kindness,” Rabbi Butman said.
“I also brought a Pashka that is transparent,” Rabbi Butman said, “as I know that in Albany you like transparency.”
Rabbi Butman also stressed what the Rebbe said that we live in the last generation of exile and the first generation of redemption and we can bring the Redemption even closer through more deeds of “Goodness and kindness.”
Rabbi Butman concluded his prayer with a special blessing to the legislators: “May you pass the budget successfully, today.”
It was most interesting to see how members of both houses of the New York State Legislature lined up after the prayer to offer their own dollar in the Charity box as an act of goodness and kindness.
The speaker of the Assembly Carl E. Heastie offered a dollar in the Pushka saying “it is my honor to participate in this great event.”
Shmurah Matzoh for Pesach
Rabbi Butman brought with him from Brooklyn Shmurah Matzoh for to the legislators. “The Rebbe wants that every Jew should have Shmurah Matzoh for Pesach.
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