By COLlive reporter
Mendel Lipsker, a 15 year old bochur and budding artist from Los Angeles, was strongly moved by the attack on Chabad of Poway, which he had come to call his second community.
Living all his life in Los Angeles, a 2.5 hour drive from Poway, Mendel’s parents, Rabbi Leibel and Chaya Rochel Lipsker, often took him and his siblings to spend time with his great aunt and uncle, Rabbi Yisroel and Devorie Goldstein – Directors of Chabad of Poway, to spend Shabbasim and holidays together.
Mendel Lipsker relished time spent with the family, and as he grew older, grew to truly respect the dedicated shlichus work of his great uncle Yisroel- in action at the shul and hosting meals at home.
When the news about Poway broke after Pesach, Mendel was hurting for the community and for his great uncle and aunt.
“He wanted so badly to help in his own way,” his mother Chaya Rochel Lipsker told COLlive.
“That’s when he resolved to create something to bring joy and hope to Yisroel and Devorie and their community,” she said.
Using his talent for art, Mendel devoted many hours to creating a painting of the Chabad of Poway Synagogue, now a symbol of strength against hatred, and which has brought inspiration and strength to millions around the world after the acts of bravery shown during the shooting attack.
Mendel was excited to present his masterpiece to Yisroel and Devorie, his mother said.
When the Goldsteins visited Los Angeles so that Rabbi Goldstein could be the guest speaker at the Gimmel Tammuz event for Chabad of the Valley, Mendel tried to arrange for Yisroel and Devorie to stop by their house for the gift, but it just did not happen.
The next best option was to give it to them at the event, Mendel thought, and it was suggested by Shliach Rabbi Mordy Einbinder, the event’s organizer, that the painting would be presented to them on stage during the event.
Although Mendel was on a camp trip that evening, he was nevertheless thrilled for the Goldsteins to receive the joyous gift before the hundreds of people who had gathered for an inspiring evening to mark Gimmel Tammuz with Chabad of the Valley.
“It was probably for the best that Mendel was away, since he is very unassuming about his art, and might not have agreed to the public gifting,” Chaya Rochel says. “But it turned out to be a moving highlight of an incredibly inspiring evening.”
Sheves achim
A special way to use your talent. May you continue to go מחייל אל חייל