Fifty Years Later, We Still Carry That Gaze

By Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf – Director of Chicago’s Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day School

Fifty years ago, on Iyar 23, 5735, we left on Shlichus to Melbourne. We were six young Shluchim, full of purpose, energy, and quiet nerves. Included in the group, in addition to myself, were Yossi Gurary (Crown Heights), Ari Chitrik, Avraham Feigelstock, Yosef Boruch Friedman, and Levy Wineberg.

That morning, we were up early — learning Chassidus, davening with a minyan, and fasting, anticipating a Yechidus. There was a sense of weight in the air. The earlier groups who had gone out to Australia had merited a Yechidus before their departure. We hoped we might too.

The plan was to stop first in Eretz Yisroel for a week, then two days in Tehran, and finally Hong Kong before reaching Melbourne. But all of that felt secondary. What mattered most in that moment was whether we would see the Rebbe in Yechidus.

Then came the message from Mazkirus: Immediately after Mincha, before heading to the airport, we would be granted a Yechidus. They also asked that all previous Shluchim to Australia who were in town should join, along with Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, who was in New York at the time.

After Mincha, we were ushered into the Rebbe’s room. There were 22 of us in total, but the six of us traveling were instructed to enter first. Because of the crowd, we found ourselves standing quite close to the Rebbe — closer than usual in Yechidus, close enough that I noticed something I hadn’t seen before at my previous times in Yechidus.

The Rebbe’s desk was mostly covered in light brown butcher paper, piled nearly a foot and a half high. But I could see that the Rebbe’s own side of the desk wasn’t covered. I don’t think that was intentional — probably whoever had prepared the room hadn’t expected us to be so close. Three-quarters of the desk was piled with seforim, some of them open. In the far corner were envelopes and what looked like newspaper clippings.

Then the Rebbe began to speak. The Rebbe stood the entire 13 minutes of the Yechidus — something unusual as the Rebbe usually sat at a Yechidus. Here are some of the highlights of the Yechidus:

Each of us six Shluchim received 30 Shkolim for Mivtzoim in Eretz Yisroel — even though it was just a stopover.

We also received 19 Australian dollars each toward expenses and Mivtzoim in Melbourne.

The Rebbe gave $10 to Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, telling him: “מחדש זיין דאס שליחות פון דאס ניי — to renew and strengthen the Shlichus already underway.

One of us received $100 for Mivtza Neshek, to distribute to women and girls in the cities we would pass through on our journey.

Another received $300 for Mivtza Neshek in Melbourne itself.

The Rebbe gave $10 each to the previous Shluchim who had joined us in the Yechidus.

Then the Rebbe turned to the Kollelim. He said he was giving us funds — $200 in local currency — for each of the following: the Kollel in New York, the Kollel in Montreal, the Kollel in Eretz Yisroel, and the Kollel in Australia.

But this came with a condition. Each Kollel had to publish two Kovtzim of Chidushei Torah: The first to be completed and delivered to the Rebbe by Yud Gimmel Tammuz, the second by Erev Rosh Hashanah.

The Rebbe then gave us:
$200 USD,
$200 Canadian,
$200 Australian, and
600 Shkolim.

He said clearly — twice — that if the publications were not completed, the money was to be returned.

Then, the Rebbe gave:
100 Shkolim for Mivtza Neshek in Eretz Yisroel,
$100 Australian for those involved in the Mivtza in Melbourne, as his personal participation in their expenses.
Finally, he gave each of us $10 for Tzedakah to distribute in the places we would pass through.
As the Yechidus ended, the Rebbe handed us a copy of a Reshima, later published in Likkutei Sichos, volume 12.

But the moment didn’t end there.

A few minutes later, as we stepped outside 770 to leave for the airport, we were stunned by the scene.

Hundreds of bochurim, relatives, and friends had gathered to see us off. The entire front of 770 was filled. There was singing, emotion, and something electric in the air. They were anticipating that the Rebbe would be seeing us off.

And then, the Rebbe came out.

The Rebbe stood at the front of 770, watching us as we boarded the cars and the bus and stood clapping his hands as the crowd was singing.
The Rebbe said nothing, just clapping. But his eyes — they said everything.

It was a gaze of Brochos, seeing off his Temimim Chayolei Bais Dovid with a Shlichus to conquer Down Under with LImud Hatorah and bring Australian young boys and Bochurim closer to Darkei Hachsidus and closer to the Rebbe.

The Rebbe’s gaze followed us all the way to the street, cars and buses, to the runway, to Eretz Yisroel, Tehran, Hong Kong and Australia.

Fifty years later, we still carry that gaze.