Finding Our Roots En Route

By Mrs. Shaindel Teichtel

A passenger approached the airline ticket counter and asked to be seated in the first class section. Informed that there were no available seats, he demanded aggressively, “Do you know who I am?” Not receiving a reply, he once more shouted, “Do you know who I am?”

Calmly, without wasting a moment, the clerk announced on the loudspeaker, “Attention all passengers, man lost identity, if found please return.”

Before starting on a journey one has to clearly know who one is and where one is coming from. I had the privilege of participating in the YTT camp (under the leadership of Mrs. Miryam Swerdlow, Mrs. Shosh Rabinowitz and four wonderful head counselors) on a trip to Ukraine.

Our goal was visiting the mekomos hakdoshim – the holy resting places of our Rebbeim and tzadikim and I can definitively attest to the fact that everyone on this journey reconnected to our roots and to our identities, as the “Rebbe’s children.”

Immediately after our arrival in Kiev, the Rebbe’s Koach became apparent. In the very same city where anti-semitism was rampant, and thousands of Yidden were massacred at Babi Yar, today the Rebbe’s Shluchim have established shuls and camps that spread the light of Torah and Chassidus.

Our subsequent visits to the M’komos Hakedoshim reinforced the obvious connection between ourselves and our Rebbeim.

Standing by the Alter Rebbe’s Tzion in the historic city of Hadiach, and observing the emotional impact that this experience had on the girls, it was clear that each and every one of them felt the connection to the Alter Rebbe.

One student remarked, “This is the very same Alter Rebbe whose words we learn every day and whose philosophy made us who we are.”

OUR ROOTS

It was most inspiring to realize that these young girls, 10th graders of Bais Rivkah and other Lubavitch High Schools, were able to internalize the everlasting message of our Rebbeim: “A yid nisht er vill nisht er ken zein upgerisen fhun getlichkeit’ – A Yid can’t and doesn’t really want to disconnect from G-dliness (Hayom Yom – Chof Hey Tamuz).

Witnessing the girls’ connecting to their roots at every Tzion that they visited was a clear statement: “We did not lose our identity, we know who we are.”

One may think that it was only at the rarefied holy atmosphere at each Tzion that the impact would be strongly felt. In reality, it was obvious that it affected every aspect of their lives.

On Shabbos we had the privilege of being in Medzhybizh, and in addition to visiting the Tzion we were able to observe that the the Baal Shem Tov’s teachings were actualized.

Whether at a farbengen, a meal or singing nigunim in the Baal Shem Tov’s Beis Medrash (an exact replica of the original), the focus was on transforming inspiration into daily life.

All this did not happen in a vacuum. Mrs. Swerdlov, beloved teacher and renowned lecturer, has the incredible power of creating an atmosphere through stories and nigunim, and prepared our visits to each Tzion.

In the very short time of our trip, Mrs. Swerdlov and Mrs. Rabinowitz made it possible for us to visit the Tzions of the Alter Rebbe in Haditch, The Mitteler Rebbe in Neshin, The Magid, Reb Zushe Annipoli, The Baal shem Tov in Mezibiuzh, and Reb Levi Yitzchok in Berditchev.

The distances were vast, hundreds of miles had to be traveled, but even the actual journeys on the air conditioned buses became Hachonos-preparations.

We learned, we farbrenged, we sang nugunim, we readied ourselves for the upcoming special visits.

In today’s world, when there is so much doubt and confusion, it’s so important to realize that we can believe in our students and that they are worthy of our confidence.

We hope and pray that all our Bakoshos, on a communal and a personal level, were accepted, and that our Tefilos will be answered, and together we will bring Moshiach now.