By COLlive reporter
A chassidic farbrengen on Sunday marked the 7th yartzeit of Rabbi Dovid Raskin OBM, one of the most prominent Chabad officials and Chassidim in the last generation.
As Chairman of the Central Lubavitch Youth Organization (Tzach), to which he was appointed by the Rebbe upon its founding in 5715 (1955), he spearheaded efforts to bring Jews from all walks of life back to their heritage.
In his position as Spiritual Director of the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch at 770 Eastern Parkway, he taught and led farbrengens with bochurim, inspiring them to gain knowledge in Torah and Chassidus, be devoted Chassidim and do Shlichus.
Rabbi Raskin also had time to sit on the board of the umbrella Agudas Chassidei Chabad International, Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, Machne Israel Development Fund, Associated Beth Rivkah Schools in New York and Vaad L’hafotzas Sichos.
The farbrengen in his memory was held at the Levi Yitzchak Library in Crown Heights in the presence of his colleagues at the Yeshiva – Rabbi Yoel Kahn and Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi and at Tzach – Rabbi Shmuel Butman.
Reb Yoel, the preeminent mashpia and scholar of Chassidus, recalled the Rebbe’s guidance started from the mid 1950s when he, Rabbi Raskin and Rabbi Shalom Marosow were appointed to the faculty of 770 Yeshiva.
Reb Yoel also recounted Rabbi Raskin’s fabrengens on Shvii Shel Pesach marking the yartzeit of his father, R’ Yaakov Yosef Raskin OBM.
“On a night like Shvii Shel Pesach, many talk about all the G-dly revelations and kiras yom suf but Reb Dovid farbrenged all night that everybody needs to go on Tahalucha,” he said. Because this was the Rebbe’s “koch” it was also Reb Dovid’s “koch,” he explained.
Reb Yoel said Reb Dovid came from the Yeshiva in Brunoy, France, where he was a dedicated student of the famed mashpia R’ Nissan Neminov who emphasized the importance of davening at length and removing oneself from the material world.
“But when Reb Dovid came to America, he immediately dedicated himself to the Rebbe and the Rebbe’s instructions and involved himself in “ufaratza” which mandates one to get involved in the world to spread yiddishkiet,” Reb Yoel said.
Rabbi Butman, Executive Director of Tzach, spoke about Reb Dovid’s devotion to the Rebbe, to the extent that the Rebbe appointed Reb Dovid to every one of his boards, even Vaad Hameseder, which had few people.
Rabbi Butman said that this is because Reb Dovid was “totally given over to the Rebbe in heart and soul.”
Speakers shared memories of Rabbi Raskin and his devotion to the Rebbe and participants received a printout from an upcoming biography about Rabbi Raskin – a chapter on the history of the Levi Yitzchok Library, which Rabbi Raskin personally established according to the Rebbe’s instruction at the Farbrengen of 6 Tishrei 5733.
The family which is working on publishing the book asked the public to send in memories or material via email [email protected] or phone 917-860-6074.
He was so caring to us eineklach, I didn’t realize how busy he really was!
R’ Dovid: one of a kind!
Reb Dovid had nothing of his own. That is to say he was an extension – a foot soldier – of the REBBE MHM. Although he considered himself a foot soldier in reality he was a GENERAL.
In the picture we see Harav Hachossid Avraham D. Hecht second from right. Sitting next to him is Tibor Kuperstein who manufactured the NESHEK for TZACH according to the design of the REBBE. Kuperstein is a first cousin in law to Rabbi Hecht a”h.