By Chana Esther Pfeffer for COLlive.com
Levi’s Shlichus was complete self-sacrifice.
When Levi and Miriam moved to Tysons Corner, Virginia, I was just starting to learn more about Yiddishkeit. This was the year I moved to Manhattan and had all intentions of trying to one day become observant. At the time that meant I wanted my life to have more meaning. My desire revolved mostly around morality. If one day I were blessed to have a daughter it would mean she wouldn’t have to suffer in the secular world as an object of society. Which seemed to be my biggest problem at that time age 26. I admired the way religious girls seemed to be able to avoid the trappings of secular dating.
My best friend from childhood was getting married at the Tysons Corner Galleria Ritz Carlton. For some reason whenever I traveled I was reminded that I am a Jew and on this trip my soul was sad that I didn’t have any of the things to make the Sabbath holy. I did a search for the nearest Chabad hoping that I’d be able to see a Lubavitcher. They are always so happy and ready to help you do something to take that missing place inside away. When I thought of Chabadniks or observant people I identified them with symbols like challah, wine and a siddur. Kind of like a matching game. I didn’t see religious people as real people.
Lubavitchers always made it seem like they were there to provide Judaism and in my secular young mind I was trained to think that the world existed to serve all my needs, religious included. I made a phone call to Miriam assuming of course that she had all the things I wanted to do a little shabbath thing in the hotel.
Growing up in Virginia, I spent almost all my time at Tysons Corner. Tysons Corner in all honesty would be the last place two young people would ever want to move unless they were the most materialistic people with a serious addiction to shopping or professional shoplifters. I had passed by their apartment complex many times daily my whole life and always felt sorry for all the people who had to live there while on their short business stays. I always thought it seemed such a lonely place to live not to mention absolutely terrible views. It could not have been a staler environment.
When Miriam opened the door I was able to peek inside her little dark apartment and see that she had tiny children and she herself looked really young. She gave me a siddur, wine and challah and we spoke for a couple of minutes. I thought I must be the only Jewish girl around her age she has seen in months. And off I went, to do what young girls do, have fun on Friday night. I left to attend a very fancy Jewish wedding where no one would be remembering it was the Sabbath just a minute down the road.
Why would this seemingly normal ultra orthodox girl move to Tysons Corner? She made a really huge mistake! Should I be the one to tell them what a big mistake they made? Shouldn’t someone tell them they moved to the mall and that this is not the suburbs? There is no one here but shoppers, wedding guests and business travelers. Oy! So sad, what types of opportunities could they ever really have in this spiritual desert? At least move a couple miles down and be in Vienna where there are actual families but get out of the mall!
My father’s closest friend from childhood became my G-d mother, Eva Gail (Chava Gettel) She has a son Darren and my brother and I were raised thinking Darren was our actual cousin. We didn’t have enough family to really distinguish what a cousin was but we celebrated everything together. Darren somehow hooked up with Chabad Northern Virginia and when Levi came they were fast friends. Darren was honored at their big dinner a few years ago. I believe he built most of the building including the mikvah, naming it after his very philanthropic grandparents. I don’t know how much he gave because all he ever talked about was what he gained. Over the years Darren, who is in real estate, gave him a space to do the Chanukah Wonderland and when they were ready to have a Chabad house he rented him one of his properties.
Over the years I’d hear about Levi and Miriam from my G-d mother. She loved to share with me about the Jewish pride she had every time Levi and Miriam came over to deliver something for a holiday, invite her for Shabbos or a class. Eva Gail and Darren had lived in an area where they thirsted in their soul for yiddishkeit. They were in a position to give and Chabad coming to this materialistic haven gave them their greatest life’s opportunity. Being given the opportunity to honor his late Grandparents was such a highlight in his life and it gave his parents tremendous nachas.
My husband and I moved to Crown Heights exactly a year ago, with our 3 small children after receiving a blessing from the Rebbe. It all came in the merit of our little girl, which is no surprise. We are inching our way closer to Torah and Mitzvahs daily and we still can’t even fathom self-sacrifice like Levis.
Last night I realized that Levi intentionally moved to Tysons Corner with his young family. That he had to have known what he was getting himself into. And if that was the case he was and should be remembered as the ultimate misiras nefesh shliach. He had to be the biggest warrior to move to Tysons Corner. Here all this time I thought these poor people ended up at the mall by mistake but the truth was he miraculously took a spiritual desert and turned it into a stream.
G-d bless you, Levi and Miriam and your children for your service for your complete self-sacrifice. Thank you for the countless opportunities you gave my family a chance to feel their Yiddishe souls ignited. You were a holy giant in this world. You gave your life to the Rebbe’s work and to perform G-d’s desire. Your shlichus has taught me where to aim and in which direction to go.
I pray that I can remember all of your countless acts of chessed that I overlooked because you made it seem so easy. Only now I see with my Rebbe glasses on. Every moment of your waking breathing life that you were in Tysons Corner Virginia was you actively turning darkness into light. In heaven you must be sitting in the crown of heights.
Women this is to you. I attended a shiur on Monday nights at home of henna abramowitz. A Tanya shiur given by nechama bernshtein. If you all want and need inspiration, and inspire others to live and spread life the way our rebbe wants you must join. Vihachai yiten el lib. This shiur will awaken the sleeping and bring air into the suffocating.
we want mosaich now
http://www.chabadtysons.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/314852/jewish/Donate-to-Chabad.htm
http://www.chabadtysons.com
i don`t know if there`s any official website yet. but i`m sure if u searched chabad.org for tysons corner, virginia you can donate something through there at least, that kind of gets u in the right direction…
Moved to tears…so poignantly touching
If their is fund being set up could you please let us know ? It least we could do is take care of his wife and children after her husband took care all of us? where is Miriam & the kids?
Ad Mosai!! In Mitzrayim it says that Hashem sent Moshe when the Jews screamed out in pain- we can’t take one more moment of this terrible suffering!!
take our tears to Ha’Shem and tell Him we cannot do this anymore….
Is a fund being set up for Levi’s widow, Miriam and her 4 small kinderlach?
If ten Yidden say AMEN with all their heart, then the plea will come true: “MAY MOSHIACH COME RIGHT NOW!””MAY THE DEITSCH FAMILY ONLY KNOW OF SIMCHAS!!”
May all of our AMENS break the barrier!
Share your stories anecdotes anything you know about levi.
Go to http://www.rememberinglevi.com/
in the name of the holy levi help another jew
coming from outside america to learn in oheli torah we always farbengened in levi’s parents basement! It was made to be used for a chassider farbengen, until the wee hours in the morning. Never a complaint of the noise or bitul torah from the family. Always a full extra freezer with food for a yoma depagra. Where have those years gone? B”H levi was able to raise a family of chasider kinder who willn’t know a the father who loved them so much. Its our responsibility to teach and show the family what a true father, and a grandfather they… Read more »
if you’re inspired by his life take something on
Can someone, anyone, come forward and answer all our questions, uncertainities, confusion, despair, terror and pain?? We’re all of us at such a loss as to how to comprehend/deal/cope, with all thats going on out there in our world for the past few weeks,: Theres has to be someone who can, to a degree, calm us, reassure us and help us ALL through huge, never ending list of questions and questions and questions and questions and questions; Read through almost every single one of the heart breaking comments sent in, 100’s of them, all of us totally and completely broken… Read more »
Who are you talking to? Us? Hashem Or Moshiach?
Words cannot express the sorrow and grief I am feeling for the loss of this wonderful and gentle man. A rabbi who brought so much love and religion into our Tysons Corner area, I can only think that G-d must have needed him more.
I dont know how you can hear about this and not care
I dont know how you can read this and not cry
I dont know how you can watch this and not pray
I dont know how you can look at this and not scream to hashem
yes, he is still here. Just hiding. Its our job to bring him out
http://a-farbrengen.blogspot.com/2009/10/tragedies-lo-alenu-goad-to-teshuva.html
A relevant post: http://a-farbrengen.blogspot.com/2009/10/tragedies-lo-alenu-goad-to-teshuva.html
Hashem yeracheim.
These are words of tremendous beauty and comfort. Thank you for taking the time to write and post this.
I’m Taking This Loss And Pain Very Hard Extremely Difficult.
G-d where are You??? Are You still there???
BDE
how about G-d bless us…. vehachai yitain el liboi. May Hashem have rachmonus on his children who sometimes need the rachmonus
absouletly stunning! and so moving … HASHEM!! what else are u waiting for?! we have to have moshiach right now!!!!!!
hamokom yenachem eschem btoch shaarei tzion yerushalaim we are mourning with you .ad mosai !
How moving, how appropriate such words from the heart at this moment of pain. May Levi’s family never know of such pain again and may Am Yisrael merit the coming of Moshiach now!