Girls Journey to Chabad Roots

By a Machon Alte student

Hodo L’Hashem Kiv Tov! We are truly grateful this year, Chof Daled Teves, תשע”ד, that the entire seminary Chaya Mushka and several students of Machon Alte, had the incredible opportunity to visit the holy sites of our great Rebbeim and Tzadikim.

We began our precious journey with a stop at the Tzion of the Rambam in Tiveria in honor of Chof Teves and davened that we should be zoche to the geula shleima bimheira byameinu!

Led by Mrs. Rosenfeld together with teachers and mentors, Rabbi Amram Moyal and Rabbi Chanoch Rosenfeld joined this incredible journey walking in the footsteps of our Rebbeim and their chassidim. They infused us with their inspirational words of wisdom and strengthened our hiskashrus and love of each Tzaddik.

On our journey, we heard first hand about the daily struggles and triumphs of the many shluchim that have dedicated their lives to bringing continued yiddishkeit to the place where so many of our ancestors had mesiros nefesh. Seeing the work that they put into their institutions, orphanages and schools is a continued inspiration to us all.

In our Rebbe’s home town Denepopetrovsk, we were privileged to stay in the beautiful Menorah Hotel, run by the shluchim, Rabbi and Mrs. Kaminetzky. Rabbi Moshe Webber escorted us to the Kivrei Achim where is marked the Tzion of the Rebbe’s brother. It reminded us of our moving visit to Babi Yar, Kiev, where we learned mishnayos for all of our brothers and sang “Ani Ma’amin.” We visited the famous Rebbe Levi Yitzchak’s shul, the institutions, the Chabad kindergarten where we enjoyed saying psukim with the vivacious children who attend.

The dedication witnessed in Rabbi Glick’s orphanage was one of the heart rendering experiences of the trip. Seeing how these wonderful children are being constantly nurtured, loved and educated left a tremendous impact on us and we plan to continue our moving encounter.

Kof Daled Teves, on the way to Haditch, we had a moving encounter with the Moskowitz’s, the shluchiim of Charkov. Mrs. Moskowitz shared with us her personal stories and encounters with the Rebbe. In 1990 she and her husband were chosen to be the shluchim of Charkov, the second largest city of the Ukraine. She intrigued us with detailed accounts of the tremendous welcome they received from their community. She went on to convey the tremendous thirst for yiddishkeit that the community showed, and also shared accounts of the personal struggles and victories experienced.

As a “hachanah” to visit the Alter Rebbe, we split up the sefer Tanya and made a siyum of the 53 chapters of Tanya. We also learned from Torah Or and heard inspirational stories while writing up panim.

At the Tzion there was magical sound of chassidim singing the many moving Niggunim which helped us daven and connect to the Alter Rebbe more deeply.

While reaching our destination to Mezibuzh for Shabbos, the home of the Baal Shem Tov, we stopped in Zhitomir the head quarters of Rabbi & Mrs. Wilhelm and other shluchim. Mrs. Dvorkin gave us an informative tour of the Avner School and the orphanage campus.

SHABBOS

Shabbos, after candle lighting, we all, men women and some children, marched up to the Baal Shem Tov shul for kabolos Shabbos. It was truly a site to see all different types of chassidim, anything from shtreimels to black hats dancing around the bimma, singing the Baal Shem Tov’s Niggunim in unison. It showed us exactly how far reaching the Bal Shem Tov is having a great effect on our world.

Our delicious seudas Shabbos was sprinkled with words from our fellow friends and for dessert we had a powerful farbrengen with Rabbi Moyal and Rabbi Rosenfeld, emphasizing how special was to experience all this in the Baal Shem Tov’s home town – helping each one of us to personally identify and live with our heritage.

Shabbos was brought to an ultimate peak with seder Niggunim around the Baal Shem Tov’s table, where we shared stories of our Rebbeim.

After Havdala, we prepared for our visit to the Baal Shem Tov, by writing panim, hearing stories and listening to Niggunim. Our surprise mini concert was produced by Meir Rivkin.

Thanks to our hachanah, by the time we reached the Baal Shem Tov’s Tzion, we were truly connected to this great luminary who created what turned into a guiding light for yidden for ever.

Our last stop was Berditchev where we visited the Tzion of Reb Levi Yitzchak, the famous defender of Klal Yisroel.

The grand finale was when we participated with the yaldei hashluchim’s winter camp, where Rabbi Moyal gave an incredible presentation. It was inspiring to see how all the girls united from different little cities to get kochos from each other to continue the Rebbe’s work of warming up a frigid Ukraine.

We would love to take this opportunity of thanking Mrs. Rosenfeld, Rabbi Chaim Rosenfeld, our dorm counselors, fund raising heads and all of the generous donors. A special thanks to all the parents who recognized the importance of this trip.

It was a life changing experience!

Our learning and farbrengens throughout the trip were all dedicated to the imminent release of Rabbi Shalom Mordechai HaLevi Ben Rivka together with the Geula Shleima!

May all our prayers be answered speedily!

Ashreinu!