If You Already Can’t Afford It…

By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives

By the mid-1950s, the Lubavitch yeshivah in Montreal had outgrown its space. The elementary was on Park Avenue, and the high school was not far away on Jeanne-Mance Street. There was not enough space to accommodate all the new students in the dormitory or in the study hall. “They were crowded in the room,” recalled Bernard Richler, who used to stop by after work from time to time to study with one of the rabbis. “It was one desk on top of another to make room.”

A new building that would have all the necessary amenities was the obvious answer, but the community, and even Rabbi Leib Kramer, shied away from such a large undertaking. “People didn’t have the concept or the money for such a building,” said Mr. Frisch.

Mr. Gameroff, who had been among the yeshivah’s most vocal supporters from the beginning, volunteered to lead the effort. “He was always a very strong supporter and proponent,” his son-in-law, Dr. Mel Wise, said.

Soon afterward, however, he became ill and entrusted the project to brothers Aaron and Nathan Cohen, real estate developers, whom he had recruited to assist him. He asked them to promise him that they would take over the efforts.

Together with his partner, Mr. H. Zalkind, in 1956, Mr. Nathan Cohen sold 31,000 square feet on the corner of Westbury and Plamadon Avenues to the yeshivah at a discounted rate. The Cohen brothers became very close with Rabbi Kramer, and it was rumored that they later forgave the selling price.

The plan was to start building immediately, but everything was delayed by insufficient funds. Finally, in 1959, plans were drawn, and Rabbi Kramer brought them to the Rebbe.

“Why such a small building?” the Rebbe asked. Rabbi Kramer explained that there was not enough money for a larger one.

The Rebbe then asked, “Do you have the money for the first plan?”

Rabbi Kramer admitted that he didn’t.

“If you already need to rely on G-d to answer your prayers,” the Rebbe said, “you should ask for double the amount for a much larger building.”

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