By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
Henny Karniel didn’t know much about Chabad, but she was delighted that the man she wanted to marry would follow the Chasidic ways of her ancestors. She agreed to build a home with Amos that would be based on the Chabad tenets of love and acceptance of all Jews, regardless of their level of observance.
After their marriage, in 1962, Henny and Amos turned to the Rebbe for guidance about where they should live. The Rebbe reviewed their list of possible locations and pointed them toward Kfar Maimon in Southern Israel. There, the Karniels, both teachers, found jobs and began doing Jewish outreach.
In 1975, however, it was time to move again. Their family was growing, and the schools in Kfar Maimon did not have the Chasidic spirit that the Karniels were looking for. This time, the Rebbe urged them to find a city with Chabad community, provided that Henny, who had never lived in such a setting, agreed. The couple chose Kfar Chabad, a small village in central Israel populated with Chabad Chasidim.
Henny was surprised by how difficult she found it to settle into a new community. A year later, when the family flew to New York to visit the Rebbe, she was still struggling to acclimate.
The Karniels were granted a date for a private audience, but not a specific time—they would have to wait until the Rebbe could see them. Finally, at three in the morning, they entered the Rebbe’s office. Amos handed the Rebbe their letters requesting blessings and guidance. A few minutes later, the Rebbe looked up. “I read all of your letters, and I also read between the lines.”
After responding to their specific questions, he turned to Henny. “How are things going with your new home in Kfar Chabad?”
Frightened to tell the Rebbe her true feelings, Henny only nodded her head. “Good, thank G-d.”
With a large, comforting, smile, the Rebbe told her, “There are no limits to ‘good.’ Make the effort and it will be even better.”
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