A panel of four shluchim shared their experiences with the Rebbe with a full auditorium of 120 people at LYA in Longmeadow, MA.
Rabbi Yosef Wolvovsky, shliach in Glastonbury, CT, moderated the session, posed the questions and added colorful commentary. Rabbis Noach Kosofsky, Chaim Kosofsky, Yakov Wolff, and Lavy Kosofsky, all shluchim at Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (LYA), formed the panel who responded.
Each member of the panel had two minutes to answer, which kept the answers pointed and the program moving.
The moderator asked questions such as, What is your earliest memory of the Rebbe? What teaching of the Rebbe inspires you most? What is your favorite Chasidic nigun?
The shluchim mentioned ideas such as putting other people first, before ourselves; receiving a siddur from the Rebbe; the love the Rebbe had for everyone; and seeing the Rebbe before 27 Adar as a small child,.
Selections of nigunim were sung spontaneously as they came up in the conversation. When one shliach highlighted the warm, supportive community, everyone broke out in applause.
From members of anash to members of the general Jewish community, people found inspiration in various messages of the Rebbe as viewed through the eyes of the shluchim.
Everyone who attended enjoyed a full dinner prepared by the shluchos. Thanks to generous sponsors, the event was offered free of charge.
LYA received very positive feedback:
“The evening was a well thought-out program that everyone enjoyed! The message was clear: The Rebbe is a powerful influence on every Jew. He has helped us to put elements of life in perspective: i.e., health, money, happiness and that Torah is what keeps us grounded. The Rebbe has the influence, of course, through the work of his shluchim!”
“BH glad to be there. While I’m always captivated by any anecdotes from those who had the zechus to be by the Rebbe before gimmel tammuz, I was particularly drawn to Lavy’s perspective since we are the same age and therefore have few (in his case) or no (in my case) direct memories of being in physical proximity to the Rebbe to draw on. Appreciated his point that to be “by the Rebbe” is to be by the Rebbe’s hasidim and to learn the Rebbe’s teachings.”
“After having my kids, I sort of let davening drop and have only davened occasionally and on Shabbos for the past few years. After last night, being reminded of all the ways to be connected to the Rebbe, I was inspired to start back up with my davening, and started right away with shacharis today. It was a very inspirational night and some of the comments/answers even brought me to tears!”
“Rabbi, I loved it! What a great night of inspiration! It reminded me how much I love the Rebbe’s 10 mitzvahs and I asked Rabbi Wolff to find bookmarks with them that I can give out to spread his teachings. I became devoted when I read Telushkin’s book. Never doubt that one person can change the world – he did. You never know who you might inspire – look at Stefani’s 2 sons! Lihitraot!”
The program ended with a campaign of OneMitzvah.org/LYA, encouraging everyone to take a mitzvah in memory of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky.
Very nice to see the great accomplishments of LYA.
I taught and was principal there before it moved to Longmeadow and was still located in Springfield, during the years 1965-1978.