Rabbi Lipskar’s Secretive Call

By COLlive reporter

As Shachris morning prayers concluded Monday morning at The Shul of Bal Harbour in Surfside, Florida, Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar‘s mobile rang.

“I was waiting for this call,” he excused himself and hurried out of the sanctuary.

Standing in a side room, filled with books, he was heard speaking in Hebrew about the security and safety of the land of Israel and its Jewish citizens.

Quizzed by a few curious congregants, Rabbi Lipskar made it clear he was not inclined to reveal the identity of the VIP who was on the line.

“It’s someone who really loves the Rebbe,” he said at last.

Earlier this month, Lipskar was seen on stage with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the prominent zionist yeshiva Mercaz HaRav to mark Jerusalem Day.

Rabbi Lipskar, founder of the high profile congregation of businessmen and professionals, was invited there to speak before Netanyahu as a representative of American Jewry.

Reached by COLlive.com on Monday afternoon, Rabbi Lipskar said he consulted with Rabbi Yitzchok Yehuda Yeruslavsky of the Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbinical Alliance of Israel before the event.

“I gave a very positive speech (at Mercaz HaRav) drawing on a Maamar and Sicha of the Rebbe about Eretz Yisroel and it was well received,” he said.

He said the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira promised to share with him (in the near future) 3 yechidus sessions he was privileged to have with the Rebbe.

About his connection to other Jewish streams, Rabbi Lipskar said: “It’s time for Chabad to permeate mainstream (Jewry) with Chassidus. Once they get close, they can’t get enough because they never saw such depth.”

COLlive.com asked him if the important phone call had any connection with his appearance with the Prime Minister on Jerusalem Day.

“Every time a Shliach speaks on the phone, it’s an important phone call. If it’s about Tefillin, learning or anything else,” he answered.

He did say that it was too early to discuss the contents of the conversation and that he will wait for further developments before making anything public.