Rebbe’s ‘Personal Request’ in 1980

By COLlive staff

Since accepting the leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in 5711 (1951), the Rebbe has set his focus on revitalizing the Jewish nation and becoming the primary address for assistance to Jewish people from all walks of life.

Rarely has the Rebbe requested something for himself, despite dedicating his life to others and still meeting people at 3 AM. When a vacation was suggested and a new stretch Cadillac purchased, the Rebbe refused both offers.

But on one special occasion, during a Chasidic farbrengen at Lubavitch World Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, the Rebbe had made a personal appeal in hopes that the public comply.

This was the establishment of Tiferes Zkeinim, the network of Torah study kollels for elderly Jewish men and women that was first announced at the Shabbos farbrengen on the 20th of Av 5740 (1980).

What made this plea unique was the fact that the Rebbe humbly requested that these kollels be called Tiferes Zkeinim Levi Yitzchok, named after his own father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, of righteous memory, one of the greatest Talmudic and Kabbalistic scholars of his generation.

“This will certainly be a source of great nachas for his neshamah,” the Rebbe said about his father who has endured unbearable suffering and imprisonment and ultimately passed away in exile due to his heroic efforts to maintain Yiddishkeit under the Communist regime.

The Rebbe made the new campaign very personal, stating that Tiferes Zkeinim “is a personal request to those who feel a special closeness and friendship and are aware of the great hardships the leaders of the Jews in Communist Russia endured with great self-sacrifice.”

Shluchim and Chassidim throughout the world immediately opened the kollels in their respective cities and increased the general mivtzoim and outreach work in senior living facilities and similar institutions for the elderly.

Heeding the Rebbe’s call, the Colel Chabad organization has opened 7 kollels that operate to this day in the cities of Jerusalem, Tzfas, Ashdod and Ashkelon. A total of 250 elderly men and women join on a daily basis for a specialized program of learning Torah and Chassidus, uplifting their day and sanctifying their surroundings.

With the growth rate of Israel’s elderly population among the highest in the Western world, Colel Chabad says there’s an urgent need to establish additional centers of Tiferes Zkeinim Levi Yitzchok for men and Chochmas Noshim for women. 10.6% of Israel’s population is over the age of 65 and the elderly population is expected to double by 2035, statistics show.

“The fact is that there are growing numbers of elderly leaving the workforce while they still have many years to be productive members of society,” the Rebbe said.

“This is an opportunity to channel their ambition, which had until now been expressed in their enthusiastic pursuit of a livelihood and career, into unprecedented spiritual growth.”

This year, in honor of Chof Av 5778, Colel Chabad is launching a crowdfunding campaign to fulfill the Rebbe’s request and establish 4 new kollels in Israel for the elderly. Donate today at http://honortherebbesfather.com