Special Guest at Farewell Event

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Itsik Roytman

A month filled with spirituality, inspiration and memorable moments has come to a close Sunday night at a large chassidic farbrengen in Campus Chomesh in Crown Heights.

Thousands of Chabad yeshiva bochurim who spent Tishrei 5774 in New York, at 770 Eastern Parkway and the Rebbe’s Ohel, gathered to celebrate what they experienced and the lessons and memories they will be taking back with them.

“We don’t see the Rebbe today and nevertheless there’s so many bochurim traveling to the Rebbe and with such energy. It’s amazing,” marveled Rabbi Shamai Ende, Rosh Yeshiva Chabad in S. Paulo, Brazil.

Viewing a video of the Rebbe bidding farewell to the Tishrei guests, participants heard the Rebbe explaining why parting ways is such a difficult task.

For a full month, the bochurim reveled in the davening, learning, farbrengens and the full hospitality arranged for them by Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim organization.

Speaking on behalf of the Vaad, R’ Shmuel Reinitz thanked the main supporters of the Tishrei project – Yossi Popack, Avrohom Lokshin and Schneur Minsky – for their generosity and dedicated involvement throughout the month.

But speakers at the Tzeischem l’shalom event demanded of the bochurim to leave New York with more than just positive memories.

The Rebbe’s choizer and 770 mashpia, Rabbi Yoel Kahn urged them to learn the first 4 volumes of Likutei Sichos, edited talks of the Rebbe on the weekly parsha. He said they discussed “foundations of Judaism and chassidus.”

The Mashpia Rabbi Mendel Gordon of London, England, spoke about strengthening the study of the topics related to Moshiach and the final redemption. “Every chassidishe bochur should be involved in this,” he emphasized.

Other speakers, such as Mashpia Rabbi Asher Farkash of Argentina, stressed the general importance of learning, and Shliach Rabbi Lazer Shemtov of Uruguay spoke about hiskashrus to the Rebbe.

A highlight of the event was when a video was shown of cantor Tzvi Tzatzkes singing the Russian version of the song “Who knows one?” with active encouragement of the Rebbe in the main shul of 770 during ‘kos shel bracha’ distribution of wine for blessings.

As the video ended, the bochurim saw Tzatzkes in person standing by the podium. He quickly had the crowd on their feet in song and dance, emulating the special times that were spent in the past with the Rebbe with the hope to merit them again.

And until then, the booklet ‘kuntres 11 Nissan 5750’ which was personally handed by the Rebbe was raffled off among the participants, as well as a flight ticket to New York and a large portrait of the Rebbe. Each bochur also received a booklet that was printed for the event.

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