The Far Reach of a Video

Chabad bochurim Berel Namdar and Leibel Hecht writes about their current adventure reaching out to lone Jews in the vicinity of Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of Chabad’s Merkos Shlichus visitation program:

A couple of weeks ago, JEM released a powerful clip in their “My Encounter” series. Mr. Elliot Lasky, born to an observant Jewish family, relates how he got caught up in the upheaval of the 60’s, abandoned his Judaism, joined the Rolling Stones on their concert tour, and contemplated a lifestyle of Zen Buddhism.

Faced with more questions than answers, he contacted a Chabad rabbi he knew, who suggested he visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe. On a frigid January afternoon in 1973, Mr. Lasky approached the Rebbe on the steps of Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn.

The Rebbe locked eyes with him, and resolved his deepest questions about G-d and the Jewish people. The Rebbe then asked that Mr. Lasky start wearing tefillin daily once again. Two months later, he heeded the Rebbe’s request, taking the first of many steps back to his roots.

We’ve been roving rabbis for several years, and this summer we decided to show this clip to the people we visited. All across Sweden, people were incredibly touched, many to tears. Yet its deepest impact by far was on Sam, a 22-year-old guitarist from Gothenburg.

We invited Sam and a few of his friends to join us for a barbeque and Torah class. Afterwards, we showed them the video clip. We could see that Sam was watching intently, really taking it all in. After his friends left, Sam turned to us. “I also have my questions. How do I ask them? How do I turn to the Rebbe?”

“There are still ways to relate to the Rebbe today, Sam,” we told him. “You can write a letter to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe will certainly find a way to answer you. We are only here because of the Rebbe and his tremendous concern for every Jew. Wherever you will go in the world, you will find someone appointed by the Rebbe to take care of your spiritual needs, whatever they may be.”

Sam nodded in agreement. “Then I would like to write a letter to the Rebbe. I will gather my thoughts and write the letter before Rosh Hashanah.”

Several nights later, we were in our hotel room, packing for our return to New York the following day, when Sam called us, asking if we had some time to talk. Half an hour later, we were all comfortably ensconced in the hotel lobby.

“Berel, Leibel,” Sam began, clearing his throat. “I can’t get that video out of my mind.”

“The way the Rebbe answered him, allayed his concerns, turned his life around… it’s just incredible. I feel like the Rebbe was talking to me as well. I am also part of the music world, and now I feel like I too must make a change in my life. I’ve been debating what that could be. But the Rebbe suggested tefillin. So if the Rebbe thought tefillin was a good idea for Mr. Lasky, that’s what I’m going to do. Starting tomorrow, I will put on tefillin each morning.”

Today’s technology allows us to keep up with everyone we meet on our travels, even when we’re “back at the base.” Every day at precisely 8:30 a.m. Swedish time, we receive a text from Sam, informing us that he has just put on tefillin. He has also made known his plans to travel to the Ohel, the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s resting place, where he can read his letter to the Rebbe in person.

For additional Merkos Shlichus stories, visit RovingRabbis.com