The Hug That Changed a Bochur’s Path

By Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

On Shavuos some years ago, a friend told me the following story. It was so powerful that I knew I would share it on some occasions.

He said, “When I was learning in the yeshiva, I went through some challenging situations. It affected my learning as well as my behavior and the administration warned me that if I don’t improve, they will consider expelling me. This warning gave me additional anxiety, and I continued to spiral downwards.

“Rabbi Yitzchok Springer knew me and although I wasn’t his student, he recognized that I am going through a rough time. He came over to me and without asking me to open up to him, he said: ‘Mendel, I want you to know one thing. [Regardless of what the administration told you] you should know that Hashem loves you, the Rebbe loves you, and I love you’. Reb Yitzchok then embraced me and walked away. Allowing me to decide how to react.”

Placing his hands around my shoulders, Mendel then embraced me and said, “Sholom, you should know that I still feel the genuine warmth of that embrace forty-some years later. That sensitivity gave me the ability to overcome the challenges and get back to myself.

While this story speaks volumes about Rabbi Springer and the positive results of a gesture, I decided to publicize it now for the following reason.

As many in the Crown Heights community know, Mrs. Leah Lipsker, may she be well, in addition to her many qualities, has spearheaded the Chasdei Avrohom Eliezer camp fund for fifty years, since its inception in 5637 (1977) under the Rebbe’s guidance.

During those years, her sensitivity to thousands of families had embraced them with the dignity of sending their children to an overnight camp together with their friends and classmates. Those children didn’t feel inferior and were never informed by her that the camp fund helped them, many years ago.

That positive experience helped those boys and girls develop and build their own happy and successful lives.

This year, not only would your generous partnership in the camp fund continue this wonderful act of embracing and uplifting your neighbors and classmates of your children or grandchildren, but it would be an opportunity to return the embrace to Mrs. Lipsker.

Erev Pesach, her son Mendy Lipsker suffered a stroke and she is occupied in helping him recover and rehabilitate. While it is understandable that she cannot put in all her efforts in raising the sums she succeeded in raising in previous years, she is distraught not only about her son’s condition, but also about the thought of what will happen to all the innocent and beautiful children that rely on this assistance, not knowing that their parents receive it from her.

So, I turn to each and every one of you, to please participate, especially this year, and give Mrs. Lipsker an embrace to give her the strength to continue this invaluable work. As well as giving hundreds of children a warm and everlasting embrace, one they will cherish for years.

May the tzedokah given be in the zechus that her son Menachem Mendel ben Eta Leah merit to have a complete recovery.

To conclude with a word from the Rebbe, which brings out the positive effects that a camp experience has upon a camper. The Rebbe told Rabbi Moshe Lazar (one of the founders of Camp Gan Yisroel), “[Until I visited the camp,] I did not envision how powerful the camp experience can have on a child.”

You can donate at www.thecampfund.com or Zelle to [email protected] or mail your check to Chasdei Avrohom Eliezer – 822 Montgomery Street, Brooklyn, NY 11213.