“Agent 770”
How did an Israeli diplomat lead a mission to Moscow? How did the Rebbe extract top secret information? The Avner Institute presents the adapted memoirs of a powerful yechidus with the late Aryeh Eliav, former Knesset minister and accidental Chassid, whose covert and dangerous activity in the former Soviet Union revealed Chabad’s vast network of underground outreach, the Rebbe’s behind-the-scenes guidance, and his encyclopedic knowledge of every single detail.
In Loving memory of Haddssha bas Shneur Zalman
“Amazing Network”
Aryeh Luba (Lifshitz) Eliav (1921-2010), was born in Moscow and made aliya at the age of three. By fifteen he had already begun serving in the Haganah, Israel’s early defense force. In the years to come he helped smuggle Jews into the country and served as naval officer. He was instrumental in building the city of Arad and other settlements in the Negev. In 1965 he was elected Knesset member for Mapai and later served for a number of terms for both the Mapai and Labor parties. For a while he served as a deputy minister.
Despite his leftist leanings, Eliav helped Soviet Jews, particularly Chabad Chassidim. In 1958-1960 he served as First Secretary of the Israeli embassy in Moscow, during which time he set up a secret network that worked hand in hand with Chabad Chassidim to distribute Bibles, prayer books, and other sacred works and items throughout the USSR. He did this at great risk to his own life, given the prohibition of religious activity and severe punishment. In the summer of 1959, he and his family visited Bobroisk, where he went to the graves of his relatives, descendants of Rabbi Boruch Mordechai. During this visit he helped the local Jews and even gave one of them a pair of tefillin.
Following his return to Israel he anonymously published a book, Between the Hammer and the Sickle, where he described his secret work in Russia. About five years later, he had yechidus with the Rebbe, which lasted seven hours! He frequently recounted this extraordinary experience while expressing his admiration for the Rebbe and the latter’s work behind the Iron Curtain. The yechidus is described here and adapted from his book:
I discovered that the Rebbe knew far more about me and my work than I thought. He knew about all my meetings at the embassy with Chabad Chassidim.
As First Secretary at the embassy, I was responsible for the issue of Judaism in the Soviet Union. The Rebbe inquired, in his special way, as to how we went about this job, particularly our cooperation with Chabad. The Rebbe steered me into conversation and the moment I spoke of a certain town or city and mentioned the caretaker, Torah reader, or attendant, he wanted to know precisely what ties we had with him, how frequently we met, and so on.
Covert Operation
In connection with this, I must say that the embassy in Moscow was different than other embassies. It wasn’t a place for cocktail parties, but a place where intensive work was done. In addition to the expected workload, there were secret meetings with Jews, meetings to ascertain their situation and to help them with anything they needed.
Chabad Chassidim often “used” us to send letters via diplomatic mail, which was less dangerous than the regular mail. The fear in those days was so enormous that only people of self-sacrifice like Lubavitchers worked and accomplished in all matters pertaining to Judaism. We embassy members were the only ones who could help them with relative freedom, due to our diplomatic passports.
Much was said about this collaboration between the embassy and Chabad at the yechidus, but I cannot say more. What I can say is that, when the Rebbe asked me about the shuls and activities in Russia, I told him that by my circulating through many of these shuls, we managed to deliver those items that were sent through. We also spoke at length about the amount of material on Judaism that we brought in, one way or another, from Israel.
Giant Map
During the lengthy yechidus the Rebbe spread out a mental and oral map of Russia. Even I, who knew of the Rebbe’s involvement, was amazed at his knowledge about every single place of Jewish activity there. Chabad’s network was spread over the entire Soviet Union, a network full of sacrifice and risk in their holy work, but the Rebbe wanted to know what was going on from the perspective of someone who had just finished his diplomatic service there.
I told the Rebbe about the holy work of his Chassidim, who devoted days and nights for Judaism in the Soviet Union. I also described the secret network we established at the embassy and our aid to the underground work of Chabad to transfer thousands of holy items, as well as siddurim, Chumashim and other books to Jews — all this considered anti-Soviet activity, which could entail years in prison. The authorities often confiscated the material and censured us, but our immunity protected us from the more notorious punishments, although our clandestine work did get some of our people expelled from the country.
I immediately saw that I wasn’t revealing any secrets to the Rebbe. He knew it all and his main interest lay in the details. He wanted to know precisely to which places we had gone. In my book I was careful not to reveal names of the Lubavitchers or others who were involved, but here I told the Rebbe openly. I am sure the Rebbe knew about all this, but the Rebbe did not let on: on the contrary, he urged me to continue telling him.
Not once, throughout our many hours together, did he mention specific names of people. Nor did he ask me personally whether I met with someone by the name of x in city y. Instead, he began with a question in Yiddish (our entire conversation was in Yiddish) and directed me as to what he really wanted to know. He was careful not to say, for example, that in Tashkent there are two shuls and so-and-so is over there; otherwise, he might reveal to me information I didn’t know. After I answered all the questions he steered me into conversation about the baal korei [Torah reader] of the place – how he was, how he looked, and if he had a special message. Or he steered me toward the shamash [caretaker] in a third place, or to the Jewish shoemaker who had a stand in the market in a certain city, and thus in every location.
And this went on for hours. It was like the Rebbe took an oral journey with me throughout the Soviet Union, length and breadth, without omitting a single place. I was amazed at his knowledge of every detail related to Judaism in Russia, his mastery of every underground religious activity – without any written notes!
For example, in one location the Rebbe led the conversation to a certain person without wanting to describe him.
“He’s blonde,” I offered.
“Ah,” said the Rebbe, “what does he do?”
And we continued to speak. The Rebbe conducted the conversation with a view that encompassed the entire scene.
In Admiration
In general I found the meeting a very moving experience, even though the entire encounter did not deal at all with opinions or outlooks, or anything like that. I had to express my tremendous admiration for the Chabad Chassidim, led by the Rebbe, many times; about their immense work in Russia that I was witness to, about the self-sacrifice – even though, when it came to politics, I was very far from the Rebbe’s view.
I will say this: the admiration I have for the Chabad Chassidim and the Rebbe is not a “blind admiration,” but a deep respect that I acquired when I saw them in their daily, dangerous work in the Soviet Union.
When I left the Rebbe’s office, Chassidim surrounded me. Of course, I could not disclose to them even one word of what was said, but I remember that they told me, “To sit for so many hours with the Rebbe is no small thing!”
I didn’t consider it a matter of pride, as if it were due to who I was. Simply, the Rebbe knew I had traveled throughout Russia, and he could learn many details from my testimony about Jewry in general and his Chassidim in particular.
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