By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
It was 1975, and Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, the dynamic director of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Education (NCFJE), was preparing to travel to London for the wedding of his son Yossi to Raisy Adler. When he informed the Rebbe of his upcoming trip, the Rebbe gave him several missions to fulfill while he was in the city.
Rabbi Hecht was a warm, enthusiastic and loveable man. The English, on the other hand, were known for their reserved nature. “Try to internalize the American warmness, and remove the English coldness,” the Rebbe told an English student who asked how to fit in at the American school he was attending.
To encourage Rabbi Hecht in his missions, however, the Rebbe chose to focus on the positive attributes in the national character, recalling a story he had read in a report written by a Chabad representative in London four years earlier:
In 1972, Rabbi Aron Dov Sufrin, then-director of education at the Lubavitch House Schools, had a vision that the students should create an exhibit on Jewish history and life. He recruited many of the local Jewish day schools to participate, and the students put together a cutting-edge exhibition in the Lubavitch House hall.
As a guest of honor for the grand opening, Rabbi Sufrin invited Lady Margaret Thatcher, then minister of education and science, and later prime minister. For two hours, the minister toured and listened to the students’ detailed explanations of the exhibits.
The exhibit included a large screen with a slideshow depicting the daily life of a young Jewish girl. It started with the girl waking up, reciting the prayer thanking G-d for returning her soul, washing her hands and then getting dressed in modest clothes that covered her knees and elbows.
The minister, who wore a sleeveless blouse, immediately took note. She asked her assistant to get her jacket from the car and wore it for the remainder of the visit.
While one could dwell on their negative qualities, the Rebbe told Rabbi Hecht, what truly optimized the English was their respect for others.
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*In 1972 Rev AD (Aharon Dov) Sufrin was head in Lubavitch House etc whatever it says up there I believe. Not Rabbi Areyah Sufrin
Indeed, as the picture states too, Rev AD Sufrin was Director Education of Lubavitch House School in London for nearly 40 years, until his untimely passing at the age of 67, in 1997.
Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE is his son, who is continuing the legacy of his late father, in North-East London and Essex where his parents moved at the Rebbe’s behest in 1976, and where Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin has been active since 1985.
Rabbi Aron Dov Sufrin a”h was the Director of Education of Lubavitch schools in London.
His son Aryeh sheyichye MBE is a Shliach in Ilford Just outside London.
How very poignant. She truly was a remarkable woman.
When Thatcher dispatched warships / planes to the Falklands, a British colony, when Argentina tried to take it since off their coast .. US sent their ambassador to tell her to avoid the conflict. She told him, “I’ll do that when you give up Hawaii”: )
One need only look at her heartless policies in Ireland to see what a tyrant the ‘Iron Lady’ really was.
What “heartless policies”? Fighting marxist terrorists, and not giving in to them?! That is not heartless, it is justice and righteousness.
Referring to your article of Margaret Thatcher’s visit to Lubavitch in London in 1972. There seems to be some confusion between Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin and his father his son is mentioned in the article as being Director of education in London.Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin would have been 13 years old at the time.His father A.D.Sufrin appears in the photo with Mrs Thatcher.
Names in your report are wrong
It was Reb Aron Dov Sufrin OH Rebbe’s shliach in London and then Director of Education of Lubavitch schools who invited Mrs Thatcher to visit this event not his son Aryeh.
His son Aryeh is current shliach in London Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin
B’h Beautiful story with a beautiful message. As the article so clearly underlines – the Rebbe’s way is always to emphasize the positive. And so too should we emulate the Rebbe and look at and emphasize the positive side of Lady Thatcher: In this particular incident she showed interest, encouragement and by personal example (putting on a modest jacket) – approval of the amazing project which the Chabad girls put together. No amount of lecturing will make you improve your ways as much as a living example does. The Chabad girls did just that, they are a living example! This… Read more »