By COLlive reporter
200 people from across southern Florida participated in a Chof Daled Teves Farbrengen at The Shul of Bal Harbour led by Rabbi Sholom Duchman, Executive Director of Colel Chabad.
Accompanied by a multimedia presentation of handwritten responses from the Rebbe, Rabbi Duchman started by describing the decision of the Rebbe to send 20 Shluchim to the Holy Land in 1976, the first such group.
He described the vivid details and excitement and buzz in 770 Eastern Parkway and the Chabad world that was from Yud Tes Kislev until after Yud Shevat exactly 40 years ago.
He was part of that delegation that was met with great enthusiasm by Israeli Chabad chassidim who welcomed them with great joy. Accompanying them was 770 Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Mordechai Mentlick. They were personally greeted by Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin and President Ephraim Katzir.
He furthered described his first personal yechidus with the Rebbe, 2 days before his wedding where the Rebbe laid out the vision and mission of Colel Chabad, Israel’s longest running charity organization that was founded by the Alter Rebbe.
Rabbi Duchman prefaced that his involvement with Colel Chabad, in truth, is something that came to him from generation to generation.
His grandfather Reb Schner Zalman Duchman (and shared grandfather of The Shul’s Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar) raised money for Colel Chabad in 1963. And his great, great grandfather – Reb Mordechai Yoel Duchman raised funds for Colel Chabad in 1914.
He continued to describe what transpired by what he thought would be just a visit to New York in 1979. Instead, the Rebbe told Rabbi Duchman and his wife Feige him to stay in New York and direct Colel Chabad from across the Atlantic.
The Rebbe’s care to the organization was portrayed with the first brochure Colel Chabad made in 1980. The Rebbe analyzed each item and pointed out changes to maximize its impact.
The Rebbe also added questions and notes to a financial report of the organization, as to verifying that each expense was thought out and necessary for the Colel, Rabbi Duchman pointed out.
Shown on the screen was also a letter Rabbi Duchman wrote to the Rebbe in 1991, describing a Shabbos he spend at The Shul of Bal Harbour and the its activities. He concluded that he hopes this report brings the Rebbe nachas. The Rebbe added, “Gadol! Big Nachas – askir al hatzion.”
Rabbi Duchman said that throughout his travels, he always wrote a report after visiting with the local Shliach of the life and activities he witnessed which would clearly bring the Rebbe much nachas.
He concluded that he is confident that seeing the growth and activities of The Shul and the planned further expansion, “it surely continues to bring nachas to the Rebbe.”
Wow what an unbelievable Fabrengen. So much involvement from the Rebbe. Rabbi Sholom and Rabbi Zalman Duchman thank you for a tremendous evening.
So powerful.
I strongly urge anyone who has the opportunity to hear the history of Colel Chabad in the past 40 years. And how the Rebbe had a personal vested interest.