By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
It was March 1972, and thousands of people from around the world had arrived at Lubavitch World Headquarters for a grand Hasidic gathering, or farbrengen. The Rebbe was turning 70, but he was not slowing down.
“Age makes my life more exacting,” the Rebbe told a New York Times reporter. “My age is demanding more of me.”
At the gathering, the Rebbe refused personal presents, but requested a much larger commitment from his Chassidim and himself: 71 new Chabad institutions.
“I think that is a very good challenge, not only for me. It is a very good challenge for them,” the Rebbe told the reporter.
Standing in the packed synagogue, London diamond dealer Bobby Vogel felt he had to participate in the new initiative, but how?
Mr. Vogel had recently established a diamond-setting school. It began when an acquaintance got in trouble with the law and could not find employment. The diamond dealer taught the man how to set diamonds. When he had mastered the trade, Mr. Vogel decided to employ him to teach others.
At his manufacturing center in the London diamond district of Hatton Garden, Mr. Vogel dedicated an entire floor to the trade school. Many from the Hasidic community applied. There was a nominal fee, but the diamond dealer rarely collected it, and actually provided a weekly stipend for those who had no other employment.
Many in the diamond district viewed the school with skepticism. Not only was Mr. Vogel wasting money, they said, he was creating competition for himself.
In addition to the operating expenses of the school, there was the cost of the diamonds that the students practiced on. Often they were chipped or broken in the process, and became unusable.
For Mr. Vogel, however, the satisfaction of providing a livelihood for others made it all worthwhile. “What will I take to the next world?” he would ask. “The broken diamonds from the trade school.”
That day in 1972, Mr. Vogel decided that the school would be his birthday present to the Rebbe as one of the 71 new Chabad institutions.
In a private audience, he told the Rebbe of his intention, and suggested naming it “Lubavitch Trade School.”
“G-d forbid!” the Rebbe said.
Mr. Vogel was taken aback. Was the Rebbe rejecting his gift?
“It could be that a Chossid of another community would want to learn a trade,” the Rebbe told Mr. Vogel, “and because it is called ‘Lubavitch,’ he won’t join the setting school. How can you withhold a Jewish person’s livelihood?”
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The Rebbe diddnt reject the gift, The rebbe rejected the name.
Wow!!!
Such a Tzadik. I remember him when I was growing up in Kingsley way…..such an honest mentch.
Where is the rest of the story?
Bobby Vogel was my mentor and teacher. I used to drive across London every week to come to his women’s shiur in Golders Green. As well as words of Torah that came from years of learning and life experience, I learned so muchfrom his kindness and dignity. This story is very much in the way he cared for others in need of practical help. The broken diamonds will be with him forever, as are my memories of him.
He was a extremely generous man
Who built himself up from the ashes of the war
he spent his life doing Chesed and personally helped my family on many occasions
May his memory be a blessing
S.l.
Mr Vogel was a very honest person He tought his kids in a way of Torah Life. I remember growing up near P.P.A. he would bring over people from all walks to his house especially on Purim. No matter what day would be, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…..anyday that ended with Y, you were always welcomed to his house, years later I move to a community, & a member asked me, where I’m from? & I said……the first thing this man asked me was if I knew Bobby Vogel? I said YES…..& sure enough I vaguely remembered him. He took charge of… Read more »