Day 5 was Sunday, the last day of the Chabad on Campus 5784/2024 Kinus Conference in Israel.
Shacharit prayers, the last Israeli breakfast in the hotel, packing up and checking out, before loading the buses for a trip southeast of Jerusalem to Bethlehem and Hebron.
I was still on Bus #2. There were 4 buses for much of the trip, but now that the Israeli campus Shluchim joined us there were at least five buses caravan-ing together. I was on the back of the bus this time, and sat together with Rabbi Avraham, the campus Shliach to Purdue in Indiana. We chatted a bit about his illustrious grandfather, his namesake, a prominent European businessman (I learned he was in the lampshade business) who did many missions for the Rebbe, and started the seeds for many a Chabad House, along his business travels and with his business contacts. We talked about Jewish campus life, what I’ve learned and see change over my 25 years at UAlbany, and what he’s seen over his five years or so at Purdue.
RACHEL’S TOMB
Before long we were at the big security wall, (Israel really is a small country, yet so much in it) and the walled section of Bethlehem which it sections off for Kever Rachel – Rachel’s Tomb. (The change in vibes from seeing her iconic tomb just off the curb of the road, fitting the biblical verse, is a story for another time, as the fortress-like structure changes the vibes of the entry, but inside Rachel’s Tomb the vibes are the same, it is one of the most meaningful places to pray!)
As back in 1991 when I first visited, I was drawn to the Montefiore engraved stone, now enshrined in a corner wall. It quotes the verses of Jeremiah (often set to heartfelt song), how Rachel cries for her children in exile, and G-d promises her that her children will return to their borders. Underneath those Jeremiah verses is written in Hebrew: “One of her children established this monument.” A reference to Sir Moses Montefiore, he and his wife are mentioned on the second stone with the wish that this couple merit to see Moshiach! I pointed out the richness of these engraved stones to fellow Shluchim, most did not know of it, or realize its richness, including some of the Israelis!
Of course we prayed. We said Psalms, we had our families and friends and students and alumni in mind.
And then we went outside Rachel’s Tomb, to stand on the (now enclosed) roadway to hear Jonathan and Rachel Polin speak of their 9-month ordeal seeking, advocating, yearning for their son Hersh, hostage in Hamas captivity. Jonathan shared how Chabad in Cleveland koshered his mother-in-law’s kitchen, how they’ve been involved with Chabad in Virginia and elsewhere, but mostly about these 9 months. Over and over again they shared the same theme, how all they do, all the advocacy and all the connections, is all Hishtadlus, our human effort, the vessel, but the miracle itself, the light they seek, that is all from Hashem. Their incredible bedrock Emunah-faith shone through all they said and was an inspiration to all of us. Together we all recited various psalms, including the one for Hersh’s age. At the end the Polins shared that a friend gave them a Rebbe dollar as a merit for Hersh. It was a meaningful gesture, but then on the dollar was inscribed the date: 4th of Tishrei – which is exactly Hersh’s Hebrew birthday! May they and all of Israel have good news…
THE HEBRON TRIP
From the Polins talk outside Rachel’s Tomb (who cries to G-d for her children in exile) we boarded the buses again for the trip to Hebron/Chevron.
Our first stop in Chevron was the Chabad Visitor Center just across from the Tomb of the Machpela. The top floor is all windows, looking out and around at ancient Chevron. We were served a delicious lunch, the waiters being students from the nearby Shavei Chevron Yeshiva (housed in the expanded Beit Romano building, owned by the Lubavitcher Rebbes). Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky spoke to us, as did the ever-smiling and sweet Rabbi Danny Cohen of Chevron Chabad, who also shared plans for expansion of the center and its educational offerings. And how we could purchase pizza coupons to give to soldiers throughout Chevron for a free meal and treat.
After taking a big group photo on the steps leading up to the Machpela, we walked up to enter the Tomb of the Patriarchs/Matriarchs – the Machpela. It’s an elaborate structure, the external edifice built by Herod in the Roman period. We prayed Mincha there and visited each of the internal decorative structures. By Avraham and Sarah I prayed to continue their tradition of welcoming hospitality that furthers divine awareness, as Chabad Houses endeavor to do today, in the spirit of Avraham and Sarah’s tent. At Leah I was reminded of the lesson of the veil that we tell marrying couples as part of their pre-marital learning with us. At Yaakov/Jacob I asked for our children to each find spouses and establish their own families, continuing our tradition, as Jacob’s 12 Sons/Tribes did. At Yitzchak that we have what it takes to dig deep enough and persistent enough to find living water deep within, and Rivka to stick to being roses even among thorns, and for the wisdom to know how to guide and encourage as she did with Jacob and Issac’s blessings. We know so much about the Patriarchs and Matriarchs and the prayers at their tombs evokes certain feelings and thoughts appropriate to that space.
Yishai Fleischer, spokesperson for the Hebron Jewish community spoke passionately and engagingly to us in the mid-space between the internal structures about the Jewish community in Chevron, its history and future, and how dear and beloved the Rebbe’s vision of Shleimus Ha’Aretz is for them in a very real and practical sense.
Then we boarded the buses for a short ride to the other side of Jewish Chevron. But not before we were given cool refreshing ices, much needed on that very hot bright and sunny day. A quick anecdote about the ices: There was another visiting group there at the same time, teens from the Metro NY area. Chabad on Campus gave them ices, too. This was overheard: One boy asks another, “did you make a blessing?” No. “What, you got an ices from Chabad and you didn’t make the blessing!?” But I don’t know how/which. “OK, repeat after me…” The Shliach overhearing this went over to the boys and said, you are the living embodiment of Rebbe’s teaching: “Know Alef but don’t know Beis yet? Still, teach Alef!”
The buses took us a little ways to a Hebron road, and from there we went on a walking tour on foot, basically filling the street, led by a passionate and knowledgeable Rabbi Hellinger who lives in Chevron and works at the Chabad there, and also serves in the IDF. He showed us the Beit Schneersohn were Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel lived (today it is apartments), then we saw the expanded Beit Romano. It’s a building purchased by the Rebbe Rashab and stayed in the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s possessions, but on long-term lease to the Yeshiva Shavei Chevron which built onto it. Next door there’s a property awaiting permits to build apartments for the small but eager to grow Hebron Jewish community. There are other Hebron sites connected with Chabad, but our tour only went along this one very hilly street.
Before turning up the steep part of the street going to the left, we saw a blocked passage/check-point ahead and were told that just behind that is the gravesite of Otniel ben Knaz, the first judge of the Book of Judges. We then hiked up that very hilly street, on our right the very large city of Arab Hebron came into view. On our left, but within Israel’s side, were mostly Arab homes. Finally we reached the top and went right and soon an old but upturned Jewish cemetery, now mostly a dirt field, appeared, looking out over Arab Hebron, with a covered gravesite in its center. That’s Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel’s gravesite. It’s now built up on two levels, both on street level and another level down on the field, one story below.
A bit about this wondrous and beloved Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel. She was the daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe, granddaughter of the Alter Rebbe, born on 19 Kislev. Not just any 19 Kislev, but on the very same original 19 Kislev when Alter Rebbe was freed from Russian prison, hence her first name Menucha, which means comfort or calm, or you might say “peace and quiet”. She married Yaakov (Kuli) Slonim, and in 1845 they moved to Hebron and established the Chabad community there. For over 40 years she was the beloved and respect matriarch of Hebron, Sephard and Ashkenaz, Jews and Arabs alike respected her, and came to her for blessings and for miracles. She was known to perform miracles. She passed on the 24th of Shevat 1888, and many early pioneers and leaders of the more modern-day Hebron and Jerusalem modern Jewish communities are her descendants. She is quite the celebrated woman, one of the best known and respected Chassidic women of her time.
Our group of campus Shluchim gathered atop and below, on both levels of her tomb, we sang the Niggun of her father the Mitteler Rebbe, and the Padah B’Shalom Niggun of her grandfather’s release on her birthdate. Given the open but covered space it was thunderous.
Across the street from her gravesite are two small but beautiful buildings, gorgeously restored in that old stone way, one has a richly colored domed skylight, one houses a study hall for a Kollel and the other has facilities and support services. It’s a beautiful little plaza, a very special place, obviously harder to access, not a place birthright or mainstream trips would go, but incredible special. It was my first time there ever. And when would be my next opportunity? Quite memorable. There are more historic sites in that area, some burial sites, it was said that Yishai and Ruth are buried not far from there, also some old buildings, but the schedule had to march on, we’re glad and grateful to have accomplished what we could!
We trekked back down the hilly street towards where the buses were parked. It occurred to me that our forefather Abraham may have trekked this very same hill. And we know Abraham traveled by donkey. Just then we turned a corner and there was a kid there with a donkey, offering us rides/photo-ops for 20 shekel each! Just as I was thinking donkey…
CLOSING BANQUET AT THE AVENUE
From Hebron the buses hurtled their way back west, passed Jerusalem, to Airport City near Tel-Aviv for the closing banquet. It’s a longer bus ride, but not that long, as Israel is a small country. And as on all the Kinus bus trips the conversations along the way were a session of sorts.
As they are wont to do, Chabad on Campus pulled out all the stops at the Banquet. First there was an outdoor smorgasbord and bar, where I tasted my first Sabich and a Carlsberg beer. I had a schwarma on a pita with a topping that was much spicier than my usual. Once inside there was a very elaborate light show and huge screen, a dramatic presentation. I heard later from someone up north that this was done by an Israeli production company that in war-time and in this drop-off in business really appreciated the work.
I sat at a table with Rabbi Mordechai Farkash of Bellevue Washington (one of the rabbi specialists I consult with halachic dilemmas) and Dov Greenberg of Stanford University Chabad. The sharing at the table itself had its own richness.
The program was ably emceed by Rabbi Shua Hecht of Chabad at American University. The president of the Israeli Union of Students, an influential student leader, spoke of the impact of his involvement with Chabad on Campus Israel, personally and communally. An Israeli Shliach in Israel’s north, in Emek Jezreel, spoke of how their college campus life was disrupted and how their campus was transformed into a refugee center for displaced northern families, how Chabad on Campus colleagues and the students (not called up for duty) worked to assist them, and to support soldiers stationed on nearby bases. They played inspirational Rebbe videos on a huge screen spread. And there was a Chabad Israeli singer who sang between the sections.
The keynote was Rabbi Pinny Backman of USF – Tampa. Turns out that his Chabad House is just down the street from a neighborhood dubbed “Little Palestine” and how that flooded their neighborhood and threatened both their personal and communal lives. The costs they put into security, the methods to deal with the stresses, the frustrations and disappointments. But also how they came to a transformative realization to double and triple their efforts, to go all-out with Rebbe’s Mivtzoyim, turning a negative into a positive, a challenge into an impetus. They challenged themselves to put up 100 Mezuzahs on campus (they’re now at 88!), all kinds of increasing Jewish pride and involvement. And how its been a game-changer for them in this dark and difficult time.
Of course, the finale was a huge lively dance – as is the Chabad Kinus way! The singer sang up a storm, with lively music, and a huge light show, and the dancing went on quite a while. Quite a few Shluchim left that night for home, their flight at 1:00am that night. Others stayed an extra day or two. I extended my trip until Wednesday night to see more alumni, and spend a little more precious time in Eretz Yisrael.
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That night, after the Kinus ended, my brother Rabbi Shmuly of Union College Chabad and I traveled from the Avenue in Airport City to stay the night in Northern Tel Aviv at our aunt and uncle’s home. Upon arrival we chatted a bit, about the Kinus, about family, regards from Albany. Our uncle shared his trademark mix of faith and confusion about the state of things, especially on the political front. I learned about a campus Shliach that we have this aunt and uncle in common.