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FROM THE
Editor

e announced our Zionist Jew who happily eats gebrokts has for so many others, the Torah of
Aliyah plans in the on all seven days of Pesach, why should the Ba’al Shem Tov and his students
summer of 2020 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s views on Aliyah has changed my life.
Wsending an email have anything to do with me? The And so I couldn’t easily dismiss the
to our community; it was the only answer: far more than you might think.
way to reach everyone at once. The Soon after my parents began attending Rebbe’s disapproval of my Aliyah, even
if it came indirectly. Where would I be
responses we received were, as you the University of Buffalo in 1969, they without the Rebbe’s unbelievable love
might expect, almost universally met two people who would drastically for every last Jew – a love that sent two
warm and encouraging. But one alter the trajectory of their lives – and, of his Chassidim to the frozen tundra of
email, from a Chabad friend in the
area, made me pause. He wrote: “It’s by extension, my own. Though my Buffalo, New York to share the light of
Torah with my parents?
parents grew up with some degree of
wonderful that you want to live in Jewish education, it was Rabbi Noson
Israel. But how can you abandon your Gurary and Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, Responding to my Chabad friend, I
shlichus, your mission, as the rabbi of the Chabad shlichim at the University thanked him for believing in me, for
your community?” believing that I could continue to make
of Buffalo, who introduced them to the a difference in the Diaspora. And who
The Lubavitcher Rebbe was generally world of Torah Judaism and helped
supportive of Aliyah, and his love them begin their journey to Orthodox am I to argue with the Rebbe? “But,” I
explained, “while I owe my life to the
and concern for both the Land and life. Three days before their Reform
people of Israel is legendary. But as my wedding, my parents were secretly Rebbe, Rav Kook is my Rav!”
Chabad friend accurately pointed out, married near the Rebbe’s office at 770 Though Rav Kook strongly believed
the Rebbe was far more circumspect in Crown Heights. Though my family that G-d is calling the Jewish people to
about rabbis and community leaders didn’t become Chabad Chassidim, we return to the Land, he also understood
moving to Israel. In a 1981 letter to a were raised with a deep appreciation that all of the “tribes” of Am Yisrael
Jew in South Africa, he wrote: “If the and gratitude to both the Rebbe and make unique and complementary
person happens to be a leader in his Chabad – and a subscription to Tzivos contributions to our people. Though
community, and his departure would Hashem! he passed away before Chabad began
seriously affect the wellbeing of the While Chabad opened my eyes to sending shlichim to every corner of the
community – spiritually, economically globe, I believe Rav Kook would have
or politically – thereby weakening that Chassidut, I was quickly entranced seen Religious Zionism and Chabad
by the broader world of Chassidic
community’s support for Eretz Yisrael, thought. The Piacetzner Rebbe’s Chovot as complementary movements in
then the gain would clearly be more Israel and the Diaspora, each playing
than offset by the loss… In a small HaTalmidim spoke powerfully to me a critical role to speed the arrival of
as a teenager; his direct and personal
community, the departure of a single redemption. May we soon see that
influential member, whether a rabbi or style was exhilarating, and unlike great day!
anything I had ever learned in yeshivah
a layman, can make all the difference.”
day school. As an adult, I’ve found the
Leaving aside the practical question as writings of Rav Avraham Zvi Kluger, Elie Mischel
to whether my Aliyah would damage the which clearly and seamlessly combine
community I left behind (a community classical Talmudic learning with the
that was deeply committed to Torah of Breslov and Chabad, to be Rabbi Elie Mischel
supporting Israel long before I arrived), indispensable reading before every Editor
you might ask another question: as a yom tov; his teachings have altered my
proud kippa srugah-wearing Religious experience of these holy days. Like it

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