Rabbi Moshe Lazar and Rabbi Binyomin Katz
1 July 2011
The last two days were spent travelling back in time, and around the world. From Brooklyn to the Catskills, from Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Finland), to Soviet Russia, and Italy as well. Nearly 11 hours of footage.
Rabbi Moshe Lazar retelling his personal encounters with the Rebbe.
Yesterday we were privileged to sit with Rabbi Moshe Lazar, a Shliach in Milano, Italy. Although not from a Chabad family himself, he spent his childhood and high school years – in the 40s – in Chabad Lubavitch institutions in NY, and continued to be active until he got married. His major contribution in those years was the establishment of the (now internationally acclaimed) Chabad camp network “Camp Gan Israel”. He shared in detail of all of his involvement and spoke with gratitude and love about the Rebbe’s direction and encouragement throughout the years.
In over 40 years of leadership, the Rebbe never left the city of NY, besides for a visit to the campgrounds of Camp Gan Israel. Rabbi Lazar described the excitement and the rush, when the Rebbe suddenly decided to make his first visit to the camp.
He described how the Rebbe toured every part of the campgrounds, commenting on everything, to ensure that the children have wholesome experience both practically and spiritually.
Notice how far Rabbi Lazar is from the background.
The Rebbe embraced the institution of’summer camp’, noting the tremendous positive affect we can have on children when they are in a Torah-based atmosphere 24/7. Their pure souls connect with their heritage in such a powerful way, much stronger than school can do.
Rabbi Lazar continued to talk about the Rebbe’s care that he felt all through the years. He stressed again and again – “The world doesn’t understand what the Rebbe is! Most people put him up on a pedestal as if he is high on a mountain. The Rebbe was actually just the opposite! Although he was so very great, he would always come down to our level and make us feel loved, thereby raising us up. We all felt like he was a father, a caring father, that was sincerely interested in what was going on in our lives, and that he guided us – directlyor through our teachers – in our developmental years”.
Of course, we covered his and his family’s relationship with the Rebbe while they were on Shlichus in Milan, starting in 1961. One amazing moment was when they returned to NY for the first time (Rosh Hashana of 1963). The Lazars were scheduled to return on the eve of Erev Rosh Hashana, the same night the Rebbe was holding a Farbrengen. The Rebbe kept on asking for Rabbi Lazar and wouldn’t end the Farbrengen until Rabbi Lazar came. Once Rabbi Lazar walked in, the Rebbe gave one more sicha and ended the Farbrengen. The tremendous amount of ‘hakaros hatov’ (appreciation), Rabbi Lazar explained, was given to them for going out on Shlichus to such a far-out place.
On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to interview Rabbi Benyomin Katz, from New Haven, CT. He was in town for his
Rabbi Binyomin Katz, of New Haven, discusses his few month trip to Soviet Union in 1964.
son’s wedding, and spared 8 (!) hours of his day to relate to us his traumatic trip to Soviet Russia in 1964. He was sent on Merkos Shlichus to Scandinavia. Before he left – he had a private audience with the Rebbe, and towards the end, he gathered the courage and said, “I know that the topic of Soviet Jewry is so close to the Rebbe’s heart. I heard the Rebbe’s talk just a few days ago (on Shavuos 1963), and the Rebbe’s heartrending cries about our brothers behind the Iron Curtain. I am willing, after my mission in Scandinavia to go to Russia and do whatever mission the Rebbe wants.” This was unheard of at the time. Very few people went behind the Iron Curtain to help the Jewish people trapped there.
Although at first, the Rebbe didn’t confirm that he would go, in the end, a telegram came to Copenhagen confirming that he should do the trip. This began a journey of a few months, with many different meaningful, scary, exhilarating and dangerous encounters. His greatest asset was his memory. Rabbi Katz was blessed with an unusual capability of remembering every detail of every person he met – their names, addresses, etc. This kept him up most nights as he often repeated to himself all of the information that he knew.
Rabbi Katz has a photographic memory, helping him to remember all the people he met on his trip to the Soviet Union.
He stressed an important point which people might mistake. The Rebbe was hardly ever personally involved in the
dealings of people going to Russia. It was all done through the Rebbe’s secretariat, and through different agents. It was not appropriate or safe for the Rebbe to be involved in ‘illegal’ activity… So he himself didn’t receive personal directives from the Rebbe of what to do, and how to conduct himself, etc.
When he finished his trip, he continued to Israel, where he worked for 2 years to match names of people that he met, with their family members in Israel. This would give them the chance to get out of Russia – taking advantage of an international law passed, which obliges every nation to grant someone an exit visa, if they want to be re-united with their families.
The last two days were spent travelling back in time, and around the world. From Brooklyn to the Catskills, from Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Finland), to Soviet Russia, and Italy as well. Nearly 11 hours of footage.
Rabbi Moshe Lazar retelling his personal encounters with the Rebbe.
Yesterday we were privileged to sit with Rabbi Moshe Lazar, a Shliach in Milano, Italy. Although not from a Chabad family himself, he spent his childhood and high school years – in the 40s – in Chabad Lubavitch institutions in NY, and continued to be active until he got married. His major contribution in those years was the establishment of the (now internationally acclaimed) Chabad camp network “Camp Gan Israel”. He shared in detail of all of his involvement and spoke with gratitude and love about the Rebbe’s direction and encouragement throughout the years.
In over 40 years of leadership, the Rebbe never left the city of NY, besides for a visit to the campgrounds of Camp Gan Israel. Rabbi Lazar described the excitement and the rush, when the Rebbe suddenly decided to make his first visit to the camp.
He described how the Rebbe toured every part of the campgrounds, commenting on everything, to ensure that the children have wholesome experience both practically and spiritually.
Notice how far Rabbi Lazar is from the background.
The Rebbe embraced the institution of’summer camp’, noting the tremendous positive affect we can have on children when they are in a Torah-based atmosphere 24/7. Their pure souls connect with their heritage in such a powerful way, much stronger than school can do.
Rabbi Lazar continued to talk about the Rebbe’s care that he felt all through the years. He stressed again and again – “The world doesn’t understand what the Rebbe is! Most people put him up on a pedestal as if he is high on a mountain. The Rebbe was actually just the opposite! Although he was so very great, he would always come down to our level and make us feel loved, thereby raising us up. We all felt like he was a father, a caring father, that was sincerely interested in what was going on in our lives, and that he guided us – directlyor through our teachers – in our developmental years”.
Of course, we covered his and his family’s relationship with the Rebbe while they were on Shlichus in Milan, starting in 1961. One amazing moment was when they returned to NY for the first time (Rosh Hashana of 1963). The Lazars were scheduled to return on the eve of Erev Rosh Hashana, the same night the Rebbe was holding a Farbrengen. The Rebbe kept on asking for Rabbi Lazar and wouldn’t end the Farbrengen until Rabbi Lazar came. Once Rabbi Lazar walked in, the Rebbe gave one more sicha and ended the Farbrengen. The tremendous amount of ‘hakaros hatov’ (appreciation), Rabbi Lazar explained, was given to them for going out on Shlichus to such a far-out place.
On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to interview Rabbi Benyomin Katz, from New Haven, CT. He was in town for his
Rabbi Binyomin Katz, of New Haven, discusses his few month trip to Soviet Union in 1964.
son’s wedding, and spared 8 (!) hours of his day to relate to us his traumatic trip to Soviet Russia in 1964. He was sent on Merkos Shlichus to Scandinavia. Before he left – he had a private audience with the Rebbe, and towards the end, he gathered the courage and said, “I know that the topic of Soviet Jewry is so close to the Rebbe’s heart. I heard the Rebbe’s talk just a few days ago (on Shavuos 1963), and the Rebbe’s heartrending cries about our brothers behind the Iron Curtain. I am willing, after my mission in Scandinavia to go to Russia and do whatever mission the Rebbe wants.” This was unheard of at the time. Very few people went behind the Iron Curtain to help the Jewish people trapped there.
Although at first, the Rebbe didn’t confirm that he would go, in the end, a telegram came to Copenhagen confirming that he should do the trip. This began a journey of a few months, with many different meaningful, scary, exhilarating and dangerous encounters. His greatest asset was his memory. Rabbi Katz was blessed with an unusual capability of remembering every detail of every person he met – their names, addresses, etc. This kept him up most nights as he often repeated to himself all of the information that he knew.
Rabbi Katz has a photographic memory, helping him to remember all the people he met on his trip to the Soviet Union.
He stressed an important point which people might mistake. The Rebbe was hardly ever personally involved in the
dealings of people going to Russia. It was all done through the Rebbe’s secretariat, and through different agents. It was not appropriate or safe for the Rebbe to be involved in ‘illegal’ activity… So he himself didn’t receive personal directives from the Rebbe of what to do, and how to conduct himself, etc.
When he finished his trip, he continued to Israel, where he worked for 2 years to match names of people that he met, with their family members in Israel. This would give them the chance to get out of Russia – taking advantage of an international law passed, which obliges every nation to grant someone an exit visa, if they want to be re-united with their families.
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