Believe

I Believe

The title of today’s blog is monumental. Last Thurs., I attended the Yud Shevat Farbrengen at Anshe Shalom Chabad to commemorate the life of the previous Lubavitch Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn on the date of his Yazhreit. At this time the Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of righteous memory became the Rebbe and assumed the leadership of Chabad Lubavitch Worldwide.

When you hear the words, I believe no one has stronger beliefs and a more inspiring story than Rabbi Leibel Zisman, he and his brother, Berel are the sole survivors from their Kovno, Lithuania-based family. The rest perished in the Shoah.

Rabbi Zisman, the guest speaker at the gathering, told a story that moved the congregation, while simultaneously showed the true meaning of why life can be joyous and most important, why to believe.

He began discussing his early life. When he was 10 years old his dad took him to a Farbrengen led by the previous Rebbe. At the end his dad approached him and asked him to bless his son. He did. Dad danced with joy. When asked why he was dancing so happily? He responded that this blessing would protect his son throughout his life.

Protect him it did. He, his older brother who was also blessed traveled home and went about their lives. Sadly, one day the Germans invaded and their lives changed forever. The family lived in a ghetto for a period of time.

One day they and many others were rounded up and forced onto a cattle train. He spent the next years of his life in several camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. He told us how he was able to run away from vicious dogs the Nazis sent after him. We’ve all heard of dogfights. His story was the dogfight of dogfights. B”H for Rabbi Zisman’s strength and beliefs. He continued by telling us about his transfers to numerous camps. He was in five until the Americans arrived to end the war. He was one of 6 of a total of 131 children to survive from when they were originally herded onto a train.

The story that connected most with me was how he managed to put on his Teffilin almost the whole time. He even was able to give it out to the males. This mitzvah is so important.

You see he wound getting pair of Russian boots that were a bit big for him. But he was able to hide his pair of Teffilin in them and got to do the precious Mitzvah of wearing it almost daily. Eventually it was taken from him and destroyed.
The war ended and he wound up in Russia and one day he was summoned to an office, interrogated and led to his brother, who was waiting.

Shortly after he left Europe for America to begin his new life. He told some amazing stories about his arrival to Brooklyn, too.
He ended by telling us how his belief in the blessing he received from the previous Rebbe was his inspiration and kept him alive.
I was lucky enough to meet him and spend a few moments chatting with him. He signed a copy of his book, I Believe: The Story of One Jewish Life. About two weeks ago, I met two Terezin survivors and had a book signed. Last time, I had the woman make it out to my American name. This time, I had Rabbi Zisman make it out to my Hebrew name.

The story of his life and the women I met earlier give us all hope. Everyone must hear the stories told by these survivors. They are the most inspiring stories ever told.

I know I have a lot reading to do. But it will be more than worthwhile, I believe.

B”H