yeshiva continued

⁠⁠[15:33, 8/17/2017] Rabbi Lipszyc Weekly Story: ⁠⁠⁠Rabbi Lipszyc's Story of the Week Dedicated in honor of the Rebbes shluchim around the world. As told previously, The Rebbe informed my hanhola that he wanted me to learn safrus, and so I returned to New York to continue my learning there which included Safrus under the private tutelage of Rabbi Eliezer Zirkind a”h.  While there, under the Yeshiva program with Rabbis Berel Junik and Kahanov a”h, I was given the opportunity to also learn schita. The Rebbe encouraged me in that direction as well.  Towards the end of the z’man, as we were entering the spring/summer season (of 1969) my thoughts turned to my summer plans. In general I was a “big overnight camp guy.” From the time that I was 4 years old, I only missed one summer of overnight camp until after I was married. [That summer was the time, mentioned in a previous story, when the Rebbe sent Casriel Brusowankin and myself to Florida to follow up on the campers from that most successful and nachas giving camp to the Rebbe of 4 years previous to that.] Nevertheless, I figured that that upcoming summer (of 1969) would most properly be dedicated to finish my learning of Safrus and Schita. When I wrote as much to the Rebbe, I received brachos and haskomas for that plan.  About 4 days before all camps were leaving with campers and counsellors to the Catskills, I was sitting in 770 learning, when I noticed a tall clean shaven guy come into the zal, ask someone something and he was pointed in my direction. This fellow then approached me and asked if I were Itche Meyer Lipszyc? Upon receiving confirmation, he introduced himself as Dovid Himber, the director of Camp Dora Golding in Deal, New Jersey. He explained that he was just informed that his Senior Division Head had cancelled his plans for the summer and he was in need of someone to fill that position and I was recommended to him as the best and most qualified one to fill that position. I was so surprised, it never even dawned on me to ask who had recommended me?  Instead, I simply apologized and explained I already had my plans for the summer. Imagine my surprise when he would not accept my response and continued to try and pursued me with numerous arguments, as to why I should change my plans. Seeing that none of my counter arguments and refusals were making any impressions on him, I simply asked incredibly, “I don’t understand you, if, as you seem to believe, I am held in such high regard in Lubavitch as to my camping capabilities, don’t you think that if I was open to change my plans for this summer, even at this late date, I would be able to find a position in one of the many Gan Israel camps, why would you even think I would consider going to a non-Chabad camp?” In frustration to my continued refusals of his proposal, he suddenly exclaimed, “ah you Chabadnik’s are a bunch of hypocrites!” In total shock I asked, “Whoa, can you explain that statement? Because I don’t want to go to your camp, all Chabadnik’s are hypocrites? Can you explain that correlation?” To which he responded, “everyone knows that a Chabadnik isn’t supposed to make a decision without asking the Rebbe, and here you refuse to consider my offer without asking the Rebbe!” So I proceeded to explain my position. I had already received the Rebbe’s brachos and haskomas for my summer plans and saw no reason to change them. In fact, were I to ask the Rebbe about changing my plans, the implication would be that I want to do so, which was certainly not true. Even were I inclined to ask the Rebbe, this question, I would have to preface it with a total negativity so that the Rebbe understands that from my stand point, I am not reversing my original plans. If I were to write in such a negative way, what do you think the Rebbe’s response would be? When Dovid still insisted that I write, I said, “you know what, sit here for a bit, and I will go off on a side to write the letter as I believe it would have to be written. I will then show it to you. If you want me to send it in as written, then I will do so. He agreed, and so I went off to write the letter.  I started off the letter by apologizing for wasting the Rebbe’s time for such foolishness but didn’t want me to be the cause of anyone ever ch”v thinking that Chabad Chassidim were hypocrites. I then went on explaining that I appreciated the Rebbe’s brachos and haskomas for my summer plans which I intended to follow through with. I then went on to explain what Dovid Himber had proposed, ending off with my own desire to just continuing with my original plans of finishing my learning of Safrus and Shchita. I personally felt that the letter was overly negative to the idea of going to Camp Dora Golding. However, when I showed the letter to Himber saying “you really want me to send this in to the Rebbe?!?” he said, “yes I do.” So as I had given my word, I immediately carried it into the offices of the secretariat. I don’t believe you can imagine my surprise when, within 2 hours, I received an answer from the Rebbe that “provided the kashrus was in order, I should have a wonderful summer there.”  I immediately called Dovid and asked what the standard of kashrus was? He replied, “Glatt Kosher only not cholov Israel.” I wasn’t quite sure how this fit in with the Rebbe’s conditions, so I asked to speak to Rabbi Chadakov, the Rebbe’s personal secretary. Another surprise, he asked me to immediately come into his back office. To understand the uniqueness of what happened next, a short intro is in order. Although rarely, sometimes you could catch Rabbi Chadakov for a short conversation (up to 2 minutes) in the main secretariat offices located in the front of 770. Mostly however you had to make an appointment. Most appointments with Rabbi Chadakov, which were expected to be short, were held at a desk in a corner of the front office. Really private appointments were in Rabbi Chadakov’s private office in the back of 770. This “office” was nothing more than a closet with no windows. It barely fit a small desk, with a folding chair on one side of the table (for Rabbi Chadakov) and two folding chairs on the second side of the table (for the visitors.) In order to get into the office, you opened the door a little bit (which would inevitably hit the side of the desk) slide in, and close the door so that the visitor could then slide around the other side of the desk and sit facing Rabbi Chadakov. I personally believe that Rabbi Chadakov chose such a claustrophobic office, so that it would be impossible for anyone to “waste” much of Rabbi Chadakov’s precious time. So again, try to imagine my surprise when Rabbi Chadakov asked me to immediately come into his back office. I showed him a copy of the letter I wrote to the Rebbe. [I always made a copy of any letter that I wrote to the Rebbe, so that when I was shown the response (the secretaries would only show you the response, you could not keep it) you could copy the exact method of response onto your copy, lines, circles and other markings, as per the style of the Rebbe.] And showed him the Rebbe’s response. I then asked that since it’s only cholov akum, does that mean the Rebbe is saying I should go to the camp? Rabbi Chadakov gave me a stern look and said, “Only cholov akum, only cholov akum?!? Cholom akum is metamtem halev and metamtem hamoi’ach, etc.” He kept me in his office for 45 minutes explaining the seriousness of this oft trampled upon halacha. And he explained that this was the exact mission that the Rebbe had entrusted me with – to change the camp over to cholov Israel! Upon leaving Rabbi Chadakov’s office, I called Dovid Himber and told him that if he would change the camp to cholov Israel I would be able to come. He explained the difficulty in doing that at that time. After trying to help him work out technical logistics, there were financial considerations that of course I couldn’t help him with. After a long discussion, he said there were too many difficulties involved and he couldn’t make the changes required. I told him I’m sorry, in that case pursuant to the Rebbe’s instructions, I would not be able to go to the camp. And thus I thought the issue was over.  Barely two hours later, Dovid called me back and told me that change was made and the camp was now cholov Israel and I could come. I agreed. When we discussed the camp schedule, he explained that the next morning chartered buses were transporting the counsellors to camp for 4 days of orientation after which the campers would be coming. I asked to be excused from at least 2 days of orientation, since until a few moments before I didn’t even know I was going and needed to make some preparations including some shopping for basic necessities. He agreed, but explained that unlike the next morning when the chartered buses were taking the counsellors directly to camp, I would have to take public transportation until a certain stop and call from a public phone there and the camp truck would come pick me up. Two days later, I arrived at the bus stop and called the camp from the public phone. Again I don’t believe anyone could possibly understand my shock and the thoughts running through my head when a girl answered the phone. We had never actually discussed what kind of a camp this was. Did I perhaps mistakenly sign up for a Coed camp?!? I was very embarrassed and was ready to just turn around and head back to New York. I asked to speak to Dovid Himber. When he got on the phone I asked him straight out, “is this a coed camp?” Realizing why I would think so, he laughingly answered no. He explained they had hired a local girl as the secretary in the office, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.and she would go home every evening. The office itself was located right at the entranceway of the camp and there was never a reason why any of the camp staff or campers would need to ever go into the office. And so, Dovid sent the Driver to pick me. The lasting effect of this summer was that Camp Dora Golding stayed Cholov Yisroel. Thinking back at that whole episode, I came to the realization that this whole deal was coordinated behind the scenes by the Rebbe himself. 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