Rabbi Lipszyc's Story of the week 65.
At a farbrengen that took place while I was shliach in Alabama, (sorry, I don’t remember the year, just that it was in the late 1980’s,) the Rebbe said that every Chabad House should establish a G’mach (a free loan society.) The Rebbe made it clear that this was in addition to the regular city G’mach. Now in the entire state of Alabama, there was no such service, and people there didn’t even have such a concept. I figured I should make a city wide G’mach which would be on a much larger scale. So I contacted a number of influential mainstream Jewish establishment people and presented them with this innovative idea of a Free Loan Society in Birmingham. I was quite surprised at the enthusiastic response to the idea, even from some who were far from being supportive of any other programs that I had done in the past. I was even more surprised at the positive reaction of some of the heavy Federation supporters. You see, as soon as the Jewish Federation got word about our making a G’mach, they told their supporters that they would be making a G’mach for the city. Immediately their supporters pushed back, and said that since it was my idea, they would only support mine and not theirs. And they should not dare try to compete with me on this project. I put together an impressive board and at the meeting they told me about this exchange that they had had with the Federation and assured me that they were 100% behind me, and not be afraid of the Federation. They also told me that they believed that this project would officially establish Chabad of Alabama. The senior partner of the top Jewish law firm, said he would have the official documents drawn up immediately. When he had them ready, (within a few days,) he asked me to set up a breakfast meeting at which these documents could be signed by the members of this new board. Being highly successful and busy CEOs, they asked that the breakfast be set up for 6:00 a.m. the next morning. I did so. After it was set up, I called Rabbi Hodakow to let him know what we were doing, figuring it would give the Rebbe some nachas. When I called, I was told that Rabbi Hodakow could not speak with me then, but that I should call back 11:00 p.m. that night and he would then be able to talk with me. Imagine my shock when I shared, what I believed was, very good news, that Rabbi Hodakow told me I shouldn’t do it, in fact I shouldn’t make a G’mach at all. I asked, “but didn’t the Rebbe say that every Chabad House should make a G’mach?” He responded, “the Rebbe did not mean you.” This was 11:30 p.m. the night before a carefully planned 6:00 a.m. breakfast to sign and inaugurate this united fronted project. And now what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t call these people 12:00 midnight to cancel the meeting, and seemingly it wouldn’t be advantageous to let everybody get up extra early, thinking that they were signing documents that would launch a new and innovative project, just to be told that the project had been nixed by the head office. I did not get any sleep that night. Finally, as the new morning was dawning, I said, “Rebbe I need your help. I have no idea how to tell these people that this project is off the agenda, please, put the right words in my mouth.” The lawyer who had prepared the papers, got up to call the meeting to order. I asked him to let me say a few words. I told them that I greatly appreciated and felt very honored that they had put their prestige behind me and were completely supportive of Chabad doing the project, a worthy cause indeed. However, I had not in all fairness been able to sleep that night. I knew that everyone in this room had only the interest of what would be best for the community at large, and that the project was not about what would be good and would give credence to Chabad. I realized that if without any difficulty I was able to raise $40,000 to start off this G’mach, then for sure if the Federation would do the G’mach, which they wanted to, they would easily be able to raise more funds and start it off with at least $150,000 to $200,000. How could I in all consciousness deny the community the availability of those extra funds? I therefore am asking three of you, and I named three very prestigious Federation people, who had been willing to be on my board, to make the following offer to the Federation: If within 30 days – no long-term committees to study the issues for years – the Federation has a functioning G’mach, Chabad will withdraw our plans to open a G’mach. I was then asked by one of the three if I would be transferring the $40,000 in pledges to the Federation for their G’mach. I responded that $25,000 was a pledge specifically for any project that Chabad wanted to undertake to become established in the community. If Chabad would not be starting the G’mach then those funds would go towards the purchase of a Chabad House property. As far as the other $15,000 in pledges, the donors are in this room right now, I believe it is their decision to make, not mine. And thus, I successfully was saved from a messy situation, leaving people viewing me in a positive way, as an altruistic person, truly trying to do what was best for the community at large.
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At a farbrengen that took place while I was shliach in Alabama, (sorry, I don’t remember the year, just that it was in the late 1980’s,) the Rebbe said that every Chabad House should establish a G’mach (a free loan society.) The Rebbe made it clear that this was in addition to the regular city G’mach. Now in the entire state of Alabama, there was no such service, and people there didn’t even have such a concept. I figured I should make a city wide G’mach which would be on a much larger scale. So I contacted a number of influential mainstream Jewish establishment people and presented them with this innovative idea of a Free Loan Society in Birmingham. I was quite surprised at the enthusiastic response to the idea, even from some who were far from being supportive of any other programs that I had done in the past. I was even more surprised at the positive reaction of some of the heavy Federation supporters. You see, as soon as the Jewish Federation got word about our making a G’mach, they told their supporters that they would be making a G’mach for the city. Immediately their supporters pushed back, and said that since it was my idea, they would only support mine and not theirs. And they should not dare try to compete with me on this project. I put together an impressive board and at the meeting they told me about this exchange that they had had with the Federation and assured me that they were 100% behind me, and not be afraid of the Federation. They also told me that they believed that this project would officially establish Chabad of Alabama. The senior partner of the top Jewish law firm, said he would have the official documents drawn up immediately. When he had them ready, (within a few days,) he asked me to set up a breakfast meeting at which these documents could be signed by the members of this new board. Being highly successful and busy CEOs, they asked that the breakfast be set up for 6:00 a.m. the next morning. I did so. After it was set up, I called Rabbi Hodakow to let him know what we were doing, figuring it would give the Rebbe some nachas. When I called, I was told that Rabbi Hodakow could not speak with me then, but that I should call back 11:00 p.m. that night and he would then be able to talk with me. Imagine my shock when I shared, what I believed was, very good news, that Rabbi Hodakow told me I shouldn’t do it, in fact I shouldn’t make a G’mach at all. I asked, “but didn’t the Rebbe say that every Chabad House should make a G’mach?” He responded, “the Rebbe did not mean you.” This was 11:30 p.m. the night before a carefully planned 6:00 a.m. breakfast to sign and inaugurate this united fronted project. And now what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t call these people 12:00 midnight to cancel the meeting, and seemingly it wouldn’t be advantageous to let everybody get up extra early, thinking that they were signing documents that would launch a new and innovative project, just to be told that the project had been nixed by the head office. I did not get any sleep that night. Finally, as the new morning was dawning, I said, “Rebbe I need your help. I have no idea how to tell these people that this project is off the agenda, please, put the right words in my mouth.” The lawyer who had prepared the papers, got up to call the meeting to order. I asked him to let me say a few words. I told them that I greatly appreciated and felt very honored that they had put their prestige behind me and were completely supportive of Chabad doing the project, a worthy cause indeed. However, I had not in all fairness been able to sleep that night. I knew that everyone in this room had only the interest of what would be best for the community at large, and that the project was not about what would be good and would give credence to Chabad. I realized that if without any difficulty I was able to raise $40,000 to start off this G’mach, then for sure if the Federation would do the G’mach, which they wanted to, they would easily be able to raise more funds and start it off with at least $150,000 to $200,000. How could I in all consciousness deny the community the availability of those extra funds? I therefore am asking three of you, and I named three very prestigious Federation people, who had been willing to be on my board, to make the following offer to the Federation: If within 30 days – no long-term committees to study the issues for years – the Federation has a functioning G’mach, Chabad will withdraw our plans to open a G’mach. I was then asked by one of the three if I would be transferring the $40,000 in pledges to the Federation for their G’mach. I responded that $25,000 was a pledge specifically for any project that Chabad wanted to undertake to become established in the community. If Chabad would not be starting the G’mach then those funds would go towards the purchase of a Chabad House property. As far as the other $15,000 in pledges, the donors are in this room right now, I believe it is their decision to make, not mine. And thus, I successfully was saved from a messy situation, leaving people viewing me in a positive way, as an altruistic person, truly trying to do what was best for the community at large.
To receive Rabbi Lipszyc's Story of the week via Whatsapp add the number 513-456-7595 to your phone contacts, and then send a text to with the message "Join".
Support Rabbi Lipszyc's work by Donating at https://chabadcrimeaorg.clhosting.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/2511910/jewish/Crisis-Relief/lang/en or sending checks to: Chabad of Crimea World Friends, 1601 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11213
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