NNeewwss A QUARTER OF A MILLION JEWS IN UNITY RALLY IN SUPPORT OF U.S. AND ISRAEL 250,000 Jews (and, l’havdil, a nice Christian organization who spoke in said by only one speaker – who wasn’t showing of gentiles) from all over the support of Israel. even Jewish – and she was wildly Unites States and from all walks of life, applauded. took off a day of work on Monday, April All the speakers expressed their 15, to rally in support of the United unconditional support of Israel’s war on There were additional rallies held States and Israel. terror. The only ill-received speech was throughout the U.S. and Canada in which many thousands There was never a participated. gathering like this of Jews in the history of the U.S., not The Crown Heights Beis even during the Six-Day War. Din had announced that all These days Jews feel that they those over 18 should cannot remain apathetic to participate in the D.C. rally. So what is going on Eretz Yisroel many people responded that and throughout the world. 30 buses from Crown Heights alone went to the rally. Within six days, the leaders of the Jewish Federation It was an amazing sight to organized the rally with the behold how all the highways Conference of Presidents of leading to Washington were Major American Jewish full of long lines of hundreds Organizations. They set aside and thousands of buses and their differences of opinion and cars filled with Yidden ready to united for one purpose: to tell protest for the sake of our the president of the United and Jewish brethren across the States, and the rest of the world globe. Parking places on the that the Jewish people are one sides of the roads were full of nation. thousands of Jews, resting along the way. The time was 1,200 buses were rented, used for minyanim as well as and others arrived by car and Mivtza T’fillin and besuras plane. The airlines and bus ha’Geula. companies can’t recall a similar occurrence in many decades. R’ Meir Shmukler, who New York, New Jersey, and disseminates the Rebbe’s Connecticut used every last A partial view of the enormous crowd at the D.C. rally position regarding shleimus bus. ha’Aretz via his website made by President Bush’s representative TruePeace.org, used the opportunity to Members of Congress expressed to the rally, Deputy Secretary of give out thousands of stickers with the how impressed they were by the Defense, Paul Wolfowitz. His speech message, “Read the Bible: The Land of organization of it all and by the massive was fine until he mentioned the Israel Belongs to the Jews,” along with participation. suffering of “innocent Palestinians.” The the address of his website. R’ Shmukler crowd reacted with boos. said that in the days following the rally, Among the speakers at the rally thousands of people checked out his were former Prime Minister Binyamin All the speakers based what they site and many sent him feedback. Netanyahu, Natan Scharansky, Nobel said on matters other than the simple Prize winner Elie Wiesel, former mayor truth – that Eretz Yisroel belongs to the The stickers were placed on of N.Y. Rudy Giuliani, parents of terror Jewish people forever! This was actually thousands of cars and buses, and victims, and even a woman from a during the rally there were signs with Issue Number 365 BEIS MOSHIACH i 27 the same message watched by continues to deteriorate, r”l, there millions on TV news programs. should be Hakhel gatherings this year in all places.” Thousands of Anash and T’mimim spread through the The D.C. rally definitely caused crowd and put t’fillin on with the hundreds of thousands of thousands of people. Jews were participants, especially those not willing to put on t’fillin especially yet observant, to feel a sense of in lieu of the explanation they were pride and connection to Torah and given – that in the merit of t’fillin the Jewish people. we are victorious over our enemies. The most moving speech of the rally had to be the one given by The Lubavitch presence was Seth Mandell, father of 13-year-old very obvious and made a Koby Mandell, who was savagely tremendous kiddush sheim butchered last year. He referred to Lubavitch. the heartrending story of the father The Rebbe’s view being broadcast to the world who told his 4-year-old son to say It should be noted that this Shma with him, as they died in huge rally took place in a Shnas Sbarro’s. Mr. Mandell asked: “Who Hakhel. In a general letter dated 13 Iyar and material state of the world, regarding Jews and regarding Judaism, said Shma with my son? Let us all say 5741 (a Shnas Hakhel), the Rebbe wrote Shma now...” that in connection with the “spiritual which is not at all stable, and which 28 i BEIS MOSHIACH 21 Iyar 5762 AT THE JENIN BORDER CHECKPOINT: “Immediately to T’shuva, Immediately to Geula” At the Jenin border checkpoint, one of the returning battalions that lost 13 men in an ambush and another two soldiers by snipers assembled for a briefing after spending 2 weeks inside Jenin. The 160 men listened to their commander for a half an hour. A young officer, 23 years old, son of an Israeli rabbi, sported a long ponytail. He had strayed from Torah observance years before. After the briefing, the young man spotted a Chabad tankist he recognized from his original army service five years ago. In Jenin the officer was with his reserve unit. The young man asked the tankist if he could borrow tallis and t’fillin. The tankist, upon realizing who he was, kissed and embraced him. The young officer then boarded the mivtza tank for a few quiet moments of prayer. The pervading mood of this Moshiach Flag, a gift from the Chabad Tank to the Tzahal Tank battalion was one of depression. As the music played from the country would suffer for it later. Chabad tank, the tankist grabbed a soldier and began to dance. The (And the suffering was very clapping and singing was contagious clear to this small unit that lost and the other soldiers began to do 15 men.) likewise until a joyous mood spread “And the same voice,” throughout the rocky, desolate continued the Chabad Tankist, checkpoint area. “assured us that Moshiach is After the young officer put on t’fillin, coming now!” the rest of the unit slowly, one by one, This last idea is hard for the also put on t’fillin. The tankist had many soldiers to absorb amidst the conversations with the soldiers, most of agony that they experienced, but them asking, “What is going to on the other hand, they know happen?” referencing their fears of an very well that they, as soldiers unknown future and how to look at that and civilians, suffer the future through the eyes of Hashem in vulnerability caused by political terms of the well-being of their country decisions. and their own lives. One soldier said that after The tankist quoted the Rebbe many years of marriage he and concerning a previous military his wife have not had children. campaign when he said that if Tzahal His fellow soldiers told him to Inside the Chabad Tank: soldier thanking did not finish the work at that time, the put on t’fillin, sure that it would Hashem after the fighting in Jenin Issue Number 365 BEIS MOSHIACH i 29 Jenin, the tankist has returned to his regular work schedule of traveling to neighborhoods and villages to teach children in the network of youth clubs that exist in the lower Galil and to travel to army posts in the area. He knows that the next good deed that is stored in his mivtza tank could tip the battlefield advantage to the favor of Moshiach and Basic equipment to break through the Geula forever. obstacles to Geula Several repairs were needed on the mivtza tank after the stay in the Jenin area. The tank is now in shape for the upcoming Lag B’Omer Parade, at which time it will join other Chabad tanks, poised to bring Moshiach and Geula. All who are interested in supporting the work of bolstering the morale of Israel’s brave defenders should send their contributions to: MOBILE MITZVAH CENTERS – Israel Lubavitch Mitzvah Tanks in Israel help. The tankist told him that if he – the Lubavitcher Rebbe. His blessing 820 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213 would put on t’fillin each day, he and his should be fulfilled.) Tel (718) 756-1898; Fax (718) 756-0017 Rabbi Dovid Nachshon, Director wife would have a child. (The tankist Since the IDF has pulled out of has the power of the one that sent him ChabadIsrael.org MORAL SUPPORT FOR THE SOLDIERS Every day, a group of people “I immediately began organized by shliach R’ Lipa Kurtzweil working on helping out. leaves Kiryat Malachi for army bases in Along with my son and with the Gaza strip and other areas where the help of others from the tanks and soldiers are located. The yishuv and some T’mimim, group brings refreshments to the we began distributing food. soldiers along with a positive and joyful We invited soldiers home for attitude, helping to break the ice even hot meals. with soldiers unfamiliar with Chabad’s “On Erev Shevii Shel kits which have chapters of T’hillim, a activities.