לעילוי נשמת הרה"ח הרה"ת עוסק בצ"צ וכו' ר' יהודא ליב ז"ל בן הרה"ח הרה"ת ר' יעקב יוסף שו"ב ז"ל רסקין נלב"ע י"ב אייר התשס"ד נדפס על ידי ולזכות משפחתו שיחיו לאורך ימים ושנים טובות IYAR 5777 46 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER An exclusive interview with RABBI SHIMON LAZAROFF IYAR 5777 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 47 JEM, 18275 via 26 TISHREI 5748, LEVI FREIDIN TISHREI 5748, 26 A YOUNG SHIMON LAZAROFF, APPROX. FIVE YEARS OLD. KUTAISI, PARIS I was born in Kutaisi, Georgia, in the midst of World War II, where a large number of Lubavitcher Chassidim had gathered. A few months before I was born, my father, Reb Eliezer Gershon Lazaroff hy”d, THE REBBE WISHES "MAZAL TOV, MAZAL TOV" TO ZALMAN LAZAROFF UPON HIS BAR was drafted into the Russian Army MITZVAH, AS RABBI LAZAROFF STANDS BY HIS SIDE. and sent to the German front, never to return. After the war, the famous Lubavitcher escape from Russia took place, through the border city of Lvov. The Lubavitcher community of Kutaisi Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff — Shiminkeh, as he is fondly known — is joined the great escape as well, so I, a respected and beloved figure amongst the senior shluchim. Always along with my mother and sister, made lively, with a witty comment quick off his tongue, the head shliach to our way to Lvov, and we crossed the the state of Texas is unceasingly ready to delight young and old alike border into Poland. From there we with simple yet keen messages about the life of a Chossid in general, traveled through Czechoslovakia, and and a shliach in particular. then we reached France. The Rebbe’s Rabbi Lazaroff was born in Russia, and his childhood followed the mother, Rebbetzin Chana, also left path of many Lubavitcher Chassidim of his day; crossing the border, Russia together with our group. emigrating to Eretz Yisroel, and ultimately being a bochur near the After crossing the border we Rebbe in the early years in 770. Later, he merited to be sent by the traveled until reaching Paris, where Rebbe—as one of the first shluchim—to the state of Texas. we attempted to settle down for the The staff of A Chassidisher Derher was honored to sit down with time being, until we would be able Rabbi Lazaroff for a comprehensive interview about his early life, to continue to our final destinations. and most importantly, his years as a bochur near the Rebbe, and his Shortly after that, our Rebbe—then the shlichus to Detroit and Texas. Presented here is a selection of some of son-in-law of the Frierdiker Rebbe— the hora’os he was privileged to receive from the Rebbe and some of arrived in France (from the United those riveting stories and important lessons we heard. States) to arrange immigration papers As one who merited to recieve guidance from the Rebbe at every for his mother, Rebbetzin Chana. My step of the way, his life story is a source of inspiration and direction mother’s brother, Yankel Lipsker, was for all. tasked with arranging the food for the In preparation for this article, we were greatly assisted by Rabbi Rebbe during his stay, and he, in turn, Chaim Lazaroff, who graciously provided us with many pertinent asked my mother to cook the food; pictures and documents. IYAR 5777 48 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER so my mother merited to cook the me. That was the beginning of the Boruch Shimon Schneerson, and Rebbe’s food during those months. yeshiva in Lod. there was a wonderful atmosphere. The Rebbe would stay, especially on Being that we were the first It was very spiritual; the nigleh, the Shabbos, in Reb Zalman Schneerson’s chassidishe yeshiva with a dormitory, Chassidus, it was all very special. house, and I was one of the few the yeshiva began to grow. There My class, over the next few years, children that would be present while actually were bochurim from was very blessed by this inclusiveness; the Rebbe was there. chassidishe (non-Chabad) backgrounds my classmates were Reb Yossel Now, the Rebbe had known my who joined us as well. Uminer, Reb Meilach Zweibel a”h, father, as well as my grandfather, Then, the Yemenite Jews arrived in Reb Mottel Ashkenazi a”h, Reb Zushe Harav Shimon Lazaroff, from Russia. Eretz Yisrael, and no yeshivos wanted Feldman and Reb Nochum Sternberg; the year of to accept them into their institutions. besides for Rabbi Ashkenazi a”h and ,)תרפ"ז) In fact, in 5687 Rabbi Feldman, none of them יבלח"ט the Frierdiker Rebbe’s arrest, the The Rebbe insisted that Chabad Frierdiker Rebbe had held two accept their children, even though the were from Lubavitch families. important meetings in Leningrad, yeshiva was in dire financial straits. As I grew older, many of my and there had been a total of three The Yemenite group was so significant friends began traveling to the Rebbe. יבלח"ט participants: The Frierdiker Rebbe, in the Rebbe’s eyes, that the sub-title Nachman Sudak a”h and our Rebbe, and my grandfather, of Tomchei Temimim in Lod became Gershon Mendel Garelik, Yisroel who served as the chassidishe rov of “Olei Russya, Olei Teiman—Russian Friedman, etc.—they were all going to Leningrad. Immigrants, Yemenite Immigrants.” New York, so I wanted to join as well. So the Rebbe knew me, so to speak. Those were very special days. My mother said that I was too young; During his three month stay in We were located in the depths of an I was only fifteen years old, how could Paris, the Rebbe held a number of orchard (the “Pardes”). The mashpia I travel to the Rebbe on my own? I, on farbrengens, and as customary by was Reb Shlomo Chaim Kesselman, the other hand, would tell her that if I many chassidishe fabrengens, at the the rosh yeshiva was the gaon Reb conclusion, the participants would dance. I was a five year old child, so I would hold onto the Rebbe’s jacket, I WAS A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD, SO I WOULD HOLD and dance along. On one occasion, the Rebbe even held my hands and danced ONTO THE REBBE’S JACKET, AND DANCE ALONG. with me. ON ONE OCCASION THE REBBE EVEN HELD MY ERETZ YISRAEL HANDS AND DANCED WITH ME. From France, the Chassidim began moving to different parts of the world, according to the instructions of the Frierdiker Rebbe. Many Lubavitchers traveled to Eretz Yisrael, while others went to Australia, England, Canada, and the United States. The largest group emigrated to Eretz Yisrael, and in 5708 my mother received instructions from the Frierdiker Rebbe to travel to Eretz Yisrael as well. When we arrived there, I joined the Lubavitcher cheder in Tel Aviv led by Rabbi Fulle Kahan. My family then moved to Lod. The Lod yeshiva at the time had only five students: two Lipskers—Zalman and Eli, two Kaplans—Boruch and Nochum, and CLASS PICTURE OF THE YESHIVA IN LOD, 5715. SHIMON LAZAROFF STANDING ON FAR RIGHT. IYAR 5777 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 49 was too young to go alone, she should ARRIVING BY THE REBBE “I REMEMBER HIM AS A travel along with me… My first Shabbos with the Rebbe Sometime later, due to the was Shabbos Mevorchim Sivan 5718. LEBEDIKER CHILD,” THE economic situation in Eretz Yisrael, That week, I heard my first maamar REBBE SAID, SO WHY my mother sent a letter to the Rebbe from the Rebbe, “Lehavin Inyan Sefiras saying that she would like to leave Ha’omer.” WAS I SO UPTIGHT? Eretz Yisrael and come to America It so happened that my birthday (obviously together with her children). was approaching and I would be going I asked her what was so amusing, The Rebbe answered, that if she could into yechidus, so my mother and my and she said, that as we left the manage to arrange the appropriate sister used the opportunity to enter room, the Rebbe had asked her what documents, it should be “in a yechidus together with me. happened to her son. mazeldiker s h a’a h ,” in an auspicious I was coming from Tomchei “I remember him as a lebediker hour. Temimim in Lod, where I was under child,” the Rebbe said, so why was I so My uncle Yankel Lipsker was the tutelage of Reb Shlomo Chaim uptight? living in America, and he arranged an Kesselman, so I understood that a From then on, my relationship with affidavit for my mother. She bought yechidus was a very serious thing, to the Rebbe was like that of a father. tickets for the three of us to travel to be prepared for by fasting and Tanya Whenever I needed guidance, I would Paris, and in addition, she bought bal peh, and I was understandably very quietly write a note, a tzetl, and when herself a flight to the USA, where uptight before and during the yechidus. the Rebbe would return from home she proceeded to work on procuring We arranged that we would all in the afternoon, I would hide in Gan affidavits for us as well. enter yechidus together, and then Eden Hatachton, and hand the Rebbe We left Eretz Yisrael on 7 Cheshvan my sister and I would leave and my my tzetl. The Rebbe would take it with 5718. My sister Batsheva (Shemtov, mother would speak to the Rebbe him inside his room, shut the door now in Philadelphia) and I spent privately for a few minutes. We did lightly behind him, and a short while six months in France and when my so, and later, as my mother exited the later the Rebbe would come out and mother obtained affidavits for us, we Rebbe’s room, I noticed that she had answer my question.