This Week

LEGACY

One Mitzvah At A Time

from page 7

22-hour journey to visit the Webers, but through e-
mail, faxes, mailings of photos and counting ahead 11
hours before calling, they keep in regular touch.

Detroit Chabad

In 1950, Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Schneerson began to establish the Chabad
Houses, spiritual and material centers offering
prayer and Torah study, and Jewish outreach
programming. The first emissary went to
Morocco.
"In the earliest years, the Rebbe would per-
sonally encourage young couples to 'go out'
on shlichus. Eventually it became the norm,"
says Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, a spokesperson
for the Central Organization for Jewish
Education in New York, the Chabad world
headquarters office.
"You knew that the Rebbe cared deeply and
selflessly not only for each Jew in the distant
locale you were sent to, but also for you and
your family's physical and spiritual health,
happiness and fulfillment," Rabbi Shmotkin
says. "The Rebbe would inquire as to whether
one's parents had agreed, and, in general,
could not have presented the proposed
appointment with greater love and concern."
In 1958, Rabbi Schneerson called upon
Rabbi Berel Shemtov, now director of Chabad
Michigan in West Bloomfield, to be one of
the first American emissaries, and to establish
a Chabad House in Detroit.
Two weeks after their wedding, the Russian-
born Rabbi Shemtov and his wife Batsheva were
met at 7 a.m. at the train station by the areas
only five Lubavitch Detroiters: four teachers
and a shochet (ritual slaughterer or butcher).
"We settled here [in Detroit] in an upstairs
flat on Cortland and Dexter, and started a
Shabbos group for kids," Rabbi Shemtov says,
recalling their early focus on youth.
They began their new life with $5,000,
provided by the Chabad New York office. The
rabbi recalls a neighbor remarking, "They
have no carpet, no furniture — but they are
always dancing!"
No obstacles were unbeatable, even though

CHABAD on page 16

At"

VSAT

8/18

2000

10

Batsheva and Rabbi Berel Shemtov seated in
center) and their emissary children.

Coming To Detroit

a rabbinic model. You need doctors and lawyers and
CPAs and [Democratic vice-presidential candidate]
Sen. [Joseph] Lieberman, an observant Jew who is
not a rabbi. My shul is a cross-section of those in
sheitls [wigs worn by married women in some
Orthodox sects] and professionals."
West Bloomfield resident Rochel Bryn's life changed
after she came into Rabbi Silberberg's Torah Center for
classes. Today, "she is a baal teshuva [a previously non-
observant Jew who becomes observant]," says Rabbi
Silberberg. "She later became a secretary in the syna-
gogue, then the mikva lady [supervising the ritual
bath], and then a rebbetzin [rabbi's wife]."
After marrying Rabbi Dovid Bryn, the two moved
to the Bais Chabad, California Club in Aventura, Fla.,
where they serve South American Jews. Her start came
from experiencing Shabbat in Rabbi Silberberg's home
with his family.

In contrast to the couples who emigrate from
Detroit are those who come to Michigan to join
Chabad leadership here.
Chanchi Goldstein arrived in Ann Arbor from
Brooklyn last September, just days after her August
wedding to Rabbi Alter Goldstein. His parents, Esther
and Rabbi Aharon Goldstein of the Ann Arbor Chabad
House, have been emissaries there for 25 years.
Being in a college town presents the unique situation
of allowing the elder Goldsteins to be involved with the
general community while the younger couple spend
time with students at the University of Michigan.
Chanchi Goldstein and her husband, known on
campus and on his vvwvv.jewmich.com Web site as
The Chosen Life
"Rabbi Alter," both had Lubavitch outreach experience
When
Rabbi Baruch Myers runs into old classmates
throughout their lives. She often helps him distribute
from
the
University of Michigan, he has much to tell
literature from a folding table in the "ding" on campus,
them
of
the
years that changed him from a U-M music
or goes door to door in the fraternities, sororities or
school student to the chief rabbi of the Slovak Republic.
dormitory buildings, meeting with students and
Growing up in New Jersey, Rabbi Myers and his
describing upcoming activities and .classes.
family belonged to a Reform synagogue. When he
Frequently joined by women students, Chanchi
arrived in Ann Arbor in 1982,
Goldstein's Thursday nights are reserved for baking
he began to hear about Rabbi
challa, as Fridays require other preparations for hosting
Aharon
Goldstein of the local
Shabbat dinner. Anywhere from three to 40 guests may
Chabad
House.
join the Goldsteins in their home or the school's
"He
didn't
really approach
Chabad House on any given Friday evening.
people, but my second year I
Each of them also learns separately with university
decided to go to Chabad for
students, in small groups or one-on-one. As a young
Rosh HaShana," Rabbi Myers
couple, Chanchi says they find teaching their peers sat-
says. After learning with Rabbi
isfying, but not always easy.
Goldstein and spending time
"They might be thinking, 'You're as young as us.
with
his family, Rabbi Myers
What are you trying to tell us?' But we can get to their
decided,,
after graduation from
level," she says. "People end up respecting us and ask-
U-M,
to
study
at the
ing our opinion. We're from their time. We show col-
Rabbinical
College
of America Rabbi Baruch Myers
lege students how to live a Jewish life — that it's not a
in Morristown, N.J. He later
burden. Not everything is easy, but there is a lot of
received ordination in New York City from the United
pleasure and fun and excitement with it."
Lubavitch Yeshiva.
Encountering disinterested Jews brings a patient
Rabbi Myers heard that the city of Bratislava, the
respon-se. "Everywhere in life there are rude people, and
Slovak
Republic capital, was in need of a rabbi who
there are nice people," the rabbi's wife says. "If someone
spoke
Slovakian
and was also a shochet (ritual slaughter-
is rude, I just smile and hope the next day is a better
er
or
butcher).
His
first reaction? "All I knew was they •
day for them," hoping that if the message doesn't come
were
looking
for
someone
to be a rabbi in a country I
from her, maybe it will come later from someone else.
never heard of." His second? "I didn't have either of the
She says one thing she does not do is push observance.
qualifications, but I can do it." In preparation,. he stud-
"If I am in a store and pushed to buy an article, I
ied the Slovakian language and shechiting (ritual slaugh-
won't buy it. But, if someone lets me see what's good
tering). Then he relocated with his family
about it, then I will," she says. "It's the same thing
"Bratislava is in the middle of nowhere," Rabbi
with Judaism. I don't want to pressure. I just want to
Myers
says. "But it is centrally located in Europe and
teach and show."
a
common
site for conferences." In addition to the
Being a role model is also of the highest priority for
500
to
1,000
Jews in his city, he often meets travel-
Rabbi Silberberg.
ers seeking a synagogue and invites them to spend
When he and his wife Chaya Sora arrived in West
Shabbat in his home.
Bloomfield 25 years ago from New York, the rabbi says
The 300-year-old Jewish community in Bratislava
there were no Orthodox synagogues. "It was a new
has
had no rabbi since 1968, he says. Synagogue atten-
frontier," he recalls. "I made cold calls on the phone,
dance
is poor. Although many are looking to identify as
introduced myself to people and invited them over."
Jews,
the
community is filled with a mixture of atheists,
He then began to offer adult classes in the evenings and
liberals
and
traditional Jews.
an afternoon school for young children.
"My
challenge
is to make the spiritual aspect of their
"But this is not a job just for rabbis," he says.
lives interesting and attractive," he says.
"With my wife, we invited others for the Shabbos
"[But] the vision of those in the community and my
experience. You need models of people who have
life's vision are different," Rabbi Myers says. "They
accepted an observant life style. You need more than

