World

Honoring A Hero

Far left: Rabbi
Motti Seligson, a
Detroit Lubavitch
School alumnus, at
Professor Librescu's
funeral.

Left: Chabad's
Rabbi Danny Cohen
of Hebron with Ari
Librescu at the
funeral.

Local Lubavitch
alumni help ensure
proper burial of
slain professor.

Chana Kroll
Special to the Jewish News

W

ithin hours of the tragic mur-
ders at Virginia Tech, a team
of rabbis in Israel, New York
and Virginia were working feverishly to
help the family of one of the victims.
When Rabbi Motti Seligson — an alum-
nus of Oak Park's Lubavitch School — first
heard news of the Monday morning, April
16, massacre, he had no idea he would soon
be drawn into the aftermath himself.
Yet, through his office at the Chabad
Lubavitch Media Center in New York, he
helped make the necessary connections
between Israel and Virginia that enabled
slain Professor Liviu Librescu to be bur-
ied according to his family's wishes and
beliefs.
By 1 a.m. Tuesday, U.S. time, Rabbi
Danny Cohen (Chabad emissary in
Hebron, Israel) was trying to reach the
Chabad representatives in Virginia. Rabbi
Cohen is a close friend of Ariyeh Librescu,
son of the murdered professor. Ariyeh was
making plans to fly to America to escort
his father's body back to Israel for burial
and had been told by officials that the
earliest his father's body would be released
,would be Friday morning.
Still in shock over what had happened,
Ariyeh wasn't in a position to navigate
official channels to ensure an earlier
release. At the same time, the idea of his
father's body remaining unburied for so
long — something viewed in Judaism as
disrespectful and discomforting to the
soul of the deceased — added to his grief.

Immediately, Rabbi Cohen
spoke in Romanian, the lan-
offered to ask Chabad-Lubavitch
guage native to both of them.
rabbis in America to care for his
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn,
father's body so Ariyeh could
Rabbi Seligson was following
remain in Israel to arrange the
the situation. It became clear
funeral.
as the week continued that no
By 10 a.m. Tuesday morning,
one was going to be accompa-
Rabbi Cohen had successfully
nying Marlena on the flight.
contacted Chabad of Virginia.
Not willing to let her fly to
Oak Park native Rabbi Yossel
her husband's funeral alone,
Professor
Kranz, now head of the Virginia
Rabbi Seligson booked a seat
Liviu Librescu
branch of Chabad-Lubavitch's
on the same flight Thursday
Jewish outreach activities, immediately
night.
began making phone calls to state offi-
While studying in the Lubavitch com-
cials and congressman to ensure an early
munity in Oak Park, Rabbi Seligson
release of the professor's remains.
absorbed an unusual commitment to
"When I contacted the government
reaching out to help those in need. As
offices, everyone was exceptionally helpful,
a student at the local Lubavitch school,
respectful and accommodating," said Rabbi he remembers going each Friday to area
Kranz. Indeed, the story of Liviu Librescu's
businesses to teach, to listen, to simply
heroism in saving his students was known.
be there when people needed someone to
In addition to being obligated to respect
talk to. Developing compassion from an
religious requirements, such as those being early age made it feel natural to this 24-
explained by Rabbi Kranz, state officials
year-old rabbi to simply drop everything
were eager to show honor to someone who
in his own life and fly to another country
had died while saving others.
for four days so someone he'd never met
Still, it was only after many phone calls
before wouldn't feel alone in her grief.
and hard work on Rabbi Kranz's part
"On the way, we spoke about the proj-
that all requirements had been met and
ects Chabad is undertaking in honor of
Professor Librescu's body was released for
her husband," he said. "That Friday, after
burial — the first to be released.
her husband's funeral, Jewish women
around the world would light the tradi-
Aiding The Widow
tional Sabbath candles in honor of her
As Rabbi Kranz worked to protect the
husband. Plans for starting a Chabad
professor's remains, Charlottesville-
House at Virginia Tech have been sped
based Rabbi Shlomo Mayer set out for
up, and the center will be named after her
Blacksburg, just to let Professor Librescu's
husband. These things really comforted
widow, Marlena, know that the commu-
her."
nity was there to offer their support. They

May 3 • 2007

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