Seminary Chaya Mushka and Machon Alte Make the "Chibur" (Connection) in Chevron on Shabbat Parsha Va'Yeira תשסה

By Chana Katz

"Get ready for the most amazing Shabbos ever!" read the itinerary. And was it ever.....

Rochel Leah Rosenfeld does not pack lightly. Even the Chevron leaders -- a heroic and hearty bunch used to accomodating flows of guests and groups -- expressed amazement at Mrs. Rosenfeld's ambitious plan to pack more into a two-day period than most visitors to the holy city of Chevron receive in a week, or perhaps a month.

But they did it. Together with the dedicated staff of Seminary Chaya Mushka and Machon Alte -- and the wonderful students who kept the fast pace with their hearts, minds, souls and....walking shoes -- they pulled it off.

And what a time for the visit! Avoiding the throngs that were planning to descend upon Chevron the following Shabbos for Parshas Chaya Sara, this visit one Shabbos earlier on Parshas Va'Yeira (when Chayei Sara is read during Mincha) gave us the best of both worlds.

We lived with Avraham Avinu, davened with Avraham Avinu, and learned deep words of Torah and sichos from the Rebbe with seminary dean Rabbi Yosef Rosenfeld. If you can imagine how the women would have felt to sit down with Queen Esther or Devorah under her palm tree, you can feel how tuned in they were to some of the most powerful examples of mesirus nefesh in our times -- the men and women of Chevron who warmly welcomed us into their homes and gave up their own Shabbos rest to farbreng with us around the clock.

The short walk down the soldier-lined streets to Ma'ara HaMachpella from our home-for-the-Shabbat in the historic Avraham Avinu quarter.  .   . a breathtaking  kabbalat Shabbat on the grass outside (because the government didn't let Jews in that night).  .  . a delicious catered Shabbat seudah packed with divrei Torah, a word from Chevron shaliach Danny Cohen, heart-entering-heart farbrengens with the amazing Elisheva Federman and Rebbetzin Miriam Levinger....a moving visit to the kever of Rebbetzin Menucha Rachel, a tour of all the Chabad mosdots and historical sites in the old city...and a lot more that concluded with a splendidly refreshing and candid melaveh malke with artist Baruch Nachshon and his courageous wife Sara --- all these images and thoughts and history -- just to mention some -- will hopefully linger for a long time.

For as dedicated long-time Machon Alte teacher Rebbetzin Sara Kaplan summed up during the seudas shlishis and seder Niggunim -- like Tishre provides a marketplace in which to stock up on all our needs for the year, so too this Shabbaton chock-full of chizuk should carry us forth in the way of Avraham Avinu -- saying little and doing much -- on our individual shlichuses of life.

To say how well this trip was planned out and incredibly smooth things ran is worth more than a mention. Not just because of the amazing job of handling it all, most of it shouldered by Mrs. Rosenfeld and Tova Mordechai, but because it was no easy task and so massive an undertaking that not all would undertake it! We're not talking about undo flattery here. We're talking about an effort to imbue within each student an experience that they were unlikely to ever receive in another place. One little potent drop to contribute to making each student receive the most and best available. On the other hand, where would the courageous and simultaneously-earthy-and-heavenly Chevron community be without outside support...

So what would you call the moving CD disc of songs written especially about Chevron and the itinerary that were wrapped with a little bow that appeared on each student's bed? Or the special sheets with the Avraham Fried motze Shabbos song, "A Guta Voch" which Mrs. Rosenfeld passed out to the girls and had them sing after Havdalah to give them a taste of a tradition from her own home...the colorful paper cut-out dolls the Mushkie girls adorned the hostel walls with to give us that home-away-from-home touch and the staff's arms and hugs and smiles that were generously and personally extended to the girls ---- well, after everything else I suppose you could call these things the .......extra little touches!

And Avraham Arose Early....and went to worship...

Boker tov girls (Good morning). The wake-up call came way before the morning sun replaced the burning night stars. Living with the parsha didn't mean sleeping late this Shabbos (or getting much rest at all....)

By 4 a.m. the students were up and one hour later the two buses were winding down the enchanting Tsfas mountains. In just a few hours we were to touch upon each of Eretz Yisroel's four "holy" cities -- Tsfas, Tiberias, Jerusalem and Chevron.

During the stop in Yerushalyim, Tova Mordechai announced in her affable English accent: "Breakfast girls!" In the short time we waited to transfer to the armored, bullet-proof buses that would carry us to Chevron, Mrs. Mordechai had whipped out a relatively gourmet and healthy buffet. Cartons of red apples, trays of fresh vegetables, bran flakes, cartons of milk, rice cakes, butters and jellies -- all spread out and then meticulously cleaned up from a pavilion in central Yerushalyim.

As we boarded the specially-designed buses Rabbi Chanania Mordechai pointed to the glass and spaced his fingers to more than an inch to show how thick the windows were. Within ten minutes we pulled up to Kever Rachel and had to wait for the military to escort each bus one by one directly to the entrance where soldiers stood guard over our holy site. "Only twenty minutes girls and please be on time. The drivers will not be allowed to wait," coached Mrs. Mordechai.

WELCOME TO CHEVRON!!!

Approaching the amazing Chevron hills with mood-setting Niggunim coming across the bus speakers, we were greeted by shliach Danny Cohen. He gave us a tour of Tel Rumeida and explained the recent archeological dig which unearthed our people's treasures from the times of Avraham Avinu through and after the times of the holy temples and King Dovid.

"People often ask how we could live in these (simple and vulnerable) caravans," joked shaliach Cohen. "I tell them it's better to live in a caravan on top of a palace than a palace on top of Long Island."

The English speakers and Hebrew speakers were divided into two groups, one to hear Chevron leader and one of shleimus ha'aretz's most powerful advocates Baruch Marzel. Then they met Mrs. Ben Yitzchak, whose family is one of the seven that were allowed to reinhabit our own Jewish quarters which the government had kept off limits to us. They had 24 hours to do whatever they could in that time period and managed to get seven caravans in without the water and electricity even connected. An eighth caravan was left hanging in the air, literally, when the incoming Labor-party led government stopped the plans in a court challenge.

Rebbetzin Kaplan called Mrs. Ben Yitzchak's home one of the most beautiful she had ever visited.

"There were plants everywhere, not a lot of space but tons of baskets....of onions, of tomatoes...but it didn't look crowded or cluttered," said Mrs. Kaplan. "And she thanked us for coming to her. It was erev Shabbos, she cooked a spaghetti and her kids were sitting at the table waiting to eat and she thanks everyone.

"Living here is a miracle," she explained. "The miracle is that we can live here naturally and not with fear."

Mrs. Ben -Yitzchak doesn't intend to fix up the damage the bullets did to her home, saying, "It's like living in a sukkah year round."  When she came here 15 years ago they needed families to come here. Now there are many who want to come, but no homes for them.

*             *           *

Meanwhile, the Mushkie girls went to the nearby kevers of Yishai and Ruth, where they heard interesting stories from Rabbi Mordechai. Cameras clicked. These Mushkie girls were professionals. Within seconds they went in and out of different formations to take pictures with their friends. Before you could say, "One....two...three..." they managed to cluster together within the camera frame, cock their heads to just the right angles and put on their biggest smiles. It reminded one of a kaleidescope in which every turn brings a new picture as the pieces settle into place. Surely many of the girls will be showing these special pictures to their friends and families around the world.

"Hey everyone, I have a Hasgocha Pratis story to share," Seminary madricha Esther Rosenfeld announced as she stood under the entrance to Yishai. "I just picked up tehillim to say the day's portion and the last passuk in Ayin-Bet ended with "....tefillot Dovid ben Yishai."

KEVER MENUCHA RACHEL and CHABAD'S CHEVRON ROOTS

Before our group continued on to our hostel to unpack, there was still one more very important and special stop to make....the kever of the Alte Rebbe's granddaughter (the Mittler Rebbe's daughter) Rebbetzin Menucha Rachel Slonim.

We were fortunate to have among our group Machon Alte's special house mother Bryni Popack, a descendent of Menucha Rachel.

"Menucha Rachel was the daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe," said Danny Cohen, "but she was a Rebbe herself. Many people (even the Arabs) came to her for blessings. She had always dreamed to come to Eretz Yisroel but wasn't able until one day when she was critically ill, her father whispered in her ear that she could go to Eretz Yisroel. Only then she started to get better. Still, her health was frail and she received a blessing to "walk between the raindrops" and it is said it never once rained upon her."

The girls heard many more stories about Menucha Rachel and toured the thriving Kollel which was established on Chabad property in recent years. Then they went to Menucha Rachel to say Tehillim.

"Girls," Mrs. Rosenfeld announced with empathy after some time, "I know you could stay much longer but we have another speaker. . ."

*                *              *

BEITAR YOUTH HOSTEL

In the heart of the Avraham Avinu Jewish quarter, we checked in to the Beitar Youth Hostel. With less than two hours before Shabbos, lunch, unpacking, showers and Shabbos preparations were all that time permitted. Mrs. Mordechai, Mrs. Popack and Mrs. Rosenfeld, with the help of some girls, did the almost superhuman task of unloading all the seemingly endless trays of  Shabbos meals and equipment and setting up the kitchen. Cartons upon cartons were unpacked, cakes cut and put out with a coffee/tea bar, plastic goods unloaded into closets, hot food put onto the blechs, tables set, paper decorations hung on the walls, candles readied, milk, bottled water and drinks prepared -- an amazing job finished with minutes to spare. The previously empty hostel had been turned into a lovely Beit Chabad!

Bentch Licht....more than 70 voices singing in beautiful harmony......and our first walk to the Ma'ara Machpella. On this particular night, the sign of galus was stinging: the Arabs, who have absolutely no claim, were permitted inside, while we had to pray outside on the grass. Despite this, the prayers were even more poignant under the moon because we knew that our forefathers came out to daven with us!

Our hostel was just a few feet away from the Avraham Avinu Shul, named so because of the famous legend that one Yom Kippur, when the men were one short for their minyan, a stranger appeared out of nowhere to join the minyan. No sooner did it finish, then he disappeared, only to reappear in a dream later that night, saying, "I, Avraham Avinu, came to help you complete the minyan."

It was already late at night by the time the Shabbat evening seudah finished, but surely this was not the time for bed. Although our journey began very early that morning, it's not everyday that girls who literally live in every corner of the world can assemble in the Avraham Avinu quarter

and dip into a specially arranged assortment box of Chevron's finest.

And if anyone was tired, by the time two special women from Chevron's front lines -- Elisheva Federman and Rebbetzin Miriam Levinger -- shared their incredible stories, with humor, pain, courage and emunah,  every heart and sleepy eye was widely opened.

*            *              *

We learned much more about the parsha throughout the Shabbat through divrei Torah given by Rabbi Rosenfeld at all the seudot and, wouldn't you know it, at a deep eye-opening sicha he related -- on schedule! -- at 8:15 Shabbos morning.

....The short walk to Ma'ara HaMachpella took us past the soldier-lined streets where it is said that some 70 percent of the Arabs in this once thriving business area, had fled up to the hills...

This time we walked up all the steps and were permitted into all the areas of the Machpella (except the section of Yitzchak and Rivka). The davening was extraordinarily moving. And the voices of young sons singing with their fathers eminated throughout the vast hall and chambers of Sara and Avraham....Ya'acov and Leah...

Special guest speaker Rabbi Shmuel Mushnik gave over a fascinating account of the history of the Machpella from its origin throughout the millenia.

*            *             *

Shortly after the Shabbos day seudah, shluchim Danny Cohen and his wife gave an informative tour of the Avraham Avinu Shul and took us for a walk down Chevron's history-soaked streets. We saw Beit Schneerson, and the section of the house where Rebbetzin Menucha Rachel lived (now used as a daycare center) and continued to Beit Hadassah, where Chevron spokesman Dovid Wilder took over.

Shabbas night we all heard the incredible story of the 15 brave women and 35 children who broke into the abandoned and devastated Jewish property in the middle of the night -- living in "subhuman" conditions with no water, electricity or supplies -- and paving the way for what became the most famous struggle to regain the Jewish presence in old Chevron.

The first floor of Beis Hadassah now contains a multi-roomed museum, including a room which shows horrifyingly stark pictures after the 1929 massacre. The burnt-out, completely destroyed, ransacked,  desecrated holy Jewish sites and photos of the hundreds of Jews killed and maimed in that attack -- combined with monuments along Chevron's streets for recent terror victims -- show the ongoing struggle waged over the century to hold on to what is rightfully and unquestionably ours.

The only comfort after leaving this museum was looking at the upper floors of Beit Hadassah, where renovated homes housed thriving Jewish families and a new generation of children who walked fearlessly and proudly down the streets jumping, running, laughing and playing.

*          *            *

On the way back to Ma'ara HaMachpella for mincha, we noticed the usual soldiers posted at various points, but something here was new. Three little chayalim we didn't see before were on duty as well. It turned out that these dedicated soldiers of  Tzivos Hashem -- Sholom Ber Rosenfeld, 7, and his friends, Levi Popack and Mendy Reizel, had spotted some of the delicious cakes Mrs, Rosenfeld had baked to an abundance.

Now under normal circumstances, one might think children would tackle the cakes in no time. But this is not what they did. Fighting amongst themselves to have the tightest grip on the cake tray, they went to every soldier they could find and offered them a piece of cake. When the appreciative soldiers accepted, they helped them make the brocho for mezonot... By the time the afternoon had ended, many of the Israel Defense Force soldiers had even had seconds and thirds.

(It didn't stop there. After Havdalah, chayal Sholom Ber Rosenfeld took a large plastic bottle and filled it with water. He took a cup and helped the new shift of soldiers make a motze on pita bread.)

*                 *                    *

The seder niggunim and seudas shlishis back at the hostel were beautiful and Machon Alte's longtime dedicated teacher Sara Kaplan gave over talks by the Rebbe about the reasons why Ma'ara HaMachpella is exclusively a Jewish inheritence and not at all in any way connected to today's Muslims.

Pulling the entire moving two-day experience into one magnificent summation -- as only Rebbetzin Sara Kaplan in her unique way can -- she noted all the treasures of Chevron and Torah which were desposited in the girl's hearts, minds and souls this Shabbos. Because while the leaders of Chevron have their incredible shlichus today, each student at Machon Alte and Seminary Chaya Mushka will continue on her unique, individual shlichus.

Drawing from this special Shabbaton and all the experiences and knowledge the girl's will gain this year, Mrs. Kaplan lovingly encouraged us all to go on the way as Avraham Avinu would, "saying little and doing much..."

*                  *                    *

No, it didn't end here although we could have said Dayenu at this point......

After Havdallah with Rabbi Rosenfeld, Mrs. Rosenfeld passed out a sheet to all the girls with the Avraham Fried song in Yiddish, "A Gutta Voch."

"It's a little tradition from our home that I wanted to share with you," said Mrs. Rosenfeld, turning on the tape player and joining the girls singing along with Avraham Fried.

The night was still young.....

Courageous Chevron pioneer Sara Nachshon, who, with her husband artist Baruch Nachshon,  were in the forefront of the mesirus-nefesh fight to regain Chevron, shared some  stories with us at a special Melave Malka...

Afterwards, and perhaps even reluctantly,  we boarded the buses and stopped off at the Nachshon  home in Kiryat Arba where Baruch Nachshon's display of paintings and his late-hour humerous wit gave us all another burst of energy for the long journey back to Tsfas.

Thank you Rabbi and Mrs. Rosenfeld, Tova and Chanaia Mordechai and all the dedicated Machon staff and wonderful students for a "most amazing Shabbat ever!"