Joburg Students Compile Stories

By Omri Yehudai, Grade 12 student, Torah Academy of Johannesburg

Studying at the Torah Academy, we all knew of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s leadership across the globe, reaching Jews in every country. We were told how he founded our school to raise the aspirations of chinuch in South Africa.

Often, however, we children see the Rebbe as a general leader, or Tzadik, and do not relate to the Rebbe in a personal way. For this reason the Torah Academy Boys High School felt the need to instill in our school the feeling and realization that the Rebbe is “My Rebbe”. We intended that the 400 families in our school, from all sorts of backgrounds, see the significance of making the Rebbe a vital point in their life, even at this young age. We wanted the children to tell themselves, “The Rebbe is a partner in every step I make, both now and in my future years.” This would help develop more of a sensitivity and a close feeling to “My Rebbe”, influencing them to achieve a greater commitment to Torah, Mitzvos and Ahavas Yisroel Jews.

In preparation for Gimmel Tammuz, the Rebbe’s 21st Yahrzeit, we started the “big brother” program. The High School boys were each paired up with a Primary School student, week after week, to convey the above theme to our little brothers. Once a week they would sit side by side learning together, and building long lasting relationships. Besides for the half hour learning session, once a week, at night, we also called our little brothers to speak on the phone about the Rebbe’s legacy to Klal Yisroel.

We then decided to take this one step further. Coming together as a whole we, the students, submitted stories about our own families, relatives, or friends, about the Rebbe’s effect on us personally, with the hope to encourage us, and help each and every one of us to strengthen our personal connection to the Rebbe.

We published these stories in a book and I now have the ability to read first hand accounts by my classmates and friends, from right here in my school, making the Rebbe so much more real in my life.

We dedicated the book to Dr. Rodney Unterslak, a man who touched the lives of so many, physically or emotionally, across Johannesburg.
He was a man who served as Hashem’s conduit for healing the body and soul of thousands.

A “Rofeh Yedid” were the words that the Rebbe used to bless Doctor Rodney. From the time that he heard these words, he never had any doubts about his mission in life. He was to be a Rofeh, and much more than that he was to be a Yedid.

Doctor Rodney lived his life daily with the Rebbe. He will forever be a true role model of a true chossid. His Neshoma should continue to have an Aliya through the legacy that he has left behind. We hope these stories of the Torah Academy Kinderlach with the Rebbe, are a source of nachas for Dr. Rodney. May it be through us kinderlach that we merit to see the Rebbe with the final redemption, Teikef Umiyad.

Download full booklet here