By COLlive reporter
R’ Moshe Rubashkin, a generous resident of Crown Heights who became a legend in recent years for his outstanding hospitality to guests during the month of Tishrei, has outdone himself this year.
The basement of his home has hosted hundreds of lchaims, bris milahs, bar mitzvahs and community events. In the past few months it has hosted dozens of small, but nevertheless joyous, weddings as well, due to restrictions on large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.
This week, Rubashkin has coordinated the building of what is arguably Crown Heights’ largest Sukkah, spanning the length of 5 homes including his own on President Street between Kingston and Brooklyn Avenues.
Rubashkin, who was coined “Avrohom Avinu of Crown Heights,” is calling it “a community Sukkah,” a place for anyone and everyone to visit, in an outdoor setting, and safe and socially distanced way, and get a taste of yom tov, a bite to eat, and a warm cup of coffee or tea.
The structure is 300 feet long, 16 feet wide and 12 feet high with an open-air area at the top to provide ventilation. It holds 12 long tables with chairs set out 8 to a table instead of the usual 12, to allow for social distancing.
Beautifully draped in chiffon for a festive yom tov look, Rubashkin told COLlive.com the large dwelling is much more than just a Sukkah.
“The Sukkah represents the joy of Yom Tov,” he said. “So many in our neighborhood are depressed, they have lost parnassah and are having financial difficulties, so many still have health issues…the Sukkah signals to everyone that a yomtov is here, and we will be joyous together.”
The reason why he has built such a large Sukkah this year, he says, is to provide a safe, outdoor location for meals for any guests in the neighborhood.
“If anyone has guests or relatives they are asked to host, and for whatever reason, they are not comfortable having them due to concerns about Covid, the guests are invited to come here to my Sukkah for meals,” he says. There is room for men and women in the Sukkah, he says.
He said that the number of Tishrei guests this year is “nowhere near the amount that comes every year,” adding that there’s a large number of guests who are not only from Israel but are “American bochurim, sons of Shluchim and Chabad families from around the US.”
“The guests are already here, that’s the reality,” he says. “We have to provide a safe and comfortable place for them to eat, relax and spend Yom Tov.”
Rubashkin’s catering to Tishrei guests is already in full swing, way before Sukkos. Adding to the array of food he is offering is a truckload of gourmet food that was intended for visitors to Uman for Rosh Hashana. After the Ukrainian government barred entry to visitors, Monsey philanthropist Laizer Scheiner donated it to Rubashkin’s operation.
Rubashkin said the inspiration to host guests stems from the great excitement he felt as young bochur in Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Brunoy, France.
Bochurim there would take on various jobs to make money to be able to afford a ticket to New York and spend Tishrei with the Rebbe.
“No job was too unimportant – we washed floors, did laundry, anything we could to make the money to come,” he recalls.
The excitement was only intensified when they were notified that the Rebbe’s secretariat would be paying half of their tickets to travel to New York.
“Now, after everything the Rebbe did for us all these years, the one way we have a chance to pay back the Rebbe is by giving him nachas and supporting his guests,” Rubashkin says.
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Moves my heart to see such genuine caring.
thank you so much moshe!
To point out that one should probably consult with a Rov, in regard to making a לישב בסוכה in a sukka on the street.
His father passed from Covid – will he make these people keep some sort of distance / wear a mask? I believe we should keep businesses open etc but this type of setup is just asking for problems….