A Letter to Two Late Greats

By Rabbi Mendel Duchman – Los Angeles, California

We’ve recently lost two very special great chassidim, from very different backgrounds and lives, but whose legacy stood for one word: Action. They both instilled energy and direction to hundreds of young Lubavitcher boys such as myself.

I write this in homage to them and their example, the lasting impact that their energetic and tireless actions had on me and my generation, with the hope that others will take notice.

Dear Rabbi Yosef Goldstein (Uncle Yossi),

As you enter into the gates of Heaven, I just wanted to seize the moment to thank you for the lifelong effect that you have had on the Lubavitcher children growing up in Crown Heights during the 60’s. You may have thought that it was just a small thing, but it is far from that.

Crown Heights was a happening place in those years. Everything in life was based around 770 and the Rebbe and everyone was in growth mode. The adults, that is. We youngsters, however, age 7-12, were perhaps lacking an exact place and purpose. Then you came along and started a Lubavitch children’s minyan in a home on Carroll Street.

It was like we found a new life. That minyan inspired us, it taught us to daven like mentschen, to give derech eretz to a shul, it gave us leadership skills. Don’t think for a minute that this inspiration was just for the past.

Because of that minyan, and my childhood memories, I was inspired to start the children’s minyan here in Los Angeles – Kol Yakov Yehuda – the Rebbe’s Diamond Daveners.

For the past 11 years, over 120 Anash boys and girls gather every Shabbos to daven, running their own shul, as a result of your inspiration. Your legacy lives on.

I’ll never forget when you came back from a trip to Eretz Yisroel after the 6 Day War, you gathered us together for a grand Melave Malka and showed us a slideshow of your trip.

We watched with open eyes you described the cockpit, the plane engines, the experience of taking off and landing, your meetings with government officials, rabbonim and chassidim, leaving us youngsters with a lifetime memory.

And you did everything with such chayus, passing on koichos to us Lubavitcher children, that we carry with us to this very day. Your enthusiasm did not dim with time.

With your beautiful smile and your strong handshake, you greeted every one of the mispallelim that came to our Los Angeles shul on the Shabbos that you visited us, several years ago.

As you pass on to the next stage of existence, please know that thousands of children benefited from your many contributions, and will continue for many generations to come, all over the world, and especially here in Los Angeles through the Children’s Minyan that was initiated as a result of your children’s minyan over 40 years ago.

May your family be consoled with the knowledge of how many thousands you have touched, directly and indirectly. To those thousands and to me personally, you are a hero and a continuing inspiration.

* * *

Dear R’ Shaya,

Way before the Tzach Mivtzoim Office and the Shluchim Office, you paved the way for hundreds of bochurim learning in Morristown, in bringing mivtzoim to New Jersey Jewry.

With your drive and organizational skills, you energized every single bochur to look forward to Friday. We would gather in your office and you would send us all off so professionally for a great day of doing the Rebbe’s work.

In today’s time and age it pretty much common knowledge. But back in the 70’s it took a giant and a visionary like you to accomplish that. In fact, when I talk to various shluchim, the same conversation comes up: “Do you remember Shaya Gansburg’s mivtzoim office and operation in Morristown?”

You had the ability to get the hanhala and the bochurim united with Mivtzoim. You blazed the trail. Routes, logistics, printed material for handouts, kits for neshek, nothing was ready-made like today. You created them all from scratch.

You were an inspiration to all of us. You taught us what Mivtzoim was all about , and more importantly, how to successfully do Mivtzoim something that was difficult in the the early 70’s.

But your inspiration was not limited to the “bochurshe” years.

I had the zechus of being involved with another of your projects. While you took ill this past summer, I was asked to manage the Camp Emunah Traveling Shluchos Camp which you have opened and led for the last 18 years.

Every night we stayed in different facilities and locations. Not only Chabad Houses but also Federation buildings, JCC’s, Conservative and Reform centers, places with which even the local shluchim didn’t have connections or relationships. But all we had to say was “Rabbi Shaya” and the door was open to us, and gladly.

Reb Shaya, how many hundreds of generations have you built, using your talent first in the early years of mivtzoim and other activities, and later on with the Camp Emunah traveling camp and Chabad of Harlem?

As your neshama ascends on high, may you reap infinite nachas from the seeds you have planted during your time on this earth. They will continue to multiply and grow.

May your mishpacha be consoled with how much you accomplished in such a short time, and how many young Lubavitchers you have inspired.

* * *

Those that knew both of you will forever cherish your unique personalities and your legacies. Those that didn’t, are most probably reaping the results of your inspiration and years-long work.

Let us all salute these two giants, who both passed away recently and left behind a better world thanks to their actions. All we can do is continue in their noble ways and remember their mantra in life: Hama’ashe hu ha’ikor. Talk less and do more!