Seminary Talk: Milan, Italy

Not once have I reported returning from a speaking tour inspired by what I saw. This time is no different.

I just returned from Milan, Italy. I was invited by the Chabad seminary there to speak with the students over the weekend.

I arrived in the country on Friday morning, around 11:00. They met me at the airport, and we took the train back to the city, to leave off my bags. We arrived at the Beis Chana seminary. It’s a really nice, newly redone building. It turns out that it’s run by an old friend, whose family I’m fairly close to in the Kfar, the Sheikevitz family, who runs the meat store. Moshe Sheikevitz retold me the fascinating story how the purchase the building took place, quite miraculously last year. They’ve renovating and fixing it up since.

Friday afternoon we spoke with half of the students in a local park. As usual, I always ask for names and from where people are from. It’s always amazing to see the enormous ingathering of people in these schools: Australia, France, US, Europe, South Africa. Everywhere.

Milan is an extremely tidy, clean and to my taste very pretty city.

By the way, we Americans should be ashamed, disgusted also, but primarily ashamed at some of our cities and trains. As an aside, I’ve been to Belgium, England, Italy, Czechoslavakia (and a couple more I can’t remember now). Whatever we Americans feel about the US superiority is one thing. But, the reality is that Europeans take infinitely better care of their cities and trains than we can imagine.

I’ve long wondered how the disgusting NY subway system is permitted to function. Isn’t there any regulation on air-quality control. Rats everywhere. My gosh. In Europe, and just now in Milan, you see people on the streets sweeping and cleaning. The trains are air-conditioned and spotless. It’s another dimension. We need to be ashamed, but enough on that subject.

This weekend was booked as a ‘life-story’ type talk. That means that over the weekend we tell different parts of my, how shall we put that, unique life-experiences. The karate, the prison career, writing books, flying planes.

According to the number of requests (demands) I get to do these “life-story” type talks, they are quite in demand. A high point of this weekend’s talk was the story of my private meeting, yechidus with the Rebbe in 1981. What’s unique about that point of the story is that right before entering the Rebbe’s office, I stuck a tape recorder into my mom’s pocket book. I turned it on before the meeting so that the entire seven minute talk, in English, is preserved. Subsequently, I transcribed it onto paper. We hand that paper out to everyone present and listen to the tape together. People love that.

In that meeting, my family received the Rebbe’s blessings in a number of areas. Personally,  it was then I was directed to learn smicha, rabbinic ordination; and I was directed – exactly – to where to find my future wife.

Another high point of the weekend was Saturday night. The motto of that talk, which lasted three hours was: Believe you can. It’s part of the karate motive we heard during the weekend.

During that meeting, I come prepared with large piles of wood. Then, without exception, the participants pass by and need to “karate-chop” pieces of wood. At first, most people are reluctant. After they’ve accomplished some thinner pieces of wood, and seen their contemporaries do it as well their confidence inevitably qrows and they ask to do thicker pieces! It’s a fun activity which simply drives the point home – on a personal basis – believe you can!

On Saturday morning, I was asked to speak to the community in the central synagogue. That was a pleasure. The leader, Rabbi Mizrachi, is a local fellow, from Lod, not far from Kfar Chabad. It was marvelous speaking for the community, and even more wonderful connecting with them at lunch.

Back to where I began. Over the weekend, as always, I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of the students on a one-to-one basis. I’m always pleasantly surprised, again, at the quality of people these seminaries turn out.

I suppose it’s not accurate to pinpoint the seminaries. After all, for many years beforehand these students are undergoing education. In that respect, they’re only continuing what began in childhood.

Nonetheless, the maturity of thought, always amazes me. At nineteen or twenty years of age, I believe Lubavitch has been blessed with extraordinary human beings. One after the other I heard of their personal deliberations for the upcoming year, what types of lives they want to build for themselves. What type of families.

They’re considering things which, I believe, many middle aged people never merit to consider. Do they want a life based on study, or outreach? What type of atmosphere will they create in their own homes, will it be children who grow independently or with an emphasis on making the home the central theme? Will they find husband who encourage them towards careers or towards being housewives? On and on the serious, mature, considerations go on. It was very refreshing, as always, to see young people so alert, and responsible.

That’s it, for now, this latest update. Now, back in Kfar Chabad, working on updating past books, preparing new books, the movies and taking care of our family. See you all later. Fish