6646 —עידוד בעבודה למען הסמינר ובית הספר המקצועי, ותמיהה על יחס "פארעווע" של אנ"ש למוסד

B"H, 15 Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Mrs. Zlata, may she live^[1]

Brachah v'Shalom!

After a prolonged interruption^[2] your letter of the Tenth of Teves – may it soon be transformed into joy and gladness^[3] – has arrived, with the enclosed photo of the seminary and vocational school^[4].

May G‑d, blessed be He, help that, with joy and gladness of heart, you not only continue this most important work but also add to it, and influence your surroundings so that they too will do the same, and all in an ever-growing measure. Surely it is superfluous to elaborate on the importance of this; and surely it is also superfluous to elaborate on the great wonder and pain caused here by the reports of the "parve" attitude^[5] of many of Anash^[6] toward the institution, notwithstanding the many talks of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly and blessed memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us^[7] – heard by word of mouth and also available in writing – on the supreme importance of such institutions^[8].

May it be G‑d's will that at least from now on people will reflect more deeply on the talks mentioned above, and in [a] way that will lead to actual deeds in the greatest possible measure. For the full possibility is there; all that is lacking, unfortunately, is the will – as the well-known saying goes: "You can, but you do not want to" (Mozhesh da ne khochesh)^[9].

At an auspicious time, all those about whom you write will be mentioned at the holy resting place^[10] of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly and blessed memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us; and may the merit of your work for the above-mentioned institutions stand by you and your family, may they live^[11], to report good news in all that you write about.

With blessing.

Publisher's notes

Mrs. Zlata (מרת זלטה תחי'): Althaus, Tel Aviv. Further letters to her: above, vol. 14, letter 5305, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. Mrs. Zlata, may she live (מרת זלטה תחי'): תחי' = תחיה, "may she live". Mrs. Zlata (Zlate) Althaus of Tel Aviv. She and two other women, Mrs. G. Ginsburg and Mrs. B. Zalmanov, worked in 5716–5717 to establish a vocational school for girls in Kfar Chabad, and the Rebbe guided them by letter: the main effort should go into the level of studies and the teaching staff, not the building, and he promised to help with the institution's expenses through a special appeal among Anash (4526, 10 Tammuz 5716); they should not be put off by difficulties or by "those who mock", and must make no concessions in matters of fear of Heaven when choosing teachers (4722, 23 Elul 5716); and he approved by telegram the proposal to combine the girls' vocational school "with the Slonim institution" (5305, 23 Adar II 5717). She continued the work in later years: in 8989 (5725) the Rebbe writes to the students of the Kfar Chabad vocational school that he received their regards "through Mrs. Zlate Althaus"; see also the letters to her below, 8736 (9 Teves 5724) and 9685 (5729), which closes with a blessing for success "in her work for the daughters of Israel".

2. After a prolonged interruption (נאך א ליינגערן איבעררייס): After a long break between her letters.

3. The Tenth of Teves… joy and gladness (יו"ד טבת, יהפך לששון ולשמחה בקרוב): יו"ד טבת = the Tenth of Teves, the fast day. "May it be transformed into joy and gladness" is from Zechariah 8:19: "The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be for the house of Judah for joy and gladness and for happy festivals"; Rashi: "the fast of the tenth – of Teves".

4. The seminary and vocational school (סמינר ובית ספר מקצועי): The girls' educational institutions in Kfar Chabad with which she was involved (see note 1). On the girls' seminary in Kfar Chabad see also 4610 (8 Menachem Av 5716, to the committee founding a high school–seminary in Kfar Chabad), where the Rebbe directs that its curriculum follow that of the most Chareidi Beis Yaakov schools, with Chassidus added, and recommends that they cooperate with "the women founding a continuation school for the Reshet schools", and even unite the two institutions.

5. "Parve" attitude ("פארעווער" באציהונג): "Parve" (neither meat nor dairy) – a neutral, indifferent attitude, neither for nor against.

6. Anash (מאנ"ש): מאנ"ש = מאנשי שלומנו, "of our people", i.e. of the Chassidim.

7. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

8. Such institutions (אזעלכע מוסדות): Educational institutions for girls. The Previous Rebbe himself founded the Beth Rivkah girls' schools in Brooklyn in 1941, and spoke and wrote many times on the importance of girls' education.

9. "You can, but you do not want to" (מאזשעס דא ניע חאטשעס): A Russian saying, Mozhesh da ne khochesh, which the Rebbe renders in Hebrew יכול אתה אבל אינך חפץ in letters 5843 and 5884. When something is not done, it is not for lack of ability, but for lack of will.

10. The holy resting place (ציון הק'): ציון הק' = הציון הקדוש, the Ohel of the Previous Rebbe in the cemetery in Queens.

11. Your family, may they live (ב"ב שי'): ב"ב שי' = בני ביתכם שיחיו.

Summary

After a long break, Mrs. Zlata Althaus of Tel Aviv sent the Rebbe a photo of the girls' seminary and vocational school she was working for. The Rebbe urges her to continue and expand the work joyfully and to draw others in, expresses his pain at the indifference of many Anash toward the institution despite the Previous Rebbe's many talks on the importance of such institutions – "you can, but you do not want to" – and promises to mention her requests at the Ohel.