Gimmel Tammuz is a day for introspection and connection to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Leading up to this day, many people take the time to go visit the Ohel. Others spend the day learning the Rebbe’s words of Torah and doing outreach activities.

At Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (LYA), located in Longmeadow, MA, a group of middle school boys chose a unique and beautiful route this year. The students wanted to connect with people who had met the Rebbe and model the Rebbe’s teachings and guidance for them on a daily basis.

Together with Rabbi Lavy Kosofsky, LYA Judaic Coordinator, the boys prepared pointed interview questions that would allow them to learn and gain a new perspective of the Rebbe. The students then set up times to interview LYA Shluchim and teachers.

The interview process was meaningful for all involved. The boys interviewed their Gemara teacher, Rabbi Avremy Raskin, who is an LYA parent, as well as a Shliach for 13 years in Brattleboro, VT. Rabbi Raskin grew up on Shlichus in Burlington, VT, and now is Co-Director of Chabad with his wife Chaya. 

The students interviewed Rabbi Chaim Kosofsky, Outreach and Shul Co-Ordinator, who has worked at LYA since 1988. The students also interviewed Rabbi Yakov Wolff, JLI Educator and Outreach, who has worked at LYA since 1996.

Their questions included:

• Who is the Rebbe to you?
• When was the 1^st time you met the Rebbe?
• How do you connect with the Rebbe?
• What suggestions do you give your students in order to connect with the Rebbe?
• What teaching of the Rebbe most inspires you?

The result was an inspiring video that was shared with the school during a special Gimel Tammuz assembly. The students had time to reflect after watching the video. They agreed that the Rabbis each gave very interesting answers and enriched them with the fact that the Rebbe cared for each person, as if that person were the only one in the room. As Nochum Gurewicz explained, “Since we never met the Rebbe, it was meaningful to speak to our role models who did meet the Rebbe and hear their personal stories.”

Thank you to the interviewers: 7^th grader Nochum Gurewicz and 6^th grader Mendel Kosofsky. Thank you to the videographers: 6^th grader Hudi Helfen and 7^th grader Shmuel Aizik Raskin. Editing and compilation credit goes to Nochum Gurewicz.

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