When a Jewish-Ukrainian bibliographer and scholar sent the Rebbe his book about his teacher who served in the revolutionary government created by the Ukrainian National Union, the Rebbe shared his thoughts and painful memories of Ukrainian socialism and the lessons to be learned today.
By Rebbe Responsa
Lev Bykovsky (1895–1992), was a Jewish-Ukrainian, bibliographer, and scholar. In 1976, he published — in Ukrainian — a biography about his teacher Prof. Solomon I. Goldelman a Jewish Ukrainian scholar and political figure who served in the temporary revolutionary government created by the Ukrainian National Union.
At the recommendation of his acquaintance — Prof. Abraham G. Duker (1907–1987), a Jewish historian for over a decade at Yeshiva University, editor of Jewish Social Studies, and librarian — he sent a copy of his book to the Rebbe.
In the copy of the book he sent to the Rebbe the following inscription appears:
“With the compliments of the author. At Prof. Abraham G. Duker, Ph.D. recommendation. 11.1.76. L. Bykovsky.”
On Chanukah, 5737, the Rebbe thanks Bykovsky for the book:
“Your book evoked memories of my birthplace, the Ukraine, which is no doubt also your native land. And though I left it years after the Revolution, I vividly recall those turbulent years. For this reason, I took time out of my busy schedule to look through your book though the subject is not my field.”
In line with the Rebbe’s custom of commenting on the contents of the books he received, the Rebbe writes “I should have hoped that a prominent Ukrainian Jewish socialist,” — the subject of the book, Solomon I. Goldelman – “had written on the attitude of the Ukrainian socialists to Jews, or, at any rate, to Jewish socialists.”
“It was a painful let down and disappointment” the Rebbe recalls from the unfortunate past he experienced and remembered, “when quite a number of Ukrainian socialists appeared as active participants in the dreadful pogroms.”
The Rebbe was not just crying about the past. The Rebbe continued with the relevance of this question in our days which rings now truer than ever.
“There are still some prominent Jewish socialists” the Rebbe continues “who place their trust in socialist countries and leaders, in the hope that belonging to the same party and “brotherhood” would discourage anti-Semitism.”
If history taught us socialism is not the answer, What is the answer? “This (Jewish people) is a people that will dwell alone, and will not be recognized among the nations,” the Rebbe quotes a verse from the Torah,
“The sooner Jewish leaders, and Jews generally, realize that we cannot rely on the ‘kindness of nations,’ the better will be our chances to dwell in security.” To this end, the Rebbe ends that it is in the Jews’s hands to do the work —
“It is vitally necessary that Jews everywhere should turn their hearts and minds inwardly, and strengthen their identification with our great historic spiritual heritage, which has been the real unifying force of our Jewish people and has preserved our people through the ages — a tiny minority in a hostile world.”
— The identity of the letter’s recipient and his book as well as the information found in the Rebbe’s personal copy housed in the Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad was uncovered through the research of Rabbi @DovidMargolin.
Rebbe Responsa kindly requests anyone who may be in possession of letters of the Rebbe in English, to send them by email so that these unique treasures can benefit the public.
These selected letters are sourced from the extensive collection of over 5,000 English letters written by the Rebbe, accessible through the Rebbe Responsa app.
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