When one Chabad moisad awarded a woman for her activities, it published her picture in one of their publications on the same page with a picture of the Frierdiker Rebbe. Soon after, they received a response from the Rebbe, rare in its sharpness.
When one Chabad moisad awarded a woman for her activities, it published her picture in one of their publications on the same page with a picture of the Frierdiker Rebbe.
The administration of the moisad received the following response, rare in its sharpness, from the Rebbe:
“If you wish to award a particular woman, is it permitted for you to do this by printing a picture of her davka together with a picture of the Frierdiker Rebbe?
“I have seen many shocking things, but I must confess that this one raises to the top of the list…
“The page should certainly, immediately, be eliminated from the world.
“Since I cannot be a part of such conduct, in which publicity interests don’t stop at even this, my name should be removed from all stationery and pamphlets.”
The Rebbe then concluded with a way of teshuva for this individual.
“If you will heed my advice, take upon yourself a taanis in one of the coming days, and go to the tziyun of the [Frierdiker] Rebbe, and beseech for forgiveness and atonement. And take upon yourself to learn the Frierdiker Rebbe’s maamorim until Rosh Hashana. And anyone else involved, should do the same…”
(Teshura Sorkin Simpson 5777; Milu’im Leshlichus Kehilchoso p. 33)
From The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash
Was the picture not tzniusdik / the woman not religious?
I think this story needs a little more explanation to be understood better what exactly the issue was that the Rebbe responded this way.
That maybe it’s just because it’s not bekovodik to have a random woman on the same page as a Rebbe?
Boys and girls on Tzivos Hashem magazines being next to eachother
on the other hand, the Rebbe befeirush pushed that there should be a girl on the cover of every moshiach times, just in a tzniusdike manner