by Gheula Canarutto Nemni

He feels what each person experiences. He helps everyone to achieve the unachievable. In his presence, one feels more Jewish, more authentically Jewish. In his presence, one connects to their inner Jewish core. (Elie Wiesel)

66 years ago, a man had a vision. He imagined every remote corner of the earth filled with the knowledge of G-d. He saw an impressive and majestic structure from which, without fear, words of Torah flowed, in the heart of Soviet Russia, when Jews were persecuted for practicing their religion. He dreamed of a place that welcomed every type of Jew, regardless of background and knowledge of their religion, in the heart of New York, when Jews were more focused on asserting their integration than their identity. He desired a place where thousands of Jewish students could celebrate the Pesach seder even while being on the high slopes of Nepal, in Kathmandu. He firmly believed it would be possible to see, one day, women in Milan unsure about which mikveh to go to, when Jewish Italy was emerging from the ashes of post-war. Thanks to his faith, he envisioned being stopped by a seventeen-year-old in the heart of South Africa and being asked, “Excuse me, would you like to put on tefillin?” when many religious authorities deemed it ‘blasphemous’ to bind tefillin around an arm that desecrated Shabbat.

The visionary has a name. His name is Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Rebbe of Lubavitch. His vision has not remained a mere illusion, but has transformed into an incredible (as in hard to believe...) reality, perceptible wherever one may find themselves in the world. The revolution set in motion 58 years ago by a young leader whose headquarters is located at 770, Brooklyn, New York, has brought a historic turning point to world Judaism, allowing millions of people to regain pride and the true meaning of being Jewish, wherever they are, physically and spiritually.

The people of Israel are distinguished by countless positive qualities, among which are gratitude and appreciation. And appreciation means acknowledging what anyone, anywhere in the world, has done for us. To the Rebbe, we owe the recognition of the intrinsic value of every Jew, regardless of the level of observance and knowledge they possess. To him, we owe the transmission of the strength, to a people exhausted by World War II, to not be crushed by the ruins of war but to look ahead and have faith in their reconstruction. We owe him the ability to believe in dreams and ideals and the lesson not to be deterred by what might seemingly be obstacles.

66 years ago, a man had a vision. That today has transformed into a universal reality. Thank you, Rebbe.