By Rabbi Shloma Majeski
Last week I received an unusual and unexpected call.
An elderly woman was on the phone. She identified herself but I did not recognize her name. She began, “I have two dollars from the Lubavitcher Rebbe that I would like to give to Machon Chana. I am in my 80s and I want these dollars to be in good hands.”
“Did you ever attend Machon Chana?” I asked her.
“No,” she replied.
“Do you know anyone who attended Machon Chana?” I asked.
Again, she answered “No.”
“So why, may I ask, did you decide to donate these two precious dollars that you received from the Rebbe to Machon Chana of all places?” I asked her incredulously.
“I cannot explain it. I do not know why. But I had a strong urge to donate them to Machon Chana,” she told me. “I would like you to use them for fundraising purposes to benefit Machon Chana and the zechus of the money raised will be for my children and grandchildren.”
The woman had never attended Machon Chana. She did not know anyone who had attended Machon Chana. But she felt a strange urgency to give the dollars, specifically now, to Machon Chana.
I felt like this was a Heavenly message!
When I received this call, arrangements for the Grand Hakhel Dinner of Machon Chana and Hadar HaTorah were well underway. The dinner is taking place this coming Tuesday evening, 23 Iyar/May 31, at Espace in Manhattan.
Now, the job was to assure that attendance would be “b’rov am hadras melech” (that it should as large of a gathering as possible), especially since the Machon Chana honorees are Rabbi Yitzchok and Mrs. Gita Gansburg of blessed memory. An overflowing hall and dinner journal ads would be the best way to show gratitude to our beloved and devoted dorm parents of 38 years.
It was clear to me that one of these dollars of the Rebbe was intended for the Grand Hakhel Dinner.
I received the dollars, dated 3/12/89 (5 Adar II, 5749), in the mail on Friday. We decided that anyone who makes a reservation for the dinner will be entered into a raffle for one of the dollars. In this way, we will be fulfilling this woman’s request to “use them for fundraising purposes to benefit Machon Chana” as well as helping ensure that the dinner truly be a Grand Hakhel.
To make your reservation for the dinner visit NCFJE.org, or call (718) 735-0200.
With blessings to you and all of your loved ones that we all together celebrate the Grand Hakhel Dinner in the Beis HaMikdosh with Moshiach NOW!
trying to make reservation by calling.no one answer
maybe you can give us another #
Rabbi Majeski you are a pillar of wisdom and an excellent educator
May the Mazel of the school always shine strong
Your students Down Under (Australia)
thank u so much rabbi majesky and staff !!u should have hatzlohe
A sign for sure! The Rwbbe loved MC