By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
Young and energetic, Rabbi Hershel and Rochelle Fogelman had built the Jewish day school in Worcester, Massachusetts, from scratch.
The couple, originally sent to the city by the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, had spent a dozen years working on the school, and had been rewarded for their efforts by growing enrollment and the scholastic achievements of their students.
Not everyone in the community was pleased with the school’s success, however. Several had raised objections to the Fogelmans’ activities, and there was even an effort to wrest control of the school from them. In a private audience, Rabbi Fogelman told the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, about the situation.
“I will tell you a story,” the Rebbe said. Rabbi Yonasan Eibshitz, the eighteenth-century rabbinical scholar, was renowned for his brilliance and wit. He became an advisor of the king of Denmark, but their close relationship was not viewed favorably by the king’s other advisers. They began looking for ways to discredit Rabbi Eibshitz, fabricating stories about the venerable scholar.
At the time, chicken racing was a popular sport, and the king suggested that the ministers and Rabbi Eibshitz compete in a race. Whoever’s chicken prevailed would have the king’s support.
The ministers worked for weeks feeding and training their chickens, and on the day of the race, arrived with large, strong birds. Rabbi Eibshitz, however, arrived with a thin, scrawny chicken, and gently placed it in the ring.
When the race began, instead of running, the larger chickens immediately started fighting with each other. They ignored the smaller bird, which quietly made its way toward the finish line and won the race.
“Es iz gebliben nor ein dareh feigel,” the Rebbe said in Yiddish, a play on the word Fogelman, “only the one thin bird survived.
The message was clear, those who are fighting him, in the end will eat each other up. Rabbi Fogelman would only have to continue your work, if he would keep moving slowly forward, he will succeed.
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Rabbi Heshel Fogelman with all the Ze’chussoim he had , he really had lots of them, there was ac story told about him : in regarding With Reb Chaim Spiegel ( a very successful attorney of Las Angeles ) who devoted himself to the Rebbe physically and financially between others : he paid to open Sichos in English , he opened many women MIKVO’S , used to take LARGE CRUZESl invite Jewish people to come bring speakers talk to them on KIRUV, buy Matzos for them for the entire Pessach , all from his pockets when he came to a… Read more »
Great man.Great story. I miss him and am sure he is making a groycer SHTURM to bring the Rebbe MHM Now.The chicken is ready to cross the Geulah line. He once gave me a potch en punim and I deserved it!!!!!!👋😃
Thank you
@collive
@dovidzaklikowski
Rabbi fogelman and his wife have made a huge impact on my life.from the school and community life .
Beautiful message as only the Rebbe can deliver. Rabbi Fogelman, z”l, and his tzu langeh yohr, his Aishes Chayil grew a beautiful moisad and community.