Taking Leave of the Rebbe

The two weeks passed very quickly. A busload of us visited 250 boys at Camp Gan Yisroel, in the Catskills. There, Dayan Golditch and Rabbi Shemtov had a long session on the... seesaw! Their intention was to prove an old chassidic theory: if a person wishes to elevate another, he must be prepared to lower himself. We also visited 100 girls in Camp Emunah. Wherever we went we were treated like royalty.

Hindy was having a terrific time - that's what I heard. I actually saw her twice: once when I “met” her on the stairs, and once when she asked for $10.00.

We were having official receptions everywhere. Even N'shei Chabad made a special women's only party.

Martin Weinberg finally traced Mrs. Simon - with his suitcase - to Chicago. And yes, she promised to send it to him, but he never did get it.

The day of our departure arrived, Av 6 (July 19). A message came through that the Rebbe was prepared to see, in private, anyone from our group who wished to say farewell to him. He allowed us thirty minutes from 4:15 to 4:45. We had arranged for the buses to leave 770 at 5: 00 for the airport, so that was just right!

At 3:30 the group was congregated in the hall at 770, when I received the biggest surprise of my life. All the passengers were so delighted with the arrangements that they wanted to repay me in some small measure for the work I had done. Rabbi Unsdorfer, on everyone's behalf, made a nice complimentary speech about me, and presented me with a beautifully bound Shass, printed in twenty volumes with many commentaries.

Every passenger was to sign it, but first I took the Shass into the Rebbe's room with me, and requested that he sign it. At the beginning the Rebbe hesitated. He said that he was not one of the passengers. I offered that wherever Lubavitchers went, the Rebbe went with them. The Rebbe accepted my response and signed it; it is something I shall always treasure.

By now it was 4:15 and, one at a time, the members went into the Rebbe's room. As could have been imagined, it took much longer than anticipated. Instead of 5:00, we got going at a quarter to seven.

The Rebbe stood outside whilst we departed from 770 and bade us all “Tzeischem l'sholom.” The Rebbe stayed watching until all the buses were out of sight.