A Suitcase of Goodness

As I sit on the plane on my return trip home, I am still under the influence of one of the most moving experiences of my life.

On Sunday, December 7, I embarked on a day-long trip to visit the families who were sitting shiva – the traditional week-long mourning period for the deceased – for the victims of the Mumbai tragedy. I had arrived in Israel two days earlier, on Friday, directly from our Chicago Memorial Tribute. With me I carried a "suitcase of goodness," laden with hundreds of mitzvah pledge cards collected from the tribute participants and notebooks filled with letters of comfort and resolve from Chicago area Jewish day school students.

I was ready for a mission of light.

RELATED Knowledge Base   Mumbai Terror Attack (2008) (224)

For twelve hours, three rabbis of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad, Israel's Chabad Youth Organization, and I, visited each of the families and experienced their love and thanks. It is hard to put into words the emotions of these very diverse families as they heard how this tragedy has been channeled to inspire so many in Torah and mitzvot.

We began our day in Jerusalem where the Volover Rabbi, father of Rabbi Leibish Teitelbum, of righteous memory, and his family were sitting shiva. The home was overflowing with rabbis and dignitaries. When the rabbi heard that Chabad emissaries had arrived he asked that we sit up front and center. He was overwhelmed by emotion when shown the book of resolutions and presented with a few books from the schools. "Please," he asked, "go to the widow and other family members, show them what Chabad is doing to inspire others; this will give them comfort."

The next request was that we visit with two of Leibish's younger children who were in a separate room. With long side curls and the precociousness and innocence of little children, they examined the book of resolutions and were fascinated by the concept that people in some far off place were willing to make changes in their life, in memory of their father.

With the family of Leibish Teitelbaum

Viewing the mitzvah pledges at the Teitelbaum residence

Two of Teitelbaum's children

Then we traveled to Afulah where the Holtzberg and Rosenberg families were mourning the loss of the legendary Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, of righteous memory. When we presented them with the books they were overcome with emotion. The next thing I knew a microphone was thrust in my hand. "Speak to all the people here," the mourners requested. "Describe to them what one community is doing and ask everyone to join with more and more acts of goodness and kindness."

We then presented to the grandmothers a special package from our "suitcase of goodness" for Moishe'le. It contained drawings made by the children of the Gan (kindergarten) of Chabad of the Gold Coast, a kippah embroidered by a rebbetzin, a video of little children inviting Moishe to their house to play, and a Chanukah present of some new clothing. It was a moment of deep familial love and compassion.

At the families of Gabi and Rivki Holtzberg

The next stop was Bnei Brak where the young son of Norma Schwartzblat-Rabinovitch, of righteous memory, of Mexico was sitting shiva in his Yeshiva. When we met Emanuel, he was overwhelmed firstly by the fact that we were just there, and then when we gave him a book of letters from his peers at the Ida Crown Academy in Chicago, he was visibly moved. We also gave him a package of resolutions that were collected by Chabad in Munster, Indiana. As we left we overheard some of the Yeshiva students discussing how they, too, should launch some similar program.

With Norma Schwartzblat-Rabinovitch's son.

When we got back into the car, Menachem Kutner, who runs Chabad's Victim of Terror program, suggested we make a detour to visit a soldier who was hospitalized after a recent sniper attack from Gaza. Part of his leg had been severed and the second was in danger of being lost. Trying to continue the chain of goodness I opened my suitcase to find one of the blankets that the children of Kids Zone of Chabad of Oak Park, IL, had made and sent to be distributed.

When we got to the soldier's room we were told that it had been a difficult day for Noam but we were welcome to try and cheer him up. Menachem Kutner, a veteran of such meetings, knew all the right things to say. I made a mi sheberach (prayer for the ill) and presented him with the blanket—and now he was smiling from ear to ear. Yossi Swerdlow started a joyous song and before you knew it all the people in the room – soldier friends, family, and Chabadniks – were dancing around Noam's bed like it was the festive holiday of Simchat Torah. What an amazing sight!

Next stop was to Kiryat Bobov in Bat Yam to visit the family of Bentzion Chroman, of righteous memory. This was especially relevant to my Chicago mission, for the Chroman family is originally from Chicago. I know them well and when the father comes to visit he regularly prays at the Chabad synagogue, Bais Menachem.

We entered an overfilled room of Chassidim, and when we were spotted the focus turned to the guests. I explained the purpose of the visit and showed the book of resolutions. It was especially moving when I presented the book of letters from Arie Crown Hebrew Day School, the very school that the father of Bentzion Chroman had attended as a child. We also gave three more of the handmade blankets to be used by the three little orphans.

At the Chroman Family

The final stop was to visit the family of Yocheved Orpaz, of righteous memory, who lives in a typical Israeli neighborhood. This family was extremely grateful to see us, for Chabad had guided them throughout their ordeal, arranged for the funeral, and with the help of the local Chabad rabbi, arranged for a daily minyan. One of the sons was sporting a Chabad of Mumbai yarmulke that he had found in his mother's belongings that was retrieved after the incident. After showing the book of resolutions and presenting the final books from the school children, the daughter declared: "Today I am proud to be a Jew."

With Yocheved Orpaz's family

We made it back to Kfar Chabad just in time to get to the airport for my return flight home.

The inspiration must live on. Each of us must pack our own "suitcase of goodness" and distribute its proceeds on a regular basis. Chanukah is a great time to spread the light. Feel free to contact your local Chabad center to find out how you can embark on a personal mission of love.