Zalmon Jaffe

The author of "My Encounter with the Rebbe" describes highlights of the events that he took part in with the Rebbe, including eating the holiday meals with the Rebbe and a private audience.

We chose to have the audience on the first night. Five hundred people were expected that evening; one of the Rebbe's aides predicted that our appointment would be very late—maybe around 3 a.m...

It was one of the Rebbe's aides calling from 770. He informed me that the Rebbe was very worried because he had not heard from me...

Throughout the time we spent at 770, there were strong arguments and counterarguments continuously going on. The subject matter was the health of our Rebbe...

Our problem – and it is a common one these days – was that although we owned extremely valuable property, we suffered from an acute cash flow shortage, mainly because we were heavily overdrawn in the bank, with interest at over 20%!

The Rebbe then drew his prayer shawl up over his head, enveloping the podium and its contents as well. He lowered his head onto the podium, meditated, prayed, and wept—appealing to the Almighty to bless all the Jewish people everywhere with a good and ...

Zalmon Jaffe's lively personal journals turn back the clock to the Rebbe's early years of leadership when a farbrengen was attended by a modest crowd of 300, and a personal yechidut could last over two hours.