In those years, nobody dreamed that there would come a day when they would be able to emigrate, and many parents envisioned a future for their children in the Soviet Union. They wanted them to excel in their secular studies so they would be accepted to a university; the ultimate achievement as far as Jewish parents were concerned. For this reason, many parents did not look favorably upon the fact that their children were being distracted from their studies, or worse, stopped attending school altogether, and were studying in an underground yeshiva instead. Their children would not earn a degree by studying in a yeshiva: they would never be able to learn a profession, and would never find financial stability.

Although we were careful to keep our activities secret, many parents were aware that R. Moshe Nissilevitch was at the head of the underground classes. Once, a woman burst into R. Moshe’s home and said to his wife, “I must urgently speak with your husband.”

After a few moments, R. Moshe entered the room. The woman bellowed at him, “If you entice my son to learn Torah with you, I will inform on all of you to the authorities!”

Soon after, R. Moshe received similar threats from an additional woman. Having no choice, and fearful that all of our underground activities would be placed in jeopardy, R. Moshe asked the two boys not to come to learn anymore.

In the end, one of the boys returned to the underground classes. R. Moshiach Chudaitov, who saw that the boy was not attending the classes but had not heard of his parents' threats, once spoke with him about the importance of learning Torah and convinced him to return. This time, though, his participation in the classes was kept secret, so that his parents were unaware.

A few years later these two boys left Russia. Today they are parents to Chassidic families and their children are learned, devout Jews, several of them Chabad rabbis.