Lech Walesa, the popular former president of Poland whose Solidarity Party ushered in a social revolution in the once Communist country, visited the Israeli village of Kfar Chabad today.

His journey to the Chabad village came at the tail end of a visit that saw the former Polish president address business leaders in Tel Aviv.

Walesa indicated to Rabbi Shalom DovBer Stambler, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Warsaw, that he wanted to see first hand how the "Jewish Chasidic life" enables thousands of individuals to travel around the globe in order to strengthen Judaism. Stambler, whose family lives in Kfar Chabad, directed the former president to the tiny central Israeli village that serves as the headquarters of Chabad-Lubavitch in the country.

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The Nobel Peace Prize laureate visited the factory that makes hand-made shmura matza for Passover. He also visited the Stambler home and sat down with former Israeli Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau; Rabbi Moshe Landau, chief rabbi of Bnei Brak; and Shevach Weiss, former Israeli ambassador to Poland.

The former president’s relationship with Lubavitch goes back to 1990, just before he was elected president. On a visit to Poland at the behest of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, businessman David Chase met up with the union leader and gave him a dollar bill that the Rebbe had directed be given to a non-Jew.

"Here is a dollar that you should hold on to," Chase told Walesa, according to a written account of the encounter by Chase. "When you become president, I’ll tell you who gave me this dollar to give to you. Do not ask me before then. When you become president, and I am sure you will become president, you will find out who gave you this dollar."

After finding out that the dollar came from the Rebbe, the president always kept it with him. He told people in Kfar Chabad on Tuesday that he saw the bill as a sign of blessing and success.