Moshe Feller

Born in Minnesota, USA on the first day of Passover 1937 to his father Rabbi Yosef Aryeh Feller.

In his youth, he attended Camp Gan Israel in the New York mountains, where he befriended Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky who brought him closer to Chabad Chassidus. He later studied at the Central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva at 770, and after marrying his wife Mrs. Mindy (née Lew, sister of shliach Rabbi Shmuel Lew from London), lived in Crown Heights for several years. During those years, he wrote various articles and columns on Jewish topics for the Jewish Press, and merited that the Rebbe would edit and add comments to the articles.

On the 13th of Teves 5722 (1962), he was sent by the Rebbe to serve as an emissary in his home state.

Before the Feller couple departed on their shlichus, they had a private audience in the Rebbe's room where they received detailed instructions regarding their role. During this meeting, the Rebbe instructed his wife, who specialized in mathematics, to enroll in the local university as a platform for outreach to academics and the upper echelon of the state.

Public Activity

Within a short time after their arrival, the Jewish revival they managed to create was felt and dozens of people began connecting to Torah observance through their activities, including famous personalities and leading professors such as Professor Rosenblum and Professor Velvel Green.

The Rebbe shared the story of his first meeting with Professor Green and his great surprise when Rabbi Feller stood up to pray Mincha in the middle of their conversation during a farbrengen on Shabbos Parshas Tzav-Shabbos HaGadol 5745 (1985).

Just one year after arriving, before the summer vacation season of 1963, he opened a Chabad summer camp that achieved great success.

In 1965, he purchased a pastoral property outside the city where he began conducting community Shabbatons that became a significant factor in many people's journey toward full Torah observance.

His initiatives and innovation became legendary, and he was the first Chabad activist to initiate mishloach manos distribution on Purim to associates.

As part of his work in bringing young people closer to Judaism, he felt a practical need to open a Chabad institute suitable for girls beginning to strengthen their Jewish observance who wanted to receive foundational Chabad education. For this purpose, he joined the group that established Beis Chana in 1972.

He and his family were sometimes invited for Passover to conduct the Seder ceremony with the Beis Chana students.

In summer 1968, he was invited by B'nai B'rith to join their mountain summer camp, and due to his activities there could not participate in the Rebbe's farbrengen on the 12th of Tammuz that year. A week later, after the camp ended, he arrived at the Rebbe's court and that day the Rebbe suddenly announced a farbrengen marking 75 years since the conclusion of his father-in-law the Previous Rebbe's bar mitzvah celebrations on the 19th of Tammuz 5653 (1893). During the farbrengen, the Rebbe delivered a Chassidic discourse, and immediately afterward instructed his secretary to bring Rabbi Feller in for a private audience, during which the Rebbe told him that the farbrengen was dedicated in his honor since he had missed the farbrengen a week earlier due to his involvement in spreading Judaism.

His activities in spreading Judaism earned great appreciation from the Rebbe, who mentioned this in several talks.

In 1993, he was among the leading disseminators of the message of redemption and was one of the editors of the publication "Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V'Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach L'olam Va'ed."

As part of his responsibility as a member of Agudas Chassidei Chabad's executive committee, he frequently participated in Chabad activities with various government officials, worked in the House of Representatives in Washington, and even opened seven sessions of the U.S. Senate.

He was also active in promoting the Seven Noahide Laws, ensuring their dissemination to broad audiences in his state.

For his seventieth birthday, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty declared 'Moses Feller Day' in recognition of his social and public activities.

In total, more than seven Chabad Houses operating throughout the state currently work under Rabbi Feller, along with Jewish educational institutions for all age groups.

Family

• His son, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Feller - one of the Rebbe's emissaries in Minnesota.
• His son, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Feller.