Editing Kfar Chabad (section)

== History ==

==== The Founding Concept ====
In 5704 (1944), Rabbi Eliezer Karasik, a prominent Chabad rabbi and later chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad in Eretz Hakodesh, first proposed to the Rebbe Rayatz the establishment of a Chabad settlement in Eretz Hakodesh. A similar proposal was published during those years in newspapers in Eretz Hakodesh by the Chabad activist R' Eliyahu Tzvi Dunchin.

Rabbi Karasik's proposal became relevant after World War II when Chabad chassidim left Russia en masse. The heads of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, Rabbi Karasik and his brother-in-law Rabbi Moshe Gurary, traveled to the displaced persons camps in Europe to assess the situation, and from Europe they traveled to New York before Tishrei to meet with the Rebbe Rayatz. During Tishrei 5708 (1947), both had many "yechidus" sessions with the Rebbe Rayatz where they presented the plan. After them, Zalman Shazar entered for yechidus with the Rebbe Rayatz. The meeting was lengthy, and during it, the Rebbe Rayatz inquired about all possibilities for establishing a Chabad settlement in Eretz Yisroel. As a result of these conversations, the Rebbe Rayatz concluded that the proposal was serious and feasible, and informed the Chabad leaders in Eretz Hakodesh of his decision.

On 19 Kislev 5708 (1947), Shazar approached the Rebbe Rayatz, and a plan was agreed upon to establish a Chabad settlement in Eretz Hakodesh. In the following months, the War of Independence began, and the plan was postponed.

On 19 Kislev 5709 (1948), when Mr. Shazar attended a farbrengen at the Chabad synagogue on Nachalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv, the heads of Agudas Chassidei Chabad spoke with him about establishing the settlement and its agricultural character. Mr. Shazar suggested organizing a fundraiser in the United States to cover expenses, and also spoke about settling Chabad chassidim in a colony near Tzfat or Meron. Shazar asked whether a large group of chassidim was expected to arrive soon, as only then could they be assisted in an organized manner. Following this conversation, with Shazar's help, the heads of Agudas Chassidei Chabad met with Mr. Avraham Herzfeld and several other senior officials from the Jewish Agency and government ministries to discuss the matter. The Agudas Chassidei Chabad leaders worked under the guidance of the Rebbe Rayatz, who sent Rabbi Shmaryahu Gurary (the Rebbe Rayatz's son-in-law) and Rabbi Binyamin Gorodetzky to assist them.

On 25 Adar, the Rebbe Rayatz gave his final approval: "As a general response to your proposal to establish a colony for refugee Anash in Eretz Hakodesh, and in response to Mr. Zalman Shazar Rubashov's letter on this matter, I hereby respond that I generally agree to this proposal for those refugee Anash who desire it."

During that time, the chassidim in Europe received various instructions from the Rebbe Rayatz regarding their future arrangements. Some were instructed to go to the United States, some to Eretz Hakodesh, and others were instructed to settle in France and other countries.

In preparation for the chassidim's aliyah to Eretz Hakodesh, the Rebbe Rayatz established a committee for refugee resettlement, composed of four members of Agudas Chassidei Chabad: Rabbi Eliezer Karasik, Rabbi Shaul Dov Ber Zislin, Rabbi Moshe Gurary, and Rabbi Pinchas Althaus. The official name of the committee was: "Office of the Rebbe Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch. Department of Refugee Aid and Resettlement. Eretz Hakodesh Branch." This committee worked for the olim and for the establishment of the "Chabad colony" through advocacy among public figures.

==== The Village's Establishment ====
When the first group of chassidim arrived in Eretz Yisroel, they were housed in a transit camp in Pardes Chana, where each family received a small hut for temporary housing. There - alongside the committee for refugee resettlement - the olim established another committee that dealt with establishing the colony, headed by R' Zalman Feldman, with R' Zalman Bronstein, R' Yitzchak Meir Greenberg, R' Avraham Shmuel Gerlick, R' Dovid Chen, and R' Zalman Sudkevich. The Mizrachi movement proposed to them and to the refugee resettlement committee to establish the Chabad colony on the ruins of the Arab village "Safaria," but they stipulated that the village residents must register with the party's registry.

The Agudas Chassidei Chabad members firmly refused and tried to work with the Jewish Agency to establish the village without registering with the Mizrachi movement. Meanwhile, in Iyar 5709 (1949), 70 families from among Chabad chassidim who were housed in transit camps began to settle unofficially in the abandoned Arab houses. On 21 Iyar 5709 (1949), Levi Eshkol gave the approval for the establishment of the village, and it was officially established. On Erev Shabbos Parshas Behar-Bechukosai 5709 (1949), the Rebbe Rayatz sent a letter of encouragement to the first settlers in Kfar Chabad, informing them of a Torah scroll that was being sent to them.

During the years 5709-5710 (1949-1950), the Rebbe Rayatz made many efforts to establish the settlement economically. As part of these efforts, the Rebbe Rayatz sent many letters to officials from the Jewish Agency and the Joint Distribution Committee to help the residents of Kfar Chabad. After the passing of the Rebbe Rayatz, the Rebbe continued to encourage the settlers, and with his great encouragement, the village grew.

In accordance with the request of Agudas Chassidei Chabad and Rabbi Shmaryahu Gurary, Mr. Eshkol committed to providing the residents with appropriate farming equipment within a few years, and a sum of 26,000 liras was allocated for the new village residents.

Initially, forty-five families settled in the village, and after Shavuos, another thirty families arrived. The houses in which the settlers lived were in poor condition, and with the help of the Jewish Agency, they were renovated.

The village was officially inaugurated on 12 Tammuz 5709 (1949), at a large event attended by Rabbi Shmaryahu Gurary as the representative of the Rebbe Rayatz. During that period, the Rebbe Rayatz sent a Torah scroll to Kfar Chabad with Rabbi Avraham Paris.

During the founding period of the village, several members of the Mizrachi movement settled alongside the new settlement and established their own settlement then called "Tochelet," claiming that the area where the village residents lived belonged to their party. In a letter to the Chassidic philanthropist R' Shlomo Palmer, Rabbi Karasik describes the affair:<blockquote>The village that was placed at our disposal was invaded, with the claim that the village was theirs, and a war broke out between the Mizrachi and the Left, because they wanted to come to our aid without receiving any compensation, and finally we won with God's help, and they divided the village into two, and we do not belong at all to the Mizrachi, and we will have a special council and even a different name for the village.</blockquote>After several years, most of the residents of "Tochelet" left their place, except for a few residents who insisted on living in a kind of autonomy on a small hill within Kfar Chabad.

In the early days of the village, most of the village residents were engaged in various agricultural sectors such as raising animals, poultry, various vegetables, and more. Over the years, with the advancement of technology, agricultural work in Kfar Chabad was gradually abandoned, and currently, limited agriculture remains in the village.

==== The First Years ====
In Tishrei 5710 (1949), a meeting was held among the residents where it was decided to appoint Rabbi Shneur Zalman Garelik as the village rabbi. The Rebbe Rayatz subsequently sent Rabbi Garelik a congratulatory letter on the appointment. One of Rabbi Garelik's first actions in his role was establishing the mikveh in the village, which was done with the Rebbe's encouragement.

Towards the Shemitah year that fell in 5712 (1952), the Rebbe sent a letter to the village residents instructing them not to rely on the heter mechirah, and simultaneously the Rebbe worked to obtain financial assistance for the village residents during the Shemitah year.

In 5712 (1952), the Rebbe announced in a letter to Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, one of the Chabad rabbis in Jerusalem, that if needed, he would pay half the construction costs of any new building in Kfar Chabad.

In 5715 (1955), the Rebbe encouraged the proposal to establish a second Kfar Chabad where Moroccan immigrants settled.

In 5715 (1955), the vocational school was established in the village. On Thursday night, the eve of 1 Iyar 5716 (1956), at around eight in the evening, while the students and instructors were standing in the evening prayer, the classroom and prayer room of the vocational school in Kfar Chabad was attacked by 'Fedayeen' infiltrators from Jordan. In the cruel massacre, the instructor Hatomim Simcha Zilberstrom and five students were killed. A printing house called 'Yad Hachamisha' was established in their memory.

After the Rebbe learned that the village girls had no educational institution to attend after completing their studies, the Rebbe instructed to work on establishing a Chabad high school in the village, while simultaneously instructing to ensure that the girls would be sent to the most Charedi institution that existed. In 5717 (1957), Beit Rivka Kfar Chabad was established.

In 5720 (1960), several new houses were built near the train in the village, which were then called "Kfar Chabad Beis."

In 5723 (1963), the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Lod was transferred to Kfar Chabad.

In 5726 (1966), following the Rebbe's instruction, a special committee was established that took care of installing a generator in the village.

In 5730 (1970), the Bukharian Yeshiva "Or Simcha" was established in the village by R' Simcha Gorodetzky.

In 5733 (1973), the Talmud Torah Ohalei Torah Kfar Chabad was established by R' Menachem Mendel Futerfas and R' Moshe Vishetsky.

During those years, the construction of the Beit Menachem synagogue began, which was inaugurated on 11 Nissan 5738 (1978).

On 8 Sivan 5734 (1974), the village rabbi, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Garelik, was killed in a car accident. After his passing, it was decided to appoint Rabbi Nachum Trebnik as the rabbi, and Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi as Moreh Tzedek.

==== From the 1980s Onward ====
Expanded entry – Beit Aguch 770 Kfar Chabad

This section is lacking. Please contribute to Chabadpedia and complete it. There may be more details on the talk page.

On 3 Tishrei 5744 (1983), Rabbi Nachum Trebnik, the rabbi of Kfar Chabad, passed away, and Rabbi Ashkenazi was appointed as his replacement.

Following the Seforim case, a replica of 770 was established in the village under the direct instruction of the Rebbe. The building was inaugurated on 15 Tammuz 5746 (1986).

In Shevat 5752 (1992), in the presence of important Chabad rabbis, the cornerstone was laid for the Palace for the King Moshiach, the location of which was chosen by the Rebbe near the replica building of 770.

In 5772 (2012), a new Talmud Torah called "Talmud Torah Beit Lubavitch" was established in the village.

On 23 Tevet 5775 (2015), the village rabbi, Rabbi Ashkenazi, passed away, and his son, Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi, was appointed in his place.

At the beginning of the 5781 (2020) school year, Cheder Ohr Lubavitch was established in the village, and the Chabad Yeshiva of Petach Tikvah moved to its location in the Bukharian Yeshiva complex.

In 5767 (2007), the Levi Yitzchak B neighborhood was populated. And in 5771 (2011), the Build Your Own Home neighborhood.