Editing Chaim Mordechai Isaac Hodakov (section)

==== The Latvian Minister of Education ====
From the age of 18, Rav Chadakov served as the principal of the "Torah V'Derech Eretz" school and managed it as a knowledgeable and experienced educator. His student and later friend and partner in secretarial work for the Chabad Rebbes - Rav Nissan Mindel describes how he made every effort to implement educational principles in the school. His student, Rav Avraham Godin, told of his beloved principal's great dedication to education, how he invested many hours outside the framework of work, personally cared for the education of each one, and assisted each student with what they needed. Many parents registered their children for the school and its good reputation preceded it. Many branches opened under his blessed leadership. In one case, a Chabad chassid wanted to transfer his daughter from the school so that she would receive a more accepted certificate, but the Rebbe Rayatz instructed that she be returned to the Torah V'Derech Eretz school.

Rav Chadakov was appointed as a member of the municipal education department, and also served as the Jewish Minister of Education of Latvia on behalf of the Latvian government, and as part of this role, he encouraged teachers to study and improve in educational subjects.

Rav Chadakov was a member of Agudas Yisroel in Latvia. In 5688 (1928) when the Rebbe Rayatz came to Riga, he met the Rebbe Rayatz for the first time. He also merited to see the Rebbe, this was on Parshas Noach 5687 (1927), a meeting that left an impression and changed the course of Rav Chadakov's life. Although he did not often talk about himself, he described his first meeting with the Rebbe, how he entered the home of the Rebbe Rayatz and saw the "guest from Yekatrinoslav" saying "Veyiten Lecha," holding the siddur with both hands and reciting the text quietly and simply. The sight "took" him, and he declared that he saw truth embodied.

The connection with the Chabad Rebbes between the years 5688-5700 (1928-1940) is shrouded in mystery and little is known about it. In biographies about Rav Chadakov, it is told that he visited the Rebbe Rayatz once in Warsaw, and also received a few letters from the Rebbe Rayatz and the Rebbe. At the same time, he was, as mentioned, a senior member of Agudas Yisroel, when in those days the Rebbe Rayatz had a certain disconnect from Agudas Yisroel in Poland.