Menachem Mendel Futerfas: Difference between revisions

Reb Mendel was born on 20 Tishrei 1907 in the town of Pleshnitz in White Russia, to his father Reb Menachem Mendel and his mother Maryasha Badna (who passed away on 5 Menachem Av 1958) - daughter of the Segalovitz family and her mother from the Kugel family. He was the fourth child after two daughters and one brother. His father passed away shortly before his birth during a typhus epidemic, and his mother named him after his father. Being fatherless, Reb Mendel grew up with his grandfather, the chossid Reb Chaim Futerfas in Kharkov, who was one of the shapers of his personality and from whom he received many chassidic stories. Reb Mendel spent his childhood with his grandmother Rachel Leah from Nevel, who was the niece of the famous chossid Reb Chanoch Hendel Kugel. Many stories circulate about her chassidic conduct and enhancement of mitzvos. In 1915, when her grandson turned seven, she brought him with her on her trip to the Rebbe. The pair were granted an audience with the [[The Rebbe Rashab|Rebbe Rashab]]. The Rebbe gave the young Mendel a blessing for fear of heaven and long life. From then on, their trips became a more regular practice. Almost every year, she would take him with her on her trips to the Rebbe. In Tishrei 1920, when he turned 12, was the last time he merited to be with the Rebbe Rashab.

At the end of 1920, he was accepted to Yeshivas [[Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim|Tomchei Tmimim]] in [[Kremenchug]] where he studied until 1924. That year, the Soviet secret police discovered the yeshiva and he was forced to flee. From 1925, he studied in underground yeshivas in [[Kharkov]], [[Vitebsk]], and [[Nevel]] until 1929, when these yeshivas were also closed, and the many students were forced to disperse among various underground yeshivas.

He especially loved the many farbrengens where the best mashpiim of that generation would farbreng, such as [[Reb Zalman Moshe Hitzchaki|Rabbi Zalman Moshe Hayitzchaki]], Rabbi Yitzchak Horowitz (Itche der Matmid), Rabbi Yechezkel (Chatche) Feigin, and others.

In 1930, he was appointed as  Mashgiach and Mashpia for the students in the underground yeshiva in [[Yekatrinoslav]]. In his memoirs from that period, he notes the great reverence that the yeshiva bochurim had for the city's Rav, [[Levi Yitzchak Schneerson|Rav Levi Yitzchak Schneerson]], the Rebbe's father. That same year, he also served as a Mashgiach in Odessa.

Reb Mendel traveled to his mother's home in Kharkov and began arranging shidduchim for his two older sisters, aiming to match them with the finest among the Temimim. His efforts were successful, and shortly after, his eldest sister married  [[Benzion Shem Tov|Ben Zion Shem Tov]], and his younger sister married Yehoshua Shneur Zalman Serebransky.

Indeed, the shidduch came to fruition in a good and successful hour, and the wedding took place in the kallah's town on Tuesday, 10 Tammuz 1933.

After his wedding, he stayed briefly with his mother in Kharkov, and then traveled with his wife to the city of Yegurovsk (a city approximately 100 kilometers from Moscow). Although he temporarily withdrew from his yeshiva activities for family matters, the administrators of the nationwide network of underground Tomchei Temimim yeshivas throughout Russia already recognized his talents and dedication, seeing him as most suitable for working to save the yeshivas. From a financial perspective - supporting the families of prisoners who risked their lives for Torah and mitzvos, maintaining the underground yeshivas, funding the constant relocations of the yeshivas, as well as significant amounts paid as bribes - placed a heavy financial burden on the organizers, and he was chosen to be one of those tasked with obtaining the necessary funding.

He accepted the position and entered the business world for this purpose. While he earned substantial profits, he and his family subsisted on bread and water, giving the vast majority of the profits to Tomchei Temimim. Additionally, whenever Anash activists needed large sums of money for pidyon shvuyim (redeeming captives), they would turn to Reb Mendel, and even when he didn't have the requested amount, he would borrow the money and transfer it to them.

During [[World War II]], when the Nazis (yimach shmam) invaded Russia, he fled Moscow with his family and after wandering arrived in Samarkand, where many Anash and Polish refugees had gathered. News of his activities quickly spread among the chassidim and many sought his help. He did everything in his power to improve their situation.

Starting in late winter 5703 (1943), at the height of the war, he began managing Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Samarkand, where hundreds of students studied over time. In this role, Reb Mendel established branches of Tomchei Tmimim, some for students of Cheder age and most for Yeshiva age.

Extended topic - The Exodus from Russia 5706 (1946)

Following the actions of Reb Yehuda Leib Motzkin, who bribed senior government officials at genuine risk to his life, the border was reopened. A special committee was established for this purpose, with Reb Mendel and other activists as members. The committee's activities were divided into several areas: encouraging Anash in Russia to cross the borders, forging documents, raising funds to bribe various officials, and taking care of all other necessary details, such as safe houses in Lvov until departure and maintaining constant contact with Anash who arrived in Lvov to cross the border.

Reb Mendel himself did not join his family in escape despite estimating that the secret police would track him down and could arrest him within a short time. He remained in Russia and continued to work on smuggling operations until he decided to leave the Iron Curtain with a small group of only nine people:

It later became clear that the person who arranged their tickets was an undercover KGB agent who informed the authorities about the nine people planning to cross the border. The police arrested them all. The detainees were transferred to the secret police headquarters in Lvov. Initially, those arrested in this operation and other detainees from that period were held at the secret police headquarters in Lvov, later some were transferred to Kharkov.

After prolonged interrogations and terrible torture, the trial began where R' Mendel was sentenced to 10 years of exile and hard labor in work camps and was exiled to Siberia.

In Shpalerka, he met with his friend R' Moshe Vishetsky and they made part of the journey to exile together. During his exile period, he stayed together with the Chassid and Mashpia R' Asher Sassonkin until they were released in 1964.

New documents from the Lvov case and new memories about R' Mendel Futerfas were published during 2022-2023 in Chabad media outlets:

* Worked with many Jews

During his period of exile in Siberia and after his release while still in Russian exile, he merited rare acknowledgments from the Rebbe:

At the farbrengen of Yud Shevat 1962, the Rebbe described the actions of a man of mesiras nefesh in Russia, referring to Reb Mendel Futerfas, who was involved in maintaining Yiddishkeit and building mikvaos without any personal calculations or considerations.

In 1964, he received permission to leave Russia and immigrated from Samarkand to London where his son Reb Berel Futerfas lived. Within a short time, he became one of the prominent askanim and mashpiim in the local Chabad community and was involved in establishing pure Torah educational institutions there.

I'll translate this document while keeping Judaic terms intact and organizing it with headings.

Before Tishrei 1993, the first month of holidays after 27 Adar, Reb Mendel farbrenged with the Tmimim and Anash in the yeshiva in Kfar for about five hours, with his words being interrupted by crying and prayers that the obstacles should be removed. Along with this, he emphasized that from our side we must "make vessels" - travel to the Rebbe as we were accustomed to every year, and the "vessels" themselves will "draw down light" and hasten the Rebbe's revelation. Reb Mendel's words were written down by his student Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Ginzburg and published for all Anash in the 'Opinions' section of the Kfar Chabad weekly and stirred reactions.

Even after 3 Tammuz, before Tishrei 1995, Reb Mendel expressed a firm position about the need to travel to the Rebbe even in the current situation. In discussions of the Tomchei Tmimim Kfar Chabad administration when it was proposed to shorten the stay of Kvutza students in 770, Reb Mendel protested: "A complete year! Not even one minute less!" He was also asked then by his student Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Ginzburg if it could be said in his name that even now after 3 Tammuz one needs to travel to the Rebbe for Tishrei. Upon hearing the question's wording, Reb Mendel exclaimed: "What? 'Need to travel'? We must travel!" Reb Mendel himself began traveling to the Rebbe for Tishrei 1995 but due to health reasons was stopped midway in England with his family where he stayed until his passing.

The niggun "Chayalei Adoneinu Moshiach Tzidkeinu" was always familiar on Reb Mendel's tongue.

After 3 Tammuz, when they wanted to donate a 'Yechi' sign for the walls of the zal in the yeshiva in Kfar Chabad, they asked Reb Mendel whether to add before it "and soon we will merit to Yechi..." and the like because of the differences of opinion, he answered: "No! Don't add, don't subtract, and don't change!

During this period of helem v'hester (concealment) when differences of opinion increased, Reb Mendel emphasized several times the absolute necessity for love and unity to prevail among chassidim.

His brother was Rabbi Hendel Lieberman - a Chassidic artist.

* Rabbi Yehoshua Shneur Zalman Serebransky

* Rabbi Yehoshua Korf

R' Mendel had six children, four of whom passed away in childhood during the difficult days in Soviet Russia: