Reb Zushe Wilmowsky
Rabbi Zusha Wilmowsky - (known as "The Partisan" 3rd of Nissan 5685 - 16th of Tishrei 5747) - was one of the leading Chabad activists, from 1949 when he established the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Lod until his passing on Sukkot 5747.
The Rebbe called Rabbi Zusha Wilmowsky - "Mein Partizan" (my partisan). Rabbi Zusha indeed worked like a partisan: he operated efficiently and wisely to establish institutions - Tomchei Tmimim Lod, the Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak network and N'shei Chabad, while simultaneously working in any required method, with sophistication and sometimes in an independent style, anywhere and anytime needed, checking and reporting to the Rebbe, operating with tactics and fearless of anyone, all to bring satisfaction to the Rebbe. He served as secretary of the Kfar Chabad committee and inspector of Chabad institutions.
Life History
Youth Rabbi Zusha Wilmowsky was born on the 4th of Nissan 5682, to his father Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak and his mother Rebbetzin Mariesha (Miriam). His father served as rabbi of Izyum, Russia, and in 1924, when R' Zusha was two years old, the family moved to Poland, where his father was appointed as rabbi and head of the rabbinical court in Seltz.
In his youth, he studied in yeshivas in his area of residence. With the outbreak of World War II, when the Soviet Union conquered the region, the yeshivas throughout the country were closed, and he smuggled himself across the border to Lithuania, which was then under independent government. There he studied at the Baranovitch Yeshiva under the leadership of Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman. In the yeshiva, he studied with Rabbi David Gershowitz as his study partner. The paths of the good friends met and parted several times until they both settled in Kfar Chabad. When the Germans conquered Lithuania, the yeshiva wandered from place to place until it reached the town of Samilishok, where the students were hosted in the homes of the town's Jews. R' Zusha found lodging in the home of a family from the Jewish community. After some time, information reached R' Zusha that the Nazis were approaching the city. R' Zusha ensured this information reached all the town's Jews and then fled himself, thus saving many.
Partisan
During the war, he wandered to Belarus, where he was put into the Lida ghetto by the Nazis, and after some time was transferred to a nearby labor camp. In the camp, he met his friend R' David Gershowitz, and together they managed to escape from the camp and joined the partisan unit under the command of Commander Tuvia Bielski. The Bielski unit was part of the partisan network in Belarus and included many families because Bielski's goal was saving lives.
R' Zusha participated in defense operations and food raids and would even enter the ghetto to smuggle out Jews and bring them to the forest to Bielski's unit. Even the non-believing fighters who were educated in communism showed respect and admiration for young Zusha, who endeared himself to everyone. During his time with the partisans, he maintained an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle with great self-sacrifice. From the war, R' Zusha emerged with gunshot wounds in his legs, but never told how he was wounded.
post war
Drawing Close to Chabad After a journey of hardships, he arrived at the Cremona displaced persons camp in Italy, where he befriended Rabbi Shneur Zalman Levin. Together they established a synagogue in the camp for the many refugees, and R' Zalman was the one who brought him close to Chabad Chassidism.
After immigrating to Israel on the 23rd of Adar II 5706, R' Zusha entered to study at the Achei Tmimim Yeshiva in Tel Aviv at age 25, which was considered very old compared to the other students in the yeshiva, and began studying Chassidus in an organized manner under the guidance of Rabbi Chaim Shaul Brook. In those days, he received an instruction from the Previous Rebbe to study shechita (ritual slaughter), after he described to the Rebbe all the tribulations he had endured during the war years.
In 1948, when Rabbi Moshe Gurary from Tel Aviv was staying at 770, he was called to the Rebbe's son-in-law - the Rebbe, who showed him a note in his father-in-law's (the Previous Rebbe's) handwriting: "Please inquire about the nature of the young man Z.W." R' Moshe told all he knew about R' Zusha. Immediately after his words, the Rebbe went up to the Previous Rebbe's apartment.
While still single, he established Tomchei Tmimim Lod, the Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak network, and N'shei Chabad, as detailed below.
He built his home with Mrs. Feiga of the Poker family, and the Rebbe wrote that it would be preferable for them to establish their residence in Kfar Chabad, and indeed after the wedding they settled in Kfar Chabad.
Public Service Establishing Tomchei Tmimim Lod At the beginning of Shevat 5709, thirteen Chabad families settled at the edge of Lod city, near the train station, in a neighborhood abandoned by Arabs during the War of Independence. R' Zusha understood that they must establish a yeshiva for the children of these families and for other Chabad Chassidic families who had recently immigrated from Europe. One day he came to Lod and saw a three-story building that had previously served as a small hotel. He entered the building, locked the main door with a lock, and established a fact - here would be the "Tomchei Tmimim" Yeshiva.
Thus was founded the central "Tomchei Tmimim" Yeshiva in Lod, which R' Zusha managed from its establishment under the auspices of Agudas Chassidei Chabad in Israel under the leadership of Rabbi Eliezer Karasik and according to the instructions of the Previous Rebbe and the Rebbe. R' Zusha Wilmowsky played an important role in bringing Yemenite immigrant children closer to Chabad and integrating them into the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Lod.
R' Zusha devoted his physical and spiritual energies to bringing students, absorbing them, and maintaining the yeshiva. He took responsibility for the yeshiva's existence upon his shoulders and cared for the students' physical and spiritual welfare. During that period, he frequently visited synagogues throughout the Holy Land and raised donations for the yeshiva's maintenance and existence through his inspiring speeches.
Founding the Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak Network
R' Zusha worked among the new immigrants and sought to establish an institution that would absorb immigrant children. He wrote about this to the Rebbe, and on the 5th of Tammuz 5711, the Rebbe responded to his proposal - with a different proposal to establish the "Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak Network in the Holy Land":
"It would be worthwhile for him to investigate the possibility of establishing there (in the Holy Land) institutions that would join the educational institutions network established in Morocco and called after the Previous Rebbe - Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch, which includes institutions from basic alphabet learning to teachers' and rabbis' seminary."
The Rebbe appreciated his blessed and energetic activity throughout the years. But veteran activists were concerned about a young bachelor standing at the head of new institutions that were just being established, despite Chabad Chassidim in the Holy Land being a relatively small community and the financial situation being difficult. However, the Rebbe wrote to one of the activists that R' Zusha apparently has energy and maintains correspondence with the Rebbe, and proposals have already been received from him about establishing Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch institutions. In the continuation of the letter, the Rebbe writes that it would be worthwhile to utilize his great energy.
R' Zusha set to work, receiving instructions from the Rebbe from time to time on how to manage the institution being established. A few months after the instruction to establish the network arrived, four departments were opened where children were taught Torah in the afternoon hours.
The Rebbe firmly demanded from all Chabad activists, including R' Zusha, to obtain government approval to associate the network's institutions with the "non-stream stream." In those days, there were schools belonging to the state stream and to the state-religious stream, and the Rebbe requested that Chabad schools be recognized as a non-stream stream. However, in the relevant offices, they rejected the idea, until R' Zusha, with great sophistication, managed to obtain the appropriate approvals. Thus, the way was paved for establishing the network's schools, and at the opening of the 5713 school year, the network's four departments became proper schools, and in the following years, dozens of schools and kindergartens were established throughout the Holy Land.
In the initial period, R' Zusha was the network's director, until Rabbi David Chanzin was appointed to the position, while R' Zusha continued to serve as a member of the network's management.
Founding N'shei Chabad
The Rebbe instructed R' Zusha to work on establishing the N'shei Chabad organization in the Holy Land.
The Rebbe sent R' Zusha detailed instructions regarding N'shei Chabad's activities and also instructed to publicize the activities appropriately.
In the following period, the Rebbe instructed him that women should manage the organization, and R' Zusha transferred the management to Rebbetzin Devorah Ashkenazi.
Distributing Kehot Publications With the Rebbe's encouragement, he distributed Chassidic books on behalf of the Central Organization for Jewish Education Israel Branch.
Thousands of Chassidic books arrived from Kehot in New York to Kfar Chabad and were under the responsibility of the Central Organization for Jewish Education Israel Branch, managed by Rabbi Avraham Paris. Notices were published that books were available for sale, but purchases were few, and the Rebbe encouraged and urged to engage in distributing the books, until R' Zusha began distributing the Chassidic books in yeshivas of all groups and communities throughout the Holy Land.
He was among the prominent activists within the framework of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad's work, all under the Rebbe's guidance and encouragement.
Secretary of Kfar Chabad Committee
In Tishrei 5721, during his first visit to the Rebbe, he entered for a private audience and told about his public work in the network's institutions and involvement in developing Kfar Chabad and its institutions, and asked the Rebbe about his future path. The Rebbe instructed him to invest himself in two main matters, the first being the position of secretary of the Kfar Chabad committee. Shortly after returning from 770, he was appointed secretary of the Kfar Chabad committee, thus fulfilling the Rebbe's instruction. The second matter in which he invested himself was the network.
He received many instructions from the Rebbe regarding Kfar Chabad, its institutions, and the conduct of the committee and residents. For example - R' Zusha was the one who received the well-known instruction not to build private houses taller than two stories.
R' Zusha worked for the development and expansion of Kfar Chabad and its institutions, according to instructions received from the Rebbe and as he explained in an interview with Kol Israel: "Generally, all the matters you see in the village are according to the Rebbe's instructions. But sometimes there were proposals from the residents and the Rebbe agreed to them. The meaning is: everything goes through the Rebbe, either directly - the Rebbe says to do something, or it comes on the initiative of the participants and they ask the Rebbe's opinion and the Rebbe gives his consent. In any case, without the Rebbe's consent - there is no such thing. Not only in Kfar Chabad, everywhere Chabad Chassidim are - without the Rebbe's consent there is no such thing."
He worked extensively to establish Kfar Chabad B and including the Beis Rivka institutions. About R' Zusha's meetings with public figures in the context of advocacy for establishing Kfar Chabad B, the director of Beis Rivka, Rabbi Shmuel Chefer, wrote in the book "The Rebbe's Engine."
'Inspector'
Starting from late 5711, the Rebbe requested R' Zusha the Partisan to write about what was happening in Chabad institutions in the Holy Land down to the finest details. In the many letters he received from the Rebbe, there appears again and again a request and demand to write extensively, especially praising him for writing about the Kfar Chabad settlement. For more than 25 years, R' Zusha reported to the Rebbe about everything he saw or heard happening in the Holy Land, all according to the Rebbe's instructions as mentioned above. For many years, R' Zusha would travel throughout the country, length and breadth, due to his many roles, and what he would see and hear - he would report.
Official Inspector This situation strengthened after Shevat 5737, during a gathering of Chabad Chassidim organized by the Chabad Rabbinical Court in Israel, when he was appointed as an official 'inspector,' and thus began organized journeys throughout the country, aiming to reach every place where Chabad Chassidim lived, and would report to the Rebbe about what was happening.
Everywhere, R' Zusha would encourage those who needed it, push for action those who needed it, and in his free hours would sit by himself and write in large and dense script on large sheets of paper. When asked what he was writing, he would answer: "Military secret!" There were those who then commented about him that he was the Rebbe-Chief of Staff's "spy," and the reports were military intelligence reports in every sense.
The Rebbe and R' Zusha's Reports
R' Zusha would write almost daily letters and reports to the Rebbe, which brought great satisfaction to the Rebbe, because the Rebbe had asked several important activists to write to him about what was happening in the Holy Land, so that he would feel as if he were there, and the only one who succeeded in doing this was R' Zusha. The Rebbe's secretary Rabbi Binyamin Klein related: "When several days passed and no letter arrived from R' Zusha, the Rebbe would inquire with the secretaries what happened that he hadn't written a letter."
Supporting the Shluchim
"R' Zusha would care for every shliach (emissary), everywhere in Israel, even if they lived in a remote corner. When a shliach succeeded in establishing something, or accomplishing something, small or large, he would find it appropriate to encourage them. The encouragement wasn't expressed only in good words or a pat on the shoulder, but in that R' Zusha would trouble himself to the shliach's city and home, even if it was at the edge of the country, and would encourage and motivate them in their continued work." R' Zusha was naturally and almost automatically a board member of most or all Chabad institutions and enterprises and always strived to create connections with every Chabad activist, with every Chabad house, with every Chabad institution, with every Tzeirei Chabad branch to encourage, strengthen, motivate, and assist and help wherever he went and brought with him the Chassidic fragrance of vitality and enthusiasm.
Distribution of the Rebbe's Matzot
Every year on Passover eve, he would travel to distribute the matzot that the Rebbe sent to the Holy Land among the shluchim. Even in his later years, he refrained from giving the matzot to the shluchim near
Appointment of City Rabbis The Rebbe instructed Chabad activists to assist in appointing Chabad rabbis to city rabbinical positions. Those who worked and succeeded in this matter were R' Shlomo Maidanchik and R' Zusha, who worked in full coordination. They traveled to various cities and spoke with activists, synagogue trustees, and local city leaders, so that they would work towards appointing the rabbi who usually also acted as a shliach in his city. Generally, after their work was crowned with success and the selection was accepted, they continued to assist the new and young rabbi.
A special connection existed between R' Zusha and Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who was then the Chief Rabbi of Israel; thus R' Zusha succeeded in obtaining 'certification' for city rabbis for many rabbis, a process that usually took many years.
R' Zusha accompanied and assisted the Rebbe's shluchim to the Holy Land and the groups of Tmimim shluchim who would arrive in or pass through the Holy Land.
Member of the Umbrella Organization
R' Zusha served as a board member of the umbrella organization of Chabad institutions. The organization, in which the heads of Chabad activists in the Holy Land were members, was established by the Rebbe in 5733 and was effectively the body that directed and coordinated all Chabad institutional activities in the Holy Land, with its areas of activity including all branches of Chabad public activism. The umbrella organization dealt with, among other things, coordination between institutions, representation to the government for obtaining budgets and more, advocacy for appointing Chabad rabbis to neighborhood and city rabbinical positions, deciding and coordinating on establishing new institutions, establishing synagogues and Chabad houses, connection with various Haredi groups, organizing national events, and more.
The board members of the umbrella organization were the heads of Chabad's central institutions in Israel in those days: Rabbi Efraim Wolff as director of the central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva, Rabbi Shlomo Maidanchik as chairman of the Kfar Chabad committee, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kaplan as shliach to Safed and director of Chabad institutions in the city, Rabbi Shmuel Chefer as director of Beit Rivka Kfar Chabad. These four activists would gather at regular times, usually in the office of Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva Lod, and discuss matters on the agenda.
On the 18th of Tevet 5742, R' Zusha Wilmowsky was added to the organization's management, and this was after receiving an answer from the Rebbe that he could work part-time in the umbrella organization (meaning in a part-time position, while also working in other roles). R' Zusha Wilmowsky's role in the umbrella organization was coordination between the organization and Chabad institutions in the Holy Land.
The Rebbe's Partisan
R' Zusha was a symbol of connection to the Rebbe, and all his conversation and discourse were on one topic: how to carry out the Rebbe's instructions, and as he explained in an interview with Kol Israel Radio:
"I believe with complete faith that my soul that descended to the world - it is impossible to fulfill its mission in this world without the Rebbe's instruction. The root of every Chassid's soul is connected to the Rebbe, what the Rebbe tells him he needs to fulfill and this is his soul's mission."
Annual Visits to the Rebbe
For many years, R' Zusha made sure to visit the Rebbe during the month of Tishrei, until he became an integral part of the atmosphere. In one of the years, R' Zusha wrote to the Rebbe that the extensive work during Tishrei infused him with special vitality for the entire year. He effectively served as the head of the first group from the Holy Land to visit the Rebbe. After every prayer, he would begin a joyous tune, and the Rebbe would encourage him. When the Rebbe didn't see him, he would search for him and find him and then encourage him to start a tune. During farbrengens (Chassidic gatherings), he stood behind the Rebbe, encouraging and directing the Chassidim's singing; he was also in charge of organizing classes for visitors, and in his later years became an inseparable part of the Simchat Beit HaShoeva celebrations, standing on a high barrel, playing the flute and bringing joy to the participants.
He first came to the Rebbe before Tishrei 5721. On the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah, during the farbrengen, in the presence of the Chassidic congregation, the Rebbe mentioned R' Zusha by his former title "partisan," explaining the work of a partisan:
"There is a Jew here called Zusha Wilmowsky, and he is a partisan. A partisan's nature is that he doesn't look at big things or small things but carries out matters of the kingdom. Since there are still 20 or 21 matters that need to be accomplished before Moshiach comes, we need to work in a partisan manner. It may not be orderly, but it is according to the intention."
Moshiach Activities
R' Zusha would often express himself toward the Rebbe in terms of royalty, and in his letters to the Rebbe would begin "To His Holy Honor, the Rebbe King Moshiach Shlita."
Historic Letter:
On the 10th of Shevat 5730, before the completion ceremony of the Torah scroll for Moshiach, he drafted a special letter on which he had the great Chassidim sign, in which he wrote:
"His Holy Honor, the King Moshiach Shlita
Since we have merited the completion of the Torah scroll to receive Moshiach our righteous one, and the Rebbe is from the house of David and contemplates Torah and compels all Israel to strengthen its maintenance and fights the wars of God and succeeds, and as we have already heard from his holy mouth that all deadlines have passed and there is no end to the troubles that the Jewish people suffer. Please have mercy and come immediately to redeem us from the bitter exile and lead us upright to our land with kindness and mercy."
Final Days
On Saturday night, the second night of Sukkot 5747, R' Zusha passed away in the Sukkah of the Hachnosas Orchim (hospitality center) near 770, after his early return from Simchat Beit HaShoeva. Regarding his place of passing, the Chassidim recalled his comment about Rabbi Shmaryahu Gurary who passed away inside the synagogue during Kol Nidrei at 770, near the Rebbe: "I won't be as pampered as him... I'll be content with the royal courtyard." Interestingly, in his final days, on the eve of Sukkot, R' Zusha the Partisan passed by the Rebbe with the Four Species he received from the Rebbe, and the Rebbe - despite his custom to bless everyone (in Yiddish) "that you should continue all the drawing downs for the entire year" - ignored him and didn't bless him at all, and indeed he did not merit to bless the Four Species that year!
Commemoration
Publications
- The Partisan - Collection of Articles - published after his passing by the Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak network, edited by Rabbi Uri Ben Shachar.
- In 5781, a comic book 'Beyond Enemy Lines' was published by Orot Publishing, depicting R' Zusha the Partisan's activities during the partisan period.
- Articles published in Chabad journals and Chabad media outlets, as well as family mementos published over the years, included stories and letters related to his history and public service.
The Partisan Book
The Partisan Book - The History of R' Zusha Wilmowsky - in 5765 his biography was published, edited by R' Shneur Zalman Berger and published by Rabbi Levi Wilmowsky, R' Zusha's son.
The book contains 384 pages including descriptions and memories alongside letters, responses, private audiences, documents, and hundreds of photographs, many of which were published for the first time in the book. The book has been published in two editions so far.
Family
- His wife, Feiga - passed away on 10th Sivan 5758
- His son R' Yaakov Wilmowsky
- His son R' Yosef Yitzchak Wilmowsky - formerly of the physical staff at the central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva - 770, and chief mashpia at the Getzel Shul synagogue
- His son R' Levi Wilmowsky - Kfar Chabad. CEO of Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva Migdal HaEmek
- His daughter Mrs. Miriam, wife of R' Gershon Paris z"l, Lod