Menachem Shmuel David Raichik
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Menachem Shmuel David Raichik (March 15, 1918 - February 4, 1998) was an Orthodox
rabbi
of the Chabad-Lubavitch
Hasidic
movement, and the pioneer of Chabad's activities in Los Angeles, California
.
er Rebbe
, the young Raichik enrolled in the Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in Otwock
, Poland
where he learned the Chabad doctrines of synthesis, scholarship, and personal refinement.
Fellow students recall Menachem Shmuel Dovid's meticulous observance of the mitzvot
and his passionate way of prayer. His Shabbat morning prayer ritual would last as long as six hours, and included lengthy meditations in the Chabad tradition. At night, when reciting the bedtime prayers, Raichik would often become engrossed in introspection into the wee hours, when the time came for morning prayers. During the day he employed his sharp mind in deep Talmudic study.
It was in the Lubavitch yeshiva that the young Raichik became attached to the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. In short time he became one of the select group who memorized and reviewed the Rebbe's discourses, known as choizrim
.
at the end of 1939, Raichik and his fellow yeshiva students were forced to flee Otwock. Shortly before Chanukah that year, Raichik and a friend reached Warsaw, Poland
, where the Rebbe guided them and gave them money to escape to Vilnius
, Lithuania
.
Once he reached Lithuania, Raichik labored tirelessly to save fellow students from German-occupied Poland and the Baltic states. Despite his own capture once by border police, he organized smuggling operations, bringing many refugees across the border to safer territory.
When Japan's consul to Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara
, sacrificed his diplomatic career to issue Japanese passports to Jewish refugees, Raichik helped procure visas for his fellow students and others. After spending close to a year in Kobe
, Japan
, the yeshiva relocated again, this time to Shanghai
, China
, where many other Jews spent the remainder of the war years as well. In Shanghai, Rabbi Raichik became the foundation for the uprooted Lubavitch yeshiva. In addition to overseeing the daily running of the school, friends recall how lovingly he served as surrogate parent to the younger students. Though given many chances to leave, Raichik chose to stay in until the very last student was able to leave, in 1946.
Throughout that period Raichik was in communication with the Rebbe who, in addition to massive fund-raising and rescue efforts for Jews in German-occupied territory and Russia, raised money to send to Shanghai.
to travel by train across North America to seek out Jews, in groups and as individuals, to identify local communal needs and bolster Jewish identity.
For months on end, Raichik criss-crossed the United States, dining on sardines and fruits and vegetables, visiting Jews in places like Chattanooga, Tennessee
and Cheyenne, Wyoming
, setting up schools and Mikvah
s, and generally mapping the way for a future Jewish revival.
Because of his obvious refinement and gentle disposition, people took an immediate liking to Raichik. Much of the post-war Jewish infrastructure in many cities across the United States can be traced to Raichik's tireless efforts.
After his marriage in 1948 to Lea Rappoport, herself a Holocaust survivor, Raichik and his new bride were dispatched to Los Angeles
, California
as personal emissaries of the sixth Rebbe.
Following the sixth Rebbe's passing in 1950, Rabbi Raichik was among the Lubavitcher Chassidim who pleaded with the Rebbe's son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
, to become the movement's new leader. The new Rebbe, whose suggestion it was that the Raichiks be sent to Los Angeles
, wrote to Raichik that his position was not to be limited to one synagogue, but "his net should be spread on the entire city and its surrounding areas."
In addition to his work as the Chabad Shliach
to Los Angeles
, Raichik also continued his practice of traveling around the United States for a number of months each year to spread Judaism and pave the way for future Shluchim to that particular place. Another one of his functions as a traveling emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
was to collect money (known as maimed), which were personal funds for the Rebbe's private usage. These funds are a non-specified amount of money traditionally given each year by Chassidim.
In the spring of 1967 (two days before the outbreak of the Six Day War on June 3, 1967), the Rebbe issued a directive to start Mivtza Tefillin, an international campaign by Chabad Hasidim to influence all male Jews, regardless of their level of religious observance, to fulfill the Mitzvah of Tefillin
(phylacteries) daily. Raichik became actively involved in this, making his rounds every day in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles where he lived, and finding Jewish men who hadn't yet put on Tefillin that day. He always carried tefillin, and was known for helping people put them on anywhere and everywhere, including airplanes, airports, trains, the White House, shopping malls, etc. He continued this practice until hospitalized by a stroke in December, 1997.
In 1990, Rabbi Raichik was appointed to the executive boards of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
, (educational arm of the Lubavitch movement), Mahane Israel
(the social service arm), and Agudas Chasidei Chabad
, the umbrella organization that oversees the worldwide network of Chabad-Lubavitch organizations and institutions.
Toward the end of his life Raichik suffered greatly from the debilitating Parkinson's disease
, but refused to allow it to hamper his busy schedule.
He died on February 4, 1998. His funerals in Los Angeles and New York were attended by thousands of people. In New York, the funeral procession filed past 770 Eastern Parkway
and continued to the Old Montefiore Cemetery
in Queens, where he was interred close to the resting place of the two Lubavitcher Rebbes he had so faithfully served.
He is survived by his ten children and their families, many of whom serve as shluchim and leaders in their respective communities around the globe. His wife Leah died in August 2007.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
of the Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad-Lubavitch is a Chasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's larger and best-known Chasidic movements, its official headquarters is in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York...
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
movement, and the pioneer of Chabad's activities in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Early life and education
He was born in the Polish town of Mlava. In 1936, upon the advice of the famous AmshinovAmshinov (Hasidic dynasty)
Amshinov is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Kalish. It is an offshoot of Vurka dynasty. It takes its name from the Yiddish name of Mszczonów, a town in Poland.-History:...
er Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
, the young Raichik enrolled in the Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in Otwock
Otwock
Otwock is a town in central Poland, some southeast of Warsaw, with 42,765 inhabitants . It is situated on the right bank of Vistula River below the mouth of Swider River. Otwock is home to a unique architectural style called Swidermajer....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
where he learned the Chabad doctrines of synthesis, scholarship, and personal refinement.
Fellow students recall Menachem Shmuel Dovid's meticulous observance of the mitzvot
613 mitzvot
The 613 commandments is a numbering of the statements and principles of law, ethics, and spiritual practice contained in the Torah or Five Books of Moses...
and his passionate way of prayer. His Shabbat morning prayer ritual would last as long as six hours, and included lengthy meditations in the Chabad tradition. At night, when reciting the bedtime prayers, Raichik would often become engrossed in introspection into the wee hours, when the time came for morning prayers. During the day he employed his sharp mind in deep Talmudic study.
It was in the Lubavitch yeshiva that the young Raichik became attached to the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. In short time he became one of the select group who memorized and reviewed the Rebbe's discourses, known as choizrim
Choizer
Choizer lit. "one who reviews," pl. choizrim is a title that refers to a rabbi who memorizes the teachings of one of the Rebbes of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. This term is unique to that movement....
.
During World War II
With the outbreak of the World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at the end of 1939, Raichik and his fellow yeshiva students were forced to flee Otwock. Shortly before Chanukah that year, Raichik and a friend reached Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, where the Rebbe guided them and gave them money to escape to Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
Once he reached Lithuania, Raichik labored tirelessly to save fellow students from German-occupied Poland and the Baltic states. Despite his own capture once by border police, he organized smuggling operations, bringing many refugees across the border to safer territory.
When Japan's consul to Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara
Chiune Sugihara
was a Japanese diplomat who served as Vice-Consul for the Japanese Empire in Lithuania. During World War II, he helped several thousand Jews leave the country by issuing transit visas to Jewish refugees so that they could travel to Japan. Most of the Jews who escaped were refugees from...
, sacrificed his diplomatic career to issue Japanese passports to Jewish refugees, Raichik helped procure visas for his fellow students and others. After spending close to a year in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the yeshiva relocated again, this time to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where many other Jews spent the remainder of the war years as well. In Shanghai, Rabbi Raichik became the foundation for the uprooted Lubavitch yeshiva. In addition to overseeing the daily running of the school, friends recall how lovingly he served as surrogate parent to the younger students. Though given many chances to leave, Raichik chose to stay in until the very last student was able to leave, in 1946.
Throughout that period Raichik was in communication with the Rebbe who, in addition to massive fund-raising and rescue efforts for Jews in German-occupied territory and Russia, raised money to send to Shanghai.
American years
When Raichik finally reached the United States, the Rebbe immediately put him under the wing of his son-in-law and later successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
to travel by train across North America to seek out Jews, in groups and as individuals, to identify local communal needs and bolster Jewish identity.
For months on end, Raichik criss-crossed the United States, dining on sardines and fruits and vegetables, visiting Jews in places like Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
and Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, setting up schools and Mikvah
Mikvah
Mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
s, and generally mapping the way for a future Jewish revival.
Because of his obvious refinement and gentle disposition, people took an immediate liking to Raichik. Much of the post-war Jewish infrastructure in many cities across the United States can be traced to Raichik's tireless efforts.
After his marriage in 1948 to Lea Rappoport, herself a Holocaust survivor, Raichik and his new bride were dispatched to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as personal emissaries of the sixth Rebbe.
Following the sixth Rebbe's passing in 1950, Rabbi Raichik was among the Lubavitcher Chassidim who pleaded with the Rebbe's son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
, to become the movement's new leader. The new Rebbe, whose suggestion it was that the Raichiks be sent to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, wrote to Raichik that his position was not to be limited to one synagogue, but "his net should be spread on the entire city and its surrounding areas."
In addition to his work as the Chabad Shliach
Shaliach (Chabad)
A Chabad shliach is a Chabad member sent out to promulgate Judaism and Chasidut around the world.Chabad shluchim as of 2010 number about 4,500 worldwide, and can be found in many of even the most remote worldly locales.-Origins:...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Raichik also continued his practice of traveling around the United States for a number of months each year to spread Judaism and pave the way for future Shluchim to that particular place. Another one of his functions as a traveling emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
was to collect money (known as maimed), which were personal funds for the Rebbe's private usage. These funds are a non-specified amount of money traditionally given each year by Chassidim.
In the spring of 1967 (two days before the outbreak of the Six Day War on June 3, 1967), the Rebbe issued a directive to start Mivtza Tefillin, an international campaign by Chabad Hasidim to influence all male Jews, regardless of their level of religious observance, to fulfill the Mitzvah of Tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
(phylacteries) daily. Raichik became actively involved in this, making his rounds every day in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles where he lived, and finding Jewish men who hadn't yet put on Tefillin that day. He always carried tefillin, and was known for helping people put them on anywhere and everywhere, including airplanes, airports, trains, the White House, shopping malls, etc. He continued this practice until hospitalized by a stroke in December, 1997.
In 1990, Rabbi Raichik was appointed to the executive boards of Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch is the central educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Founded by the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, in 1943, the organization was initially directed by his son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who would later become the seventh Rebbe...
, (educational arm of the Lubavitch movement), Mahane Israel
Mahane Israel
Mahane Israel is the second Jewish neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem , and the first built by residents of the Old City on their own behalf, as part of the process to "leave the walls"...
(the social service arm), and Agudas Chasidei Chabad
Agudas Chasidei Chabad
Agudas Chassidei Chabad is the umbrella organization for the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It administers three of the main Lubavitch offices: Machneh Israel, Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, and the Kehot Publication Society...
, the umbrella organization that oversees the worldwide network of Chabad-Lubavitch organizations and institutions.
Toward the end of his life Raichik suffered greatly from the debilitating Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, but refused to allow it to hamper his busy schedule.
He died on February 4, 1998. His funerals in Los Angeles and New York were attended by thousands of people. In New York, the funeral procession filed past 770 Eastern Parkway
770 Eastern Parkway
770 Eastern Parkway is the street address of the central headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, located on Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York, in the United States of America...
and continued to the Old Montefiore Cemetery
Montefiore Cemetery
Montefiore Cemetery, also known as "Old Montefiore Cemetery," is a Jewish cemetery in Springfield Gardens, Queens, New York.The cemetery is called by many names. It is known as Old Montefiore, Springfield, or less commonly just plain Montefiore....
in Queens, where he was interred close to the resting place of the two Lubavitcher Rebbes he had so faithfully served.
He is survived by his ten children and their families, many of whom serve as shluchim and leaders in their respective communities around the globe. His wife Leah died in August 2007.