Weekly Story: My father

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

As this Wednesday, the 29^th of Cheshvan marks the 15^th yahrzeit of my father, a”h, I am writing this short tribute about him.

My father, Reb Meir Avtzon, was born in 5669 (1909) in Mirogod Ukraine (in the Poltova region) and he was the youngest of nine children. By the time he was ten, the Communists regime closed down the yeshivos and chadorim and he had no place to learn, especially as almost all of the melamdim either ran away or were warned not to continue teaching.

However, there was one melamed there, Reb Levi Yitzchok Vichman, who had taught the older bochurim (students). Notwithstanding the danger involved, he determinedly continued learning with his students. Although my father was almost three years (or more) younger than his regular students, he encouraged him to join his class and taught him as well.

Three years later, after his bar mitzvah, he encouraged him to join a yeshiva in the city of Kiev, where my father studied for around a year and a half until he was fifteen years old. He then returned home and studied in the beis hamidrash. An elder talmid Chocham, Reb Bentzion Rivkin, saw this young bochur learning on his own so he learned with him for a few hours a day for around a half year, until he was able to leave Russia and then moved to Eretz Yisroel.

When he was seventeen and a half, Reb Meir Gurkov visited the city in order to raise funds for Tomchei Tmimim, which was then underground. Seeing a young bochur learning the entire day on his own impressed him, so he discussed with the melamed Reb Levi Yitzchok, that my father should go and learn in Tomchei Tmimim. Reb Levi Yitzchok convinced his parents to allow their youngest child to go away to Tomchei Tmimim in Charkov and he was accepted as a talmid on Lag B’Omer 5687 (1926.)

The one in charge of the Yeshiva there was Reb Yechezkel Faigin HY’D, who was also the Frierdiker  Rebbe’s personal mazkir (secretary) and after he taught the talmidim the hemshech of samech hei, he thought to teach samech vov, but the Rebbe said he should learn ETER.[1]

After the Rebbe was freed on yud-beis tammuz of that year, and it became public knowledge that he was going to leave Russia, shortly after the yomim tovim, everyone in the Yeshiva as well as the Anash of the town went to Leningrad to be with the Rebbe for the yom tov of Sukkos.

My father’s first arrest was on the following Chanukah when the police came to the houses where the bochurim were sleeping and began asking about people involved in the Yeshiva. Although all of the bochurim denied any knowledge or connection to the people they suspected were maintaining the yeshiva, they were all arrested and then freed the following day on the fifth candle of Chanukah.

The Yeshiva then dispersed to Nevel and a short time later, he was sent to become the Mashgiach (supervisor) for the younger talmidim in Kremenchug. On the way there, he stopped off for around  two weeks in Mirogod and gave a shiur Tanya in the shul. That was the final time he saw his parents.

In Kremenchug he took the opportunity to learn with and from the elder chassidim there, such as the Rov, Reb Yitzchok Yoel Raphelovitch, the Rebbe’s uncle Reb Mendel Yanovski and others. He was there for a year and half until he had a close call with the GPU and had to leave. So he went to Vitebsk and helped the Yeshiva there for around a year.

Before Yom Kippur of 5692 (1931), he was brought into the interrogation room where the GPU tried to no avail to break his spirit, and miraculously he was freed right before the fast began. He remained there for another half of year, but knowing that he was being watched, he rented a room far from all of Anash, in order that he should not cause them to have suspicions and chas v’sholom arrest anyone because of him.

For the next few years, he went from place to place in search for a livelihood and hiding from the notorious GPU. At the same time he developed a deep friendship with the renowned chossid Reb Avrom Drizin, who if not for his generosity to my father, he and many other chassidim would have had nothing to eat. Reb Avrohom found work for many and helped numerous Anash find ways and means to support themselves.

He was then asked by Reb Yonah Kahen, known by all as Reb Yonah Poltava, who was in charge of maintaining the Rebbe’s underground yeshiva, to be both a mashgiach in Nigleh and answer the questions of the younger bochurim. Although he was in charge of Nigleh we heard from many of those younger students, that what impressed them the most was his Avodas Hatefilla, (how he would daven at great length on Shabbos and whenever he had free days).

Additionally, he was asked to help raise the necessary funds. One of the ways he did that was by selling material on the black market, which being illegal was extremely dangerous.

Often he would wrap ten to fifteen yards of material around him and wear an oversized coat to cover it up. Once he noticed that the police were watching him, so he casually walked over to an empty house and quickly unwrapped the material and put on his regular overcoat and walked out.

Coming out a few minutes later, he heard one of the officers saying, “That is the person we were looking for.” However, the other one replied, “While his facial features are similar, the person that walked in there was much heavier, at least by fifty Kilos, he is only a decoy to let the real culprit escape, let us wait until the real one comes out.”

Another time they were after him, he entered the house of Reb Avrohom Drizin and informed him that the police is after him. Reb Avrohom told him to go into the cellar and closed the trap door behind him. A moment later the police knocked and asked Reb Avrohom, where is the person who just entered.

Reb Avrohom replied, he is not aware of anyone who entered and invited them to search his apartment. After searching they asked, why is the door to the cellar closed. He replied because I have a dangerous and vicious dog there. They laughingly replied, that is who we are looking for. As they opened the door, Reb Avrohom loudly warned them to be careful as he is not responsible if the dog attacks them.

They ignored his words, but while they were descending the steps, my father gave such a loud and realistic growl that they ran up in fright and left, believing that there was indeed a wild dog. Such was the pressure he endured on behalf of Tomchei Tmimim, but never did he stop or waver.

After WWII he married our mother Rebbetzin Cheyena Karasik, and in 5747 (1947) they managed to escape from Russia.

Once when they were in one of the D.P. camps, a shipment of meat arrived from the U.S. Each family was given a kilo of meat per person, however, being that they only had a letter that stated that it was kosher, but no one knew who the shochet was, my father politely declined. The administrator said, I thought you might not eat it, however, allow your wife and infant daughter to enjoy some kosher meat. But my father refused saying, we were raised that if you don’t know who the shochet is, you don’t partake in it. That night the air was thick with the aroma of the cooked meat. However, the following morning an urgent telegram arrived saying that there was a mix up in the containers and the meat that was destined for them was mistakenly shipped somewhere else so no one should eat it.

From there they went to Paris France, where once again he helped raise funds for the Tomchei Tmimim there. After 5 years they were finally granted a visa to the U.S. However, he was informed by HIAS that he won’t be staying in New York, he would have to settle in Michigan. My father thought, if I could outfox the Russian Police, so it won’t be a problem to outfox the American officials who are kinder and he would find a way to remain in New York with the Rebbe.

However the Rebbe told him, A persons whereabouts are directed from Hashem and evidently your mission is to spread Yiddishkeit (Judaisim) in Michigan, so that is where he settled with his growing family, in the mid fifties.

Being (one of the) only Jews in Detroit with a full beard, he was approached by an owner of a kosher-style restaurant and offered the unbelievable sum then of $400 per week to sit in his store. You will have an office full of Jewish books and all I am asking is that you come out three times a day and walk around. If anyone asks you if the food is kosher, tell them the truth that it isn’t.

Obviously the offer was STRONGLY declined and he became a mashgiach in a major kosher meat packing house, receiving minimum wages.

When their oldest child was of marriageable age, my father asked the Rebbe for a brocha for some wealth, explaining that he needs the money to pay for the many weddings bezras Hashem, and give each of the newly married couples something to begin their life with . The Rebbe replied you can tell your future mechutanim that I say, your dowry is a wealthy spiritual dowry.

In Detroit they acclimated the Jewish community too many of the chassidishe customs, such as upsherinish and a yud tes kislev farbrengen while every Shabbos reviewing in various shuls, Chassidus. These activities brought many Jews closer to the ways of Torah and mitzvos, including many families that are now prominent in Lubavitch. In numerous letters that the Rebbe wrote to him, the Rebbe added the title of ShaDaR and was considered by the Rebbe as the Mashpia of Detroit, and all the telegrams for Rosh Hashana and other occasions were sent to him.

After living there for 32 years, due to my mother’s illness, they moved to New York for treatments.

When the sad saga of the seforim happened the Rebbe told Rabbi A. Shemtov and Rabbi Y. Krinsky, “In truth this case should be handled by chassidim of my father in law, the Rebbe, such as Reb Meir Avtzon and Reb Mendel Futerfas. But being that they are not acquainted with the intricacies of American law, I am .giving it over to you. Being that Rabbi Shem Tov is a mechutan, he immediately rushed over to my father’s apartment, which was next door to 770, and informed him of what the Rebbe said and my father did whatever he could. He went to the court proceedings every day and tearfully recited Tehillim, something that the Judge noted, and also encouraged Anash to say Tehillim every night, that Hashem should intercede and there should be a positive resolution.

Through these and other actions he was looked up to by many as a chossid that is sincere in his actions and many were inspired by his words.

A few days before his petira, he said, the Rebbe instructed him to prepare to recite a maamar. Little did we believe the deep significance of those words.

May we emulate him in his numerous aspects: being a chossid of the Rebbe, davening properly, being careful even in a small detail of a mitzvah,  yearning for Moshiach and doing everything possible to hasten his coming.

P.S. If anyone remembers hearing a story from him, I humbly request that you inform me of it as I am preparing a book of his stories.

Rabbi Sholom D. Avtzon is a veteran mechanech in the United Lubavitch Yeshivah on Ocean Parkway and is available to farbreng in your community. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.

[1] My father would say that after the arrest and liberation, the bochurm thought that that is why the Rebbe instructed them to learn those maamorim; as they address the situation and predicament he was in and states that the surrounding environment has no control over a Jew. They felt that the Rebbe wanted that concept to be discussed and should become the ruling the Torah.