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From The Inbox:

Yitzchak Sapochkinsky from Chabad of Westlake Village, CA was speaking with an American Express representative at an indian call center, when the rep suddenly expressed interest in Chabad. The indian rep went on to say “I live in Mumbai, India, next door to the Chabad House” and spoke about the Holtzberg's.

The Indian Phone Rep Recalls Mumbai Shluchim

From The Inbox:

Yitzchak Sapochkinsky from Chabad of Westlake Village, CA was speaking with an American Express representative at an indian call center, when the rep suddenly expressed interest in Chabad. The indian rep went on to say “I live in Mumbai, India, next door to the Chabad House” and spoke about the Holtzberg’s.

The story is as follows:

I responded to a letter from American Express alerting me to a charge that was on my credit card, that they thought might be fraudulent. (It was.) After several failed attempts to input my card number into the automated voice machine, I was transferred to a live person.

When the rep who answered had a non-English accent, I was tempted to ask for an English speaking representative but out of respect to him, I didn’t. After several more attempts he almost had me convinced that everything was OK and there was no fraud, when I suddenly realized that all along I had been giving the wrong card number.

Now, when he looked up the new card he again asked for identity verification. Suddenly, he asked me what Chabad was. I wasn’t sure why he needed to know but he started mumbling things about a Hebrew organization started in Israel.

I explained in brief what Chabad was and that’s when he suddenly said. “I live in Mumbai, India, next door to the Chabad House.” I was shocked and I got the chills. My voice began trembling.

He apologized profusely for causing me this sudden emotional outburst and then he asked me if I had been related to the rabbi. I explained that we both work for the same organization and as such, I felt very connected to him, even though we weren’t relatives. I had also received an email from the rabbi about a year before the tragedy, informing me that a couple from my congregation (Fred and Joni Lovell) had visited his Chabad House in Mumbai.

I still did not realize how well he knew the Chabad House when suddenly he said: “Moshe’le was the sweetest boy. I would play football with him outside. His parents were also the nicest people. I also remember Sandra, the woman who saved Moshe’le.”

I was blown way and both us choked up. For the remainder of the conversation, our voices trembled as we tried to find the right words. We spoke for several minutes about the Holzbergs and he told me that because he wasn’t married and had no kids of his own, he had been drawn to little Moshe’le.

Needless to say, the reason for my call quickly fell to the background as we continued to speak with quivering voices about the Holzbergs and the tragedy. After several minutes, when we got back to business, he was barely able to speak and apologized repeatedly for his “un-professionalism” as he fumbled through the scripted lines about my account etc. I assured him that he had just made my day, my week etc. We ended the call in tears.

To make an ordinary call to American Express and be reminded of how incredible the Holzbergs were and how they had touched even the non-Jew in India.

What if I had entered the correct card number the first time and never been transferred to a live rep, or reached someone else a minute earlier?

And to think that I had considered asking for an English-speaking rep!!

Yitzchak Sapochkinsky
Chabad of Westlake Village, CA

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14 Comments

  • conspiracy theory # 1248

    anyone else think this may have been a terrorist trying to find out info?

  • shadchan crisis

    i always talk to these guys and ask how close they lived to chabad. barry puts it in all the way

  • A guest of the Lovell-s

    To #1,
    You’re not normal – end of story.

    To Rabbi Sapo,
    You’re the best!

  • best chabad rabbi

    wow rabbi sapo! i am sure u will be telling this in shul on shabbos!

  • chabad card

    Must have been a chabad cc so it spiked his interest…not a conspiracy theory…

  • Chana Novick

    Kol Hakavod to you, Yitzchak Zev!You have made my day. Doda Chana in the holy city of Jerusalem,

  • A Friend

    Thanks for taking the time to share this most meaningful experience. It is so helpful to be reminded of the Hashgacha Pratis that involves every moment of our day. With great appreciation.

  • The Lovell-s

    We try to visit the Chabad House in every foreign country we visit. We will never forget our visit with the Holzbergs in India as it was just a few weeks prior to the disaster. Our lives have been enriched with the memory of those precious moments we shared with the Holzberg family. We encourage you all to make the effort to visit every Chabad House you can when you travel. You will be amazed at how rewarding you will find it. My thanks to Rabbi Sapo for sharing his story.