In Bal-Harbor, Florida, stands the Shul. It is a huge synagogue, one of the most magnificent in the United States, established by the Chabad shliach (emissary) Rabbi Shalom Dovber Lipskar, a”h.
However, Rabbi Lipskar’s success didn’t happen overnight. It was built over several decades of dedication. With persistence and determination, he reached out to one Jew after another, facing opposition and challenges, typical of new beginnings.
Rabbi Lipskar shared the following story with Kfar Chabad Magazine. The story offers insight into what it truly means to be a Chabad shliach.
The 10th Man
“We opened a small synagogue that mainly operated on Shabbat. After my father passed away, I decided to establish a daily minyan for Shacharit. Sometimes we lacked a tenth man for the minyan. I would call a local taxi company to see if a Jewish driver was available. When they sent one, we would tell him to park the taxi, turn on the meter, and come in. At the end of the prayer, we would pay him for the ‘ride’...
“One morning, we were missing a tenth man, and no Jewish taxi driver was available. I went out into the street and noticed an elderly man walking slowly, leaning on his cane, wearing a hat.
“‘Are you Jewish?’ I asked. ‘None of your business!’ he replied sharply.
“‘My father passed away, I need to say Kaddish, and we need a tenth for the minyan,’ I explained. ‘Leave me alone, I don’t believe in this. I’m going to eat breakfast now,’ he said, and continued walking.
“I returned to the synagogue, still without a tenth man. I went outside again and approached a restaurant at the corner. The old man was sitting there. ‘You must do me this favor and complete our minyan!’ I pleaded. ‘I don’t believe in this,’ he said again flatly.
“‘Then don’t pray — just be present,’ I suggested. ‘I already ordered food!’ he said, trying to resist.
“‘How much did it cost?’ I asked. ‘Three dollars,’ he replied. I took three dollars from my pocket and placed it on the table. Only then did he agree to come with me. ‘But don’t give me a tallit or siddur!’ he warned. During the prayer, he sat stiffly in his seat and did not touch the siddur.
Slowly, Slowly
“The next day, I saw him again walking slowly on the street, and I asked him again to join the minyan. This time he agreed more easily, but emphasized that he would not pray. This continued for many days. Gradually, he agreed to hold a siddur and then even to wrap himself in a tallit.
“One morning, I suggested he put on tefillin. He refused. ‘On the day before Rosh Hashanah, I will put on tefillin. But don’t bring me any — I have my own,’ he said.
“And indeed, on the day before Rosh Hashanah he arrived with a worn bag and took out ancient tefillin. He told me he was ninety-three years old and had not touched tefillin since his Bar Mitzvah — eighty years!
“At that time, he also told me his last name was Schuster. I helped him put on the head tefillin and complimented him: ‘It looks like a crown on you.’
Every Jew is a Diamond
“Schuster seemed like a complete idler. Day after day, he appeared in the same faded pants and suit, with colored pens in the outer pocket. The synagogue president often asked me why I spent so much time with this old man. ‘He is a Jew, and that is reason enough,’ I replied naturally.
One Family
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“As the High Holidays approached, we considered the many worshippers who would come. The synagogue could not accommodate everyone, so we rented a large hall at the Sheraton Hotel. We estimated around five hundred participants and therefore prepared five hundred prayer books.
“On Rosh Hashanah, Schuster approached me and asked: ‘Who paid for all the prayer books?’ I told him they had not been paid for yet. ‘I will pay,’ he declared.
“When I told the synagogue president, he immediately went to wish Schuster a Shana Tova.
“Over time, Schuster became fully observant. He began wearing tzitzit, eating only kosher food, and completely transformed his life. In 1988, the Lubavitcher Rebbe declared the year as “The Year of Building.” We began planning a new building for the Shul.
“One day, Schuster requested a meeting with the building committee. ‘How much will the building cost?’ he asked. We estimated around two million dollars and told him so. ‘Then I will give you half — one million dollars,’ Schuster stunned us.
Returning Home
“The story concludes: about four years later Schuster was hospitalized and his condition worsened. I was in New York at the time, and immediately flew back to be by his bedside. He was in his final moments. I remembered our history together and took his hand lovingly. ‘If you love me, squeeze my hand,’ I asked.
“I immediately felt his hand squeeze mine. We recited the Shema Yisrael together, and when we reached ‘uvish’arecha’, his soul departed.
“After his passing, we discovered that he left a significant portion of his inheritance to the synagogue and its outreach activities. But most importantly — in his final days, this Jew returned to his Source.”
