2 years ago

‘Igud’ Celebrates Purchase of 755 Eastern Parkway

Dozens of friends and supporters of the “Igud Talmidei Hakvutza” gathered together with their families for a festive evening celebrating the momentous purchase of 755 Eastern Parkway. The event took place in the new building, where the team at the Igud expressed its appreciation to the supporters who facilitated the historic breakthrough. At the event, those in attendance were taken aback at the miraculous course of events that led to the sale of the building to the Igud. Images captured by photographer Dov Ber Hechtman • Full Story, Photos

An exciting and historic event was held last night (Sunday) in Crown Heights, in 755 Eastern Parkway, just across the street from Beis Chayenu. Dozens of friends and supporters of the “Igud Talmidei Hakvutza” gathered together with their families for a festive evening celebrating the momentous purchase of that building. During the upscale gathering, the Igud expressed its appreciation to the supporters who facilitated the historic breakthrough, including the staff at the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch – 770, who supported and encouraged the purchase of the facility.

The new building, which stands adjacent to 749 Eastern Parkway, the already historical dormitory for the Central Yeshiva, was converted for one day into a prestigious event hall, allowing the organizers of the evening to express their gratitude with great pomp.

The event was opened by its moderator, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Yusewitz, Principal of Crown Heights’ Cheder Ohr Menachem. Rabbi Yusewitz shared his personal “aha” moment when he realized the vitality of the Igud’s work for the talmidim learning in 770.

”It was at the end of the difficult year of the Corona, 5780,” he told the audience, “due to all of the various challenges, it seemed like that year’s kvutza would simply not be able to come. It was then that I became acquainted with the great work the Igud was doing in order the bring the talmidim here.”

Rabbi Yusewitz enthusiastically recounted how he admired from a distance the generosity of the Igud‘s management, which reached an agreement with neighborhood doctors and rented a huge campground in Connecticut, organized travel plans, and smoothly transported the temimim to their picturesque isolation complex.

“All this seemed wonderful to me. But then I got a phone call from my friend, Rabbi Meir Kabakov. He asked me if I could go to the isolation complex to meet the guys on their way to the climax of their lives, their kvutza year.”

”At that moment I realized,” Rabbi Yusewitz shares, “that you can admire, but you can also take part!

“I agreed to this unconventional request, and went on a long journey to Connecticut. I must tell you, that evening left its mark on me forever.

“Until then, my relationship with the temimim in 770 was nothing special as one of the residents and directors of the mosdos in the neighborhood, but from that moment I understood how uplifting it is to work with the talmidim learning in 770!

“Despite my busy schedule, I decided I will never give up on learning with the temimim!”

After a short and moving video from Rebbe MH”M about the great privilege of assisting Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, a special video appeared on the screen, produced especially for the historic event. The audience witnessed the daily schedule of one of the kvutza students, who shares with supporters the generosity and peace of mind that the Igud provides to him and all his members of kvutza.

He displays to viewers the spacious accommodations, the comfortable study conditions, as well as the many other resources provided to them by the Igud, facilitating their collective lifelong dream of learning in Beis Chayenu.

The video presentation concluded with a warm thank you from the bochur to the supporters who allow the Igud to carry on their vital work.

The next to address the crowd was someone who took a large portion in the purchase of the new building, R’ Yudi Grunberg. With great excitement he shared an answer he received from the Rebbe that morning in “Igros Kodesh”, where the Rebbe discussed two types of tzedaka. One way to give, the Rebbe writes, is according to the amount of money he is blessed by Hashem to receive. The second way to give is to determine how much you receive from Hashem based on what you give.

In the letter the Rebbe asks: the Frierdiker Rebbe wanted so much to grant you wealth, and now when your contribution makes that wish possible you do not make the move?

Next to speak was Crown Heights’ Mara D’Asra Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun, who thanked the Igud for acting as the “parents’ of the bochurim.

The rov conveyed his accolades for the great work the Igud does day in and day out.

He also made mention of the Rebbe’s special treatment of Rabbi Moshe Yaroslavsky, who headed Eshel Hachnasas Orchim for many years, providing people not only physical accommodation, but catering to their spiritual needs as well while they were visiting Crown Heights.

The rov’s remarks were followed by Rabbi Meir Kabakov, founding member of the Igud, who relayed the miraculous story of the building’s purchase.

“In the midst last year’s campaign held after the purchase of 749,” said Rabbi Kabakov, “we received a phone call from a prominent New York realtor who heard about the campaign, and subsequently shared with us that he had a contract of sale from the owners of the adjacent building. He heard we were buying the nearby building. He wanted to know if we were interested in 755 as well.

“The conditions to make the transaction happen were clearly unreasonable. The previous owner was forced to sell before the end of the 2021 fiscal year for tax reasons. If the purchase was not completed in 2021, the entire plan would have been irrelevant.

“Then began the marathon to acquire the down payment,” said Rabbi Kabakov.

“Once we got the down payment, we had 90 days to close on the building. Naturally we had no idea where to get the money from.

“The lawyer representing the owner told us we should save ourselves the heartache and pull out of the deal before it was too late. There was no way to get the money needed to close on this property.

“We were determined and refused to give up. We had less than three months to come up with five million dollars. Thanks to the mobilization of our generous donors, led by R’ Yossi Popack, the necessary amount was accumulating.

“But the lawyer came on December 30^th, and we were still way short of the necessary amount. He returned to his office where he called the owner to inform him that the purchase would fall through. The year was coming to an end and there was not enough money.

“I reminded the lawyer however that December is a month with 31 days. We had an entire day left before the end of the fiscal year! The 30^th was Thursday. 2021 was set to end Friday night, following the onset of Shabbos.

“Over the course of the next day we actually gathered the missing three million dollars we needed and with hours left before the start of Shabbos, on 27 Tevet, we closed on a building that less than 24 hours earlier seemed like a distant dream.”

That was the miraculous story of 755 Eastern Parkway.

At the end of the event, Rabbi Chaim Meir Zalmanov, a member of the Igud’s team, presented certificates of appreciation to the Igud’s three pillars – Rabbi Kabakov, R’ Grunberg and Rabbi Meir Bukchin.

“In gratitude for such devotion there is nothing to write more than one word, thank you,” Rabbi Zalmanov said with a smile, “but if there is anything more powerful than these words, it is the holy words of the Rebbe.”

The event concluded when Rabbi Zalmanov read the Rebbe’s own words, written on the certificates, about partnership in providing the needs for Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim.

Some of those present went on an exclusive tour of 749 to witness the progress of its reconstruction. Among them were R’ Yossi Popak, R’ Yaakov Shpritzer, and neighborhood activist R’ Eli Cohen.