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Feature The Week In News 70
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
A Timeless Message
A Timeless Message
Rabbi Hanoch Teller Talks about Reb Elimelech M’Lizensk’s Embodiment of Ahavas Yisroel Susan Schwamm
Rabbi Teller, what made you decide to I noticed my son reading your Storylines produce the film, “Reb Elimelech”? book. I opened up the book and saw an This Thursday, March 28, the 21st of inscription you wrote to my sister and I Adar, is the yahrtzeit of Reb Elimelech after my father – years ago – went to a M’Lizensk. Reb Elimelech is very wellbook signing of yours. So in a way your known – well, at least his name is wellbooks are timeless and are perfect for evknown, but many people don’t know pracery generation. tically the first thing about him. The film I wrote about this in one of my introtalks about the founding of the Chassidic ductions. Rabbi Mieri, one of the last Rismovement – which was founded by the honim, once said something like this: I’d Baal Shem Tov. Reb Elimelech is, so to trade 100 readers today for one reader in a speak, a third generation because we first hundred years from now. I think my books have the Baal Shem Tov and then the Magare the number one book for someone if gid of Mezerich and then Reb Elimelech they’re sick. If I can make the cholim hapin Galicia and the Alter Rebbe in White py, I’m happy about that. Russia. Out of all the 28 books that you wrote, Rabbi Hanoch Teller Talks about Reb Elimelech M’Lizensk’s My motivation in producing the film which one brought the most nachas? was that I wanted to focus on ahavas YisThat’s a great question. You know, it’s Embodiment of Ahavas Yisroel roel. When we talk about ahavas Yisroel, different nachases. I have a book called it’s somewhat esoteric. But Reb ElimelCourtrooms of the Mind. It’s one of my ech, in a way, is a good “hook” for that bestsellers. It’s about judging people faBy Susan Schwamm topic. I’m embarrassed to tell you that vorably, and as a consequence of that the film came out so much better than we book, a day school was established. could have imagined. The dictum that Reb I was in New Orleans and I was speakIn –2012, Rabbi Teller wrote, produced and directed a film, “Reb Elimelech M’Lizensk andand theI ChasElimelech preached that there’s no Hanoch dising there was sitting next to a feltinction between any Jew,Legacy not between me low who was aatjudge sidic of Brotherhood.” The movie, which is around an hour long, was previously only shown pri-who was married or you or the other person or a stranger – to a non-Jewish woman. vate screenings. On Sunday morning, March 31, Rabbi Teller will be at the White Shul in Far Rockaway, NY, The community is so strong and compelling and so many wanted to open a day school there. The to introduce the movie, which is now available on DVD. Along with the introduction of theway DVD, a short film people took the message to heart. to stop the opening of the day school message of ahavas Yisroel? Our son? He’s OK. Oh, they must be depicting making of the original movie will be shown. The bonus film features Rav Moshe Weinberger You know, there are so manythe platitudes was through zoning. of Some Jews in the There’s a story in the original film that talking about the boy Eliezer from down town – believe it or not – brought a suit when it comes to Aish ahavasKodesh, Yisroel. It’s nice Joey Newcomb, and Mosey Kaplan, all members of the Five Towns-Far Rockaway community. to talk about it but we need to do some- I think drives the point home for many the road,” his wife said. “He’s very sick.” against opening the day school. The judge people. Reb Elimelechto and his brother At thatbook, point, Reb sighed and Rabbi Tellerthe also wrote the introduction a newly published TheElimelech Holy Brothers, by Simcha Raz, which thing with it. I wanted to harness powI was sitting next to was going to be the went on self-imposed galus. Along the said, “What have I done? I put my own presiding judge over the case. He was iner of the film, which is a very powerful relates the stories of Reb Elimelech and his brother, Reb Zusha of Anipoli. In that introduction, Rabbi Teller way, they chastised people in the most child in front of someone else’s child?!” clined not to be in favor of the day school. film, with a strongwrites medium.that We’re talking the storiesloving of the brothers transport to He theturned magical yore, to the peaks wayholy and got people to“will change their Heus wasback so upset. around,places left his ofSomehow, history, we’re talking about the founding since G-d runs the world, the being awaydepths for three house, and wentTeller’s back intofilm his galus, of the Galician and to the ofyears, our hearts.” Rabbi also saytransports the viewer of the Chassidic movement, but thenCarpathians, we lives. After book, Courtrooms of to the Mind, happened Reb Elimelech finally returned home. As ing he didn’t learn anything in those three a time of oldYisroel. and to a place of yesterday but brings with it a message essential for the present. bring in the message of ahavas to land up on his desk the night before. He We bring the viewer to contemplate aha- he was returning home, someone men- years he was away from home. was intrigued by the title, and he stayed up his son, Eliezer, was the very film, sick. his dozens You’ve written 28 books. was atallYad This week, with that Rabbi Teller about of books, and What his work Vashem. vas Yisroel in different venues we that spoke span tioned night reading the book. The next day, So he dashed home and ran in and asked the year you published your first book? klal Yisroel from Camp Simcha to Camp he breezed the court case right through, It’s pretty amazing because I’m 27, but and the day school was able to be opened. HASC to Chaverim, Hatzalah, Zaka, out- his wife, “What’s with Eliezer?” She said, “Oh, he’s fine. He’s in cheder.” He asked it came out in 1984. reach…all those venues are involved in I have another story, a story about a her again, “Are you sure he’s OK?” And Did you always consider yourself a book that actually saved a life, but that’s the film as well. power of the film, which is a you thatprior the film outthis so much Reb Elimelech is, so to speak, a third Rabbi Teller, what made you she said, “Yes, he’s fine.” writer to came writing firstbetbook?ness thefor The film’s decide message powerful. another time. very powerful film, with a strong mediter than we could have imagined. The because we first have the tosounds produce the film, “Reb“Butgeneration someone told me that he was Mamash not. It all started – this is a You’re known Elimelech”? for your stories. Is there a My best nachas, though, is my latum. We’re talking history, talking dictum that Reb Elimelech preached – Baal Shem Tov and then the Maggid sick,” Reb Elimelech told her. “Eliezer? long story – but I witnessed an event and est book. It’s we’re st particular story you feel brings home this called Heroic Children. about the founding of the Chassidic of Mezerich and then Reb Elimelech in that there’s no distinction between any This Thursday, March 28, the 21 I firmly believe that if something lands in It’s about children who survived the Homovement, but then we bring in the Jew, not between me or you or the other Galicia and the Alter Rebbe in White of Adar, is the yahrtzeit of Reb Elimelyour lap, there’s a reason for it. I witnessed I consider it the final frontier of of ahavas Yisroel. We bring person or a stranger – is so strong and messagelocaust. Russia. ech M’Lizensk. Reb Elimelech is very something which was really appalling, and Holocaust literature because when the war the viewer to contemplate ahavas Yiscompelling and so many people took My motivation in producing the well-known – well, at least his name I had to make people aware of it. Androel the in different venues thatnaturally span klal wanted to tell the message to heart. film was that I wanted to focus on ahais well-known, but many people don’t was over, people only way to do that was to write about it. from Yisroel Campstories Simcha to Camp You know, there are so many platiknow practically the first thing about vas Yisroel. When we talk about ahavas over their about how they survived So I did. which wasHASC si- toand Chaverim, Zaka,it’s too late, we tudes whenI itwrote comesantoarticle, ahavas Yisroel. Yisroel, it’s somewhat esoteric. But Reb him. The film talks about the founding suffered.Hatzalah, Now, before multaneously published outreach…all are involved It’s nice to talk about it butin wetwo needmagazines to Elimelech, in a way, is a good “hook” of the Chassidic movement – which wentthose on avenues mission around the world to in two different versions. And in the film as well. do something with it. I wanted topeople har- said, was founded by the Baal Shem Tov. for that topic. I’m embarrassed to tell keep their stories alive. Every gamut of the “Wow, that was so great. Why don’t you Holocaust kingdom – boy, girl, religious, write another one?” So I did. I wrote an- nonreligious – is represented in this book. other one. And they said again, “Why This is my biggest nachas. I was zocheh to don’t you write another one?” So I did, be the voice of those muffled voices. and I started writing. And then I noticed That must have been very emotional that my style was more story-like, so that’s book to write. how it all started, from those two articles. Absolutely, and it was much more What was the name of the first book? work than anything I ever put together. Once Upon a Soul. It took 14 years of work and then the I remember that book. Just recently, book was released. It was meticulously