Thousands of Jews gathered Sunday evening, December 9 2018 the last night of Chanukah, to celebrate the anniversary of the miraculous release from prison of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.
The occasion marked the one-year anniversary of the former kosher meat executive’s sentence being commuted by U.S. President Donald Trump from a harsh 28-year sentence.
News of Rubashkin being commuted by President Trump last year has been called a modern-day Chanukah miracle after repeated appeals had been turned down.
The event, marking the simcha felt by all of Klal Yisroel, took place at The Ulam Hagadol on New Utrecht Avenue in Brooklyn, with a simultaneous event for women at Gan Yisroel on Church Avenue. Thousands more joined from around the world via live feed on COLlive.com. The event was coordinated by Yochi Fleishman.
Speakers included Rubashkin’s son Getzel Rubashkin, Rabbi Leibish Lish, Rabbi Shlomo Laizer Meisels, and Rabbi Pinchos Lipshutz, Publisher of Yated Ne’eman.
“Ever since his release, gedolim and Jewish leaders around the world have been encouraging my father to dedicate himself to spreading the message of emunah and bitachon, and that is what he has done,” Getzel Rubashkin says.
“‘Alef, Bais, Gimmel’ has become a household phrase. This event is a moment to loudly and clearly thank Hashem and reaffirm that we got the message – emunah and bitachon will bring geulah.”
A moving video recounted the worldwide effort to help Rubashkin and the joyous and unified joy at his miraculous release.
Joyous dancing was accompanied by singer Avraham Fried, Shira Choir, and musician Avremi G.
The highlight of the evening was an inspiring speech from Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.
In his speech, Rubashkin reminisced to a time “one year ago, when I was in a place called prison.”
“On alef teves, I was davening Hallel in a little cell, and I hear the officer calling me. I was davening the words ‘anoni – answer me.'”
Rubashkin told how he had received legal mail with a denied appeal, which was the third denied appeal on his 27 year sentence, which had been found to be based solely on one person’s perjured testimony.
Still, the request had been denied now for the third time.
“Which meant I’m staying in jail for another 18 years. It meant, there’s nothing else you can do ‘bderech hateva’,” he said.
That night, Rubashkin said, he lit the Menorah, with the same Emunah as the day before, and told no one of the “denied” letter.
“I knew that everything that happened with me, is not a mistake, it’s from G-d and it’s for the best.”
“Every morning I got up with the bitachon that I’m going home, and that morning, I got up, and I went home!” Rubashkin said.
“The fact that G-d freed me on Chanukah is a lesson for us all…how G-d is mashgiach of every single Jew and helps him in the times of tzarah – hardships.
“Here, I was in a situation that I’ve never been in before, but I had Emunah that Hashem can help me even a situation when there’s nothing that can be done according to nature,” he said.
“Throw your problems on G-d and He will sustain you, means that G-d will make the Keli, the vessel, to send His blessings and help you,” Rubashkin continued.
“Every nisayon from Hashem is not to break a Yid, but it’s to pick him up,” he said. “G-d wants us to see that it’s from him, by you connecting with Him, he will save you.”
משפחת רובשקין חגגה במסיבת הודיה המונית, שנה לנס הגדול של שחרור אביהם ר’ שלום מרדכי רובשקין בזאת חנוכה תשע”ח.
כולנו זוכרים היכן היינו בו ברגע כששמענו את הידיעה המרעישה על שחרורו של שלום מרדכי רובשקין על ידי הנשיא דונלד טראמפ. זו היתה שמחה אדירה שסחפה את כל עם ישראל.
ביום השנה הראשון לשחרור, חגגו אמש אלפים בברוקלין. “הנס לא היה רק נס אישי, זה היה תזכורת לכל עם ישראל על כוחה של אמונה ובטחון”, כך אמר בנו של שלום מרדכי, געצל רובשקין באירוע. “מאז שחרורו, רבנים גדולים ומנהיגים יהודים ברחבי העולם מעודדים את אבי להקדיש את עצמו להפיץ את המסר של אמונה ובטחון, וזה מה שהוא עושה”, הוסיף.
את האירוע שהתקיים באולמות נפרדים לגברים ולנשים, הנעימו גדול הזמר החסידי אברהם פריד ומקהלת ‘שירה’.
