Half a million dollars, a private jet, a police escort, top-level government meetings among the Kazakh ministry officials - all this was set in motion by R’ Dovid Rogatsky last year when he wanted to go, despite corona lockdowns, to the tziyun of R’ Levi Yitzchok in Alma Ata.
Not many know about the deep emotional
connection between R’ Dovid Rogatsky and R’
Levi Yitzchok. R’ Dovid Rogatsky is a businessman from Crown
Heights. His heart burns with a Chassidic fire and all he wants
is to provide the Rebbe with
nachas.
R’ Dovid grew up and was educated in Crown Heights.
In his childhood, he attended Chassidishe farbrengens as well
as the Rebbe’s farbrengens, and was a rank-and-file Chassid
The first time R’ Dovid visited Almaty was eight years ago.
He went with friends to visit the kever of R’ Levi Yitzchok.
The intensity of emotion that filled his heart and the hearts
of his friends came pouring out right afterward at a Chassidishe
farbrengen held nearby. One of the participants got up and
spoke from his heart about how Chassidim need to be grateful to
R’ Levi Yitzchok, for if not for him and Rebbetzin Chana, the world
would not have benefited from the great light of the Rebbe.
This statement, which was said with such intense emotion,
made a deep impression on R’ Dovid. His love for the Rebbe
took on a new dimension of eternal gratitude to the Rebbe’s
father. In addition, the fact that the Rebbe was unable to
personally carry out the mitzva of kibud av during the years that
his father was in exile since he, the oldest son, was far away
from Russia, awakened a desire to help rectify that
R’ Dovid began traveling to Almaty every year for the
yahrtzeit on 20 Av with friends from Bais Shmuel where he
davens. After visiting the tziyun, they have a grand meal with
the shliach, R’ Yeshaya at the nearby Chabad House and
the Chassidishe farbrengen is saturated with a true inner
awakening of hearts. Then they head back home to New York.
As far as they are concerned, they already received their
“payment” for the visit.
CORONA WALLS DID NOT KEEP THEM OUT
In 5780, the year corona
descended on the world, the
entire world was shut down to
international,travel. Worldwide
air traffic almost ground to a
complete halt and visits to other
countries were not allowed.
The hallowed date of 20 Av was
approaching and R’ Dovid refused to make peace with
the fact that he would not be able to visit the tziyun of
R’ Levi Yitzchok on his yahrtzeit.
“When Dovid makes a decision, nothing will stop
him,” says his wife, Mrs. Maggie Rogatsky.
For three months he barely slept. He called on his
connections and turned over every stone and asked
for permits and was refused time and again.
After superhuman efforts and working hand-in hand with R’ Yeshaya, he received a special visa from
Kazakhstan for a one-time trip. The authorities set
strict rules: every name on the list of visitors, ninety two in all, had to be tested for corona and needed medical documentation that they were healthy
In addition, no airlines were operating. Planes were
grounded. R’ Dovid decided to pay for a private plane.
The cost? “Just” half a million dollars. The astronomic
sum was raised among the ninety-two businessmen
and all of them had to undergo advance corona
testing.
Some of them had to travel by helicopter, which was
leased especially for this purpose, to get to the plane
which left on motzoei Shabbos since, as mentioned
transportation was limited. This was the only way to
get to the tziyun.
The flight from New York to Almaty turned into one
long Chassidishe farbrengen with inspiring niggunim,
stories about the baal hahilula and repeating his
teachings.
From the plane, the group was taken by police escort
to the cemetery and then to the Chabad House. After
only twelve hours, they boarded the plane back home.
At the Rogatsky home, where they heard, ate and
drank “Chof Av” and “R’ Levik” for three months,
there was a sigh of relief
