Gelman - Aryeh Leib

גלמן - אריה לייב

Aryeh Leib Gelman (Public Figure and Communal Leader)

Aryeh Leib Gelman was a prominent Jewish communal leader, identified in the correspondence as standing at the head of a political party and deeply involved in public affairs, particularly relating to the Jewish community and the Land of Israel.

Correspondence with the Rebbe

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, addressed Aryeh Leib Gelman in a letter dated 17 Teves, 5711 (1951), expressing both respect and urgent concern regarding the state of education among immigrant children and youth in the Land of Israel. The Rebbe references the words of his father-in-law, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, who attested to Gelman's ability to rise above party lines when it comes to matters affecting the Jewish people as a whole.

The Rebbe's letter is characterized by a tone of earnest appeal and communal responsibility. He highlights the deteriorating situation of Jewish children's education, especially after their relocation to transit camps (ma'abarot), describing it as a crisis that endangers not only the current generation but also future generations. The Rebbe distinguishes between various types of communal problems, emphasizing that the issue of education is paramount because it concerns the very survival of the Jewish people, rooted in their religious and moral state.

The Rebbe urges Gelman to transcend political boundaries and use his influence and leadership to address this critical issue. He expresses disappointment at the lack of effective action from Gelman and those under his influence, particularly referencing a recent Mizrachi conference where the issue was discussed but not acted upon. The Rebbe calls upon Gelman to fulfill his duty in safeguarding the religious education of tens of thousands of Jewish children, warning of the grave danger of assimilation and loss of faith.

Background and Communal Role

From the letter, it is clear that Aryeh Leib Gelman was recognized as a person of significant influence within the Jewish community, particularly in matters of public policy and education. The Rebbe’s respectful address and reliance on the testimony of the previous Rebbe indicate Gelman’s longstanding reputation and capacity for leadership beyond partisan interests. The correspondence reflects the Rebbe’s expectation that Gelman would act as a guardian of Jewish continuity, especially in times of crisis affecting the spiritual welfare of Jewish youth in Israel.

Rabbi Aryeh Leib Gelman (24 Av 5647 / August 5, 1887 – 21 Adar II 5731 / 1971) was a journalist, author, member of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, member of the Executive of the United Jewish Appeal, member of the Executive of Keren Hayesod, and president of the Mizrachi and Hapoel HaMizrachi movements.

Biography

Rabbi Aryeh Leib Gelman was born in Ukraine in 1887. In his youth, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he directed the city's Jewish schools. After several years in education, he entered the field of Jewish journalism. He first served as editor of the local Jewish newspaper Der Yidisher Rekord ("The Jewish Record"). In this newspaper he published thousands of articles on a wide variety of subjects, including many current affairs pieces that he wrote himself. Following the newspaper's success, he was also appointed its publisher. Rabbi Aryeh edited the newspaper for approximately twenty-five years.

Alongside his editorial work, he maintained close ties with Rabbi Isaac Jacob Reines, one of the leaders of the Mizrachi movement, and with Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. He also published numerous opinion articles in the Israeli newspaper HaTzofeh as well as in the broader Jewish press in the United States. When the Mizrachi movement was established, he was chosen to serve as its secretary in the United States.

Rabbi Aryeh passed away on 21 Adar II 5731 (1971) in Tel Aviv and was buried in the Sanhedria Cemetery in Jerusalem.

Relationship with Chabad

When Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (the Frierdiker Rebbe) arrived in the United States in 1929 for an extended visit to strengthen Jewish life there, Rabbi Aryeh was among the leading communal activists responsible for organizing the reception held in his honor. His newspaper published numerous articles praising the Rebbe before his arrival, even describing him as "the backbone of the Jewish world."

Upon the Rebbe's arrival, a welcoming ceremony was held at Congregation B'nai Emunah, where Rabbi Aryeh delivered a speech praising the Rebbe's efforts to strengthen Jewish life in general and to support the Jews of Russia in particular. Additional events honoring the Rebbe were held during his visit, and Rabbi Aryeh played a central role in many of them. The visit received extensive coverage in his newspaper, and at Rabbi Aryeh's request, the Frierdiker Rebbe granted an interview to the paper, in which he explained his views on issues of importance to American Jewry.

In 1936, Gelman was elected president of the Mizrachi movement. In the years following the Frierdiker Rebbe's arrival in America, and particularly beginning on 9 Adar 5700 (1940), the relationship between the two became stronger.

After Rabbi Aryeh sent a letter on 26 Nisan 5702 (1942) calling upon rabbis and lay leaders to participate in a conference to discuss a "spiritual remedy" for the situation—primarily concerning the establishment of a Jewish state—the Frierdiker Rebbe replied with a letter containing words of rebuke. At the beginning of the letter, the Rebbe explained that he had initially not intended to respond, but because their views were fundamentally opposed, he felt compelled to do so.

In this letter, the Frierdiker Rebbe explained at length why the Chabad approach differed fundamentally from that of the Mizrachi movement. He wrote that Chabad sought to place a person in a "corner of light," emphasizing self-examination and the pursuit of truth, in contrast to what he termed "people of the world"—a category in which he placed Rabbi Aryeh, who, as president of the Mizrachi movement, represented what the Rebbe viewed as a policy of religious compromise. The letter contains extensive criticism of those whom the Rebbe described as "people of the world," whom he characterized as viewing leniency in the observance of commandments and Jewish customs as a way of life.

In 1950, Gelman completed his term as president of Mizrachi in the United States and was appointed chairman of the World Mizrachi Center and Hapoel HaMizrachi. At the same time, he served as a member of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, the United Jewish Appeal, and Keren Hayesod. In the month of Cheshvan 5710 (1949), he immigrated to the State of Israel.

Thirty days after the passing of the Frierdiker Rebbe, a special memorial gathering was held at Yeshurun Synagogue, one of the principal synagogues associated with Mizrachi circles in Jerusalem. Rabbi Aryeh delivered a eulogy and memorial address, in which he also offered his own interpretation of the Rebbe's earlier words of rebuke.

When Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson formally accepted the leadership of Chabad on 10 Shevat 5711 (1951), Rabbi Aryeh sent him a congratulatory telegram on behalf of the Mizrachi movement.

On 17 Tevet 5711 (1951), the Rebbe wrote Rabbi Aryeh a letter in which he referred to his ability, as the leader of a political movement, to influence matters of national importance, particularly in the area of education. The Rebbe opened the letter by recalling that the Frierdiker Rebbe had remarked that although Rabbi Aryeh headed a political movement, he possessed the ability to rise above partisan considerations whenever issues affecting the entire Jewish people were at stake.

The Rebbe continued by stating that there was surely no need to draw Rabbi Aryeh's attention to the condition of the education of immigrant children and youth in the Holy Land, or to the great pain and danger associated with this problem, which he was certain Rabbi Aryeh also felt deeply. He further referred to the transit camps (ma'abarot), noting that as serious as the situation had been previously, conditions had become even worse after the children were transferred there.

Toward the end of the letter, the Rebbe wrote that he was astonished to read newspaper reports about the Mizrachi convention in Atlantic City. Although several speakers had addressed this educational crisis, when it came time to adopt resolutions, the convention passed over the matter in complete silence, as though the issue had already been resolved or as though the situation were beyond hope, Heaven forbid.

The Rebbe concluded by expressing the hope—based on the Frierdiker Rebbe's earlier assessment of Rabbi Aryeh—that he would rise above party limitations in this matter and do everything within his power to improve the dire state of education for immigrant children, thereby fulfilling his obligation in helping save tens of thousands of Jewish boys and girls from the grave spiritual danger of religious alienation.

In 1968, during the period following the Six-Day War, when the Rebbe launched the Tefillin Campaign (Mivtza Tefillin), Rabbi Aryeh sent him newspaper clippings containing an article he had published in support of the campaign. The Rebbe replied with a letter expressing his appreciation, writing that while every effort to spread Judaism—often met with considerable difficulties—benefited from encouragement, public support published in the press was especially valuable because it reached audiences who otherwise could not be reached. Such publicity, he wrote, offered hope not only for raising awareness but also for practical action: that another Jew would put on tefillin, and even those who already did so would henceforth don them with greater vitality, intention, and understanding.

The Rebbe also enclosed with his letter a copy of the Yud Shevat booklet that had recently been published in connection with the anniversary of the passing of the Frierdiker Rebbe. He noted that he hoped Rabbi Aryeh would find it of interest, particularly in light of the relationship that had existed between them.

Rabbi Aryeh maintained ties with Chabad throughout his life and also provided significant assistance to its educational institutions.

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Shiurim in this topic

865. Urgent Appeal to Improve Education for Immigrant Children פניה דחופה לשיפור החינוך לילדי עולים

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6423. Absolute Truth in Emunah, Torah, and the Jewish People אמת מוחלטת באמונה, בתורה, ובעם ישראל

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9454. Encouragement for Publicizing the Mitzvah of Tefillin in the Press עידוד לפרסום מצות תפילין בעתונות

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