There is a certain custom in many chassidic groups, celebrating the eighth and last day of Chanukkah in a special way. The last day of this years' Chanukkah was Monday and it was Monday night when I visited two of such events. During the previous days of Chanukkah, many Chassidim also eat a special meal after lighting the Chanukkiah (Chanukkah Menorah).
A special celebration on the eighth day usual means a Tish with the Rebbe and a band plays chassidic niggunim (melodies). Three days ago, I was at Zion Square, downtown Jerusalem, when Chabad lit the seventh candle. Guest of honour was the newly elected mayor Nir Barkat who used the opportunity for a brief political speech. Politicians just cannot without putting in some politics.
In all the years before, I enjoyed the Chabad candle lighting but this year however, it wasn't spiritual at all and just a short cold event. Guest of honour lights candles and then go home everybody. For this reason, I was glad to go to Mea Shearim on the next day and see something real chassidic. "Real" in this case means a Chassidut with a Rebbe, as I personally prefer this. A Chassidut without a Rebbe such as Breslov and Chabad wouldn't be for me.
I heard that a great Tish was going to take place in Karlin – Stolin on Monday night. Chassidut Karlin was originally founded by Rebbe Aharon the Great, (1736 – 1772), who used to be a follower of the Maggid of Mezritch (Rabbi Dov Baer Friedman). The Maggid was the successor of the Baal Shem Tov and Chassidut is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) Lithuanian chassidic group. Karlin used to be a suburb of the Lithuanian town of Pinsk but soon Chassidut Karlin also spread until Vilna and this caused further tensions with the famous Gaon of Vilna and his followers.
Due to a dispute about the Rebbe, the Karliner today are divided into two groups. The larger part of the group remained "Karlin – Stolin" and a smaller part of the group split away, as they didn't want the Rebbe. First, the "rebels" intended to join Chassidut Lelov but Lelov didn't want to get involved and refused to accept them. As a result, those Chassidim leaving the Stolin group founded their own movement called "Karlin – Pinsk". Both groups have their Synagogues in Jerusalem and furthermore, Karlin – Stolin is quite big in New York. The Stoliner Rebbe Baruch Yaakov Me'ir Shochet lives in the Jerusalem suburb of Givat Ze'ev where he moved his main center. Unfortunately, he doesn't come to Jerusalem too many times. Means his Tishes mostly take place in Givat Ze'ev. On Monday night, however, his Tish took place in Jerusalem and it was the second time I ever saw him after all those months of going to the Stoliner Synagogue in Mea Shearim.
The present Karlin - Stoliner Rebbe Baruch Yaakov Me'ir Shochet.
I arrived at about 8.30pm and already thought that I would be too early but as soon as I enterd the Synagogue, it was obvious that I was wrong. Hundreds of Chassidim were standing on the metal benches downstairs and at least one hundred women and girls climbed up onto the Mechitzah (separation between men and women). The Karlin – Stoliner Mechitzah in Mea Shearim consist of huge glass windows.
The weather outside was cold and rainy but inside the Synagogue it was boiling hot; especially the great atmosphere. A band stood on a stage hanging down from a wall and most of the Chassidim were dancing. Well, due to the lack of space rather swinging. At first, it took me a little by surprise how many Karlin – Stoliner Chassidim there actually are, as I had expected the group to be much smaller.
Karlin – Stolin in Jerusalem during the last Sukkot
Finally I found a good spot to stand on and the woman with her four teenage girls invited me to come closer to the Mechitzah. Then I had a great view over half of the Synagogue. The Rebbe was sitting in the middle at the table and all his Chassidim surrounded him. The band was playing and never before, I had seen even older Chassidim dancing so wildly. Many Chassidim jumped up and down on the metal benches or were clapping into their hands. I saw one father holding the hands of his handicapped son and together, they were jumping up and down. It seemed that both of them weren't really in this world anymore but somewhere in higher spheres. When the loudspeakers broke down for a few minutes, the Chassidim just kept on singing out loud. Nothing could bother them and they all appeared to form a complete unity.
The atmosphere was unbelievable and I have hardly ever faced anything like this before. Sometimes you participate in a Tish and think that this is it. That there wouldn't be any more spirituality than this and later on it turns out that you were wrong. The only thing really bothering was the heat and that no window was open. I urgently needed some fresh air and decided to leave and look for some other chassidic groups.
I walked through the Mea Shearim market but everything was quiet. When there seems to be nothing, there is always one group where something is going on, and most of the time these are the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak. Their Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov Kahn knows how to celebrate and from far away, I already heard the loud music causing the "Mosdot Toldot Avraham Yitzchak" to "shake". The Avraham Yitzchak are my most favourite Tish and I just love their Rebbe.
Inside the Synagogue, the Ezrat Nashim was even more packed than the one at Karlin – Stolin and it was very hard to find a place behind the Mechitzah where I could have a look downstairs into the men's section. I finally found a spot and had a short look at the Chassidim downstairs who were wildy dancing and running around in a circle. They were completely filled with joy and even danicing around with Torah scrolls. One day later, a member told me that the group also celebrated a "Hachnasat Sefer Torah – Receiving a new Torah scroll for their Synagogue). It was an incredible atmosphere and I was glad that I had made my way to Mea Shearim.
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