"This Is a Huge Victory": An Emotional Interview with the World's Oldest Chabad Emissary

Rebbetzin Leah Avlaski was a young girl living in the city of Chernivtsi in Ukraine (then Bukovina) when World War II broke out. Her parents were taken to extermination camps, while she was taken to a Russian orphanage. During those years, growing up as an orphan without parents, she always dreamed of building a home in Israel, understanding that this was the mission of the Jewish people. Nothing prepared her for the fact that years later she would return to Ukraine to establish a Chabad House; no one whispered in the ear of the girl fighting for her life that she would live a long life and become the world's oldest emissary.

In the War, Without Father or Mother

This year, Rebbetzin Avlaski celebrates her 90th birthday, and in our conversation with her, she recalls the difficult war years she went through as a girl. "When I was in the orphanage, I understood well what keeping mitzvot meant," she notes, "and I remember how during Passover, I refused to eat because I was sure the food contained chametz. The English teacher noticed I wasn't eating and secretly came up to me and gave me matzah she had hidden in her coat. 'I'm also Jewish,' she whispered to me and disappeared.

"Later," the Rebbetzin adds, "that teacher sent a message to the Rebbe of Skulen, the righteous Rabbi Eliezer Zussia Portugal, of blessed memory, that there was a girl in the orphanage who needed to be saved. The Rebbe indeed arranged for me to be taken out of there, as he saved many others, and I became a part of his household until my wedding."

Even after the war, when Rebbetzin Avlaski became a bride, the danger was still great. "Almost every day, police would go house to house looking for people without a residence permit," she describes, "Every time there was a knock on the door, my heart would drop, and I would run to hide under the bed until the danger passed. 40 years later, when I returned to the same area as part of my mission, I was shocked to see the police officers in the exact same uniforms that the officers wore when they pursued us after the war. Whenever I went outside and saw them, my body would freeze, and I would quickly cross the road. Today, I feel, thank G-d, the great revenge against the Nazis, thanks to the large family I was privileged to build with my husband, and the fact that my numerous descendants do not have to deal with what we went through."

Mission with Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren

The Rebbetzin arrived in Moldova with her husband 33 years ago, with the fall of communism. "In fact, we were the first emissaries sent by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to the Commonwealth of Independent States," she says.

The decision to go on this mission wasn't easy for them. "These were just the early days after the fall of communism and everyone's fears were very heavy," explains the Rebbetzin. "It was clear that the risks associated with the mission were significant. At that time, the organization 'Ezrat Achim' led the operations in the Commonwealth countries, and it conducted a thorough mapping to find a family suitable for the pilot mission in this place. When they approached us and explained they concluded that we were suitable for the role, it was still not clear to us whether we would indeed accept it. It was also unclear what the Rebbe's reaction to the idea would be. But the answer came very quickly: 'I agree, I will mention it at the tziyun.' From then on, the rest is history.

As soon as the couple arrived in Moldova, they had to operate without stopping. "We had to reinvent the wheel, in all respects," explains the Rebbetzin, "we were new to the locals, and the place was new to us. Preparing kosher food was a real effort, especially when it came to Shabbat meals for dozens of people. By the way, during the first year, we had to move to more than ten apartments, the main reason being the discomfort of the landlords with the number of people coming to us for meals. The work was hard and unrelenting, but what gave us the strength to continue despite the difficulties was the feedback we received from the community. They were so delighted that we had arrived and really wanted to learn about Judaism and be part of the Jewish people. Hundreds of people passed through the synagogue every day, each with their own needs. This great closeness is what gave us the strength to continue."

"When we arrived in Moldova, there was a community of about 100,000 Jews with almost no signs of Judaism. My husband became the chief rabbi of Moldova, and he held the position until the day he passed away. Together, we brought life here to the emptiness, starting with educational institutions, kosher food, and everything the Jewish community needed. Today, 'Chabad Moldova' includes four families of emissaries serving all the Jewish community members, all of whom are our descendants, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, led by my son, Rabbi Zusha, who serves as the community's chairman. It deeply moves me to see the empire we have built and, in general, the mere thought that I, a Holocaust survivor who fought for her life, was privileged to establish a home with hundreds of grandchildren and great-grandchildren brings me endless happiness every day."

Never-Ending Activity

The activities today in Moldova are very diverse. The Rebbetzin details: "We also have a kosher kitchen that provides food for the needy, a kindergarten, a Sunday school, and a youth club. Throughout the year, we offer programs for women and students, and we also have a project of visiting the elderly in their homes, providing them with hot food and other necessities. Additionally, we recently renovated a beautiful synagogue where three daily prayers are held.

"We also operate outside Moldova, in the city of Bender and the separatist Transnistria region, where we have an active synagogue. Recently, we also opened a kindness center in cooperation with the European Rabbinical Centre in Kishinev and Transnistria, where people can borrow medical equipment. Last year, when the war broke out, we also opened a Chabad House at the airport to assist refugees and tourists. We have been able to provide so much assistance through it that we decided to continue it even after the war ends, until the coming of Mashiach."

And how has the war with Russia affected you?

"The past year has been unforgettable. From the start of the war, over 20,000 refugees and people traveling to Ukraine and back have passed through our synagogue. We were engaged in real life-saving. We provided people with places to stay, food, and medical care. We established a mini medical center in collaboration with ZAKA that took care of patients with restful and pampering food, allowing them to continue their journey. Nowadays, after most people have reached their destinations and integrated, we receive thank-you letters and emails where people express their gratitude for the assistance we provided. Additionally, several hundred refugees who chose to stay in Moldova receive all our services free of charge."

Just before ending the conversation, the Rebbetzin recalls a particularly moving event: "A few years ago, the Rebbe of Skulen, Rabbi Yisrael Portugal, of blessed memory, son of the Rebbe who saved me, visited Moldova to visit ancestors' graves. The Rebbe, of course, knew me and my husband personally and was very happy to meet my husband. They held a tish together for the community Jews and the accompanying followers, and during the Rebbe's speech, he noted that he sees this as a kind of complete circle, with us holding Judaism in this place, and he even expressed his desire to be a partner in the activities. I also felt a tremendous closing of the circle and a huge victory over all those who wish to annihilate us in every generation."