The rabbi in the iconic picture - The Jewish Standard

America has the flag-raising at Iwo Jima.

China has the lone man before the tank.

And if you ask me, Chabad has this: a rabbi wrapping tefillin with a Jewish inmate behind bars.

I first saw this picture when I was a child, and it never left me. At the time, I didn’t know who the rabbi was or where the photo was taken — just that it was in a prison — but something about it captivated me.

Like every iconic image, different people see different things. The contrast is striking: a man behind the rigid bars, his arm stretched out of confinement, reaching for something higher. On the other side of the bars, a bearded rabbi in his black hat and jacket looks like a visitor from another world.

What moved me most was the rabbi’s gentleness. Look at how he holds the inmate’s hand, his soft gaze, and his body language. You can feel his love radiating through the picture.

Only when I grew up did I learn that the rabbi in the picture is Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar, who passed away this past week. I also learned that at the rebbe’s request, he established the Aleph Institute, which serves the needs of incarcerated Jews across the United States.

Later, I learned that caring for Jewish inmates was only part of his many accomplishments.

And the list is very long:

The Aleph Institute, the organization he founded and took so much pride in, is not only about helping Jewish inmates; it also actively supports Jews in the U.S. Armed Forces — shipping kosher food, providing Judaica items, and assisting Jewish service members with their needs.

In Bal Harbour, Florida, the city he called home, he built an incredible Chabad House with his wife. The Chabad House, known as the Shul of Bal Harbour, spans more than a city block. It’s home to thousands of Jewish people from all backgrounds who proudly call it their spiritual home.

The entire world witnessed Rabbi Lipskar’s impact in 2021, when the Champlain Towers South in Surfside collapsed. The entire community immediately sprang into action, supporting the rescue efforts, the displaced families, and the victims’ families. When President Biden visited the site shortly afterward, he thanked him and the entire Chabad community for their leadership and compassion.

Rabbi Lipskar was a man of many accomplishments, but this iconic picture and what it represents might be his greatest accomplishment. It’s Chabad in one frame — the rebbe’s vision in a single take.

Years later, when I was 19, I had my first opportunity to follow Rabbi Lipskar’s example. I spent Rosh Hashanah near the rebbe’s ohel (holy gravesite) when Rabbi Kastel from the Lubavitch Youth Organization approached me. He had found out that a few Jews were incarcerated in a federal jail in Queens, not far from the ohel. Can I walk there and conduct Rosh Hashanah services with them?

It was the first time I stepped into jail, and I didn’t know what to expect. But I did know what I wanted to bring with me: warmth, gentleness, and care.

And now, as a Chabad rabbi in Hackensack, I’ve had the privilege of visiting the Bergen County Jail multiple times — on holidays and otherwise — to do the same. Much of my work has been supported by the Aleph Institute.

Rabbi Lipskar passed away last week at the age of 78, leaving many community members heartbroken.

May his shining example continue to inspire.

Mendy Kaminker is the rabbi of Chabad of Hackensack and an editorial member of Chabad.org. He welcomes your comments at rabbi@ChabadHackensack.com