I vividly recall standing in line one Sunday in 1990 at 770 Eastern Parkway about to pass by the Rebbe for a moment and receive a
blessing and a dollar bill for charity. Though I was only a child – not even Bar Mitzvah – when it came my turn the Rebbe gave me his full attention, as if I was the only one there.
The Rebbe’s leadership is often described in global and grandiose terms. He founded a movement consisting of more than 3,000 Jewish outreach centers. Leaders and politicians consulted with him on matters of global import. His teachings touch Jewish communities across
the globe—in Illinois alone, his vision is the catalyst for the 48 (and growing) Chabad centers across our state. The Rebbe was, in a word, a global visionary.
There is another, lesser celebrated, element of the Rebbe’s approach. A focus that may surprise many, especially in light of his global impact: His staunch—almost fanatical—emphasis on the power of the individual.
To the Rebbe, there was no collective. No one was defined
as a member of a group or society. Each individual, regardless of their accomplishments or pedigree, was treasured for the unique gift only they could contribute to society. “The entire world was created just for me” a Talmudic statement the Rebbe quoted repeatedly—was breathed into life in the hundreds of letters he penned weekly, painstakingly investing himself in the personal needs of others and making them his own...READ MORE
