QJL Interviews Chabad Rabbi Shneur Wolf of Kalispell, Montana
Montana license plates claim Montana is The Treasure State. We discovered this was true, because there is a holy treasure right in the middle of Kalispell.
Rabbi Shneur Wolf and his rebbetzin Chana are shluchim of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and their home is the Chabad House of Kalispell. The door is literally open, welcoming visitors and community members. Im yirtzeh Hashem, they should be able to have a building soon.
You feel the warmth and caring when you enter the house. Their basement is the shul/beis midrash. They host a large number of Shabbos guests for meals, and they host many outreach shiurim and activities for the community.
We had the privilege of davening there almost every day of vacation. It was a special minyan in many ways. Rabbi Wolf sets the tone of really caring about fellow Jews and seeing everyone as special. There are chasidim and Litvish – every possible type of Jew all coming together to daven in a friendly, warm atmosphere.
Rabbi Wolf shared that he is originally from Chicago and his wife is from Texas. They moved to Kalispell in November of 2018, during a blizzard that dumped a foot and a half of snow. They knew what they were getting into.
He shared, “Our job is to be the Jewish link for people.”
His wife bakes over 100 challahs every week, and they sell them on Tuesdays in the Farmer’s Market. People look forward to being able to purchase challah. There are around 300-400 Jewish families in the community.
Many Yidden come to Kalispell for vacation, and they come to the Chabad House.
Rabbi Wolf learns one-on-one with people. He also offers a whole lineup of courses for community members. Some titles include: The World of Kabbalah, Advice for Life, and Decisions of Fate. There are numerous programs the Wolfs run for the community, including High Holiday services, holiday programs for adults and children (like carving your own shofar), Sukkos dinner under the stars, sushi in the sukkah, and pressing olive oil and crafting your own candles for Chanukah, Hamantash bake for Purim, and showing children how shmurah matzah is made for Pesach.
Rebbetzin Wolf runs many programs for women in the community, including challah bakes, Shavuos cooking demo, Tu BiSh’vat planting, Torah and Tea learning, and many other wonderful programs.
Rabbi Wolf shared that it is a growing community. “We have incredible relationships with Yidden – and goyim, too. There is a lot of support here.”
He shared that during the July Fourth parade, someone carried a huge Israeli flag.
This writer and her husband saw some of this support first-hand. We were taking a walk with Rabbi Wolf and two of his small children on Shabbos, and a Christian neighbor seated on a lawn mower said “Hi” and asked to speak with us. He said, “I can see you are Orthodox Jews. I am Christian.” He shared that “We get everything from you.” He also noted that the Jewish people have been through the mill, so to speak, and he supports us.
Rabbi Wolf shook his hand, and it was heartening to see someone appreciating Hashem and the Jewish people.
Rabbi Wolf told us about a special event that took place in the community this past February.
Chabad of Flathead Valley and Flathead Valley Community College hosted an evening of hope, inspiration, and tolerance. The Honey Girl of Auschwitz, Esther Basch, shared her experience in the Holocaust.
Rabbi Wolf shared that one thousand people attended, and it was a huge kiddush Hashem.
He related, “We are here for the community.” His favorite part of what he does is his relationships with the community members. Living in Montana with Glacier National Park, there are so many beautiful wonders of Hashem’s world to explore.
Rabbi Wolf and his rebbetzin are carrying out the mission of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in such a beautiful way.
It was an honor to daven in their Chabad House and to spend Shabbos with them. It is a wonderful role model and inspiration to everyone who meets them to see their passion and love for klal Yisrael. They are truly following the mishnah in Pirkei Avos that says: “…Hillel says: Be among the disciples of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people, and bringing them closer to the Torah.”
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We take it for granted that when we travel to faraway places, or nearby places, there will be a Chabad House there for us. It wasn’t always like that. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson, worked hard with passion to bring this about, and it is truly a wonderful blessing for klal Yisrael.
By Susie Garber
