I’d like to think that my blog does the same thing as the rebbe in this story. I suspect that the ADL, SWC and SPLC in this situation would have put out press releases and agitated to have the anti-Semites lose their jobs. The Hasidic approach was different. Here’s a selection:
In the midst of this exuberant and elated singing and dancing, which carried everyone present to the heights of joyous ecstasy, the rebbe suddenly called out, “The time has come. Let’s go!” He got up and led the Chassidim and the musicians outside the synagogue, and they all piled into wagons and started riding through the streets—with the musicians playing and the Chassidim singing—right into the gentile neighborhood.
Dinov was a tiny town; they reached the gentile neighborhood in a few minutes. The rebbe had them drive right up to the tavern where the anti-Semites were doing their plotting, and the Chassidim climbed down from the wagons and followed the rebbe into the tavern, all of them singing and dancing in joyous abandon.
The peasants were by this time a little drunk and had begun to curse the Jews. But just then Rebbe David walked in the door, holy and pure and shining like an angle of G‑d. He walked right up to the leader of the anti-Semites, took his hand, and started to dance with him. Then each chassid took the hand of an anti-Semite, and they all began to dance in great joy. The whole room became filled with holiness and sweetness.
