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Jewish World Review Sept. 24, 2003 / 27 Elul, 5763 Meet the Ukrainian Chassidic Jew who is a world-class chess player By M. Gardner
Ze'ev "Velvel" Dub is dispelling stereotypes
http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
When Ze'ev "Velvel" Dub was growing up in Ukraine, he knew one thing that few would let him forget — that he was a Jew. Or, as his classmates would jeer a, "Zhid, Zhid!"
Twelve years ago, at the age of 16, the harassment awoke Velvel's spiritual self. "Over and over I was being told that I'm a 'Jew.' But I had no idea what that meant. I wondered 'What exactly does a Jew do?' and 'What is Judaism?'" he recounted in a recent interview with the Hebrew-language magazine, Sha'ah Tova.
His parents certainly did not know. They were victims of communism.
In his attempt to secure answers, Velvel turned to a local library. For a half-year, he read everything he could find about his heritage. At times, he would lock himself up in the library and read through the night. His parents mistakenly thought he was hanging out at a youth club.
Only when they learned of their son's growing commitment to
Judaism, did they become concerned about how he was spending his time. Eventually, the Dubs began to accept Velvel's new way of life.
When Velvel learned that a yeshiva (rabbinical seminary) was operating in Moscow, he decided to enroll.
After a year in the Moscow yeshiva, he left for Israel.
There, Velvel was accepted, on his own merit, to a prestigious Jerusalem Chassidic yeshiva and began a close relationship with the Rachmastrivka Rebbe, who took a special interest in him.
A child prodigy, in the last few years Velvel has mastered most of the Talmud through the Mifal Hashas program. As a means of support, he competes in chess tournaments.
Velvel says that his grandfather was a chess champion, and his father also excelled at the game. He began playing — and winning — at age 4. At 14, he joined the local chess club.
At the time he left to attend the Moscow yeshiva, he was about to play a decisive game that would have established him as the Ukrainian youth chess champion. He chose instead to forgo that distinction and learn about his sacred heritage.
Velvel has won the Jerusalem chess championship and the national Elitzur competition. In the last 3 years, he has been attending worldwide tournaments.
When he travels the world — he's competed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S — he refuses to remove his Chassidic garb.
At one of his recent tournaments, in Hungary, he was told by one of the chess players to "go to Auschwitz." But Velvel says he's undaunted by such comments.
"It's pretty natural that somebody would be shaken at meeting me," Velvel muses.
Velvel says he finds the American competitors "pleasant" and most western Europeans, the same — even though he is aware of the burgeoning anti-Semitism there.
Several times, Arabs have refused to play with him. When a Syrian chessmaster was paired off with Velvel, he immediately went to the umpire and requested to be matched with somebody else. The Syrian claimed that while he would have liked to play with Velvel, he feared the consequences of doing so — namely, imprisonment — upon returning home.
The umpire was skeptical: "Jail for playing a game sounds a little exaggerated," he responded. "But it's impossible to know what Arab despots are capable of doing." The Syrian was given a "technical invalidation." Velvel received a technical point.
The first large monetary prize Velvel received was from the Israel Chess Union. In presenting him with the award, the Union decided to arrange a lavish ceremony. Politicians and celebrities were invited. One, as it happened, was the recently chosen head of the Union, Knesset member Tommy Lapid.
A chess aficionado, Lapid also enjoys a reputation as being a rabid anti-religious rabble rouser.
When Velvel was called up to receive the prize, Lapid's mouth fell open, as his stereotype of religious Jews was dispelled.
Velvel, who began playing piano as a child, has also continued his musical career. To date, he has released four albums of classical music that he composed and plays on.
This week he will marry in a ceremony that is expected to be attended by some of Israel's most respected Chassidic and rabbinic leaders.
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M. Gardner is a columnist for the international edition of the Israeli daily, Yated Ne'eman. Comment by clicking here. © 2003, Yated Ne'eman | ||||||||||
