For the better part of two decades, Levi Yitzchak Freiden and his cameras were frequent visitors at 770 Eastern Parkway, the Brooklyn headquarters of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. A colorful blend of camera work, personality and downright chutzpah combined to preserve many memorable moments at "770" on photographs and film, particularly during the festive month of Tishrei which includes the High Holidays, Sukkot and Simchat Torah. The Rebbe once remarked that if the enthusiasm of the students in his Yeshivah would match Freiden's passion for photography, things would look much better.
In 1976, Freiden held an exhibit called "770" at Tel Aviv's journalist center, Beit Sokolov. The exhibit, which later moved to Jerusalem and Bar Ilan University, afforded the large crowd of viewers a look at the Rebbe and the spirit, reverence and joy of Chassidic life.
On the whole, the exhibit was highly applauded. However, one journalist commented in the guest book: "With all due respect to the superb photography, the subject you have chosen is extremely clerical and takes us back to the primitive darkness of the Middle Ages."
"During my next visit to the States," Freiden related. "I presented the Rebbe with the guest book. Leafing through it quickly, the Rebbe noticed that negative remark. 'Please compliment the journalist on his strength of character,' the Rebbe said. 'It takes fortitude to differ from all of the other responses. But tell him that not everything in the Middle Ages was dark. Furthermore, ask him to review his own newspaper. Today's news is not all that bright either...'"
