Eighty years after the passing in exile of the holy Kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneerson OBM, father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, in the remote city of Almaty, hundreds of rabbis and communal leaders active across the former Soviet Union gathered in Kazakhstan this past weekend to commemorate his memory.
Rabbi Schneerson was born in 1878 in Podrovnah (near Gomel), to Rabbi Baruch Schneur, a great-grandson of the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Tzemach Tzedek.
In 1909, at the age of 31, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was called upon to serve as rabbi of the Ukrainian city of Yekaterinoslav (known today as Dnipro) and served the community until 1939. During his years of leadership, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak resolutely engaged in religious activism, never yielding to the ever-growing pressure from the Soviets.
In March 1939, at three o’clock in the morning, four agents of the NKVD arrived at the Schneerson home and arrested Rabbi Levi Yitzchak for his activities on behalf of Judaism in the Soviet Union. After more than a year of torture and interrogations in Stalin’s notorious prisons, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was tried in Moscow and sentenced to five years of exile in Central Asia. Rebbetzin Chana subsequently followed him to be with him at his remote location of exile.
In 1944, as Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s sentence was nearing its end, his physical condition began to deteriorate. Though he was unaware of it, a serious illness was spreading through his body, severely weakening him. Meanwhile, friends in nearby Alma Ata resolved to secure the Rabbi’s release.
Immediately after Passover, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana left Chi’ili and arrived in Alma Ata. In this large city, their living conditions improved somewhat, and they worked more vigorously to help others in need. Yet, throughout the summer, the Rabbi’s illness grew worse. On the 20th of Av, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s condition turned critical. Although he was no longer able to speak, he continued to murmur words of Torah or Psalms. That evening, Rebbetzin Chana took a short rest so that she would have the strength to continue caring for him; when she awoke, she found the house filled with people. Her husband had returned his pure soul to its Maker. He was buried in Almaty.
This past weekend, hundreds of people from across the globe, including many from the countries of the former Soviet Union, made their way to Almaty to participate in a series of events commemorating the 80th anniversary of his passing. Among the participants were numerous rabbis, Chabad emissaries, and community leaders who continue his legacy of reviving FSU Jewry with devotion and care.
