Dear Friend,
This week marks 72 years since the passing of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, father of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. A mystic, scholar, and chief rabbi of Dnipropetrovsk, he died in Kazakhstan, where he had been exiled by the Soviets as punishment for his fearless efforts on behalf of Jewish people and their right to serve G‑d.
Russia is currently hosting a massive gathering of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries from all over Europe.
The conference is more than just a celebration of the present with an eye toward the future. It is a direct tribute to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, a prominent leader of the thousands of Chassidim who laid their lives on the line to preserve the flame of Judaism that Stalin and his minions tried to snuff out.
Throngs of Jewish leaders are proudly walking down the very same corridors of power where their predecessors walked shackled and silenced. A country where Judaism had been suppressed is now supporting a Jewish revival that extends far beyond its borders.
The blood, sweat and tears of the previous generations were not in vain. The long-reaching effects of the efforts of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and his brave comrades are still being felt today.
The Chabad.org Team
