The Underground Yeshiva

Ironically, it was during the war years that the yeshiva flourished. The Communist police were preoccupied with the war against the Nazis and did not put much effort into the internal war against those “enemies of the state” still faithful to religion.

The First Student Arrives

I started to get involved in communal work at the age of 16. When I approached the age of twenty, I began to make trips throughout Russia on various missions related to the communal good.

The Yeshivah Is Founded

These underground studies were kept in the strictest confidence.

The Yeshivah Is Impossible to Find

When R. Yaakov Chaim heard that there was a yeshiva in Samarkand, he was sure that as soon as he arrived he would find it. If he did not find it, he figured that he could ask in the local shul and he would be directed to the right place.

Even the Parents Didn’t Know

Certain parents not only did not know where the yeshiva was located, they did not even know their sons were in Samarkand!

The Most Expensive Car in Russia

Everyone would listen to the radio broadcast, hoping that maybe his luck had finally struck and that he would be the lucky winner.

The Hardships of Hosting the Yeshivah

Many times, the students hiding in the homes of members of the community encountered quite unpleasant situations.

The Homeless Boys

Our ever-present, near-paranoid fear led to some uncomfortable situations.

The Greatest Treasure: The Rebbe’s Books

When the book arrived, our joy in Samarkand was boundless. We excitedly devoured every line, including the short biographies of the Rebbes printed there.

The Student from Riga

He told her that a man had come who was prepared to take her son to yeshiva on condition that she would not ask where they were going.

Photos for the Rebbe

We had no idea of the topics the Rebbe was addressing in his talks, or what he was demanding from the Chassidim at any given time.

The Price of Secrecy

We decided that if someone asked me about the yeshiva during the course of my travels, I would deny its existence. Even if it was someone who was aware, until then, of its existence, I would have to let him know that the yeshiva was no longer active.

Evading the Draft

Soviet military conscription meant parting completely with Torah and its commandments.

Support from the Carpathian Mountains

The Ribnitzer never asked him where he was learning, but he understood from conversing with him that he was studying somewhere, and he would give him 1,000 rubles as a donation for the yeshiva.

Becoming Shochatim in the Soviet Union

After several years of study, when the boys got older, we suggested to them to learn the art of kosher slaughtering.

So That Future Generations Shall Know

I hope that they too transcribe their memories, “so that the future generations shall know.”

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Samarkand »

By Hillel Zaltzman

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"Samarkand" tells the story of the Chassidic underground that operated in the Soviet Union, upholding Judaism during the rule of communist terror. Gripping narrative sweeps the reader to distant lands, and paints a picture of mysterious figures in Samarkand's alleys, secret Torah study under the constant threat of arrest by the KGB, and the long and hard fought victory in inspiring Jewish renaissance throughout the Soviet Union.

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