Chernobyl Rebbe Visits Moscow

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Levi Nazaroff

Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl stopped to visit with Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar during a short visit to the capital city of Moscow on Friday.

He was shown around the large Marina Roscha Synagogue and Jewish Community Center built by Chabad, where he saw the many minyanim and Torah classes that were well attended by Russian Jews from a variety of backgrounds.

At a meeting at Rabbi Lazar’s office, the Chernobyl Rebbe expressed his amazement at the many activities of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Shluchim around the Former Soviet Union and in Russia especially.

Moscow alone boasts more than 30 Chabad Houses in various districts of the city. Under the auspices of Rabbi Lazar, thousands of students study at educational institutions, including yeshivas, kollels, girls schools and more.

The guest and his host shared words of Torah and stories of tzadikim. They also spoke about the deep connection and family ties between the Alter Rebbe and Reb Nochum of Chernobyl.

They went on to sing the niggun of “ach l’elokim domi nafshi,” pulling at the heartstrings of all those present.

The Chief Rabbi presented him with the book “Dedushka” (grandpa in Russian).

“This was the way chassidim secretly referred to the Rebbe when illegally sending letters to him during the difficult years under the Communist regime,” Rabbi Lazar noted. “Those very tear-filled years when they sowed, and today, thanks to them, we reap.”