By COLlive reporter
The City of Nikolaev in Ukraine officially renamed a prominent road rife with Jewish history “Schneerson Street” on Friday after its most famous citizen – the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The announcement was timed to coincide with a visit to the city by an international group of supporters of the JEM organization, directed by Rabbi Elkana Shmotkin.
Rabbi Sholom Gottlieb, Shliach and Director of Chabad of Nikolaev since 1996, arranged the gala event, hosted the dignitaries, and worked with local officials to coordinate the special designation.
In his heartfelt remarks the city’s mayor, Alexander Sienkiewicz, conveyed the pride of the city’s residents at the fact that the leader of the Jewish people hailed from their city.
The mayor noted that some of the city’s residents were not yet aware of their most famous citizen, and explained that this was one of the reasons that he worked on behalf of the special designation it to help call attention to the Rebbe’s legacy.
“I hope it will evoke in the citizens of our great city an interest in learning about the Rebbe and from him,” he said.
Mr. Ari Greenwald of Westlake Village CA, a JEM Foundation Member, addressed the festive event on behalf of the international delegation declaring, “the Rebbe’s roots grew from this city. Each of us are the branches and leaves of this amazing tree, and we are tasked with helping to grow and nurture it.”
Rabbi Gottlieb remarked to the group that the city’s government, political level and archivists were very well aware of the Rebbe and his forbears’ history in the city, in large part due to the intensive research work conducted by the research team of the Early Years research project. The special designation, he explained, was a fulfillment of a verse in the Rebbe’s psalm of this year: Praise Hashem all the nations…”
In addition to their participation in the street dedication, the group had an incredibly insightful visit to the city’s official archive where they touched and examined many original documents, along with a presentation by senior archivist Vladimir Shukin.
A visit to the site of the Rebbe’s childhood home, the home of his maternal grandparents Rabbi Meir Shlomo and Rochel Yanovsky (where the Rebbe spend much time in his childhood), to the cellar where the Rebbe comforted women and children during the pogroms of 1905, and many other special presentations rounded out their visit to the special city Nikolaev.
and honor to see these accomplishments, recognition and results. happy to see Reb Leib Schapiro being there.
Kol Hakavo
A gutte voch un Choydesh Tov