It was 83 years ago when Harav Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, father of the Rebbe, concluded his five years of exile in the hamlet of Chi’ili in far-away Kazakhstan. Finally, he was allowed to leave, and traveled together with his wife, Rebbetzin Chana, who had joined him with true mesiras nefesh, to Alma Ata, the capital city of Kazakhstan.
Already suffering from the illness that would later take his life, Harav Levi Yitzchok and Rebbetzin Chana arrived in Alma Ata (which recently changed its name to Almaty). Just a few months later, Harav Levi Yitzchok passed away, and he was buried there, in Alma Ata.
Jewish Revolution in Kazakhstan
In 5755, Jewish life in Kazakhstan began experiencing a miraculous revival with the arrival of shliach Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen. Without wasting any time, Rabbi Cohen immediately launched a host of ambitious projects, including the renovation of the holy tziyun, the creation of a network of Chabad House, and the establishment of the central Chabad House near the tziyun, which hosts visitors year-round.
Today, in Kazakhstan, the very location where Harav Levi Yitzchok sacrificed his life for spreading Yiddishkeit, the Rebbe’s shluchim are continuing his legacy. With six Chabad Houses across the country, in the cities of Almaty, Astana, Pavlodar, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kostanay, Karaganda, and Shymkent, a real Jewish revolution is taking place in Kazakhstan.
After decades of spiritual darkness, the Yidden of Kazakhstan are finally able to live proudly as Jews. They can join together to celebrate a bris, a bar mitzvah, to marry according to halacha, to learn Torah and daven and celebrate the yomim tovim.
All these activities demand a large budget, but the shluchim aren’t worried. They rely on the Rebbe’s bracha that whoever donates l’iluei nishmas Harav Levi Yitzchok will be repaid “up to 550 times as much!”
L’Chaim!
The Rebbe, who was deeply pained by the suffering of his father during his final years, expressed his deep gratitude to anyone who helped his father during his exile. He also encouraged those who needed a yeshua to travel to his father’s tziyun and daven there.
During the farbrengens marking his father’s yahrzeit, the Rebbe called upon those who had merited to help his father to come up and say l’chaim, as an expression of his gratitude.
To the Rebbe, it was important to continue his father’s legacy, and he was personally involved in printing his father’s writing and building the Ohel in Alma Ata.
Until today, the tziyun draws people from around the world, and the stories of miracles and yeshuos keep on coming…
U’livracha!
Every year, during the Chof Av farbrengen, the Rebbe would hold a magbis appeal in memory of his father. The Rebbe asked a personal request “to donate for the elevation of my father’s neshama on the yom hilula, for he had mesiras nefesh for spreading Yiddishkeit.”
The Rebbe also gave tremendous brachos to those who donated to the magbis. “Every individual should donate according to the generosity of his heart, and they should add to the amount they already decided to give…not a small amount, but a large amount,” he said.
“Surely, Hashem will increase his brachos in kind…up to 500 times as much!”
The Rebbe stressed that any addition in Torah or mitzvos that one takes upon himself inspired by the ba’al hilula causes the neshama to ascend even higher.
Continuing Harav Levi Yitzchok’s Work
In addition to strengthening Yiddishkeit in Alma Ata and the entire Kazakhstan, supporting the shluchim there is our way of taking part in the Rebbe’s kibud av. To the Rebbe, honoring his father was of utmost importance, and the great appreciation he showed for anyone who did so displayed it for all to see.
Joining the annual Chof Av magbis is not only supporting the shluchim. It’s fulfilling the Rebbe’s deep-seated wish and desire to honor his father.
Take part in the magbis
in memory of Harav Levi Yitzchok, help continue his holy work in Kazakhstan, and merit the Rebbe’s extraordinary brachos!
The names of all donors will be mentioned at the tziyun on Chof Av.
L’chaim, l’chaim v’livracha!
