By COLlive reporter
Photos by Shloimy Cohen
The 24th of Teves brought this week thousands of Jews from around the world to the Ukrainian village of Haditch where they davened and joined Chassidic farbrengens.
The date marked the yartzeit of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe who founded the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and authored the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch Harav.
Visitors were welcomed at the tziyun holy gravesite and the Heichal Admur Hazaken building by Rabbi Shneur Zalman Deitsch, the local Shliach who oversees the activities and accommodations.
“We began preparing for this date about 6 months ago,” he said. “Already 2 months before the yartzeit, all sleeping accommodations have been reserved. We see the number of visitors growing on the yartzeit and around the year.”
With the yartzeit coinciding with the secular new year, he said flights were not cheap this year. Another challenge has been the cold weather which brought heavy snow fall onto the town and the path down the hill to the kever.
Nevertheless, hundreds were present on Monday night to daven and over the next 24 hours, minyanim, meals and Farbrengens took place in an ongoing loop of activity. Nigunim sang were heard from afar.
Among those visiting and leading the Farbrengens were the Mashpiim Rabbi Chaim Sholom Deitsch, Rabbi Yechezkel Soffer, many Shluchim, and Rabbi Yakov Ber Teitelbaum, Rov of the Sighet Synagogue of Boro Park and son of the Satmar Rebbe R’ Zalman Leib of Williamsburg.
“Today is the 24th day of the month of Tevet, it is the day of remembrance of the #BaalHatanya. We prayed at his grave in #Haditch for peace and happiness for the people of #Israel and #Ukraine,” Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine Joel Lion wrote on Twitter.
When quoting an answer of the Rebbe, qoute it the way the Rebbe said it.
The answer of the Rebbe was in response to Reb Avrohom Slavin who wrote to the Rebbe that Reb Itchke Gansburg asked him to join him on his trip to the Ohalim in Russia & Haditch etc., in order to daven for Moshiach & to arrange groups to go to the Ohalim.
The Rebbe responded (& the copy of the Rebbe’s answer was printed & publicized):
כמה פעמים הי’ על ציון כ”ק נשיא דורנו
מה זה לפתע פתאום יסע להשתטח על האוהלים שם
אזכיר עה”צ
I just saw Avi Piamenta adding music and inspiration along with Lipa. I bumped into Avi in 770 just 2 weeks ago. What a beautiful Chassid, personifies true and complete Ahavas Yisroel.
Warm hugs to everyone who went to Haditch lovely to see the amazing power of the Alter Rebbe’s influence growing over 200 years later. Shows the strength of truth of Torah and Chassidus.
Eliyahu from Canada
moshiach NOW
כמה פעמים היה על ציון כ”ק מו”ח אדמו”ר ולפתע פתאום נתעורר אצלו ללכת להאדיטש….י
(ממענה כ”ק אדמו”ר)