Thousands Pour Into the Ohel as Gimmel Tammuz Begins

Just before Shabbos and then as night fell and the holy day of Gimmel Tammuz began — marking the 31st yartzeit of the Rebbe, on the same Motzei Shabbos date as the very first one — tens of thousands began to stream toward the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens, New York.

Families and individuals, men, women, and children — Chabad Chassidim and Jews of all backgrounds and walks of life — are entering the sacred Ohel one by one, with awe and reverence. Each one silently offers heartfelt tefillos, places their note on the ever-growing stack, and steps aside to allow the next person their precious sixty seconds of closeness at this most sacred spot.

Today, Sunday, tens of thousands more are expected to arrive. They will be passing through the Ohel in an organized fashion under the new layout designed for this year, which features separate entrance and exit routes for men (through the cemetery pathways) and for women (from the first tent near the Chabad House and Visitors Center). A breakthrough improvement this year includes a new exit door carved into the stone wall surrounding the Ohel, allowing for a constant flow of people without pause or delay.

A heavy security presence, both visible and undercover, from the NYPD and federal authorities, has been deployed around the Ohel grounds to ensure the safety and smooth operation of this major pilgrimage over the next 24 hours.