By COLlive reporter
Ohel Chabad-Lubavitch, the organization which accommodates visitors of the Rebbe’s gravesite in the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, is making final preparations for Gimmel Tammuz.
The yahrzeit falls on this coming Shabbos, and visitors are expected to come from around the world beginning Friday, June 22 through Sunday, June 24.
COLlive.com was told that the NYPD and private security men will be on hand to keep order and secure the premises around the cemetery and main prayer areas at 226-20 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Cambria Heights, where an information center will be open.
Volunteers will be riding around on scooters to assist the police, while tow trucks will be removing vehicles blocking driveways and the flow of traffic. Sanitation workers will be walking around throughout the day, picking up the litter and maintaining cleanliness.
On Shabbos itself, the crowds will not be confined to a single location as a large tent will be erected at the Delphin H. Greene Playground at 237th Street to host the Shabbos meals and farbrengens.
Davening will be held only at the tents behind the Ohel homes, on Francis Lewis Blvd. 15 Sifrei Torahs will be available to accommodate the custom to get an Aliya for the yahrzeit (10 of the Torahs are on loan from Rabbi Moshe Klein of Hasofer).
Learning will also be done there with an extensive and organized program coordinated by Vaad Hatmimim. A group of rabbonim and Mashpiim will be giving shiurim in Yiddish, Hebrew, English and French.
Sleeping arrangements will be in a large, air conditioned tent at the parking lot of the Old Springfield Cemetery. Beds will be set up there along with restrooms. Bochurim will be sleeping in a location further away.
As in past years, a shaded walkway will be providing separate passage for men and women from the entrance of the cemetery to the Rebbe’s Ohel.
Kohanim, forbidden to openly walk in a cemetery, will no longer need a special entrance. Trees covering the walkway have been trimmed, permitting them to walk under it according to halacha.
Registration for Shabbos Gimmel Tammuz accommodations is closing soon. Chassidim can RSVP at ShabbosReservations.com
Bochurim should text the word “Bochurim” and their name to 313131, to RSVP with the Vaad Hatmimim who are coordinating their sleeping arrangements.
we’ll worry about it when the time comes…
It’s so beautiful to see te aerial view of all men davening in the Rebbe’s Ohel.
It would be wonderful to have more ‘women only’ hours on 22 Shvat. There are some hours on the day that the shluchos go, but on chof Bais Shvat, we often need to give over al lot of the space and have a ‘mixed group’, which makes it more challenging to have compete kavana and to spread out, etc…
watch your mouth buddy. or good luck bringing a korbon when moshiach comes. man! some appreciation would be appreciated.
amazing effort, a groise yasher koiach to all the people who are involved in financing and setting this all up! nisht a klaine dank, ubber a groise dank!
Cuz it’s a thrilla!!!! woo hoo lets all just move there permanently.
now those kohanim wont be able to skip the line anymore. i’m sure this will make the rebbe very proud if they stand the line 2+ hours like the rest of us amei ha’aretz
Bruchim Tihyu!