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89-569: In 1974 Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson called for the public awareness of the festival of Hanukkah and encouraged the lighting of public menorahs . Although initially criticized by liberal Jewish organizations, Schneerson defended the campaign. In 1979, Abraham Shemtov of Chabad sought to erect a menorah on the White House lawn. Cecil D. Andrus , the Secretary of the Interior, initially denied Shemtov

178-572: A Chanukah campaign to encourage all Jews worldwide to light their own menorah. After all tin menorahs were given out that year, a military manufacturer was commissioned to make tens of thousands of additional menorahs for distribution. In 1974, a public lighting of a Chanukah menorah was held by the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in years following menorah lightings on public grounds were conducted in cities worldwide. Legal challenges to

267-838: A meshiach sheker (false messiah), and compared Chabad Hasidim to the followers of the 17th century Sabbatai Zevi , branding as idolatrous Schneerson's statement referring to his father-in-law, the previous rebbe of Chabad, which he viewed as God's chosen leader of the generation, "the essence and being of God clothed in a body of the "Moses" of the Generation, as it was by Moses himself". Followers of Shach refused to eat meat slaughtered by Chabad Hasidim, refusing to recognize them as adherents of authentic Judaism. Shach also opposed Chabad's Rambam Campaign and Tefillin Campaign , and once described Schneerson as "the madman who sits in New York and drives

356-459: A break. During the talks, Schneerson demonstrated a unique approach in explaining seemingly different concepts by analysis of the fundamental principle common to the entire tractate, and referenced both classic and esoteric sources from all periods, citing entire sections by heart. In 1951 Schneerson established a Chabad women's and girl's organization and a youth organization in Israel. Their mission

445-429: A campaign for the daily study of Maimonides 's Mishneh Torah . Each year at the completion of the learning cycle there is Siyum celebration marking the end of the cycle and beginning of the new one. These events have been attended by many Jewish leaders. In 1986, Schneerson began a custom where each Sunday he would stand outside his office, greet people briefly, give them a dollar bill and encourage them to donate to

534-469: A car in convoy with Schneerson's motorcade accidentally struck two Guyanese American children while running a red light. One of the children was killed. The incident triggered the Crown Heights riot . After the death of Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn in 1950, Chabad followers began persuading Schneerson to succeed his father-in-law as Rebbe on the basis of his scholarship, piety, and dynasty. Schneerson

623-503: A day and never took a day of vacation. He rarely left Brooklyn except for visits to his father-in-law's gravesite in Queens, New York. Schneerson was opposed to retirement, seeing it as a waste of precious years. In 1972, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, instead of announcing a retirement plan, Schneerson proposed the establishment of 71 new institutions to mark the beginning of the 71st year of his life. The only other time he left Brooklyn

712-472: A full recovery from the heart attack with few if any noticeable lasting effects or changes to his work habits. Fifteen years later Schneerson suffered a serious stroke while praying at the grave of his father-in-law . The stroke left him unable to speak, and paralyzed on the right side of his body. During this time, the hope that Schneerson could be revealed as the Messiah (Moshiach) became more widespread. On

801-701: A global campaign to promote awareness of the Supreme Being and observance of the Noahide Laws among all people, arguing that this was the basis for human rights for all civilization. Several times each year his addresses were broadcast on national television. On these occasions Schneerson would address the public on general communal affairs and issues relating to world peace such as a moment of silence in U.S. public schools, increased government funding for solar energy research, U.S. foreign aid to developing countries and nuclear disarmament. In 1984, Schneerson initiated

890-521: A guide to his son for the rest of his life. Many years later, when he once reminisced about his youth, Schneerson said "I have the education of the first-born son of the rabbi of Yekaterinoslav. When it comes to saving lives, I speak up whatever others may say." Schneerson went on to receive separate rabbinical ordinations from the Rogatchover Gaon, Joseph Rosen , and Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg , author of Sridei Aish . In 1923, Schneerson visited

979-632: A music presentation of festive Hanukkah songs by the United States Army Band . A U.S. ambassador or member of the cabinet has participated in the Menorah lighting each year. In 2004, all 50 U.S. governors issued proclamations in honor of the National Menorah. Scholars have cited this initiative as a prime factor in Hanukkah becoming a widely celebrated festival. Every year since then, a member of

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1068-551: A permit to put a menorah on government property, saying it would violate the First Amendment . Stuart E. Eizenstat eventually settled the matter and a permit was granted. That year, President Jimmy Carter ended 100 days of self-imposed seclusion over the Iran hostage crisis by walking to Lafayette Park , and lighting the Menorah erected there by Chabad. Carter delivered brief remarks. Every president since has recognized Hanukkah with

1157-402: A private education and was tutored by Zalman Vilenkin from 1909 through 1913. When Schneerson was 11 years old, Vilenkin informed his father that he had nothing more to teach his son. At that point, Levi Yitzchak began teaching his son Talmud and rabbinic literature , as well as Kabbalah. Schneerson proved gifted in both Talmudic and Kabbalistic study and also took exams as an external student of

1246-742: A rosh yeshiva in Jerusalem . At Lomzha Yeshivah in Petach Tikvah , Shach served as the main Talmudic lecturer, while Rabbi Moshe Shmuel and Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky delivered specialized lectures in Talmud. Several years after the re-establishment of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak , Shach was invited by Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman to become one of its deans, and, after discussing the proposal with Soloveitchik, he accepted

1335-493: A special menorah-lighting. President Ronald Reagan is credited with naming it the National Menorah in a statement read during the menorah-lighting in Lafayette Park in 1982. As of 2013, the Menorah was 30 feet (9.1 m) high, and rested on an elevated platform 2 feet (0.61 m) high. The height of the hanukiah and platform are regulated by rabbinical law, which requires the menorah to be both visible (minimum height off

1424-408: A special occasion, such as a bride and groom for their wedding or a boy and his family on the occasion of a bar mitzvah. During his four decades as Rebbe, Schneerson would deliver regular addresses, centered on the weekly Torah portion and on various tractates of the Talmud. These talks, delivered without text or notes, would last for several hours, and sometimes went for eight or nine hours without

1513-400: A system of "mitzvah campaigns" to encourage the observance of ten basic Jewish practices, such as tefillin for men, Shabbat candles for women, and loving your fellow for all people. Schneersohn's campaign brought the concept of tefillin to Jewish men everywhere, and he has been referred to as "the great modern popularizer of tefillin". Until his campaign, tefillin was largely the domain of

1602-401: A time when no one else is willing to speak up on behalf of our true tradition, I feel myself impelled to do so." Shach wrote that he was not opposed to Hasidic Judaism, saying he recognized Hasidism as " yera'im " and " shlaymim " (God-fearing and wholesome), and full of Torah and mitzvos and fear of Heaven. Shach denied that he was a hater of Hasidim: "We are fighting against secularism in

1691-415: Is a rodef (someone who threatens the lives of others)", and that "those who are not learning jeopardize the position of those who are learning as they should". Shach supported the withdrawal from land under Israeli control, basing it upon the halakhic principle of pikuach nefesh ("[the] saving [of a] life"), in which the preservation of lives takes precedence over nearly all other obligations in

1780-547: Is done for the sake of Heaven, in the end, it will endure... One is obligated to be a baal-machlokes [disputant]. It is no feat to be in agreement with everybody!" Shach was also critical of Western democracy , once referring to it as a "cancer", adding that, "Only the sacred Torah is the true democracy." In May 1998, following talk of a political compromise which would allow Haredim to perform national service by guarding holy places, Shach as well as many other Orthodox leaders told their followers in public statements that it

1869-481: Is forbidden for the Israeli government to be stubborn about these things, as this will add fuel to the fire of anti-Semitism". When Yitzchak Hutner was asked to support this position, he refused, saying that, "agreement to other-than-biblical borders was tantamount to denial of the entire Torah". Shach was an antagonist of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, and the only major Lithuanian rabbi to come out in force against

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1958-505: Is forbidden to serve in the army, and that "it is necessary to die for this". This is a case, Shach said, in which, halachically, one must "be killed, rather than transgress". This position was expressed in large ads placed in all three of Israel's daily newspapers on May 22, 1998. Shach is quoted as saying that, "Any yeshiva student who cheats the authorities and uses the exemption from service for anything other than real engagement in Torah study

2047-549: Is often referred to as "Sunday Dollars". Schneerson's wife, Chaya Mushka Schneerson died in 1988. During the week of shiva Schneerson wrote a will in which he bequeathed his entire estate to Agudas Chasidei Chabad , the Chabad umbrella organization. During a talk in 1991, Schneerson spoke passionately about Moshiach (the Messiah ) and told his followers that he had done all that he could to bring world peace and redemption, but that it

2136-624: The 11th Knesset in 1984, and Shach called upon his " Lithuanian " followers to vote for it in the polls, a move that many saw as key political and religious move in Shach's split with the Hasidic-controlled Agudat Yisrael . While initially, Shas was largely under the aegis of Shach, Ovadia Yosef gradually exerted control over the party, culminating in Shas' decision to support the Labor party in

2225-727: The Black Sea port of Nikolaev in the Russian Empire (now Mykolaiv in Ukraine ). His father was rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson , a renowned Talmudic scholar and authority on Kabbalah and Jewish law . His mother was Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson ( née  Yanovski ). He was named after the third Chabad rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn , the Tzemach Tzedek , from whom he was a direct patrilineal descendant. In 1907, when Schneerson

2314-778: The Shas party in 1984. Later, in 1988, Shach criticized Ovadia Yosef , saying that Sepharadim were not yet ready for leadership positions, and subsequently founded the Degel HaTorah political party representing the Litvaks in the Israeli Knesset . Elazar Menachem Man Shach was born in Vabalninkas (Vaboilnik in Yiddish ), in northern Lithuania , to Ezriel and Batsheva Shach (née Levitan). The Shach family had been merchants for generations, while

2403-576: The University of Berlin . He would later recall that he enjoyed Erwin Schrödinger 's lectures. His father-in-law took great pride in his erudite son-in-law's scholarly attainments and paid for all the tuition expenses and helped facilitate his studies throughout. During his stay in Berlin, his father-in-law encouraged him to become more of a public figure, but Schneerson described himself as an introvert, and

2492-593: The 13th Knesset in 1992. On the eve of the November 1988 election , Shach officially broke away from Agudat Israel. His primary complaint was the joining up with PAI , after this partnership has been rejected in previous election campaigns. Other complaints included Hamodia publishing a series of articles based on the teachings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (the Lubavitcher Rebbe). Shach criticized The Rebbe for his presumed messianic aspirations. Shach wanted

2581-545: The 1940s, Schneerson became a naturalized US citizen and seeking to contribute to the war effort, he volunteered at the Brooklyn Navy Yard , using his electrical engineering background to draw wiring diagrams for the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) , and other classified military work. In 1942 Schneerson launched the Merkos Shlichus program where he would send pairs of yeshiva students to remote locations across

2670-736: The Aguda party to oppose Lubavitch; however, all but one ( Belz , which also eventually dropped out) of the Hasidic groups within the party refused to back him. Shach and his followers then formed the Degel HaTorah ("Flag of the Torah") party to represent the non-Hasidic Ashkenazi Haredim. Following a visit by Shach in Jerusalem to the leading rabbis and halachic decisors of the day, Yosef Shalom Eliashiv and Shlomo Zalman Auerbach , in order to seek their support for

2759-454: The Chabad movement and its leader. From the 1970s onwards, Shach was publicly critical of Schneerson, accusing Chabad of false Messianism by claiming Schneerson had created a cult of crypto-messianism around himself. He objected to Schneerson's calling upon the Messiah to appear, and when some of Schneerson's followers proclaimed him the Messiah, Shach called for a boycott of Chabad and its institutions. In 1988, Shach denounced Schneerson as

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2848-455: The Jewish community when it joined the wicked...". Around 1995, Shach retired from political activity. Shach was opposed to Zionism , both secular and religious. He was dismissive of secular Israelis and their culture. For example, during a 1990 speech, he lambasted secular kibbutzniks as "breeders of rabbits and pigs" who did not "know what Yom Kippur is". In the same speech, he said that

2937-449: The Jewish religion)..." Shach writes that the success of those people who were able to achieve greatness in Torah, despite their involvement in secular studies, are " ma'aseh satan " (the work of the satanic forces), for the existence of such role models will entice others to follow suit, only to be doomed. In conversation with an American rabbi in the 1980s, Shach stated, "The Americans think that I am too controversial and divisive. But in

3026-535: The Labor Party had cut themselves off from their Jewish past and wished to "seek a new Torah". Labor Party politician Yossi Beilin said Shach's speech set back relations between religious and secular Israelis by decades. Other secular Israelis, including residents of the kibbutz Ein Harod , were said to have found the speech inspirational, so much so as to bring them closer to religious practice. In 1985, four years after

3115-424: The Labor Party supported a liberalized abortion law , Shach refused to meet with Shimon Peres and said he would not speak with a "murderer of fetuses". In Haaretz , Shahar Ilan described him as "an ideologue" and "a zealot who repeatedly led his followers into ideological battles". Shach never seemed concerned over the discord he provoked: "There is no need to worry about machlokes [dispute], because if it

3204-966: The Levitans were religious scholars who served various Lithuanian communities. As a child, Shach was considered an illui (child prodigy) and in 1909, aged 11, went to Panevėžys to study at the Ponevezh Yeshiva which was then headed by Isaac Jacob Rabinowitz. In 1913 he enrolled at Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael in Slabodka . When World War I began in 1914, Shach returned to his family, but then began traveling across Lithuania from town to town, sleeping and eating wherever he could, while continuing to study Torah . During this period he suffered considerable deprivation, living with inadequate sanitation and being compelled to wear tattered clothing and worn out shoes. He reportedly sequestered himself in an attic for two years not knowing where his parents were. In 1915, following

3293-589: The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, before later resigning from the Moetzes after the other leading rabbis refused to follow him. Shach wrote strongly in support of every observant citizen voting. He felt that a vote not cast for the right party or candidate was effectively a vote for the wrong party and candidate. This theme is consistent in his writings from the time that the State of Israel was established. Shas ran for

3382-636: The Nazis , the Schneersons fled to Vichy , and later to Nice , where they stayed until their final escape from Europe in 1941. In 1941, Schneerson escaped from Europe via Lisbon , Portugal. On the eve of his departure, Schneerson penned a treatise where he revealed his vision for the future of world Jewry and humanity. He and his wife Chaya Mushka arrived in New York on June 23, 1941. Shortly after his arrival, his father-in-law appointed him director and chairman of

3471-574: The President's administration has participated and made formal remarks during the lighting ceremony. Those who participated in the National Menorah event include: Menachem M. Schneerson Menachem Mendel Schneerson (April 5, 1902 OS  – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to adherents of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or simply

3560-761: The Rebbe , was a Russian-American Orthodox rabbi and the most recent Rebbe of the Lubavitch Hasidic dynasty . He is considered one of the most influential Jewish leaders of the 20th century. As leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, he took an insular Hasidic group that almost came to an end with the Holocaust and transformed it into one of the most influential movements in religious Jewry, with an international network of over 5,000 educational and social centers. The institutions he established include kindergartens, schools, drug-rehabilitation centers, care-homes for

3649-522: The Rebbe to do it for them, saying: "Now listen, Jews. Generally, in Chabad it has been demanded that each individual work on themselves, and not rely on the Rebbes. One must, on their own , transform the folly of materialism and the passion of the 'animal soul' to holiness. I do not, God Forbid, recuse myself from assisting as much as possible, however; if one does not work on themselves , what good will submitting notes, singing songs, and saying lechayim do?" At

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3738-813: The Schneersons left Berlin and moved to Paris, where Menachem Mendel (known as "RaMash" before accepting the leadership of Chabad ) continued his religious and communal activities on behalf of his father-in-law, Yosef Yitzchak. While in Paris he took a two-year course in engineering at a vocational college, where he was a mediocre student; this was his only formal secular education. During that time, Yosef Yitzchak recommended that Professor Alexander Vasilyevitch Barchenko consult with Schneerson regarding various religious and mystical matters, and prominent rabbis, such as Yerachmiel Binyaminson and Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler turned to Schneerson with their rabbinic and kabbalistic queries. On June 11, 1940, three days before Paris fell to

3827-504: The Talmudic genius known as the Rogachover Gaon . In 1933 he also met with Chaim Elazar Shapiro , as well as with Talmudist Shimon Shkop . During this time he kept a diary in which he would carefully document his private conversations with his father-in-law, as well as his kabbalistic correspondence with his father, Levi Yitzchak Schneerson. In 1933, after the Nazis took over Germany ,

3916-509: The Torah, including those pertaining to the sanctity of land. Shach also criticized Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as "a blatant attempt to provoke the international community", and called on Haredi Jews to avoid moving to such communities. Shach often said that for true peace, it was "permitted and necessary to compromise on even half of the Land of Israel", and wrote that, "It

4005-499: The U.S. It has been since commemorated as Education and Sharing Day. In 1994, Schneerson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his "outstanding and lasting contributions toward improvements in world education, morality, and acts of charity". Schneerson's resting place attracts both Jews and non-Jews for prayer. Menachem Mendel Schneerson was born on April 5, 1902 ( OS ) (11 Nisan , 5662), in

4094-600: The United States and Canada, Schneerson delivered a Hasidic discourse (Ma'amar) , the equivalent to a President-elect taking the oath of office, and formally became the Rebbe. On the night of his acceptance, members of the Israeli Cabinet and Israel's Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Herzog sent him congratulatory messages. Reiterating a longstanding core Chabad principle at his inaugural talk, he demanded that each individual exert themselves in advancing spiritually, and not rely on

4183-442: The United States. The Iranian government's hostility towards the United States was seen by Schneerson as behavior that could threaten the country's status as an "untouchable" superpower, and that would cause it to try to appease Arab countries, thus "endanger[ing] the security of Israel". As a result of Schneerson's efforts, several thousand Iranian children were flown from Iran to the safety of New York. In 1983 Schneerson launched

4272-518: The advice of Yechezkel Bernstein (author of Divrei Yechezkel ), Shach traveled to Slutsk to study at the yeshiva there. In 1939, Shach went to Vilna , where he stayed with Chaim Ozer Grodzinski . Later that year, Shach's mother and eldest daughter died. In early 1940, Shach's maternal uncle, Aron Levitan, helped him get emigration visas to the United States, but after consulting with Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik and Grodzinski, Schach decided to immigrate to Mandatory Palestine . Shach later served as

4361-702: The authority he wielded", and that "perhaps not since the Gaon Elijah of Vilna , who lived in the latter part of the 18th century, has there been a rabbinical figure of such unchallenged power over the Orthodox world". Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel of America said: "His pronouncements and his talks when he was active would regularly capture the rapt attention of the entire Orthodox world." A dispute subsequently arose as to whether Yosef Shalom Eliashiv or Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman should succeed him. The towns of Bnei Brak and Beitar Illit have streets named after him. Shach

4450-544: The central Lubavitch synagogue on Eastern Parkway. After his wedding to Chaya Mushka in 1928, Schneerson and his wife moved to Berlin in the Weimar Republic (now part of Germany ) where he was assigned specific communal tasks by his father-in-law Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, who also requested that he write scholarly annotations to the responsa and various hasidic discourses of the earlier Rebbes of Chabad-Lubavitch. Schneerson studied mathematics, physics, and philosophy at

4539-400: The charity of their choice. Explaining his reason for encouraging charitable giving among all people, Schneerson quoted his father-in-law who said that "when two people meet, it should bring benefit to a third." People in line would often take this opportunity to ask Schneerson for advice or request a blessing. Thousands of people attended this event each week, which lasted up to six hours, and

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4628-449: The community. In 1947 Schneerson traveled to Paris, to take his mother, Chana Schneerson , back to New York City with him. Schneerson would visit her every day and twice each Friday and prepare her a tea. In 1964, Chana Schneerson died. On February 10, 1988, Schneerson's wife, Chaya Mushka Schneerson died. A year after the death of his wife, when the traditional year of Jewish mourning had passed, Schneerson moved into his study above

4717-592: The country during their summer vacations to teach Jews in isolated communities about their heritage and offer education to their children. As chairman and editor in chief of Kehot , Schneerson published the works of the earlier Rebbes of Chabad. He also published his own works including the Hayom Yom in 1943 and Hagadda in 1946. On a visit to Paris in 1947 he established a school for girls and worked with local organizations to assist with housing for refugees and displaced persons . Schneerson often explained that his goal

4806-551: The defensive. We need to go on the offensive." As Rebbe, Schneerson would receive visitors for private meetings, known as yechidus , on Sunday and Thursday evenings. Those meetings would begin at 8 pm and often continue until five or six in the morning and were open to everyone. Schneerson, who spoke several languages including English, Yiddish, Hebrew, Aramaic, French, Russian, German and Italian, would converse with people on all issues and offer his advice on both spiritual and mundane matters. Politicians and leaders from across

4895-412: The disabled, and synagogues. Schneerson's published teachings fill more than 400 volumes, and he is noted for his contributions to Jewish continuity and religious thought, as well as his wide-ranging contributions to traditional Torah scholarship. He is recognized as the pioneer of Jewish outreach . During his lifetime, many of his adherents believed that he was the Messiah . His own attitude to

4984-719: The dissent between Hasidim and Mitnagdim , as Shach represented the Lithuanian Torah world, while the Gerer Rebbe was among the most important Hasidic Rebbes and represented the most significant Hasidic court in Agudat Yisrael. However, it would not be accurate to base the entire conflict on a renewal of the historic dispute between Hasidim and Mitnagdim which began in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Shach strenuously opposed this mischaracterization. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

5073-481: The forthcoming Day of Judgement." In summer 1989, a group of rabbis, including Shach, placed a ban on three of Steinsaltz's books. Shach wrote that Yeshiva University-type institutions posed a threat to the endurance of authentic Judaism. He called them "an absolute disaster, causing the destruction of our Holy Torah. Even the so-called ' Touro College ' in the USA is a terrible disaster, a ' churban ha-das ' (destruction of

5162-416: The globe came to meet him, but Schneerson showed no preference to one person over another. His secretary once even declined to admit John F. Kennedy because Schneerson was already meeting 'ordinary' people who had requested appointments months previously. Those meetings were discontinued in 1982 when it became impossible to accommodate the large number of people. Meetings were then held only for those who had

5251-567: The gravesite. Schneerson died without naming a successor as leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty, causing controversy within Chabad about Schneerson's will. He did, however, write one legal will, which was signed before witnesses, whereby he transferred stewardship of all the major Chabad institutions as well as all his possessions to Agudas Chassidei Chabad. Elazar Shach Elazar Menachem Man Shach ( Hebrew : אלעזר מנחם מן שך , Elazar Shach; January 1, 1899 O.S. – November 2, 2001)

5340-423: The ground) and of a maximum height (a person must look upward but not uncomfortably so). The Menorah is erected each year by Abraham Shemtov and Levi Shemtov and sponsored by American Friends of Chabad-Lubavitch, as part of the campaign initiated by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson to raise awareness and hold public Hanukkah celebrations. The National Menorah annual event is broadcast by C-SPAN each year. It includes

5429-614: The increase in Torah study by women as one of the "positive innovations of the later generations". That same year, Schneerson sent his first emissary to Morocco , and established schools and a synagogue for the Moroccan Jewish community . In 1958 Schneerson established schools and synagogues in Detroit, Michigan , in Milan, Italy , and in London, England . Beginning in the 1960s, Schneerson instituted

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5518-524: The lightings on public grounds reached the Supreme Court and it was ruled that public lightings did not violate the Constitution. Public lightings continue in thousands of cities today. Chabad established an annual Lag BaOmer parade at '770', one of the largest celebrations of its kind, where thousands of Jews celebrate the holiday. In 1979, during the Iranian Revolution and Iranian hostage crisis , Schneerson directed arrangements to rescue Jewish youth and teenagers from Iran and bring them to safety in

5607-460: The local Soviet school. He was considered an illui and genius, and by the time he was 17, he had mastered the entire Talmud , some 5,422 pages, as well as all its early commentaries . Throughout his childhood, Schneerson was involved in the affairs of his father's office. He was also said to have acted as an interpreter between the Jewish community and the Russian authorities on a number of occasions. Levi Yitzchak's courage and principles were

5696-403: The masses with actual words of heresy". Shach resigned from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah ("Council of Torah Greats") following tensions between him and the Gerer Rebbe , Simcha Bunim Alter . In the Eleventh Knesset elections of 1984 , Shach had already told his supporters to vote for Shas, instead of Agudat Yisrael. Some attempted to create the perception that the schism was a re-emergence of

5785-400: The meticulously observant. Following the death of his mother Chana Schneerson in 1964, Schneerson began to offer an additional weekly sermon in her memory. These sermons consisted of original insights and unprecedented analysis of Rashi's Torah commentary, which were delivered at the regular public gatherings. Schneerson gave these sermons each week until 1992. In 1973, Schneerson started

5874-505: The morning of June 12, 1994 ( 3 Tammuz 5754), Schneerson died at the Beth Israel Medical Center and was buried at the Ohel next to his father-in-law, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York. Shortly after Schneerson's death, the executors of his will discovered several notebooks in a drawer in his office, in which Schneerson had written his scholarly thoughts and religious musings from his earliest years. The majority of entries in these journals date between

5963-442: The new party. Rabbi Auerbach refused to lend his support. In a speech delivered prior to the 1992 elections, Shach said that Sephardim were not fit for leadership and aroused great anger among Sephardi voters. Following the elections, Shach instructed Shas not to join the government, while Ovadia Yosef instructed them to join; this precipitated an open rift between the parties. Shach then claimed that Shas had "removed itself from

6052-499: The occasion of his ninetieth birthday they would be publishing a special issue and wanted to know what his message to the world was. Schneerson replied that "'Ninety', in Hebrew , is ' tzaddik '; which means 'righteous.' And that is a direct indication for every person to become a real tzaddik—a righteous person, and to do so for many years, until 120. "This message", Schneerson added, "applies equally to Jews and non-Jews". During his decades of leadership, Schneerson worked over 18 hours

6141-463: The offer. Shach served in that capacity from 1954 until his death. Shach received semikhah (rabbinical ordination) from Isser Zalman Meltzer , and served as chairman of Chinuch Atzmai and Va'ad HaYeshivos. In the mid-1960s, Samuel Belkin offered Shach the position of senior rosh yeshivah at Yeshiva University in New York, which he declined. Shach's wife died in 1969 from complications connected to diabetes . From 1970 until his death, Shach

6230-421: The same talk, Schneerson said "one must go to a place where nothing is known of Godliness, nothing is known of Judaism, nothing is even known of the Hebrew alphabet, and while there to put oneself aside and ensure that the other calls out to God." When he spoke to Forward journalist Asher Penn that year, he said, "...we must stop insisting that Judaism is in danger, an assertion that does little but place Jewry on

6319-437: The sixth Chabad -Lubavitch Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn , for the first time. He met the rabbi's middle daughter Chaya Mushka (Mousia) – they were distant cousins. Sometime later they became engaged, but were not married until 1928 in Warsaw , Poland. Taking great pride in his son-in-law's outstanding scholarship, Yosef Yitzchak asked him to engage in learned conversation with the great Torah scholars that were present at

6408-416: The subject, and whether he openly encouraged this, is hotly debated among academics. During Schneerson's lifetime, the messianic controversy and other issues elicited fierce criticism from many quarters in the Orthodox world, especially earning him the enmity of Rabbi Elazar Shach . In 1978, the U.S. Congress asked President Jimmy Carter to designate Schneerson's birthday as the national Education Day in

6497-435: The three Chabad central organizations, Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch , Machneh Israel and Kehot Publication Society , placing him at the helm of the movement's Jewish educational, social services, and publishing networks. Over the next decade, Yosef Yitzchak referred many of the scholarly questions that had been inquired of him to his son-in-law. He became increasingly known as a personal representative of Yosef Yitzchak. During

6586-419: The wedding, such as Meir Shapiro and Menachem Ziemba . Menachem Mendel and Chaya Mushka were married for 60 years, and were childless. Menachem Mendel Schneerson and Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn were both descendants of Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, known as the Tzemach Tzedek , the third Rebbe of Chabad Lubavitch . Schneerson later commented that the day of his marriage bound the community to him and him to

6675-415: The whole world crazy". He nevertheless prayed for his recovery, explaining that "I pray for the rebbe's recovery, and simultaneously also pray that he abandon his invalid way". In a lengthy attack on Joseph B. Soloveitchik (d. 1993) of Yeshiva University , Shach accused him of writing "things that are forbidden to hear", as well as of "... endangering the survival of Torah-true Judaism by indoctrinating

6764-545: The years 1928 and 1950 and were subsequently published. Following age-old Jewish tradition that the resting place of a tzadik is holy, Schneerson's gravesite is viewed by many as a holy site and has been described by the Yedioth Ahronoth as "the American Western Wall", where thousands of people, Jews and non-Jews, go to pray each week. Many more send faxes and e-mails with requests for prayers to be read at

6853-526: The yeshivas. Today, with the help of Heaven, people are learning Torah in both Hasidic and Lithuanian yeshivos. In my view, there is no difference between them; all of them are important and dear to me. In fact, go ahead, and ask your Hasidic friends with us at Ponevezh if I distinguish between Hasidic and Lithuanian students." Shach died on November 2, 2001, two months short of his 103rd birthday (although other reports put his age at 108). His funeral in Bnei Brak

6942-596: Was a Haredi rabbi who headed Lithuanian Orthodox Jews in Israel and around the world from the early 1970s until his death. He served as chair of the Council of Sages and one of three co-deans of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak , along with Shmuel Rozovsky and Dovid Povarsky . Due to his differences with the Hasidic leadership of the Agudat Yisrael political party, he allied with Ovadia Yosef , with whom he founded

7031-453: Was accused of heresy by Shach, who, in a letter written September 10, 1988, wrote that "... and similarly, all his other works contain heresy. It is forbidden to debate with Steinsaltz, because, as a heretic, all the debates will only cause him to degenerate more. He is not a genuine person ( ein tocho ke-baro ), and everyone is obliged to distance themselves from him. This is the duty of the hour ( mitzvah be-sha'atah ). It will generate merit for

7120-519: Was attended by up to 400,000 people. PM Ariel Sharon said: "There is no doubt that we have lost an important person who made his mark over many years." Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau said Shach's most important contribution were his efforts in restoring Jewish scholarship after the Holocaust. Haaretz described him as "an ideologue", and "a zealot who repeatedly led his followers into ideological battles". David Landau wrote that his "uniqueness lay in

7209-534: Was five years old, the family moved to Yekatrinoslav (today, Dnipro ), where Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was appointed Chief Rabbi of the city. He served until 1939, when he was exiled by the Soviets to Kazakhstan . Schneerson had two younger brothers: Dov Ber "Berel" Schneerson, who was murdered in 1944 by Nazi collaborators , and Yisroel Aryeh Leib "Leibel" Schneerson, who died in 1952 while completing doctoral studies at Liverpool University . During his youth, he received

7298-565: Was generally recognized by Lithuanian Haredim and other Haredi circles as the Gadol Ha-Dor (great one of the generation). During his lifetime, Shach was a spiritual mentor to more than 100,000 Orthodox Jews. Shach fought those who deviated from what he believed was the classical Haredi path. At the behest of Aharon Kotler , Shach joined the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah . When Zalman Sorotzkin died in 1966, Shach became president of

7387-495: Was known to plead with acquaintances not to make a fuss over the fact that he was the son-in-law of Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. While in Berlin, Schneerson met Joseph B. Soloveitchik and the two formed a friendship that remained between them years later when they both emigrated to America. He wrote hundreds of pages of his own original Torah discourses, and conducted a serious interchange of halachic correspondence with many of Eastern Europe's leading rabbinic figures, including

7476-411: Was now up to them to continue this task: "I have done my part, from now on you do all that you can." A few months later, when a reporter from CNN came to meet him at dollars, he said, "Moshiach is ready to come now, it is only on our part to do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness." On Sunday, March 1, 1992, Gabriel Erem, the editor of Lifestyles Magazine told Schneerson that on

7565-413: Was reluctant, and actively refused to accept leadership of the movement. He continued, however, all the communal activities he had previously headed. It would take a full year until he was persuaded by the elders of the movement to accept the post. On the first anniversary of his father-in-law's passing, 10 Shevat 1951, in a ceremony attended by several hundred rabbis and Jewish leaders from all parts of

7654-814: Was survived by his daughter Devorah, who had nine children with Meir Tzvi Bergman , and his son Ephraim, who rejected the Haredi lifestyle and joined the Religious Zionist movement. Ephraim Shach served in the Israel Defense Forces , received a doctorate in history and philosophy from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University, and worked as a supervisor for the Israel Ministry of Education . He married Tamara Yarlicht-Kowalsky, and they had two children. He died on October 17, 2011, at

7743-431: Was to "make the world a better place", and to do what he could to eliminate all suffering. In a letter to Israeli President Yitzchak Ben Tzvi , Schneerson wrote that when he was a child the vision of the future redemption began to take form in his imagination "a redemption of such magnitude and grandeur through which the purpose of the suffering, the harsh decrees and annihilation of exile will be understood ..." In 1991,

7832-435: Was to engage in outreach which was exclusively directed at women and teens. In 1953 he opened branches of these organizations in New York, London and Toronto. In a marked departure from an entrenched tendency to limit high-level Torah education to men and boys, Schneerson equally addressed his teachings to both genders. He addressed meetings of the organizations, and led gatherings exclusively for women. Schneerson would describe

7921-408: Was when he visited Camp Gan Israel Parksville, New York in 1956, 1957 and 1960. In 1977, during the hakafot ceremony on Shemini Atzeret , Schneerson suffered a heart attack . At his request, rather than transporting him to a hospital, the doctors set up a mini-hospital at his office where he was treated for the next four weeks by doctors Bernard Lown , Ira Weiss, and Larry Resnick. He made

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