Brazilian Governor on Prayer Visit to Ohel: ‘My Mother Told Me to Protect Jews’

chabad.org

On Thursday morning, Governor Tarcísio de Freitas of the São Paulo region in Brazil made a deeply personal visit to the Ohel, the resting place of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. At points during the hour-long stay, the governor of Brazil’s most populous state grew emotional.

During the visit, de Freitas wrote a pan, a traditional prayer note, which he placed at the Rebbe’s resting place among countless similar letters from petitioners worldwide. Upon emerging from the sacred site, the governor shared: “My mother would always tell me: ‘Protect the Jewish people, they are the chosen people.’”

The governor was accompanied by Rabbi Yossi Alperin, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of São Paulo, who has worked closely with the governor on matters concerning the Jewish community.

The Ohel is open to all and is frequently visited by foreign heads of state, cultural figures, and thought leaders from diverse backgrounds, all of whom come in private capacities with little fanfare, seeking not cameras but to draw strength for the formidable responsibilities they face. They join regular men, women, and children who come to pray at the Rebbe’s resting place.

De Freitas’s visit follows his recent trip to Israel, where he demonstrated strong support for Jewish people and their rights to live in their land. People familiar with the visit shared that the governor prayed for wisdom in leading his state and for the safety and security of Jewish communities worldwide.

The Ohel has recently hosted several prominent leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, President Isaac Herzog of Israel, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, and Argentina’s President Javier Milei, all of whom have sought inspiration and guidance at the holy site.