Unlikely Pilgrimages to the Resting Place of the Rebbe’s Father in Kazakhstan
by Mendel Super – chabad.org
In 1944, in the harsh conditions of Almaty’s hot summer, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson’s health worsened, and he passed away at age 66. Arrested by the Soviets for the crime of upholding Judaism and exiled from his community in Yekatrinoslav, where he served as chief rabbi, he spent a year in Stalin’s prisons, undergoing harsh torture before being sentenced to five years of exile in Central Asia.
Today, his resting place—declared a National Heritage Site by the Kazakhstan government in 2020—is a focal point of local Jewry, who turn to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak in good times and difficult times. In August, thousands from around the world descended on Almaty to pray at the rabbi’s resting place. The Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries to the state of Florida held their annual convention in Almaty, honoring the Rebbe’s father, accompanied by Florida businessman Avi Shaulson, a key supporter of the yearly pilgrimage.
On Sep. 1, U.S. Congressmen Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California and Rep. Thomas Suozzi of New York visited the Jewish community in Almaty, welcomed by Rabbi Elchanan Cohen, the city’s rabbi and director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Almaty and president of the community Albert Shimoni. With Chief Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen joining virtually, the congressmen toured the community institutions and infrastructure, learning how Jewish life flourished in the country in the shadow of the USSR.
Panetta and Suozzi said they visited the resting place of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson after hearing about his life and struggle to preserve Jewish life in Soviet Russia. Chief Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen of the Republic of Kazakhstan noted how a place that once persecuted the rabbi now has his spiritual descendants teaching Torah with the full backing of the local and state governments.
Throughout the year, the site is a source of inspiration and comfort for local residents as well. “G‑d decided that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak be buried here in Almaty, and that gives us strength,” says Almaty native Avraham David Charun Tira Zade. “Jews who live here feel special. There’s something here that I don’t feel in other cities in Kazakhstan. I learn from his students, the Chabad rabbis here. They’re strong, and he was the strongest. I go to his resting place regularly, not just on his yahrtzeit but throughout the year. Especially if I have a problem, I go, read Psalms and write a letter. We all feel that he helps us.”
The High Point of the Year
Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen says that the anniversary of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s passing, on 20 Av, is the high point of the year for many Kazakh Jews. He notes that the rabbi’s memory and legacy are recognized by the government, whose support makes the pilgrimage possible.
Israel’s ambassador to Kazakhstan, Edwin Nathan Yabo Glusman, spoke to the guests about his personal awakening to Judaism through a Chabad emissary and noted that the Rebbe’s father’s sacrifice was for all Jews. His legacy, said Glusman, was Jews practicing Judaism proudly, committed to the Torah.
“The Rebbe told Rabbi Elozor Gorelik, who erected the structure over Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s grave, that he was considering reinterring his father in the U.S. or Israel,” Cohen told Chabad.org. “We don’t know why he didn’t, but when Rabbi Gorelik visited here years later, he remarked that perhaps the thriving Jewish community here is why Rabbi Levi Yitzchak stayed.” The vibrant Jewish life, with a population of about 30,000 Jews served by Chabad emissaries in seven cities, was due to the merit of the holy tzaddik’s presence, felt Gorelik.
Says Cohen: “These Jews are Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s people.”
This article has been reprinted with permission from chabad.org
