Historic Milestone: Tanya Printed in Cape Verde for the First Time
by CrownHeights.info
Another corner of the globe has joined the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s worldwide campaign to print the Tanya in every place where Jews live or visit, as the foundational work of Chabad Chassidus was printed for the very first time in the island nation of Cape Verde.
The historic printing took place in Santa Maria on the island of Sal on Yud-Beis and Yud-Gimmel Tammuz, in honor of the liberation of the Frierdiker Rebbe from Soviet imprisonment.
The project was organized by Eli Goldman together with Yanky Rubin, marking what participants described as another step toward fulfilling the Rebbe’s vision of spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus to every corner of the world.
“The Tanya is the spiritual Bible of Chabad Chassidic philosophy, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe had a vision of printing it all over the globe,” Goldman shared following the printing. “This is one step closer to Moshiach.”
Located approximately 350 miles off the coast of West Africa, Cape Verde is an archipelago best known for its vibrant culture, breathtaking Atlantic landscapes, and, more recently, its national soccer team’s surprising rise on the international stage. Goldman jokingly remarked that perhaps the spiritual merit of the Tanya printing contributed to the success of the country’s beloved “Blue Sharks.”
While Cape Verde has only a tiny contemporary Jewish presence, the islands are home to a fascinating chapter of Jewish history. During the late nineteenth century, Moroccan Jewish merchants settled on several of the islands, establishing trading communities that served as commercial links between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Over time, many of these families assimilated into the local population, though traces of their legacy—including Jewish cemeteries and family names—remain today.
Goldman dedicated the historic printing to those early Jewish settlers as well as future Jewish visitors to the islands.
“In the merit of all the Jews who were associated with the island, all who will be in the future, and all the special Cape Verdeans, this is a gift,” he said.
The printing continues the Rebbe’s global initiative to have the Tanya printed in every possible location. Since the first edition was printed in Slavita in 1796 by the Alter Rebbe himself, tens of thousands of editions have been produced across the world—from major cities to military bases, remote islands, polar regions, and even outer space-inspired locations—transforming each new printing into both a practical distribution of Torah and a spiritual milestone.
With Cape Verde now added to that growing list, another point on the map has been connected to the timeless teachings of Chassidus, bringing the world one step closer to the ultimate redemption.
