Rebbetzin Chana

B”H

Rebbetzin Chana

Submitted by : Mussi Gruzman.

School: Or Chaya.

Grade: 12

Date of submission:

Table of Contents

Title page……………………………………………………..…1

Table of Contents…………………………………………..…2

Introduction…………………………………………………….3

Chapter 1…………………………………………………………4

Chapter 2…………..………………………………………….…5

Chapter 3…………………………………………………………6

Conclusion………………………………………………………..7

Bibliography…………………………………………..…………8

Introduction

My project is about Chana Schneerson (née Yanovsky; 1880–1964), she was the wife of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, a Chabad Hasidic rabbi in Yekatrinoslav, Ukraine and the mother of the seventh Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

I chose to do the project on her because she is a special woman and I wanted to get to know her in depth.

The first chapter tell about the childhood of Rebbetzin Chana and her marriage to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and also about the good deeds they did together.

The second chapter deals with the exile of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak who was found guilty by the Soviets of anti-Soviet propaganda, and of his wife, Rebbetzin Chana, who joined him.

The third chapter deals with the period when Rebbetzin Chana lived in America next to her son, the leader of the Chabad movement.

Birth and Early Years

Rebbetzin Chana was born in 1880, on the 28th of Tevet, in Nikolayev, Ukraine, to Rabbi Meir Shlomo and Rachel Yanovsky. She was the eldest of four children: she had two sisters, Gittel and Ettel, and a younger brother, Yisrael Leib, who passed away as a youth. Rabbi Meir Shlomo was chief rabbi of Nikolayev; indeed, the Yanovskys were known as a prestigious rabbinical family of scholars and leaders.

Rebbetzin Chana in her yout:

The chassidim of Nikolayev would fondly recall Chana’s scholarship as a teenager. When a maamar (chassidic discourse) would arrive from Lubavitch—either repeated by a chassid who was present at the rebbe’s discourse, or as notes sent to her father’s home—she would meticulously and faithfully transcribe it, making it available for the eager chassidim.

Bright and talented, Chana had an excellent ear for music— aquality she shared with her father.

In 1900, at the age of 20, Rebbetzin Chana married Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson. The great-grandson of Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the “Tzemach Tzedek” (the third of the Chabad-Lubavitcher rebbes), Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was a renowned scholar and a brilliant Kabbalist. Rabbi Shalom DovBer Schneersohn, the fifth Lubavitcher rebbe, had suggested the match. The wedding took place on the 11th of Sivan, in Nikolayev.

Rebbetzin Chana gave birth to three sons: Menachem Mendel, DovBer and Yisrael Aryeh Leib.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson.

In 1907, when Rebbetzin Chana was 27 years old, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak became rabbi of the Ukrainian city of Yekatrinoslav—known today as Dnipropetrovsk. He served the community for 32 years—eventually assuming the position of chief rabbi—until 1939, when he was arrested by the NKVD (a precursor of the KGB) for his activities on behalf of strengthening Yiddishkeit (Judaism) in the Soviet Union.

The Jewish community of Yekatrinoslav included many nonreligious professionals, who also held Rabbi Levi Yitzchak in great esteem. Rebbetzin Chana, who was fluent in several languages, contributed to her husband’s success and influence as a communal leader. She was an elegant and personable woman, whose home was a constant hub of communal activity. She communicated especially well with Jewish university students, in whom she took a special interest as she tried to draw them close to Yiddishkeit. She frequently visited the congregants in their homes, counseling and conversing with them on matters personal, academic and spiritual

Arrest and Exile

On the 9th of Nissan, at 3:00 AM, four NKVD agents appeared at Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana’s home at 13 Borigodna Street. The agents conducted a search through the apartment, scrutinizing all of the rabbi’s letters and responsa, as well as many of his personal papers. They left nothing untouched.

Three hours later, the officer in charge ordered the rabbi to get dressed and come with them. When Rebbetzin Chana asked where they were taking her husband, she was told that on the following day at noon the military police headquarters would inform her of her husband’s whereabouts. The next day came and went, but she was not given any information, despite her pleas.

Not knowing where her husband was being incarcerated or how he was faring, Rebbetzin Chana began her courageous campaign for his release. She was 59 years old.

In a show trial staged by the Soviets, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was found guilty of anti-Soviet propaganda and sentenced to five years of exile in the Central Asian region of the Soviet Union. In Kislev 1939, some eight months after he was first arrested, the NKVD summoned Rebbetzin Chana to their headquarters and informed her of the sentence. They gave her a list of items her husband had requested, which included a tallit, tefillin, gartel, Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya. She was also informed that she would be allowed a few moments to bid him farewell, before he was to be exiled.

When she was finally permitted to see him in prison, Rebbetzin Chana was saddened by how weak and frail her husband appeared. Fearing he would not have the strength to survive the difficult journey, the rabbi asked forgiveness of his wife, as one does when nearing death. The couple parted, with Rebbetzin Chana returning home.

Weeks passed with no word as to her husband’s destination. One night, at about 1:00 AM, a young Jewish woman who worked in the post office knocked on Rebbetzin Chana’s door. She bore a telegram stating that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak had been exiled to the far-flung village of Chi’ili, in the republic of Kazakhstan.

Rebbetzin Chana immediately resolved that, come what may, she would journey out to that remote location to join her husband in exile. In the spring of 1940 she traveled to Moscow, and from there took a train to Chi’ili, an arduous journey of five days. She managed to take matzah, wine and some cooking fat with her for the upcoming holiday of Passover. At last she arrived, and was reunited with her husband.

On the 2nd of Nissan, shortly after Rebbetzin Chana’s arrival, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak woke up feeling weak. However, as this was the anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Shalom DovBer Schneersohn, he wanted to honor the day by writing some chassidic thoughts. But alas, there was neither paper nor ink to be had.

Deeply troubled by her husband’s predicament, Rebbetzin Chana traveled to the nearby city of Kzyl-Orda and returned with two notebooks, some powder that could be made into ink, and a small jar to serve as an inkwell. When this ran out, she somehow managed to obtain additional ink and paper for her husband, despite the shortages and the extreme poverty. When ink was not available, Rebbetzin Chana would secretly manufacture her own by soaking herbs she gathered in the fields. Paper was so scarce that her husband wrote in the margins of the books that she had brought with her and on the small scraps of paper that she managed to gather. The ability to write his Torah thoughts, she would later observe, brought her husband greater pleasure than the bread she would serve him after days of hunger.

Gradually, the provisions that Rebbetzin Chana had brought were depleted. The specter of starvation loomed. Though they never discussed it, pangs of hunger tormented them. Once, they did not taste a piece of bread for an entire month.

Departure and Return

Five months after joining her husband in exile, Rebbetzin Chana decided, in desperation, to return home to Yekatrinoslav. This would allow her the opportunity to send him food regularly, and eliminate the need to obtain another portion of food in Chi’ili. Furthermore, living at home would ensure that the government would not appropriate her apartment and give it to someone else.

In the month of Elul, after arranging for another Jewish exile to move in with her husband, Rebbetzin Chana departed with a heavy heart. On her way to Yekatrinoslav she traveled to Moscow, where she filed petitions to commute his sentence of exile. Her relentless efforts on behalf of her husband’s release were met by deception and cruel indifference by the authorities. The situation remained unchanged.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s shul in Yekatrinoslav

During the winter of 1941, after spending five months back home in Yekatrinoslav, Rebbetzin Chana courageously decided to rejoin her husband in exile. She once again journeyed to Chi’ili, arriving two weeks before Passover. There she found her husband in a desperate situation. The government had cut off his daily allotment of bread, leaving him famished and debilitated. Always resourceful, Rebbetzin Chana struggled to improve the critical situation. Through Rebbetzin Chana’s remarkable ingenuity, they somehow managed to survive.

Refugees

With World War II ravaging Europe, many refugees and displaced people ended up in the Kazakhstan region where Rebbetzin Chana and her husband lived.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana soon became well-known among all the Jewish refugees. Large groups of men and women, especially those women whose husbands were taken away for the war effort, would visit the esteemed rabbi and his wife, seeking counsel on various matters.

With meager resources at their disposal, and facing a constant threat to their very lives, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana heroically reached out to their brethren in need, helping in every which way—materially and spiritually..

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s headstone in Alma-Ata

In 1944, as Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s sentence was nearing its end, his physical condition began to deteriorate. Though unaware of this, a serious illness was spreading through his body, severely weakening him.

On the 20th of Av, her husband’s condition turned critical. Although he was no longer able to speak, he still continued to murmur words of Torah or Psalms. That evening, Rebbetzin Chana took a short rest so that she would have the strength to continue caring for him; when she awoke, she found the house filled with people. Her husband had returned his pure soul to its Maker

Life in New York

Rebbetzin Chana’s Brooklyn residence, at 1418 President Street

Rebbetzin Chana’s wandering and suffering had finally come to an end, and a new era of her life now began. Slowly, the scars of decades of oppression began to be replaced with joy and tranquility.

On the 10th of Shevat 1951, Rebbetzin Chana’s son, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, assumed leadership of the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Rebbetzin Chana, who would not easily conceal her pride, would often speak of her son’s distinguished character and greatness, and of the resemblance to his father that she saw in him. When she did, tears of joy could be seen in her eyes, tears that one could tell outweighed all the sad and bitter tears of her earlier years.

The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, in 1951, soon after accepting leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement

With dignity and without pretension, Rebbetzin Chana always took a genuine interest in the wellbeing of each person she knew. She had the knack of being able to relate to all, regardless of age or position, and anyone who shared even a few moments of conversation with her felt it to be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Her love of fellow Jews and sincere concern for each individual were clearly evident in each word she spoke.

Every day without fail the Rebbe would visit his mother, during which he would usually prepare for her a glass of tea.

Finally, her newly found life, and the joy she took in her illustrious son, seemed to somewhat erase years of misery and heartbreak.

It was during this period that Rebbetzin Chana wrote her remarkable memoirs, beginning with the memorable words: “I am not a writer, nor the daughter of a writer . . .” These poignant memoirs were later published in A Mother in Israel.

Her Passing

The Rebbe attends the funeral

On Shabbat, the 6th day of Tishrei 1964, Rebbetzin Chana passed away. She was 84 years old.

The funeral took place on Sunday morning. Approximately 5,000 people, headed by her son, the Rebbe, accompanied Rebbetzin Chana to her resting place at the Chabad cemetery in Queens, New York. Participants remember the Rebbe weeping profusely at her burial.

To honor her memory, the students of the Central Lubavitcher Yeshivah immediately apportioned the 63 tractates of the Mishnah among themselves, completing the entire study by Yom Kippur. The Rebbe was greatly pleased by this gesture.

The Rebbe sat shivah in Rebbetzin Chana’s apartment, as thousands paid their condolences. Throughout the year of mourning the Rebbe held a farbrengen every Shabbat afternoon and, in his mother’s honor, devoted a special segment to explaining the commentary of Rashi on the Torah portion of the week. He introduced a unique approach to the study of Rashi, revolutionizing Torah study. The Rebbe continued his Rashi talks throughout the rest of his life.

MEMORIALIZING WITH TEACHINGS

The Rebbe chose to memorialize his mother by delivering scholarly talks on the classic biblical commentary written Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as Rashi. According to Rashi, his commentary is intended to be understood by a child, yet it contains multiple dimensions that scholars have been exploring since its original publication. The Rebbe’s talks fill over 200 volumes; a large percentage of them are in-depth analyses of the commentary which the Rebbe elucidated.

In 1967 the Rebbe established Keren Chana, a fund to assist with tuition for Jewish girls. On the anniversary of his mother’s passing, he would raise funds for the foundation.

“The Rebbe chose to honor his mother through teaching more Torah, so befitting her because she treasured learning Torah. She loved the girls in the Beth Rivkah schools and took pride in their exceptional education in Jewish studies,” Vivi Deren, Chabad representative in Stamford, Connecticut, who recalled Rebbetzin Chana, told the assembled at the Beth Chana Academy, in Orange, Connecticut.

Established in 1965, Beth Chana Academy is one of many schools named after Rebbetzin Chana in places like Jerusalem, Israel; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Melbourne Australia; Los Angeles, California; Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine; and Miami Beach, Florida.

“Being that our school is named after Rebbetzin Chana, we place great emphasis on teaching the girls about the Rebbetzin and her values,” says Bluma Hecht, the Beth Chana Academy principal. “She was a very dignified, regal and bright woman, yet she did not focus on the externals, and this is a value we try to teach here.”

Conclusion :

I learned a lot of things during this project.

  I admired Rebbetzin Chana’s devotion to her husband.  I was moved by her strong faith in God. And of the faith so that everything would be all right!

 If I would continued to search for information then I would have investigated more to know and read more about the time when she lived in the US next to her son the Rebbe, the leader of the Chabad chassidim. I would have liked to know more about this period. My challenge was to prepare and write the project in English. This is not my language.

Bibliography:

Chabad.org-https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/133640/jewish/Rebbetzin-Chanas-Biography.htm

Times of Israel- https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-incrediblestory-of-chana-schneerson/