1 CROWN HEIGHTS NewsPAPER ~September 26, 2008 כאן צוה ה’ את הברכה CommunityNewspaper פרשת נצבים | כו' אלול , תשס”ח | בס”ד WEEKLY VOL. I | NO 45 SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 | ELUL 26, 5768 VOV TISHREI THE HISTALKUS OF REBBETZIN CHANA PAGE 2 HORAV HACHOSSID REB Voter MENACHEM MENDEL CUNIN Registration October 7 Beis Din of Crown Heights 390A Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Tel- 718~604~8000 Fax: 718~771~6000 Rabbi A. Osdoba: ❖ Monday to Thursday 10:30AM - 11:30AM at 390A Kingston Ave. ☎Tel. 718-604-8000 ext.37 or 718-604-0770 Sunday-Thursday 9:30 PM-11:00PM ~Friday 2:30PM-4:30 PM ☎Tel. (718) - 771-8737 Rabbi Y. Heller is available daily 10:30 to 11:30am ~ 2:00pm to 3:00pm at 788 Eastern Parkway # 210 718~604~8827 ❖ & after 8:00pm 718~756~4632 Rabbi Y. Schwei, 4:00pm to 9:00pm ❖ 718~604~8000 ext 36 Rabbi Y. Raitport is available by appointment. ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39 ☎ Rabbi Y. Zirkind: 718~604~8000 ext 39 Erev Shabbos Motzoei Shabbos Rabbi S. Segal: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 39 ❖ Sun ~Thu 5:30pm -9:00pm or ☎718 -360-7110 Rabbi Bluming is available Sunday - Thursday, 3 -4:00pm at 472 Malebone St. ☎ 718 - 778-1679 Rabbi Y. Osdoba ☎718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 10:0am -11:30am ~ Fri 10:am - 1:00 pm or 6:28 7:24 ☎ 718 -604-0770 Gut Shabbos Rabbi S. Chirik: ☎ 718~604~8000 ext 38 ❖ Sun~Thu: 5:00pm to 9:00pm 2 CROWN HEIGHTS NewsPAPER ~September 26, 2008 The Vaad Hakohol Vav Tishrei The Histalkus of Rebbetzin Chana words al hana’ar hazeh hispalalti, for this child did I pray, the Rebbe’s voice was At the Vav Tishrei farbrengens, the Rebbe But even obtaining a train ticket from that year, when she arrived in a refugee choked with tears. It was evident that would always speak of his mother’s devo- Alma Atta to Moscow was not easy. camp in Puking, Germany. the Rebbe was also fervently praying for tion to her husband: how she voluntarily Reb Chaim Yosef Dovid Nimotin was something. Four months later, in the winter of 1947, chose to join Reb Levik in exile and how finally able to obtain one, and made the Rebbetzin Chana finally arrived inP aris. Those who were standing close to the she gathered herbs there to make ink for necessary arrangements for someone to The Rebbe made arrangements to fly bimah and heard the Rebbe crying him, enabling him to write his notes on pack up the Rebbetzin’s belongings and to Paris where he remained for three realized that something was stirring in the margins of his seforim. accompany her on the trip. One Sunday months until he secured the papers the heavens, and watching the Rebbe’s The Rebbe also established in her needed for his mother to come and join preparations for blowing the shofar took memory, Keren Chana(h), noting that him in New York. Upon the instructions on a deeper meaning. ChaNaH is an acronym for the three of the Frierdiker Rebbe, they traveled to [Only one who experienced tekios in mitzvos entrusted to Jewish women: New York by boat and arrived on Chof 770 with the Rebbe could understand maintaining a kosher kitchen (and Ches Sivan, exactly six years to the day the immensity of the moments that it environment), upholding family purity, from the arrival of the Rebbe and Reb- took the Rebbe to prepare the different and lighting the Shabbos and Yom Tov betzin Chaya Mushka in America. shofros and to candles (thus illuminating her surround- For the next seventeen plus years, not a ings with the light of the Torah). It is only place the new handkerchief around his day passed that the Rebbe didn’t visit his proper that on her yahrzeit we strengthen neck. However] this year everyone mother, and very often he would stop at our commitment to fulfill these mitzvos sensed it as the preparations for tekios the local store to buy her groceries. in an exemplary manner and teach and took over twenty minutes. The thought encourage others to do so also. On Simchas Torah 5716-1955, the Rebbe of the Rebbe’s innermost cry was on taught a niggun to the chassidim gathered everyone’s mind. fter the histalkus of Reb Levi Yitzchok morning at the end of 1945, over a year in 770, a custom that continued for nine in the summer of 1944, the chassidim On the second day of Yom Tov, Reb- after the histalkus of Reb Levik, she years. On Simchas Torah 5724-1963, the in Alma Atta remained committed to betzin Chana wasn’t able to come to shul. breathed the air of Alma Atta for the last Rebbe said he would teach two niggunim assisting Rebbetzin Chana in every way She then told Rabbi Berel Junik that time and embarked on the seven-day this year, for next year he isn’t sure if possible. although the doctors told her not to go journey to Moscow. he will be teaching a niggun. Indeed, [yesterday], it was worth it. The tekios However, they soon realized that while it next Simchas Torah was right after his The Rebbetzin was advised to travel were beautiful. was a great honor for them to have Reb- mother’s histalkus. Chassidim say that under someone else’s name, as the name betzin Chana in their midst, for her sake the niggunim that the Rebbe taught were Friday night, Rabbi Junik visited the Schneerson could definitely raise some it would be best if she left the country and niggunim that his mother knew from her Rebbetzin and she told him that she unwelcome official interest. However, went to live with one of her sons. youth and enjoyed. was feeling fine. At 4:30 that morning, Rebbetzin Chana refused and insisted however, the lady attendant saw that Coming to this decision was easy; on traveling in her own name: the name Although Rebbetzin Chana came to the Rebbetzin’s situation was becoming implementing it was something else. The Schneerson was a badge of honor and 770 against her doctor’s advice on Rosh extremely serious. government did not allow any Russian was not to be hidden. Hashanah of 5725 (vWfa,-1964), most citizen to leave; how much more so did people did not know that she was ill. As Dr. Seligson was summoned, and some- Nevertheless, being that Rebbetzin this apply to Rebbetzin Chana Schneer- usual, the Rebbe was called up to read the one was sent to the Rebbe’s house to Chana did not inform the authori- son, the wife of a Jewish rabbi who was Haftorah.W hen he came to the possukim inform the Rebbe. The Rebbe imme- ties of her move, by law she was there exiled for five years and an in-law to their that speak about Chana’s discussion with diately came to his mother’s apartment illegally, and therefore, for the first few arch-enemy, the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Eli, especially when the Rebbe read the Continued on page 5 months after her arrival, she hid in a There was no chance that she would ever relative’s house. This was be allowed to leave. no simple matter, for in the Nevertheless, since it was in her best government’s eyes, being a interest to leave, the chassidim resolved Schneerson was a crime in to do everything they could to help her itself, so she had to be careful do so. They decided that the first thing that everything be done in the Rebbetzin should do would be to total secrecy in order that move to Moscow, where she would join no one know where she was. thousands of chassidim, many of them in Only after insistent persua- various planning stages of leaving Rus- sion from her friends did she sia. There she would receive the proper finally agree to be smuggled assistance. out of Russia under a false Polish identity. The one who played a major Newspaper role in supplying Rebbetzin Community Chana—and scores of chas- sidim—with false papers and 392 Kingston Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225 spiriting her out of Russia was [email protected] a remarkable woman named Mrs. Sarah Katzenelenbo- Published & edited weekly by the Vaad Hakohol of Crown Heights. gen, affectionately called by all Aunt Sarah. She accom- Moshe Rubashkin, Rosh Hakohol Dr. Tzvi (Harvey) Lang, Chairman panied Rebbetzin Chana Rabbi Plotkin, Secretary from Moscow to Lemberg Layout: SimplyUnique ([email protected]) and there gave her her own All material in this paper has been copyrighted. It false Polish passport. After is the exclusive property of this newspaper, unless otherwise attributed., and cannot be reproduced a week’s stay in Lemberg, without the consent of the publisher. Rebbetzin Chana continued Composition responsibility: This newspaper will not on her journey to freedom, be liable for errors appearing in advertising, beyond and on the 8th of March, the cost of the space occupied by the error. Advertiser assumes responsibility for errors in telephone orders. 1946, she arrived in Cracow, All advertisement designed and prepared by the Poland. She remained there CHCommunity Newspaper are the property of the newspaper and cannot be reproduced without the for seven months until the consent of the publisher beginning of November of September 26, 2008 ~ crOWN heights NewsPAPER 3 The Rebbe's Sicha Parshas Nitzavim Published and copyright © by Sichos in performance of a mitzvah. Although he a complete heart.” But they also share would be impossible for them to share English has already fulfilled a mitzvah himself, a deeper connection; they are “united an inner bond.