Mariesha Shagalov

Mariesha Shagalov (1901 - Tevet 20, 2007) was exiled to Siberia together with her husband, dedicated her soul to the education of her children, passed away at an old age and was buried in the Montefiore Cemetery.

Life History

She was born near the city of Zlobin in 1901 (5661) to her father R' Ben-Zion z"l and her mother Mina Etta Esther a"h Garelick. Her family was from Chabad chassidic lineage, and were descendants of the Gr"a of Vilna [source needed].

In the summer of 1921 (5681), she married her husband, the chassid and tamim R' Yitzchak Elchanan HaLevi Shagalov, son of R' Yehuda Leib HaLevi z"l and his wife Mrs. Henya Stitcha a"h. After the wedding, they moved to live in the city of Homel.

Following the directive of the Rebbe Rayatz, her husband worked with mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) as a mohel, while simultaneously both of them worked with literal mesiras nefesh in the education of their children. During one winter day in 1931, the family was exiled to the Russian frost, while she was pregnant with her youngest son. Furthermore, her husband was not given employment to support his family, and with no choice, they established their residence in the women's section of the synagogue for about seven years, living there in poverty and without basic human conditions.

Despite the difficulties, they did not refrain from continuing to work with mesiras nefesh, until on the morning of Tishrei 4, 1937, her husband was arrested by the authorities and his whereabouts remained unknown. During all this time, she was considered an agunah (a woman whose husband has disappeared without proof of death), until 1993 when his investigation file was discovered, where it was explicitly stated that he was sent to his death on Tevet 25, 1937, at only 41 years of age, Hy"d (may Hashem avenge his blood).

Mariesha remained alone to raise her six children. Initially, she sold stockings and various notions to support her family, and later settled in Crown Heights and became part of the landscape of 770. She would stand for long hours during the distribution of dollars to ensure order and organization in the line of women waiting to receive a dollar from the Rebbe's hand. She would also collect tzedakah for Torah support and acts of chesed, especially for the Oholei Torah institution. Additionally, she would stand on Hoshana Rabbah with the Rebbe's Four Species to provide the merit for Jewish women and girls.

She lived to a very old age and passed away on Tevet 20, 2007, close to the yahrtzeit of her husband, at the age of 106. Her funeral was held that same day and she was laid to rest honorably in the women's section of Agudas Chasidei Chabad in the Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York, in the first row near the holy Ohel.

She merited to see a blessed and righteous generation with close to a thousand descendants (she lived to see great-great-grandchildren). Her descendants are spread throughout the world on the Rebbe's shlichus.

See Also

• Yitzchak Elchanan Shagalov

Her Family

• Her daughter Mrs. Rosa, wife of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Marozov - mashpia in Yeshivas Oholei Torah.
• Her son, Rabbi Schneor Zalman Shagalov - one of the prominent community activists in Crown Heights, energetic activist with Russian Jewry, and among the leaders of the F.R.E.E. organization (Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe).
• Her son, Rabbi Ben Zion Shagalov, Jerusalem
• Her daughter Mrs. Shula Shifra, wife of Rabbi Shlomo Schneor Zalman Keizen - the Rebbe's shluchim in Cleveland, Ohio
• Her daughter Mrs. Rachel Levin - London, England
• Her son, R' Yaakov Shagalov