Editing Zelda Rachel Schneerson

Zelda Rachel Schneerson (? - 23 Adar 1908) was the grandmother of the Rebbe and mother of [[Reb Levi Yitchak Schneerson - Reb Levik|R' Levi Yitzchak Schneerson]], who served as Rav of Yekaterinoslav (Dnipropetrovsk) and was the Rebbe's father.

== Life History ==
Born to R' Shneur Zalman Chaikin, a wealthy man in Podobranka, Belarus, who was connected to the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Maharash. Her father was a dedicated student of the famous chassid R' Pesach of Malostovka.

She married R' Baruch Shneur Schneerson, son of R' Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (Rav of Podobranka) and grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek. Their wedding took place during Parshas Vayechi 1871. The Rebbe Maharash delivered a chassidic discourse for their wedding beginning with "Bsulah nisas lyoim harevei."

After their marriage, they settled in Podobranka where her father built them a brick house so R' Baruch Shneur could study Torah without financial concerns.

In R' Levi Yitzchak's famous account beginning with "I am Levi Yitzchak son of Zelda Rachel," he explains his and his mother's names kabbalistically, relating them to events during his imprisonment.

Rebbetzin Zelda Rachel and her husband had three sons and a daughter.

She passed away on 23 Adar 1908 and was buried in Kiev.

When someone asked the Rebbe about the spelling of his grandmother's name - whether it should be "Zelde Rachel" (as appears in Igros Kodesh in Likkutei Levi Yitzchak) or "Zelda Rachel" (as appears in his father's prison account), the Rebbe confirmed the second version, noting its gematria connection to "shin" and the kabbalistic significance related to his imprisonment.

== Family ==

* Son - R' Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, Rav of Yekaterinoslav
* Son - R' Shmuel Schneerson (the Rebbe's uncle), Rav of Nikolayev
* Son - R' Shalom Shlomo Schneerson, Rav of Shiroka in Kherson region
* Daughter - Rebbetzin Rada Sima Kazatzkov
* Grandson - [[Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א)|The Rebbe]]
* Grandson - R' DovBer Schneerson (the Rebbe's brother)
* Grandson - R' Yisrael Aryeh Leib Schneerson
* Grandson - R' Menachem Mendel Schneerson (cousin of the Rebbe)
* Granddaughter - The famous poet Zelda Mishkovsky (Schneerson), named after her

[[Category:Beis HaRav]]
[[he:זלדה רחל שניאורסון]]