Editing The Town of Shchedrin

The town of '''Shchedrin''' (pronounced: '''Shchédrín''', in English: '''Shchedrin''', in Russian: '''Щацедрин'''), is a Jewish-Chassidic settlement established by the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek in the Minsk province in Belarus (White Russia), whose residents engaged in agriculture.

== Location and Population ==
The town is located in the Minsk province in Belarus, close to Bobruisk. The settlement area spreads over slightly more than ten dunams and is situated near the Bryoza River, which enabled fertile agricultural settlement.

The town's population at its beginning numbered about three hundred families, and during its hundred years of existence gradually expanded until it reached peak settlement in the year 5657 (1897), with a population of 4,234 residents.

== History of the Town ==

==== The Background ====
The leaders of Chabad Chassidus throughout the generations engaged in improving the material condition of Jews, and encouraged many of them to leave the large cities and live in settlements and earn their livelihood from working the land.

In the years preceding 5598 (1838), the Russian Czar issued a call for Jews to engage in agricultural work, which provided additional incentive for Jews to move to villages and settlements. The Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek realized this potential and began to establish a Jewish settlement for Chabad chassidim who would engage in manual labor.

==== Establishment of the Settlement ====
The area of the town of Shchedrin was purchased by the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek in 5599 (1839) from Prince Shchedrinov, and was named after him.

After purchasing the land, the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek encouraged his chassidim to move to live in the Jewish settlement, providing financial support to families, giving them tools to help them work the agricultural fields of the settlement, and established a special committee to manage the affairs of the residents. In 5602 (1842), Jewish settlement actually began there.

What was unique about this settlement was that all its residents were Chabad chassidim, and according to the directive of the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek, there were special times during the year when all residents took a break of several days from work and sat to engage in learning.

The Jewish settlement was very successful, the residents succeeded in their work and enjoyed economic abundance, and the Russian government appreciated the Tzemach Tzedek's activity in this matter. In 5602 (1842), they awarded him a certificate of "Honored Citizen for Generations."

Most of the town's land did not remain under the ownership of the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek, but was transferred to the names of the town's residents without payment. Through the Tzemach Tzedek's efforts, the residents received additional government benefits, which included a long-term loan that they repaid by paying percentage of the crops they grew.

The Tzemach Tzedek sold the forested area of the settlement to one of the wealthy chassidim from the town of Bobruisk, and the money he received from the sale was sent to establish Kollel Chabad.

== Community Life in the Town ==
'''Expanded topic – Tomchei Tmimim Shchedrin'''

In the early years of the settlement, the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek would visit the place annually to farbreng and encourage the chassidim who moved to live in the settlement, but in later years this practice ceased, and instead one of his sons would come to inquire about the welfare of the residents and take interest in their spiritual and material condition.

The town was located near the city of Paritch, where the mashpia Reb Hillel of Paritch lived, who would come to visit the town's residents from time to time and inspire them in their avodas Hashem.

Before Sukkos, the town's residents would provide lulavim and hadassim for all Lubavitcher chassidim in Belarus, and even for our Rebbeim themselves.

After the passing of the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek in 5626 (1866), most of the town's residents became connected to the Rebbe Maharash, despite the town's proximity to Bobruisk, the residence of Rebbe Shmarya Noach Schneersohn.

In 5669 (1909), a group of robbers and murderers attacked one of the town's houses and killed seven of its residents. The frightened townspeople sent a delegation to the Rebbe Rashab and asked him to strengthen the spirit of the residents by establishing a branch of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim.

Their proposal was accepted, and at the beginning of 5670 (1910), the first group of students from Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch (from the group that studied in Babinovitch) moved there.

With the establishment of the yeshiva, well-known chassidic figures such as the mashpia Rabbi Shaul Dov Zislin and Rabbi Alter Shimchovitz settled in the place, which breathed new life into the community.

The spiritual and material condition of the town's Jews was so good that there were those who referred to the town as "the Land of Israel of Russia," and natives of the town testified that when people said that the state of Judaism in Russia was dire and Jews were persecuted - they could not understand what troubles they were talking about.

== The End of the Town ==
The Jewish settlement in the place lasted one hundred years, and during World War II in the year 5702 (1942), most of the town's residents fled and abandoned it in fear of the Nazis, but about six hundred weak people who could not withstand the hardships of the journey remained in the town.

When the Nazi soldiers arrived, they led all the town's residents outside the city near the local cemetery, shot them, and buried them in a mass grave.

Today, the town's population includes about 800 Russian residents, and there is no trace of the Jewish life that flourished in the place during the town's happier years.

== People Connected to the Town ==

==== Rabbis of the Town ====

* First Rabbi - '''Rabbi Yehuda Leib Estrin''', served until his passing in 5672 (1912).
* Second Rabbi - '''Rafael Cohen''', served between the years 5672-5682 (1912-1922).
* Third Rabbi - '''Rabbi Yerachmiel Benyaminson''', served between the years 5682-5685 (1922-1925).
* Fourth Rabbi - '''Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Krasik''', served between the years 5685-5692 (1925-1932).
* Fifth Rabbi - '''Rabbi Menachem (Nache) Krasik''', served between the years 5692-5696 (1932-1936).

==== Mashpi'im of the Town ====

* Yerucham Fishel Mianovitz.
* Yisrael Moshe MiShchedrin.

==== Natives of the Town ====

* Rabbi Yaakov Zechariah of Skalik, one of the first Temimim from Lubavitch and a man of mesiras nefesh, was killed al kiddush Hashem.
* Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Zuber, of the Anash rabbis who served as a shliach of the Rebbe Rayatz in the cities of Georgia, in Stockholm, and in Boston.
* Rabbi Yechezkel Himmelstein.

== Further Reading ==

* '''Admor the Tzemach Tzedek and the Haskalah Movement''', page 4 and onwards.
* Rabbi Avraham Chanoch Glitzenstein, Sefer HaToldot Part 6, '''The Foundation of the Town of Shchedrin'''.
* Yehuda Slutsky, '''Bobruisk - Memorial Book for the Community of Bobruisk and its Daughters''', pages 804-828. Tel Aviv, 5727 (1967).
* Shneur Berger, series of articles in Beit Moshiach magazine in the month of Adar Rishon 5774: '''Chapter 1 - The First Chabad Village''' • (link not active, 9 Adar 5784) '''Chapter 2 - Chassidic Figures''' • '''Chapter 3 - The Yeshiva that Emanated its Glory (page 48)''' • (link not active, 9 Adar 5784) '''Chapter 4 - The End of the Chabad Colony'''. (link not active, 9 Adar 5784)
* Shneur Zalman Berger, '''What does the Mitteler Rebbe have to do with Agricultural Settlements?''', Beit Moshiach weekly, Issue 1191 page 34 and onwards (5780)