Editing Brazil (section)

= Development of the Chabad Community in Brazil =
In 5670 (1910), Chabad settlement in Brazil began, and over the years a Chabad community developed in the country consisting of families of local Jews, baalei teshuva, and the Rebbe's shluchim, as follows.

== During the Period of the Rebbe Rashab ==
'''5670 (1910)''' The beginning of Lubavitch settlement in Brazil was in 5670 (1910), when [[the Rebbe Rashab]] sent Rabbi Shmuel Novikov to the city of Paulo (as part of his efforts to arrange settlement places for Jews). Rabbi Shmuel served there as a shochet, bodek, and mohel, as a community activist who founded the Knesset Yisrael synagogue, a teacher of young children even in remote settlements, and also collected funds from the community to help Jews during World War I.

== During the Period of the Rebbe Rayatz ==
5689 (1929), Rabbi Dov Ber and his wife Feiga Begon settled in southern Brazil, in the city of Porto Alegre, and established a mikveh tahara in their home (which exists to this day, maintained by the shliach Rabbi Liberov, who bought the house and renovated it). In 5708 (1948), Rabbi Dov Ber sent his two children, Rabbi Yaakov and Tzvi Aryeh Begon, to study at [[Central Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim - 770|Tomchei Temimim-770]] until their weddings, after which they were sent by the Rebbe for shlichus in Brazil.

'''5690 (1930)''', the Rebbe Rayatz wrote a letter to Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Althaus, from which it appears that he wanted to visit Brazil. His holy words were: "Regarding the trip to Brazil, it is difficult for me to say anything about it yet, until some matter that still depends on estimation becomes clear, and I am not making any promise about this, but rather my desire and aim is that Hashem should help that the good will come from potential to actual, both materially and spiritually." No further details are known about this visit idea.

'''5693 (1933)''', another chassid named Pinchas Shleif settled in the city of Paulo. He maintained regular correspondence with the Rebbe Rayatz, to whom he reported about Brazilian Jewry.

Through the efforts of Rabbi Pinchas Shleif, an Orthodox school called "Talmud Torah" was established in Paulo. He first approached Rabbi Moshe Zalman Levin, one of the city's rabbis, who responded with astonishment: "Establish an Orthodox school in Paulo?" But Reb Pinchas did not give up and eventually established the Talmud Torah.

'''5694 (1934)''' The Zayantz family settled in Brazil. The first to arrive was Rabbi Simcha Yitzchak Zayantz who, after his shechita studies with his father-in-law, saw the rise of the Nazi regime (may their name be erased). In order to receive a shochet certificate in Poland, he had to pay a large sum of money, and when he came to ask the Rebbe Rayatz what to do, the Rebbe instructed him: "Go to Brazil and be a shochet there!" Rabbi Simcha Yitzchak accepted the words simply and traveled to Brazil, initially going alone and leaving his wife and two sons in Poland.

At first, Rabbi Simcha Yitzchak settled in Rio de Janeiro. About a month after his arrival, Rabbi Moshe Zalman Levin came to Rio and urged Rabbi Simcha Yitzchak to move to Paulo, saying: "What do you have to do in Rio? It is a defiled place, come with me to Paulo!" Indeed, Rabbi Simcha Yitzchak moved to Paulo and served there as a shochet and bodek, and also gave classes on the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Gemara with Tosafot, Chassidut, and later even on Likutei Sichot.

'''5707 (1947)''' A significant boost in Chabad settlement in Brazil was in 5707 (1947), when the fundraiser Rabbi Yosef Weinberg began visiting Paulo to raise funds and at the same time to infuse the spirit of Chassidut among the local Jews "to sow spirituality and reap materiality."

The main work that Rabbi Weinberg did in Brazil was to convince parents to send their sons to study at Yeshivat Tomchei Temimim in the United States, thereby turning them into connected chassidim. Among the students he sent to the yeshiva: Yaakov Begon, Tzvi Aryeh Begon, Meir Zayantz, Mordechai Zayantz, who later themselves became dedicated shluchim to the city of Paulo.

Rabbi Weinberg also tried, under the instruction of the Rebbe Rayatz, to open a Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in Paulo.

In this year, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Turnheim from Lukov was also sent by the Rebbe Rayatz to serve as a shochet for the Jewish community.

'''5710 (1950)''' Even in 5710 (1950), during the last period of the Rebbe Rayatz's life in this world, he continued to care for the Jews of Brazil when he instructed Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Hecht to travel on shlichus to Brazil. For this mission (which was only possible after the Rebbe's passing), the Rebbe lent Rabbi Hecht a piece of the Rebbe Rayatz's handkerchief for the success of their mission.