Editing Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson (section)

== Life History ==
Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson was born on 28 Tevet 5640 in the Romanovka settlement in Ukraine, to her father Rabbi Meir Shlomo Yanovsky, who later became the rabbi of Nikolayev, and her mother Rebbetzin Rachel.

Her paternal grandfather, Rabbi Avraham David Lavut, was the rabbi of Nikolayev, her grandfather Rabbi Yisrael Leib Yanovsky replaced him as the city's rabbi after his passing, and after him, her father.

Her parents gave her a foundational Chassidic education from a young age. In those days, Nikolayev was home to a vibrant community of Chabad Chassidim. When a Chassidic discourse would arrive from Lubavitch, Rebbetzin Chana would copy it in beautiful handwriting for the benefit of the Chassidim.

Rebbetzin Chana was blessed with exceptional musical talent, which she inherited from her father Rabbi Meir Shlomo, who also composed several Chabad niggunim of spiritual devotion.

==== Marriage ====
At age twenty, Rebbetzin Chana married Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson. The Rebbe Rashab suggested the match. The wedding was set for Thursday after Shavuot, but due to the bride's illness, her father wanted to postpone the wedding. The bride's father, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Yanovsky, sent a special messenger to the Rebbe Rashab to get his consent to postpone the wedding, but the Rebbe instructed to hold the wedding as scheduled and gave his blessing. The wedding took place on Friday, 11 Sivan 5660 (June 8, 1900).

After the wedding, the Rebbe Rashab sent a letter of blessing to the groom's father, Rabbi Baruch Shneur Schneerson, in addition to the telegram he sent on the wedding day itself.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana lived in Nikolayev after the wedding.

The Rabbi and Rebbetzin had three sons: [[the Rebbe]], [[Reb DovBer (Berel) Schneerson|DovBer]], and Yisrael Aryeh Leib.

==== Rebbetzin of Dnepropetrovsk ====
The couple lived in Nikolayev until 5667 (1907), when Rabbi Levi Yitzchak received an offer to serve as rabbi in Yekaterinoslav (today Dnepropetrovsk), which was the central city for Jewish affairs in Ukraine (which was at that time a province in the Soviet Union).

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak accepted the offer and moved with his family to the city, where he served as rabbi for 32 years. Throughout this time, Rebbetzin Chana stood by his side, involved and active in community life.

During World War I, she was among the leaders of the "committees" established to find help for all war refugees who arrived in Dnepropetrovsk, including shochtim, rabbis, yeshiva heads, and others.

==== The Rebbe's Parents' Influence ====
The Rebbe mentioned on various occasions how his parents' self-sacrifice for the community influenced him regarding leadership and caring for all of Israel.

In 1929, their eldest son, the Rebbe's wedding was held in Warsaw, Poland. The Rebbe's parents were forbidden from leaving Russia and attending the wedding due to their Jewish activities. On the wedding day, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana held a mitzvah feast despite the severe prohibition on religious gatherings.

==== Exile ====
In 1939, her husband was arrested by the authorities due to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's fight for observing mitzvot and his activities in spreading Judaism, which were forbidden under Soviet Union laws.

After more than a year of imprisonment, he was tried and sent into exile in the village of Chaili in Soviet Kazakhstan. Rebbetzin Chana hurried to join him to care for all his needs.

Despite the harsh conditions, when writing materials were unavailable in their place of exile, she managed with great dedication to provide what was needed so Rabbi Levi Yitzchak could write down his Torah teachings by producing ink from herbs. Later, she risked her life by taking his writings during her wanderings, and ultimately succeeded in smuggling these writings out of the Soviet Union, which were later printed in a series of books called Likutei Levi Yitzchak.

After the years of exile, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak moved to Alma Ata (Almaty), but due to the hardships of imprisonment and exile, he became seriously and terminally ill there, from which he passed away on the 20th of Menachem Av 5704 (August 9, 1944) and was buried there.

==== Leaving Russia ====
In winter 5706 (1946), the Rebbetzin left Alma Ata. With the help of friends, she managed to reach Moscow. The Rebbetzin stayed at R' DovBer Rickman's house in Kraskovka, a suburb near Moscow. Initially, she insisted on leaving Russia officially, claiming she had a son in the United States, and refused to cross the border illegally through 'echelons' using a forged Polish passport.

Eventually, she decided to smuggle across the border to Poland, where she wandered from city to city. Those who accompanied her were the young women Hadassah (Perman) and Yocheved (Zalmanov) of the Gurlick family, whose family and father she knew from Alma Ata, and agreed to journey with these girls.

==== In Europe ====
Extended article - [[The Rebbe's Visit To Paris|The Rebbe's Visit to Paris]]

From Poland, she arrived in Germany, where she settled in the Pocking camp, and several Chassidic families who knew her supported and assisted her in many ways.

Yocheved Zalmanov again came specially to the refugee camp to accompany the Rebbetzin to France to meet her son the Rebbe, encountering difficulties along the way and surviving even gunfire. At the end of the journey, the Rebbetzin thanked her for protecting her with her body, saying she had saved her life.

In France, the Rebbetzin arrived in Paris, where her son, the Rebbe, met her.

Near Purim 5707, the Rebbe arrived in Paris by plane, which was the only time the Rebbe ever flew in an airplane.

Chabad Chassidim in the city wanted to honor the Rebbe by bringing him from the airport, but while waiting for his estimated landing time, they received a telegram from the Rebbe Rayatz saying "Blessed are you in your coming" and the Chassidim understood that the Rebbe had already arrived. Indeed, after a few minutes, the Rebbe arrived at the house where his mother was staying by taxi.

When the Rebbe arrived, the Rebbetzin went shopping and the Rebbe entered the synagogue on the upper floor of Rabbi Zalman Schneerson's house and prayed, then went down to the room where his mother was staying on the second floor, and met her for the first time after twenty years of separation. They entered a side room together, and after some time he went out to gather with the Chassidim and during the gathering spoke about how Joseph hadn't seen his father for twenty-two years, and while speaking wept profusely.

Following the Rebbe Rayatz's instructions, they sailed together by ship (rather than flying) and reached the shores of the United States on the 28th of Sivan 5707 (1947).

The Rebbetzin lived her last seventeen years near 770 (on President Street, at number 1418, which is now connected to the [[Central Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim - 770|Central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva]] dormitory).

==== In Crown Heights ====
Three years after arriving in New York, the Rebbe Rayatz passed away and her eldest son, the Rebbe, took his place. Despite his busy schedule, the Rebbe made sure to visit his mother every day without exception.

The Rebbetzin was involved in the lives of the Chassidim in Crown Heights. Many Chassidim would visit her home, converse with her, and share memories of her husband, [[Levi Yitzchak Schneerson|Rabbi Levi Yitzchak]]. She regularly attended prayers and farbrengens at 770 and Chassidic celebrations.

Rebbetzin Chana served as a member of the presidency of N'shei uBnos Chabad in the [[United States]].