Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson: Difference between revisions

Throughout her husband's decades of rabbinical service and public activity, she stood by his side, and even when he was arrested and exiled by the Communist regime, she followed him to his place of exile. After World War II, she left Russia and arrived in Pöking, Germany, from there she wandered to Paris. The Rebbe came to Paris and brought her to New York, where she lived in Crown Heights from then on.

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.

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).

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

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).

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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).

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 passed away at Mincha time on Shabbat, 6 Tishrei 5725 (September 12, 1964), and thousands of Chassidim attended her funeral. She rests in the Rebbetzins' section near the Rebbe Rayatz's ohel in Queens, New York.

On Yom Kippur, which fell during the shiva, the Rebbe asked R' DovBer Junik to arrange a minyan for Mincha prayer in her apartment.

Starting from Shabbat Bereishit 5725, the Rebbe began explaining Rashi's commentaries on the weekly Torah portion during Shabbat farbrengens, week after week. The Rebbe also published a booklet of Igeret HaTeshuvah with a dedication in her memory.

In 5772 (2012), at the annual religious affairs conference in Kazakhstan, the Rishon LeZion Rabbi Shlomo Amar presented Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev with the Rebbetzin's diary translated into Russian on behalf of Kazakhstan's Jewish community and Israel's Chief Rabbinate, after mentioning her in his speech before religious leaders.

In New York, Rebbetzin Chana wrote down her life experiences in Soviet Russia. These life chronicles are full of hardships but also filled with spiritual strength and self-sacrifice. The Rebbetzin gave a typed copy of these memoirs to Chassidic writer Nissan Gordon to publish in Di Yiddishe Heim, which were indeed published there in a series of articles in 5724, with additional details from interviews Nissan Gordon conducted with the Rebbetzin, omitting all parts about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's suffering (as per the Rebbetzin's request, who wished not to pain the Rebbe with the painful information).

About 15 years later, Rabbi Eliyahu Alter Friedman from Tzfat compiled the book "Em B'Yisrael" and translated these memoirs into Hebrew, reorganizing them chronologically. For some reason, all sections about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's suffering were included in the book. In 5753, some students received the aforementioned copy of the memoirs, typed everything, and it was published in order in "Tzaddik L'Melech" booklet 4, typed according to the original writing order (not chronological order).

In 5772, the original notebook of the Rebbetzin's memoirs came into the possession of Vaad Hanachos B'Lahak, along with an additional notebook of memories she wrote later, including memories from the Rebbe's childhood up to her thoughts while watching the Rebbe at farbrengens after accepting the leadership.

Women who knew her personally relate that she was a rare personality. She suffered for many years, yet contained her pain and radiated joy in life.

R' Yosef Nimotin, son of the Chassid Rabbi Shmuel Nimotin, lived in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan during World War II and was involved in saving lives. He merited to serve and care for the Kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson and Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, the Rebbe's parents. During the 'Great Escape from Russia' in 5706, he entrusted Rabbi Simcha Gorodetzky with the shofar used by the Rebbe's father, which was inherited from the Tzemach Tzedek, to pass on to the Rebbe. Rabbi Nimotin remained in the Soviet Union until 5739, maintaining Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's holy gravesite, ensuring its cleanliness and upkeep. After leaving Russia, he settled in Crown Heights and received special attention from the Rebbe due to his closeness and assistance to his father.

His memories about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe's parents, were published in HaTamim issue 54, Beit Moshiach supplement Sukkot 5785.

* '''Her Brother''': Israel Aryeh Leib Yanovsky - born in 5646 and passed away at age fifteen from typhus.

* '''Her Sister''': Rebbetzin Miriam Gittel Schneerson, wife of HaRav HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn.

* '''Her Granddaughter''': Mrs. Dalia Rotman.

* '''Her husband's brother:''' Shmuel Schneerson, was married to Rebbetzin Chana's sister.