World War II

World War II was the largest war humanity has ever known. The war was between Nazi Germany's army and many countries worldwide. The number of casualties in World War II (according to accepted estimates) was approximately 64.5 million people, more than any other war in history. In the European theater, the war began on September 1, 1939, with Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland, and ended on May 8, 1945, with Nazi Germany's signing of the final surrender agreement.

During World War II, the Holocaust also occurred. The world war enabled the Nazis to drastically intensify their actions against the Jews. Before the war, Nazi Germany's policy focused mainly on discriminating against Jews, physical attacks on Jews and Jewish buildings, and encouraging their emigration. During the war, after conquering vast territories in Europe, the Nazis moved to actions of oppression, abuse, and genocide against Jews through concentration in ghettos and camps, and execution in death camps and killing pits.

Impact of the War on Chabad

During the war, religious persecution in Soviet Russia greatly diminished, as the government was too preoccupied to deal with the chassidim.

Another reason for the easing of persecution was rooted in the escape of Anash to Asiatic Russia, where the atmosphere toward religion was less hostile from the start due to the local Muslim population.

Migration of Anash to Asiatic Russia

While before the war, Anash were concentrated in central Russia in cities like Moscow, Malakhovka, and Leningrad, during the war, as the Germans penetrated deep into Russian territory, most Anash fled to the depths of Asiatic Russia. Most Anash immigrated to Uzbekistan and concentrated mainly in the cities of Samarkand and Tashkent, and some to Kazakhstan and Georgia. In these places, the chassidim found relative peace and stability.

Besides the significance this had for the established Chabad community, it had an enormous impact on the Bucharian communities in those cities, and many of them became Chabad chassidim.

Spreading the Wellsprings

Many people who before the war lived in Poland and other countries wandered during the war (due to escape, exile to Siberia, joining the Red Army, and more) within Russia's borders. Even people who lived in Russia itself wandered extensively during the war. Being in proximity to Chabad chassidim (and the fact that they were the only ones offering religious services, yeshivas, and cheders for children) exposed them to the world of chassidus, and some became Chabad chassidim. Among these were Reb Shlomo Maidanchik, Reb Yitzchak Springer, the family of the Rebbe of Sedlitz, and many others.

The Russian Exodus of 1946

A broader article on this topic exists - "The Russian Exodus of 1946"

At the end of the war, many chassidim left in the Russian Exodus. Since thousands of Polish citizens remained in Russia due to the war, the Russian government permitted all Polish citizens to leave Russia. Many Chabad chassidim took advantage of this opportunity and forged Polish passports to leave Russia.

Long-Term Impact

Until the Russian Exodus of 1946-47, most Chabad chassidim were in Russia. Since then, it became possible to establish the foundation for many Chabad communities worldwide. Chabad in France was built from these refugees who arrived in France after their stay in the 'Pocking' refugee camp. The Rebbe established the 'Lishka' for them then. In Eretz Yisrael, there was already a Chabad community before this, but the establishment of Kfar Chabad was based on these refugees.

In 1946, (most of) the remnants of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Russia also left, initially moving to Camp Pocking and later to Brunoy, France.

Thus, a large part of the Chabad movement's center (including most Tomchei Tmimim yeshivas) moved from Russia to France, and from there spread to the rest of the world.

The Frierdiker Rebbe's Activities During the War

Besides rescue operations and support for Jews during the Holocaust, there were activities related to the war: During the war, the Frierdiker Rebbe composed a special prayer "for the peace of the country" (United States) to be said on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (it was also read at other official events) after the Torah reading for the victory of the Allied forces. He also sent letters to the President of the United States at the time blessing him that they would win the war.