The Holocaust

[[קובץ:גטו לודז.jpg|שמאל|ממוזער|250px|Lodz Ghetto] The Holocaust was the genocide of the Jewish people carried out during World War II, in which approximately six million Jews were murdered Al Kiddush Hashem (sanctifying G-d's name). The Holocaust began in Elul 5699 (1939) and ended in early spring 5705 (1945) with the defeat of Nazi Germany in the war. Thousands of Chabad chassidim perished in the Holocaust, and afterward, most of the chassidim left the Soviet Union through Lvov and arrived at displaced persons camps throughout Europe. Most chassidim stayed in the Pocking camp in Germany, and from there, under the guidance of the Frierdiker Rebbe, they continued on to Eretz HaKodesh, the United States, and other locations.

The Holocaust Period

[[קובץ:שואה 1.png|שמאל|ממוזער|250px|A famous picture from the holocaust during the liquidation of the ghetto uprising Warsaw]] The Chabad Rebbes, communities, and yeshivas were in Nazi-occupied areas and war zones. While many perished, there were also survivors. During and after the Holocaust, most Chabad chassidim relocated, completely changing the geographic map of Chabad communities:

Before the Holocaust - Most Chabad chassidim lived in the Soviet Union, with important communities in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Eretz HaKodesh, and the United States.

After the Holocaust and exodus from Russia - Few chassidim remained in the Soviet Union, and the communities in Poland were almost completely destroyed. In the following years, chassidim settled in displaced persons camps and from there moved to Eretz HaKodesh, France, the United States, and other countries.

The Chabad researcher R' Shneur Zalman Berger, who documented Chabad's Holocaust history (series), summarized the tragic results among Chabad chassidim during the Holocaust: "The majority of Chabad chassidim in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia – thousands of families – were murdered by the Nazis. Many more Chabad chassidim in the Soviet Union were also killed. Some were murdered by the Nazis in conquered cities, some fell fighting on the battlefield, and many died from disease, hunger, and cold."

The Frierdiker Rebbe During the Holocaust

In 5693 (1933), the Frierdiker Rebbe moved from Riga to Warsaw, Poland, and in 5695 (1935), due to his health condition and doctors' advice, he moved to the town of Otwock where Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim was located.

In Elul 5699 (1939), several days after the outbreak of World War II and the Nazi invasion of Poland, he left Otwock and went to Warsaw, where he had to flee from house to house due to German bombardments. After the Nazis conquered Warsaw, he stayed in the home of the chassid Rabbi Yechiel Tzvi Gourary.

During this period, false reports circulated that the Nazis had captured and executed the Frierdiker Rebbe. When the mistake was discovered, retraction notices were published in the press announcing that "His Holy Honor the Rebbe of Lubavitch shlita is healthy and well."

Saving Jews

After arriving in the United States, the Frierdiker Rebbe immediately began working to save Jews from all backgrounds and countries. This activity involved members of Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the United States and additional Chabad askanim worldwide.

He:

Worked and succeeded in rescuing his son-in-law the Rebbe and daughter Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka
Attempted to rescue his son-in-law Rabbi Menachem Mendel Horenstein and daughter Rebbetzin Sheina HY"D
Made great efforts to rescue as many Tmimim and chassidim as possible from burning Europe
Ensured the rescue of several important Jewish leaders of that period, including the Rebbe Rabbi Aharon Rokeach of Belz and the Imrei Emes of Ger
Worked to provide assistance to many Jews who faced hardship due to the war, which caused distress, shortages, and severe economic problems worldwide
Conducted special rescue operations through Chabad Rabbanim and askanim in Sweden - Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Zuber and Rabbi Yisroel Chesdan. Documentation of these activities are scattered throughout the Frierdiker Rebbe's Igros Kodesh and some were collected in the book Chasdei Yisroel in chapters dealing with rescue during the Holocaust period
In addition to operational activities, the Frierdiker Rebbe worked to inspire American Jews to do teshuvah for the merit of their brothers suffering from Nazi persecution, and composed special prayers to arouse mercy for the Jewish people and for the merit of U.S. military personnel and leaders fighting for humanity

The Military Service Department

The Department for Military Service Workers was founded during the Holocaust by Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch in partnership with the Machne Israel organization. This department worked in various ways to inspire Yiddishkeit among Jewish soldiers serving in the U.S. military by sending religious articles, study books, Jewish reading materials, letters of encouragement from the Frierdiker Rebbe, holiday information booklets and more. The Rebbe MH"M headed all these activities.

Messages to Soldiers

The department, under the Rebbe's management, produced special "Message" booklets for soldiers and also sent them holiday booklets produced by Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch. These booklets contained messages that were igros from the Frierdiker Rebbe and content adapted from his words. The booklets also included igros and words from the Rebbe. The booklets received prominent publicity in the Kovetz Lubavitch publications.

The booklet also contained the first paragraph of Krias Shema and several chapters of Tehillim. This booklet included a letter from the Rebbe containing his father-in-law the Frierdiker Rebbe's words about the obligation to put on tefillin.

Reviews and Publication

Special reviews of activities with soldiers and the booklets were published several times over the years, including in: Sefer Toldos Chabad in the United States and Yemei Melech.

The book Yemei Breishis presents photographs of the Message booklets and includes the Rebbe's words from 1950 to a soldier about the booklets for soldiers.

The Rebbe During the Holocaust

When Hitler ימ"ש rose to power, the Rebbe spent several months in Germany. After antisemitism intensified, the Rebbe moved to Paris, France in 1933.

At the beginning of the war, the Rebbe cared for the city's Jews as well as refugees who arrived from other places, and worked to lift the spirits of the local Jews. From the known stories about the Rebbe's activities in the area, we know about his assistance to refugees entering hotels. Hotel managers did not want to admit refugees to their hotels for fear they wouldn't pay, since the refugees had no money. Therefore, hotel managers decided not to admit anyone who didn't possess property worth one hundred dollars. The Rebbe would circulate with such a bill and bring it to Jews who needed to enter hotels, and after they succeeded in getting a room, he would take the bill and pass it to additional Jews.

Additionally, it is known that the Rebbe was very particular about not being considered non-Jewish. As Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka related, during the registration conducted by the Nazis ימ"ש for French citizens, the Rebbe was not present at home. When he returned, she told him that she had answered the representative's question about the residents' religion with "Orthodox" (a response that could be interpreted as not necessarily referring to Jews). When the Rebbe heard this, he immediately went with mesiras nefesh to the office responsible for registration and ensured they would be registered specifically as Jews and not just as "Orthodox." All this during the height of the war.

Chabad Chassidim in the Holocaust

Many Chabad chassidim in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia perished in the Holocaust, in ghettos, death camps, and killing valleys.

Poland - The largest Chabad community before the Holocaust was in Warsaw and Otwock. Small communities and yeshivas existed in several Polish cities like Lodz. The majority of chassidim and Tmimim were murdered. However, dozens of students from Tomchei Tmimim yeshivas in Poland managed to escape to Lithuania and from there to Shanghai, China. They remained there during the Holocaust.

Lithuania - In Vilna and other cities, there were Chabad communities and yeshivas before the Holocaust. Most of Anash and Tmimim were murdered in the Holocaust.

Latvia - In Riga there was a large community with Chabad synagogues. There were other communities throughout Latvia. Chassidim and Tmimim were murdered with few survivors.

Soviet Union - Many Chabad chassidim lived for several generations in the cities and towns of Greater Russia-Soviet Union, and large and small communities developed throughout the country, mostly in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

In summer 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union and many Jews, including Chabad chassidim, fled from the front areas. Many of the refugees settled in Tashkent and Samarkand in Uzbekistan and thus survived the Holocaust.

Russia - The central Chabad communities in Moscow and Leningrad suffered heavy bombardment and many Chabad chassidim perished in the war events.

Ukraine - The Nazis conquered an important part of Ukraine, and many Chabad chassidim were murdered.

In summary: Most Soviet Jews and thus most Chabad chassidim remained in Nazi-occupied areas and were murdered during the Holocaust. HY"D.

After the Holocaust

The Exodus from Russia

After the Holocaust, most Chabad chassidim who survived the war events and Holocaust left the Soviet Union for Poland, exiting Russia through Lvov.

From Lvov they continued to various regions in Eastern Europe until they moved to Western Europe under American control and arrived at displaced persons camps in Germany and Austria. Most Anash settled in the Pocking DP camp in Germany and others in additional DP camps.

The Jews who gathered in DP camps received material and spiritual assistance from the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe, who ensured that chassidim would circulate and awaken the Jewish spirit among the Jews there.

The Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe sent them books and religious articles, as well as minimal kosher food, which they couldn't obtain in the poor conditions that prevailed in the camps.

The activities spread across many areas, and many Jews' Judaism was saved thanks to these activities.

Encouragement to Holocaust Survivors

Following the Holocaust, the spirits of many survivors and people who lived through the Holocaust's pain fell, and some ceased observing Torah and mitzvos, lo aleinu.

The Rebbe's response to these people is known through a mashal, to a person entering surgery. That person, who understands nothing about medicine, will try to understand the doctors' actions. But when one of the doctors raises his hand to take the knife, that person will burst out and try to prevent the surgery. "How is it possible" - he will shout - "this knife will not only not add to the person's health, but might even kill him and end his already difficult life."

Everyone understands, the Rebbe continues explaining the mashal's point, that this knife is what will save the person now lying on the operating table. It's inconceivable to say the doctor acts out of recklessness and disregard for the patient's actions. So too here, although we don't understand the Holocaust, and we resemble that person trying to understand the doctor's actions. But just as in the mashal, it's clear the doctor knows what he's doing and we trust him, so too Hashem made the Holocaust. We don't know why, but we shouldn't draw negative conclusions from this.

The Rebbe's Attitude Towards Holocaust Martyrs

Since the Holocaust, the Rebbe treated the victims and survivors with respect. When other groups tried to present the Holocaust as punishment from Hashem for undesirable behavior, the Rebbe strongly rejected such approaches and said the Holocaust should not be seen as punishment or tikun, and its reason is indeed not understood. In winter 1991, the Rebbe cried out about this in particularly sharp sichos, in which he gave a deep perspective on the Holocaust martyrs.

The Rebbe also addressed claims that the victims should not be considered martyrs who sanctified Hashem's name, since the murderers also killed assimilated Jews and apostates. He noted that outside Germany, there were those who converted and were saved. Thus, anyone killed in the Holocaust sanctified Hashem's name through their death.

In a booklet about the Three Weeks that the Rebbe published during the Holocaust, the Rebbe directly connects the Jewish people's conduct to their suffering and expresses that "the Jewish people are now in the midst of their greatest suffering," and encourages the children reading the booklet to return to Hashem, in accordance with the Frierdiker Rebbe's call that these events are the birth pangs of Moshiach and echoing his call for immediate teshuvah, immediate redemption.

Chabad in the Holocaust

Extended article - Chabad in the Holocaust (Series)

Chabad in the Holocaust is a series of fifty-five articles containing historical documentation about the Chabad Chassidic movement during the Holocaust period. The articles were written by author Shneur Zalman Berger and published over several years in the Beis Moshiach weekly.

The series began publication in 2005 marking sixty years since the end of the war and was completed in 2009.

External links

Tag: the holocaust, Chabad Info
The Holocaust, chabad.org