Story Archives | Anash.org

The Refugees Who Astonished the Jewish World: 80 Years Since ‘The Great Escape’

Anash — Sun, 17 May 2026

In Sivan 5706, chasidim began to flee the Soviet Union for the free world. As we mark 80 years since the Great Escape, From the Margins of Chabad History launches a series documenting the vibrant chasidishe life of the escapees in the refugee centers and DP camps, until they reached their final destinations.

In the Middle of the Night, They Heard Knocking on the Door

Anash — Sun, 17 May 2026

It was late one blustery Friday night under Communism when knocking was heard on the door of a chossid’s home in Nevel. Terrified, he opened the door, to find the town's shochet Reb Chaim Dovid Lein looking for candlelight by which to learn a maamar.

What the Rebbe Was Busy With in Berlin

Anash — Fri, 15 May 2026

Arriving in Berlin in need of a visa, R’ Ezriel Zelig Slonim turned to the Rebbe's residence. He was surprised to discover the Rebbe alone in his room, fasting, and immersed in Yerushalmi in Rabbeinu Tam tefillin.

Ping Pong on Shabbos Kodesh?!

Anash — Fri, 08 May 2026

Seeking new ways to reach boys who had fallen through the cracks, Rabbi Aharon Mordechai Zilberstrom organized a Shabbos program with games. Yet despite the urgency of the program, the Rebbe insisted that the holiness of Shabbos be upheld.

‘For Twenty-Five Dollars, I Don’t Let You Leave Yeshiva’

Anash — Thu, 07 May 2026

Growing up in a home shattered by the Holocaust and poverty, Laibel Lipszyc traveled to Argentina determined to make money and rescue his struggling family. The Rebbe's caring guidance changed his understanding of parnassah and what truly brings success.

Was the Kopuster Rebbe a Zionist?

Anash — Sun, 03 May 2026

In honor of the upcoming 126th yartzeit of Harav Shlomo Zalman of Kopust, From the Margins of Chabad History presents new information about his life and stance towards the Zionist movement.

The Rebbe Said ‘Wait’ and the Baby Turned

Anash — Fri, 01 May 2026

As doctors prepared for an emergency C-section, the Goldmans in Johannesburg, South Africa, made a late-night call to the Rebbe. The Rebbe instructed them to wait, and moments later, the baby turned on its own.

The Rebbe’s Reaction to a Women’s Prayer Group Proposal

Anash — Fri, 01 May 2026

At the height of the feminist movement, a woman approached R’ Shlomo Cunin, asking to start a women’s prayer group. When he consulted the Rebbe, the Rebbe firmly rejected the idea, even if a halachic permissibility could be found.

The Rebbe’s Secret Shiva After His Brother’s Passing

Mendel — Thu, 30 Apr 2026

In the morning, the Rebbetzin called Berel Yunik and asked him to come to her home. She told him she had received word from Liverpool, England, that the condition of the Rebbe’s brother was very serious. Soon, the truth became clear: the Rebbe’s brother had passed away. A diary recording the events of the time.

Father and Son, Very Much the Same

Editor — Sun, 26 Apr 2026

9 Iyar marks the yahrtzeit of Reb Nissan Nemanov and his son Reb Moshe Nemanov. Much has been written about Reb Nissan Nemanov, his legendary sense of kabolas ol, and his influence on generations of talmidim. Far less is known about Reb Moshe Nemanov, who shied away from the public eye and abhorred any form of attention or recognition.

Renowned Mir Rosh Yeshiva’s Surprising Connection to the Rebbe

Mendel — Sun, 26 Apr 2026

Reb Nochum Partzovitz, the legendary Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir, was one of the towering Torah minds of the twentieth century. What is less known is his decades long personal connection with the Rebbe that came to matter at an unexpected moment in his life.

My Years in 770: Rabbi Leibel Alevsky Recalls

Mendel — Sun, 26 Apr 2026

Rabbi Leibel Alevsky AH, the Rebbe’s shliach to Northeast Ohio who passed away Monday, shares stories, recollections, and lessons from his years as a bochur in 770 and his involvement in the early years of hafatzas hamaayanos as the menahel of Tzach throughout the 5720s.

In His Sleep, He Asked the Alter Rebbe ‘What is a Neshama?’

Anash — Sun, 26 Apr 2026

As the Alter Rebbe came in with a candle to see how the chassidim slept, R. Moshe Vilenker woke up bewildered and asked the Alter Rebbe, "What is a neshama? What is Elokus?" The Alter Rebbe told him to go back to sleep, but later said a maamar on the topic.

‘Painful and Reckless,’ The Rebbe Decried ‘Underqualified’ Halachic Voices

Anash — Fri, 24 Apr 2026

When someone suggested that the Rebbe's opposition to Yom Ha’atzmaut and its celebrations would rescind after the miraculous victory of the Six-Day War, the Rebbe bemoaned that "underqualified individuals express halachic opinion" and "vilify the great rabbonim."

The Rebbe Knew the F-16 Better Than the Experts

Anash — Thu, 23 Apr 2026

Following a 1979 visit, an Israeli Air Force veteran discovered how the Rebbe’s pointed questions and practical suggestions about F-16 systems anticipated developments that would emerge over a decade later.

Revisiting Rabbi Lipskar’s Impact on his First Yahrtzeit

Mendel — Wed, 22 Apr 2026

Marking the first yahrtzeit of legendary Bal Harbor shliach Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar a"h, we share stories of his profound impact, from the 'forty-year handshake' with a Holocaust survivor, to a “clean slate” for a woman in crisis, to breaking the stigma for inmates.

When Rabbi Chodakov Relayed the Rebbe’s Secret Orders

Anash — Mon, 20 Apr 2026

5 years ago, Rabbi Leibel Alevsky a"h, Shliach to Northeast Ohio, shared with Anash.org unique personal memories of Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Eizik Chodakov, the Rebbe’s legendary secretary and chief of staff, in honor of his yahrtzeit, 3 Iyar. As hashgacha protis would have it, it turned out to be Rabbi Alevsky's yahrtzeit as well.

When Fake News About the Rebbe Maharash Sparked a Public Rebuttal

MM — Sun, 19 Apr 2026

2 Iyar marks 192 years from the birth of the Rebbe Maharash. From the Margins of Chabad History relates an episode of fake news from the contemporary maskilic press that gives us a glimpse of the respect in which he was held, details about his travels, and the loyalty of his devoted chasidim.

He Ran Into the Alter Rebbe’s Room Without Negel Vasser

Anash — Sun, 19 Apr 2026

One of the greatest chassidim of the Alter Rebbe, R. Zalman Zezmer was an incredible maskil. Barred from attending the "Yungeh Chassidus" for newcomers, he ran to hide, but the Alter Rebbe could smell that he was there.

70 Years: Kfar Chabad Massacre and the Rebbe’s Revolution

Mendel — Fri, 17 Apr 2026

On Rosh Chodesh Iyar 5716, terrorists attacked the Beit Sefer L'melacha in Kfar Chabad, killing five talmidim and their teacher. The massacre nearly shattered the fledgling village - until the Rebbe responded with a revolutionary shlichus that transformed Chabad in Eretz Yisroel forever.

The Effective Way to Spread the Rebbe’s Torah

Anash — Fri, 17 Apr 2026

When a group of bochurim wanted to send the Rebbe's Nigleh seforim to libraries and rabbonim, the Rebbe rejected their plan. The bochurim should koch in learning and share the Torah - that would make an impression.

What the Rebbe Told Rabbi Groner After 28 Nissan

Editor Desk — Wed, 15 Apr 2026

The sicha the Rebbe delivered on 28 Nissan 5751 shocked the Chassidim. Two weeks later, the Rebbe asked Rabbi Leibel Groner a"h what the practical outcome of the sicha had been.

He Told the Rebbe What They Were Doing

Anash — Fri, 10 Apr 2026

When seven-year-old Psachya Korf marched up to the Rebbe to report boys tormenting birds in 770's courtyard, the Rebbe looked for the positive and taught him a lesson on seeing the good in others.

‘Can I Marry Him?’ The Rebbe Answered 20 Questions

MM — Tue, 07 Apr 2026

When a nervous kallah brought a list of twenty questions into yechidus, the Rebbe asked the chosson to step out. The Rebbe spoke with her privately, and she emerged with confidence to move forward.

‘There’s No Stopping It’ – But the Rebbe Disagreed

Anash — Sun, 05 Apr 2026

When a media insider told the Rebbe that television’s spread was unstoppable, the Rebbe offered a brief but striking response that challenged the entire assumption.

He Didn’t Care About Gashmiyus, But the Rebbe Did

Anash — Sun, 05 Apr 2026

Originally a Kopuster chossid, R. Mendel Leib Abramson became a devout chossid of the Rebbe Rashab and Frierdiker Rebbe. When he presented a pann only about ruchniyus, the Frierdiker Rebbe made sure to give him gashmiyus too.

The Rebbe’s Concern for a Young Couple’s Midnight Tea

Anash — Tue, 31 Mar 2026

During yechidus before their departure on shlichus, the Rebbe pressed Rabbi Asher and Sema Zeilingold about a seemingly minor detail - how they would manage a cup of tea in the middle of the night - expressing his concern for the young couple.

The ‘Arrogant Beggar’ Who Raided the Kitchen Cabinets

Anash — Sun, 29 Mar 2026

A wealthy chossid, R. Zalman Chaikin, the Rebbe’s great-grandfather, would blend with visiting beggars and lead them to a local "hospitable home," where he would open all the cabinets and take out food, to the shock of his companions.

When the Rebbe Took the Principal’s Side Against the Donor

Anash — Fri, 27 Mar 2026

When a wealthy father challenged a school’s decision, the Rebbe upheld the principal’s authority and instructed that an apology be made before the student could return.

Suddenly the Rebbe Leaned Back and Began a Conversation

Anash — Thu, 26 Mar 2026

What began as a standard yechidus took an unexpected turn when the Rebbe shifted the tone and engaged young Reb Avrohom Gerlitzky in a conversation about his role in preserving the Rebbe’s Torah.