Hundreds gathered on Thursday night, Yud Tammuz, at Yeshivas Chabad Toras Emes in Yerushalayim for a grand seudas hoda’ah marking Chag Hageulah of Yud Beis and Yud Gimmel Tammuz, the day of the release of the Frierdiker Rebbe from Soviet imprisonment.

This year’s gathering carried special significance as the 100th year since the geulah of 5687 begins. The large crowd sat around beautifully arranged tables, with a prominent mizrach table graced by leading rabbonim and admorim from across the Torah and Chassidishe world.

The evening was opened by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Avrohom Yoel Lapidus, who read a letter of the Rebbe regarding the celebration of a jubilee of Chag Hageulah.

Throughout the evening, prominent rabbonim addressed the crowd, speaking about the mesirus nefesh of the Frierdiker Rebbe and the practical lesson it carries for avodas Hashem in our generation.

Speakers included Rabbi Chaim Sholom Deitsch, from the roshei yeshiva; Rabbi Matisyahu Deitsch, rov of Ramat Shlomo; Rabbi Yisroel Brzovsky, rov of Slonim chassidim in Beitar and member of the Badatz Agudas Yisroel; the Boston Rebbe; the Stropkov Rebbe; Rabbi Tzvi Weiss, rosh Machon Smicha and rov in Beitar; Rabbi Mendel Fogel, rosh kollelim of Mayanei Yisroel; and the yeshiva’s mashpi’im, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Ofen and Rabbi Shmuel Pressman.

The central address was delivered by Rabbi Menachem Mordechai Kenig, menahel ruchni of Tomchei Temimim in Lod, who held the crowd’s attention for close to an hour with an inspiring and richly delivered address.

The gathering was further honored by the presence of many admorim and rabbonim seated at the head table, including the Rebbes of Trisk, Skulen, and Kaliv; Rabbi Dov Landau, from the roshei yeshiva of Sfas Emes; Rabbi Yosef Moshe Schneersohn, rosh yeshiva of Tchebin; Rabbi Dovid Twersky, rov of Rachmastrivka chassidim; Rabbi Aharon Dovid Neustadt, rov of the chassidishe communities in Neve Yaakov; Rabbi Tuvia Silberstrom; and Rabbi Yekusiel Farkash.

The event concluded with a chassidishe farbrengen led by Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Halevi Segal, from the roshei yeshiva and rov of the Chabad community in Rechavia; mashpia Rabbi Chaim Lieberman; and Rabbi Shneur Zalman Cohen, the Rebbe’s shliach to Har Choma. The farbrengen continued until the early hours of the morning.

Participants received a special teshurah, the kovetz “Goel Yisroel,” which includes a historical overview of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s arrest and geulah, the powerful impact it had throughout the Jewish world, newly published material on the connection between the Frierdiker Rebbe and Yeshivas Toras Emes, and rare documentation of a historic seudas hoda’ah held at the yeshiva in 5705 with the participation of gedolei Yisroel of that time.

Photos: Mendy Kotlyar