Dnipro Community Honors Memory of the Rebbe’s Brother

On the date designated by many as the yahrtzeit of Reb Dovber Schneerson, brother of the Rebbe, shluchim, anash and representatives of the Jewish Community of Dnipro gathered at the mass grave where he is buried, on the grounds of the regional hospital in Igren, to honor his memory and the memory of the other innocent victims of the Nazi genocide.

The participants joined together in remembering the Rebbe’s family, whose history is closely connected to the city, and in the responsibility to preserve that memory and pass it on to future generations.

Reb Dovber Schneerson was the second son of Harav Levi Yitzchak, Chief Rabbi of Yekaterinoslav-Dnepropetrovsk from 5669 (1909) to 5699 (1939), and Rebbetzin Chana. Due to his health, he required constant medical care and was receiving treatment at the hospital in Igren. In the autumn of 5701 (1941), he was shot by the Nazis together with other patients.

For many years, the Jewish Community of Dnipro has worked to preserve the memory of those murdered in Igren. A memorial now stands at the site of the mass grave, visited by community members and guests of the city.

Work to improve the site continues. Last year, Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region and shliach Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki and Professor Svitlana Moroz, General Director of the regional hospital, discussed the completion of the first stage of renovations. A canopy and convenient access to the site were added, with further work planned on the memorial steles.

The memorial gathering was attended by well-known activists and young leaders of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, including Rabbi Reuven Milman and Rabbi Yom Tov Shufotinsky, as well as Levi Elias, Yaakov Etinburg, Moishe Elias, Binyomin Pinkus, Dovid Pinkus, Yosef Zhilin, Grigoriy Fridman, Elisha Ephraim Prasolov, Mikhoel Pinkus, and Chaim Kolodach.

The participants recited the appropriate sections of Tehillim for the yahrtzeit, including the sections of Tehillim 119 corresponding to the letters of Reb Dovber’s name. Those who could not read Hebrew also participated by reading the Tehillim in a language accessible to them.

The participants then recited Kaddish together, followed by Minchah and a short lechaim.

“The initiator of this trip was my husband, Elisha Ephraim Prasolov, and it is very important to us that so many people responded and came together to honor the memory of the Rebbe’s brother and the other people who perished here,” said Chaya Prasolova.

“I want to thank from the bottom of my heart everyone who took part, helped with the preparations, and made this event possible. It was another expression of our shared responsibility to preserve the memory and remain faithful to the traditions of the united Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”

It should be noted that while many have considered 24 Tishrei to be Reb Dovber’s yahrtzeit, based in part on a 5707 calendar in which the Rebbe recorded “Berel” next to 24 Tishrei, there is reason to believe that the date was later established as 25 Elul, another date which the Rebbe marked in the calendar and on which he said Kaddish.

In 5750, the Rebbe identified 24 Tishrei as the yahrtzeit of his maternal grandmother, Rebbetzin Rachel Yanovsky, leading many to understand that 25 Elul was in fact the yahrtzeit of Reb Dovber.

There are also conflicting accounts regarding the exact date of his murder, with evidence pointing to the end of 5701, consistent with the 25 Elul date.