A recent teshura, distributed at the recent Raskin–Sudakevitch wedding, explores the rich, shared heritage of the chosson and kallah – tracing the histories of the Raskin, Levin, and Vygon families. Spanning over 250 pages, it’s filled with rare family photos and newly uncovered archival documents.
By Anash.org writer
A fascinating new teshura, distributed at the recent wedding of Yaakov Sudakevitch and Doba Rosa Raskin, explores the shared family heritage of the chosson and kallah. Tracing their lineage through grandparents, great-grandparents, and a host of both well-known and lesser-known Chassidim, the memento offers a rich glimpse into their remarkable lives and avodas Hashem.
The beautifully designed teshura, over 250 pages in full color and presented in both Hebrew and English, is filled with rare family photos, archival documents, and newly uncovered historical material. A project of this magnitude involved extensive research, personal interviews, and combing through many archives. It was spearheaded, managed, and thoroughly researched by Rabbi Levi Raskin, with the assistance of a team of talented individuals.
Part One focuses on the legendary chossid Reb Shlomo Raskin and his wife Basya Chaya, along with the broader Raskin family. The kindness, hospitality, and self-sacrifice of R’ Shlomo and Basya Chaya Raskin left a lasting impression on all who knew them. In a city where Jewish life had nearly vanished, Reb Shlomo kept the flame of Yiddishkeit burning – not just for his own family, but for countless others who found in his home a living reminder of what it means to be a Jew.
During the research process, references to Basya Chaya’s father and grandfather were found in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s writings. This discovery led to further exploration of the Vygon family, which forms Part Two of the teshura. While Basya Chaya’s brother Reb Shamai Vygon is a well-known figure in the Frierdiker Rebbe’s writings, her brother Reb Yosef Vygon was relatively unknown. However, a personal diary written by Reb Yosef’s son, Michel Vygon, and discovered in the process of preparing the teshura, provided rare and detailed information, enabling the creation of a fuller biography and shedding light on the relatively unknown story of the Vygon family.
Part Three focuses on Reb Shraga Feitel Levin – brother of Reb Yisroel Neveler – and his wife Chaya Leah Levin. A revered chossid in Nevel, Reb Shraga Feitel was known for his tremendous bekius of both nigleh and Chassidus, his mesirus nefesh under Communist oppression, and his deep connection to the Rebbe. This section includes detailed testimony from Mrs. Sima (Levin) Sudakevich, offering a vivid, firsthand account of a world that most today only know from books.
As the families conclude in the foreword to the teshura:
“We invite you on a journey to a time when emes prevailed, a time when the deepest desire was to connect with the Rebbe. We invite you to glimpse the dedication of our ancestors, for whom the struggle to keep Shabbos triumphed over the struggle for a piece of bread, and whose chassidishe spirit could not be broken by the persecutions of the day. Let us all take their legacy to heart, learning from their fearless faith and working to instill it in the next generation.”
Thank you for making this available.
For the benefit of the public, just would like to point out that as Hashem’s name is written in full in English, if printed it is Shaimos.