Over 1,200 Spend Rosh Hashanah at the Rebbe’s Ohel

Well over 1,000 bochurim, anash, and a number of shluchim spent Rosh Hashanah at the Rebbe’s Ohel, where they spent 48 hours davening, learning and doing mivtzoim. 

By Anash.org reporter
Photos taken before and after Yom Tov

Over 1,200 bochurim, anash, and a number of shluchim spent Rosh Hashanah 5784 at the Rebbe’s Ohel.

The 24-plus hours prior to Rosh Hashanah saw many thousands of men, women and children visit the Rebbe’s Ohel to daven before Rosh Hashanah. A pan koli was read in the afternoon by Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov.

As Yom Tov came closer, those who would be spending Yom Tov by the Ohel began to arrive, totaling well over 1,000 men and bochurim. A small number of families also spent Rosh Hashanah by the Ohel, staying in one of the many houses nearby owned by Lubavitchers.

Two minyonim were held for tefilos, one near the actual Ohel, with the chazan, baal tokea, and baal korei standing in the antechamber of the Ohel, and the large crowd spilling out from there into the surrounding sidewalks. As is his long-standing tradition, the baal tokea for that minyan was Wisconsin Head Shliach Rabbi Yisroel Shmotkin. A second minyan was held in the tents, with hundreds more davening there, including 770 mashpia Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi. Women and girls who were there with their families davened in this minyan as well, joining from the first house.

Yom Tov meals were held in the second, third and fourth tents, with huge containers of food set up and served to provide for all the guests.

Following shacharis and musaf on the second day of Yom Tov, tashlich was recited by many near a fountain set up near the Ohel houses, while others walked a distance to say it near a stream.

Hundreds of bochurim then headed out to mivtzoim in nearby areas.

Rosh Hashanah concluded with a seder nigunim, singing the nigunim of each of the Chabad Rebbeim, held both by the Rebbe’s Ohel and inside the tents as well.