Over 125 Anash gathered at the newly dedicated Beit Shvidler building in Rockland County, New York, on 10 Tammuz for an evening focused on the imprisonment and miraculous liberation of the Frierdiker Rebbe.

Hosted by Igud Anash together with local Anash shuls, the program featured Rabbi Yechiel Krisch in conversation with author Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie. His recent book, Undaunted, the result of four years of research, draws on letters, sichos, maamarim, memoirs, and previously inaccessible archival material to present a deeper account of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s arrest and leadership.

Rather than offering a conventional historical overview, the discussion emphasized the personal and practical lessons emerging from these events. Rabbis Krisch and Eliezrie explored questions often overlooked in standard retellings, including why the Rebbe stressed that Jewish observance remained legal under Soviet law, how his years in Latvia shaped the educational infrastructure later developed in America, and what mesiras nefesh can look like in contemporary communities.

The conversation also highlighted the Frierdiker Rebbe’s model of leadership—firm in conviction yet collaborative in approach—and its relevance for today’s communal life.

Excerpts from Undaunted were woven throughout the evening, featuring firsthand accounts of rescue efforts, support for Torah institutions, and the Rebbe’s unwavering focus on investing in Jewish youth.

The program concluded with audience questions, a book signing, Maariv and a beautiful farbrengen that continued late into the night.

“This unique setting brought together people from across Rockland, including members of Anash as well as the Litvish and Chassidishe communities,” said Rabbi Levi Tiechtel, the organizer of the event. “Many attendees shared that the evening was informative, enjoyable, and most importantly, inspiring.”