Surprising Discovery Made in Lubavitch at Remarkable Time

For years, the missing fences from the Rebbeim’s kevarim, which had been erected with mesiras nefesh by R’ Abba Dovid Gurevitch, were a mystery. Suddenly, soon after R’ Abba Dovid’s passing, the fences showed up – under the foundations of the Ohel.

In the late 1960s, a report reached the Chassidim in Soviet Russia that the Rebbe had inquired about the state of the sacred tziyunim in Lubavitch.

With characteristic dedication, the esteemed Chossid R’ Mottel Kozliner, one of the fearless lions of the underground Chassidic movement, took the initiative to develop a plan to restore and protect the tziyunim of our holy Rebbeim. This secret mission was executed in 1968 by the late R’ Abba Dovid Gurevitch a”h, who was previously a shliach in Uzbekistan.

R’ Abba Dovid later recounted this riveting episode on multiple occasions. He described the tremendous challenges in identifying the exact location, the overwhelming emotion upon suddenly discovering the matzeivos hidden among the overgrown vegetation, and the formidable difficulty of transporting iron fences from the nearby town of Rudnia to Lubavitch without arousing the suspicion of the Soviet authorities.

With immense effort, he cleared the site of all plant overgrowth, reinforced the stability of the gravestones, and encircled the sacred area with a protective iron fence. After leaving the Soviet Union, he traveled to the Rebbe for Tishrei 5732 (1971) and submitted a detailed report of his work. The Rebbe’s response was a succinct but deeply meaningful expression: “T’shu’os Chein.”

This mission was a tremendous merit for Reb Abba Dovid, and he cherished it for the rest of his life.

Over the years, further enhancements were made to the sacred site. Around 1980, the venerable Chossid R’ Meilech Tamarkin a”h added a second iron fence. In his book Kivrei Tzadikim B’Russia, R’ Michoel Greenberg records that he visited the site in 1988 and found the fence expanded.

When R’ Dovid Nachshon, together with the late R’ Avi Taub a”h, erected the Ohel over the sacred tziyunim in 1989, both fences were still in place. However, as time went on, the fences mysteriously disappeared. Shliach R’ Gavriel Gordon, who has overseen the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of the sacred sites in Lubavitch since 2000, assumed that they had been stolen by locals.

Yet, on 16 Shevat 5785, just three days after the passing of Reb Abba Dovid Gurevitch, the missing fences were miraculously discovered. They had been buried beneath the foundations of the Ohel!

Over the past few months, renovations have been underway at the sacred site to enhance the experience for visiting Chassidim. These efforts have been carried out with the full agreement and supervision of the esteemed Rabbonim, members of the Vaad Haruchni for the oversight of Lubavitch’s holy sites: Rav Yitzchak Yehudah Yaroslavsky, Rav Yochanan Gurary, and Rav Moshe Havlin. The work is being executed through the organizations Geder Avos and Oholei Tzadikim, with the generous sponsorship of philanthropist R’ Yossi Popack, who has undertaken the funding of the site’s development with heartfelt dedication and a deep sense of mission.

It has now become apparent that the laborers who built the Ohel in 1989 had, due to a lack of materials, placed the fences into the ground to reinforce the foundation.

Now, b’hashgacha pratis, these original fences have resurfaced, perfectly timed with the passing of the very chossid who risked his life to erect them in honor of our holy Rebbeim.

Special thanks to Otzros Lubavitch for the information.