In Chabad circles, Siberia is classically associated with the Gulag, where countless chassidim were sent to die. But today, it is yet another spot on the map “conquered” by the Rebbe’s shluchim.
By Anash.org reporter
In Chabad circles, Siberia is classically associated with the Gulag, where countless chassidim were sent to die. But today, it is yet another spot on the map “conquered” by the Rebbe’s shluchim. On Chol Hamoed Sukkos, the shluchim to locations across Siberia united for a Kinus.
The shluchim gathered in Novosibirsk, capital of Siberia, joining together for a farbrengen in a warmly heated sukkah shielded from the Siberian winter, which has already begun.
The host, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Zaklas, the Chief Rabbi of Novosibirsk, opened the Kinus, which was attended by Rabbi Aharon Wagner, shliach to a significant representative of Irkutsk; Rabbi Menachem Rabinovitz, shliach to Novokuznetsk; Rabbi Levi Kamenitzky, shliach to Tomsk; Rabbi Binyomin Wagner, shliach to Krasnoyarsk; and visitors including Rabbi Moshe Lerman, rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva ketana of Moscow. Due to the considerable distance between the cities, each guest had to take a lengthy flight to attend.
The shluchim gathered for gather strength to continue their shlichus, especially in anticipation of Simchas Torah – a Yom Tov historically celebrated by Russian Jews with exceptional devotion every year, to the point that it was recognized as the “holiday of the Jews of Russia.”
Following the chassidishe farbrengen, the shluchim headed back to their respective mekomos hashlichus to continue spreading the warmth of Yiddishkeit among the Siberian frost.
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