The Shluchim and Shluchos of Long Island gathered on Motzoei Shabbos Chof Teves for a Melave Malkah Farbrengen in Mineola, NY, only to be transported back in time to Samarkand in the Soviet Union.
The guest speaker was Rabbi Hillel Zaltzman, who has written an award winning and definitive book “Samarkand’, which paints the picture of the legendary heroes that perpetuated Torah study under the constant threat of the arrest by the KGB.
‘We were all mesmerized and inspired to learn from Rabbi Zaltzman,” remarked Rabbi Levi Gurkov, of Chabad of Oceanside, “as he described in detail the gripping narrative of the self-sacrifice of Chassidic Life in the Soviet Union in the 40’s to the 70’s.”
Adding to the significance this event, was the presence of a number of local Shluchim, including Rabbi Leibel Baumgarten, Chabad of East Hampton and Rabbi Joseph Geisinsky, Chabad of Great Neck, who are direct descendants of the Alter Rebbe.
The Shluchim and Shluchos extended appreciation to the evening’s organizers, Rabbi Tuvia and Chaya Teldon, the Head Shluchim of Long Island and the local hosts Rabbi Anchelle and Bluma Perl.
