By COLlive reporter
A group of Jewish Russian students visited the Petropavlovski Fortress (also known as the Peter and Paul Fortress) in St. Petersburg, where the first Chabad Rebbe was imprisoned.
Their visit on Thursday was timed to be on the 19th of Kislev, the day Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad chassidism, was liberated from bastion that was used for high-ranking or political prisoners.
His arrest was based on the false charge (by leaders of Lithuanian Jews) of supporting the Ottoman Empire, since the Alter Rebbe advocated sending charity to support Jews living in what was then the Ottoman territory of Palestine.
He was held for 53 days in the Petropavlovski fortress which was built by the Russian Emperor Peter the Great on the Zayachy Island. Ultimately he was released by order of Paul I of Russia on 19 Kislev, 5559.
The students of Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim of St. Petersburg traveled there to mark the chassidic holiday. “The exact spot isn’t known as the building was knocked down years ago,” they told COLlive.com.
During the trip, they learned about the Alter Rebbe and his two monumental works –the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch– that are shaped Jewish life and halachic conduct until this very day.
The prison was knocked down and the wellsprings of Chabad chasidus are spreading all over the world.
Good to see you!
Meir gewirtz