Chassidim and friends of Lubavitch have a vivid memory of the Previous Rebbe’s arrival in America on 9 Adar II (March 19), 1940 in front of a large crowd, but not many were present when the Rebbe and Rebbetzin arrived in 28 Sivan (June 23), 1941.
Rabbi Yitzchok Groner, OBM, was present at the pier that momentous day and was interviewed by JEM in January, 2006.
The Previous Rebbe sent a few Chassidim to the pier to greet the Rebbe, and Rabbi Groner, a young teenager at the time, went along with his father. He shares his vivid memories of that day and will be featured in the upcoming film, The Early Years-Volume IV which is due to come out in a few weeks.
The ship’s manifest details the Rebbe and Rebbetzin’s arrival:
Name of passenger: Schneerson, Mendel
Occupation: Rabbi
Race: Hebrew
Place of Birth: Soviet Union, Nicolaev
Passage paid for by: Parents-in-law
Destination Address: Joseph Schneersohn, 770 Eastern Parkway, New York
Marks of Identification: Wears a beard
In addition, JEM’s research team has uncovered the location of the port that the Rebbe and Rebbetzin arrived at on Pier 8 in Staten Island. When the team attempted to visit the site, they discovered that the original pier was destroyed.
The DVD can be ordered here
