Renewed Activity in Haditch City

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Israel Bardugo

The inauguration ceremony of Heichal Admur Hazaken, a new shul and welcome center near the gravesite of the Alter Rebbe in Ukraine, was an emotional event by all accounts.

Held in the year of the 200th yartzeit of the founder of Chabad chassidism Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi and on Kislev 19, when he was released from Czarist prison, served to intensify the moment.

It was an emotional moment for New York philanthropist George Rohr whose late father Sami Rohr OBM has spearheaded and funded the building, that includes a mikvah and large chassidic library.

Rohr, flanked by his friend Merkos Vice Chairman Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, said he regretted that his father didn’t merit to see the day when the center was opened.

“I have no doubt that he is joining us from above and that the merit of the Alter Rebbe is standing for him,” he said.

As the late Rohr wished, the resting place of the author of the Tanya will be kept active with a permanent Chabad Shliach to live in the historic city of Haditch.

Rabbi Mendel Teichman, formerly of Uzgrod, has marked his new position with bringing in a Sefer Torah and giving a learned speech about the teachings of the Alter Rebbe.

Other speakers were Rabbi Kotlarsky, Dnepropetrovsk Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky, Kharkov Chief Rabbi Moshe Moskowitz, Haditch Mayor Tetyana Savchenko and Jerusalem activist Meir Porush.

For one of the guests, Rabbi Yitzchak Kogan, the event was truly historic.

Known as the “tzadik of Leningrad,” Rabbi Kogan described to participants his immense joy at seeing the new center, new Shliach and renewed activity near the holy tziyun.

He said he remembered how in the past, during the ruthless Communist regime, it took nothing less than mesiras nefesh (self sacrifice) to come pray in Haditch without getting caught.

Overseeing the center will be R’ Dovid Meir Bergman and R’ Yaakov Halperin of Jerusalem and Rabbi Meir Stambler, Director of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine.

Rabbi Mendel Deitsch and his son R’ Schneur Zalman Deitsch were thanked for their tireless efforts over the years to arrange hospitality for Haditch visitors.

The event was organized by Michael Caplin Productions. Niggunim were sung by Chazzan Shimon Wallas of Berlin and musician Elimelech Weisberg of Moscow.

Mezuzos on the building were placed by Rabbi Kotlarsky, Stamford Shliach Rabbi Yisroel Deren and Rabbi Ephraim Mintz, director of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).