Menachem Mendel Schneerson is known as the last Chabad Rebbe and the most influential Jew of the 20th century. He left an unforgettable trace on the Judaism world and beyond. After he passed away, many people consider him a messiah and some do not even recognize his physical death. His grave is located in New York and during the 20-21 centuries, it became the place of one of the most massive pilgrimages in the world. Read more on newyorkski.info.
Ukraine as a motherland
Shneerson was born in 1902 in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. He grew up in the family of the chief rabbi of Yekaterinoslav. In the 20th century, this city was the center of Jewish life. Therefore, Schneerson received his religious and secular education there.
He was seventh in the Chabad-Lubavitch leadership line. From an early age, he showed incredible mental abilities and studied mathematics and natural sciences along with the Talmud. At the age of 22, Shneerson moved to Leningrad, where he met his wife. In the late 1920s, Schneerson lived for some time in Poland and then moved to Germany. There he studied at the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary and was also a student at the faculties of philosophy and engineering at Friedrich Wilhelm University. However, his education did not end there. In the early 1930s, Schneerson decided to move to Paris. There he studied at the engineering department of the higher school École spéciale des travaux publics du bâtiment et de l’industrie. He also studied at the Sorbonne mathematics department.
Due to the outbreak of World War II, Schneerson could not continue his studies in France. Thus, a few days before the fall of Paris in 1940, he was forced to leave the territory of Europe. That’s how he arrived in New York.
Chabad-Lubavitch transformation into a global organization
After arriving in New York, Schneerson first worked at a shipbuilding factory in Brooklyn. Later, he began to expand Chabad activities in New York, together with his father-in-law Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the 6th Lubavitch Rebbe. His father-in-law put him in charge of Jewish movements in education, social services and publishing.
Under Schneerson’s leadership, Chabad-Lubavitch has grown into a global organization with a network of educational, social and outreach programs. They covered not only New York and the USA but also all six continents. Schneerson emphasized the importance of education and encouraged his followers to spread Jewish values and doctrine throughout the world.
During the Second World War, Schneerson made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany. Thus, he volunteered at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He used his deep knowledge of electrical engineering to help the US military draw electrical schematics for the USS Missouri battleship (BB-63). He also participated in other secret US military operations.
In 1950, the 6th Lubavitch Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn died. The Jewish community insisted that Menachem Mendel Schneerson succeed him and become the 7th Lubavitch Rebbe. That is how he became the Rebbe. Later, his influence went beyond the boundaries of the Jewish community. He was an outspoken supporter of moral and ethical values in society. Schneerson met with presidents, prime ministers and other world leaders, urging them to promote peace and justice.
As the leader of the Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch movement, he transformed this Hasidic group, which had practically vanished after the Holocaust, into one of the largest and most influential movements in the world. Thanks to him, in the 20th century, this movement was represented by more than five thousand international educational and social centers. On Shneerson’s initiative, in New York and other cities and countries, the following were created:
- kindergartens
- schools
- drug rehabilitation centers
- homes for the elderly and disabled people
- synagogues.
In addition, he thoroughly studied the Torah. His heritage consists of more than 400 volumes. He became famous not only for his good deeds in the social and education area but also for his incredibly valuable contribution to Jewish heritage and religion.
Schneerson died at the age of 92 in 1994. He left a tremendous legacy that continues to inspire people of any origin. In the 21st century, his teachings and principles continue to spread through Chabad-Lubavitch centers around the world.