Foto:JCC BEIT Menachem KYIV
The Jewish community is commemorating a special event – the yortzeit (death anniversary) of Rabbi Levi-Yitzhak Schneerson, known as Rabbi Leivik. This event is not only important for the followers of Hasidism, but also emphasizes the historical role of Ukraine as the birthplace and development of the Hasidic movement.
Rabbi Leivik was born in 1878 and belonged to a distinguished line of rabbis, being the great-great-grandson of the Third Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem-Mendl Schneerson, known as Tzemach Tzedek. For 30 years, he managed the Jewish community of Katerynoslav (now Dnipro), leaving an unforgettable mark in the history of Hasidism in Ukrainian lands. His activities focused on ensuring the opportunity for the city’s Jews to live according to the laws of the Torah even in times when religious life was subject to repression.
This story becomes even more significant when we remember that Rabbi Leivik was the father of one of the most famous religious leaders of the 20th century, the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem-Mendel Schneerson. It was in Ukraine in 1902 that this future spiritual leader was born, whose influence spread far beyond the Hasidic community.
However, Rabbi Leivik’s fate was not easy. In 1939, he was exiled to Kazakhstan for his religious beliefs, where he spent the last years of his life in Siberian exile. His last days were spent in Alma-Ata, where he was buried.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of his death, and this anniversary once again reminds us of Ukraine’s close connection with Hasidism and Jewish traditions. Kyiv Jewish community JCC BEIT Menachem KYIV calls on its Facebook page to honor the memory of Rabbi Leivik, emphasizing that his legacy lives on among today’s Hasidim.
Ukraine, as a place where important spiritual movements were born, continues to be an important center of Jewish life and traditions.
