[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 63 (Monday, April 11, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E375-E376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DUSTY JOHNSON

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 11, 2022

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
and include in the Record the words of Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz of Sioux 
Falls, South Dakota, honoring the life and legacy of Rabbi Menachem M. 
Schneerson.

       Remarks by Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz:
       Today we recognize the life and leadership of the global 
     spiritual leader Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, known 
     universally as ``the Rebbe'' and head of the Chabad-Lubavitch 
     movement.
       Rabbi Schneerson arrived with his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya 
     Mushka Schneerson, to our shores in 1941 from the Nazi 
     inferno, just as our nation was celebrating our independence 
     on July 4--a bearded, Yiddish-speaking, childless and 
     penniless Soviet emigre.
       Yet, without the benefit of material resources or political 
     power, only the force of his convictions, a selfless 
     dedication to the Supreme Being and to every human being, the 
     Rebbe resuscitated and guided a demoralized and depleted 
     world Jewry to rebuild and even to flourish after the 
     Holocaust. Though he came to this country with nothing, 
     through his work the Rebbe became the most influential rabbi 
     in modern history.
       One result of his leadership is the Chabad-Lubavitch 
     movement, which, by following his teachings and example, 
     became the world's largest Jewish educational organization. 
     Today there are more than 3,500 permanent Chabad-Lubavitch 
     centers providing educational, religious, and humanitarian 
     programming, serving people in all 50 States, including in my 
     home state of South Dakota, and in over 100 countries around 
     the world.
       The Rebbe's message to all peoples everywhere in the world 
     community calls for focusing serious concern on the values of 
     education and acts of charity, to provide an education which 
     is imbued with ethical, moral and spiritual values. The 
     recognition that there is ``an Eye that Sees and an Ear that 
     Hears,''--that all humankind is accountable to the Creator 
     who provided us with the only true guide for life. The Rebbe 
     teaches that these moral and ethical values, as enshrined in 
     the Seven Laws given to Noah, must be an integral part of any 
     educational system if humankind is to live in harmony with a 
     fellow human and if humanity is to realize G-ds expectation 
     of her or him. When does this education begin? The moment 
     life starts. When does education end? It never does.
       The Rebbe always extolled America's unique role and mission 
     on the world stage and had meaningful relationships with 
     several of our nation's leaders who saw him as the moral 
     guide to so many. For the Rebbe, America was a beacon of 
     light with a historic prominence to be utilized in 
     influencing the betterment of all humanity. The Rebbe called 
     America ``a nation of kindness'' and pointed to the words 
     ``In God We Trust'' enshrined on all American currency as a 
     defining element of the great American story.

[[Page E376]]

       It is to the eternal merit of our country and this august 
     body that we honored the Rebbe's outstanding and enduring 
     contributions toward world education, morality, and acts of 
     charity, by awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal 
     posthumously. His efforts for the betterment of education for 
     all Americans are also recognized annually by the President 
     of the United States, marking Education and Sharing Day USA 
     each year on his birthday, calling on all Americans to 
     reflect and act on the critical importance of moral and 
     ethical education, especially for our youth.
       This year, our country will celebrate Education and Sharing 
     Day on April 12, corresponding to the llth day of Nissan on 
     the Jewish calendar. This year is a milestone year when we 
     celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Rebbe's birth.
       As our minds and hearts are never far from the people of 
     Ukraine and the brutal war they are enduring, it is surely 
     Providential to recognize and reflect on the life lessons of 
     someone so exceptional, who was himself born and raised in 
     Ukraine.
       The Rebbe was born in Nikolaev, Ukraine in 1902. to Rabbi 
     Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson. His family 
     moved to Yekatrinislav, now Dinepr, where his father served 
     as Chief Rabbi. During the Bolshevik revolution the Rebbe's 
     childhood home became the epicenter for the many refugees 
     flocking through Dinepr. In an act of love and sacrifice, the 
     Rebbe, though only a child, gave away his own bed and food to 
     allow those he had never met before to have a more 
     comfortable and dignified life. That was the example his 
     parents set. This was the life he lived.
       His mother would recall that once, when the family was in 
     hiding during a brutal pogrom, the Rebbe who was three years 
     old at the time, walked around the cellar of a pharmacy, and 
     consoled and calmed the other terrified children who were 
     hiding there. Later when he was nine years old, the Rebbe 
     dived into the Black Sea to save the life of a boy who had 
     fallen from the deck of a moored ship. The adult onlookers 
     didn't feel confident enough to jump in. Those who witnessed 
     this heroic act recalled the sacrifice the Rebbe had made 
     that day. He himself collapsed, almost lifeless, soon after 
     bringing the young boy to shore.
       These stories are emblematic of the Rebbe's life; the 
     sacrifice and deep sense of responsibility for all who cry 
     out for help. The call of those drowning and no one hearing 
     their cries. For people calling out for moral guidance in a 
     world engulfed in darkness, the Rebbe rose to this historic 
     calling offering guidance and leadership,
       The Rebbe grew up under the oppression of communism, his 
     father stood firm, displaying courage and sacrifice, leading 
     his family and community in the Jewish religious resistance 
     across Ukraine.
       From his humble one room office in New York, the Rebbe 
     built and maintained a clandestine network of operatives 
     throughout the USSR. Young couples were inspired by his 
     teachings, and he sent them to make what was then significant 
     sacrifices for western raised kids, to devote themselves 
     completely to the needs of others, in foreign lands.
       With the fall of communism, the Rebbe was able to ensure 
     that those underground activities sprouted forth and quickly 
     developed thriving Jewish communities, creating unprecedented 
     Jewish infrastructure, serving hundreds of communities across 
     the USSR, and resulting in the golden era of Ukrainian Jewry 
     for the last 30 years.
       Right now, during the current Russia-Ukraine war, it is the 
     hundreds of Chabad-Lubavitch representatives of the Rebbe, 
     and their thousands of employees and volunteers, who are at 
     the forefront of the humanitarian, social and religious 
     efforts being provided for the refugees and their loved ones 
     left behind.
       Overnight they have transformed their schools, synagogues, 
     and orphanages into centers for humanitarian relief, 
     shelters, and call centers.
       The Rebbe's message is clear and serves as an important 
     calling for all of us. We must put ourselves aside and be 
     ready to sacrifice for the needs of others. With this urgent 
     sense of responsibility and love, we will make the world a 
     better place. This is what the Rebbe's people are doing in 
     Ukraine. This is the life he exemplified. This is what we can 
     all do.

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