כ"ח סיוון: ההצלה המופלאה והגעת הרבי לאמריקה (תש"א/1941)

Rescue from War-Torn Europe

On 28 Sivan 5701 (1941), the future seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, arrived in New York, having miraculously escaped from Europe engulfed in World War II. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the ship Serpa Pinto, which faced a real threat from German submarines. Every day of the voyage was filled with danger, yet Divine Providence protected the ship and its passengers.

Reception in New York

At the port of New York, the Rebbe and Rebbetzin were met by a delegation of Chassidim sent by the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. Among those who came to greet them were Rabbi Israel Jacobson, Rabbi Shmuel Simpson, and Rabbi Shmuel Kazarnovsky. The sixth Rebbe, who attached exceptional importance to his son-in-law's arrival, conveyed an instruction to the Chassidim: "Respect him as you would me."

Three Organizations — the Beginning of a New Era

Shortly after the arrival of Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the sixth Rebbe entrusted him with the leadership of three key Chabad organizations: Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (the Central Organization for Jewish Education), Machne Israel (an organization for strengthening Jewish life), and Kehot Publication Society. These three organizations became the foundation of the future Rebbe's grand enterprise, who would subsequently transform Chabad into the largest Jewish movement in the world. The date of 28 Sivan is celebrated by Chassidim as a day of gratitude to God for the miraculous rescue of the Rebbe and the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Chabad.