Posted on 11/14/2023 5:44:14 AM PST by NetAddicted
Classifieds Calendar Submit Mazel Tov Submit News Add Event Nichum Aveilim A crowd showed up late Monday night to give a warm welcome to the relatives of the Jewish hostages in Gaza as they arrived to pray at the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens, NY.
When coach buses pulled up at Francis Lewis Blvd. in Queens, New York, late on Monday night, a large crowd was waiting and eager to greet the passengers even without knowing their personal names.
The 250 people who stepped off the buses were unknown up until a month ago when their relatives were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during their brutal invasion of Simchas Torah.
Since then, these relatives have been advocating and working to have their loved ones released from captivity. An important step in that direction was their visit this week to the United States.
The visit was coordinated by Chabad’s Terror Victims Project and Tzeirei Agudas Chabad of Israel, headed by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Aharonov and sponsored by Chabad-affiliated philanthropists.
Their first stop was the Rebbe’s Ohel in the Old Montefiore Cemetery, considered to be the holiest and most frequented Jewish site in North America. That’s where a large crowd of Jews lovingly greeted them.
At the Ohel Chabad Lubavitch outdoor tent, they sang together Ani Maamin and heard from Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, secretary of the Rebbe and chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch at Lubavitch World Headquarters.
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“It is here that several times a month for a period of more than 40 years that the Rebbe stood with bags and bags of prayers that people requested from him,” Rabbi Krinsky said.
“Since the Rebbe’s passing 30 years ago, this has become the nerve center of prayer for the Jewish nation in the entire Diaspora. Millions of years have been shedded on this part. And the prayers of countless have flooded up to heaven. This is indeed sacred and hollow ground.
“All of Klal Yisroel join you at this time of terrible crisis. Our days and nights are spent in prayer that your loved ones return to you safe and sound,” he said, concluding that may we recite the Chanukah blessings on miracles “in those days and in these times.”
The families then entered the Ohel itself to recite their own prayer, and the general one read on their behalf by Rabbi Aharonov. It was a deeply emotional and memorable experience for both the families and those who chose to be there.
On Tuesday, the families will be traveling to Washington, DC, where they will be attending the massive rally at the National Mall. It will call to support Israel in their fight against terror, the release of the hostages, and the rise of antisemitism in America. ------------------------------------------------------ Why You Should Attend The March For Judaism 14 Comments -------------------- Hundreds Sign Up For Buses To Massive Israel Rally In DC 11 Comments -------------------- COLlive Is an independently run Orthodox Jewish news Service.
Here’s another article:
https://nypost.com/2023/11/14/news/israelis-with-relatives-kidnapped-by-hamas-flock-to-nyc-to-pray-at-the-ohel-for-their-safe-return/
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