100's Attend Memorial for Rabbanit Menucha Rachel Slonim
HEVRON, Israel [INN] — Hundreds of Chabad hasidim visited Hevron on Monday for a memorial to Rabbanit Menucha Rachel Slonim, the granddaughter of Chabad founder Schneur Zalman of Liadi, Russia, and scion to a chain of hasidim, who passed away in 1888 at the age of 89. She is the closest personality to the families of Chabad hasidic leaders who is buried in Israel.
Menucha realized her childhood dream to immigrate to the Holy Land when her brother in law, the rabbi known as Tzemach Tzedek assigned her and her husband, Rabbi Ya'akov Coli Slonim to strengthen the Chabad community in Hevron, where she led the community for 50 years. She is the subject of many tales of miracles and wonders.
Special qualities were attributed to her grave, but the ancient cemetery was destroyed under Jordanian control. It was restored in the 1970's, and visits on the anniversary of her death resumed in 1982.
1. Ilana wrote:
I am so happy to see that the Yidden are back and everything has been restored and looks so beautiful! I had the zechus once many years ago in the summer of 2001 to clean the cemetery and Kever which had been desecrated, burned, smashed stones, garbage everywhere etc. No yidden had been allowed there in several years. We were just a small group of girls... and at one point we were all shot at and BH no one got seriously hurt... The Rebbe gave us so many Brachos to go and do what we did. Right after we were shot at they finally decided after many years to put an army base back overlooking the cemetery and allow the Yidden to come back. Now years later the Rebbe's bracha endures-- at the Kever of this righteous Tzadekes...