“Unlikely Allies: The Shocking Nazi Mission to Rescue a Jewish Leader that Shook History”
In 1929, Schneerson visited the Holy Land – then in the British Mandate of Palestine – before travelling to the United States, arriving in New York City on September 17th aboard the ocean liner SS France. Some 600 followers gathered at the docks to meet the Lubavitcher Rebbe, while 100 New York City Police officers were assigned as his security detail. During his eight-month visit, Schneerson travelled to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Washington D.C., where he met with President Herbert Hoover – among several world leaders who had petitioned for his release. Schneerson’s goal was to spread awareness of the plight of Russian Jewry, who due to Soviet policy were easily censored and forbidden to leave the country. Due to this dangerous political climate, Schneerson’s American followers urged him to remain in in the United States, but he refused, the newspaper The Jewish Record reporting that:
“A movement has begun among Chabad Chassidim to have the Lubavitcher Rebbe remain in America. A committee was organized under the name of “Agudas Chassidei Chabad,” in which are represented all of the Chabad shuls of Chicago. The committee will develop plans that will enable the fulfillment of this wish, for the Rebbe to stay in America…The committee, under the leadership of Rabbi [Chaim Tzvi] Rubenstein, presented their wish to the Rebbe. While the Rebbe hasn’t yet given a positive response, he stated clearly that he cannot even begin to consider their plan, unless it would be understood that his coming [to America] would also mean the establishment of a Yeshivah Tomchei Temimim in whichever community he would choose to reside.”
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