The dramatic story of the Soviet Union’s imprisonment of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn, was released in Russian in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Jewish leader’s release from confinement.
The Rebbe, who passed away in 1950, penned the heart-wrenching story of his torture and near-death encounters with Soviet authorities after his release from Siberian exile in 1927. He was imprisoned by the KGB for supporting an underground network of Jewish schools, synagogues and mikvahs, all ruled illegal under the Communist regime.
Originally written in Hebrew, the manuscript’s English title is The Heroic Struggle; it records the events of the Rebbe’s arrest, and the days that followed. Years later, the booklet was lost in Poland during the Rebbe’s flight from the Nazis.
The book is regarded as a rich source of material, providing insight into the many facets of a deeply spiritual personality that endured constant terror with a courageous resolve.
The Hebrew anniversary of the Rebbe’s release, 12 Tammuz, was marked by Jews worldwide this past Thursday and Friday.
Ezra Hovkin edited the current Russian-language edition, which was published by FREE Publishing House in conjunction with Kehot Publication Society.