In sweltering July weather that’s topped 90 degrees over the past few days—and which may soon turn into thunderstorms—men and women pray. They write personal notes, clutching pens in concentration. Rabbinical students greet each other and learn together. Parents talk to children, hold them and guide them, morning into evening.
These are the faces of those at the Ohel in Queens, N.Y., the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory. They have come for pre-Shabbat visits in honor of the 22nd anniversary of his passing on the third day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz (Gimmel Tammuz), which this year corresponds to Shabbat.
Around the world, Jewish communities will gather for programs and events, singing and storytelling, made even more compelling in this Hakhel year.
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