Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Reflections

An international diplomatic crisis heightened the threat to the Rebbe’s life and helped secure his deliverance.

Back in the day, when long-distance travel was far more arduous and costly, the glorious and cavernous halls of train stations were the backdrops of all the poignant comings and goings of life.

The challenge presented by the Soviet gulags and the KGB pale in comparison to the challenge we face in today's Western society.

What statement ends a discussion regarding the motive for odd, or even dangerous, behavior? What causes you to capitulate and say, “I get it, point made, actions justified, the end . . .”?

In 1927, the communist authorities sentenced Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch to exile in Kostroma, a small city over 400 miles away from his headquarters in Leningrad. During his time there, he stayed with the family of the local Shochet, Reb Yerachmiel Kugel.