In honor of Chai Elul (18th Elul), a special evening was held to launch the publication of a new book about the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chassidism. The book was written by shliach Rabbi Zalman Abelsky, Chief Rabbi of Moldova.
The launch was held in the Concert Hall in Kishinev in celebration of the publication of the book, The Alter Rebbe, which is in Russian. Present were many researchers and Jewish historians, as well as members of the Jewish community in Kishinev, and the leaders and representatives of the city’s major Jewish organizations.
Speeches were given by Mrs. A. Nizhensky, director of the local Israeli Cultural Center, Mr. Eugene Barick, a Jewish historian who is researching the Jews of Bessarabia, Mrs. A. Schatz, representative of the Jewish Congress, and Sergiu Bangelsdorf, director of the Moldovan radio show “Yiddishe Leben” and a supporter of Chabad in Moldova.
The main speech was given by Rabbi Abelsky himself, who spoke about the unique nature of his book and explained the significance of the date of 18th Elul, birthday of the two great Torah luminaries the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement in general, and Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad and the author of the Tanya.
The book was published by the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish community publishing house “Mayanot Chabad”, which is run by Mrs. Miriam Rosner, and it will be distributed throughout the country and in the CIS, as well as among immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
At the end of the launch, copies of the book were distributed to supporters of Chabad in Kishinev, with a personal dedication from Rabbi Abelsky.
This impressive event was arranged by the publisher’s office in conjunction with C
habad workers in Moldova, and it was widely reported in the press and on TV.
