When the Iron Curtain collapsed and Judaism began to flourish again throughout the former Soviet Union, a man who had endured the persecution during Stalin's terrible years saw pictures of Hasidim dancing in Red Square. He responded: "That's not real. They must have planted a picture there from somewhere else. It's simply impossible.".
We see many images today of vibrant Jewish life throughout the former Soviet Union. Full synagogues, thriving educational institutions, well-attended events. Government leaders meet with bearded rabbis and make statements in favor of Jewish freedom and the observance of the Jewish religion with pride and dignity. It is difficult, especially for the young among us, to grasp what a revolution has taken place and how radically different the reality was just a few years ago.
The handful won.
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The persecution of Judaism in Russia was one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Jewish people. Many nations tried to impose extermination decrees on the Jewish people, the purpose of which was to make them forget the Torah and to separate the Jews from Judaism, but never before had such focused efforts been made, and unfortunately with such great success. An entire department, operated by Jews – the infamous 'Yevskatiya’ – fought fiercely against everything that smelled of Judaism.
In those days, it seemed that the path of the wicked was successful. They succeeded in closing the Talmud and yeshivahs, putting locks and bolts on the mikvahs and synagogues, eliminating the practice of slaughtering, confiscating Torah scrolls and sacred objects, and throwing rabbis and mohels into prison. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish children were forced to study in government schools, where they were subjected to intense brainwashing aimed at eradicating every spark of faith from their hearts.
Only a handful of Jews continued to struggle against the tyrannical regime. This handful, led by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, opened underground Torah schools, built secret mikvahs, held secret prayer meetings, performed secret circumcision ceremonies, and provided kosher meat in secret. The emissaries of the underground network spread out in every city and town throughout Russia and fought, at great personal risk, against the authorities' extermination decrees.
But they were like a man trying to stop a column of tanks with his bare hands. The 'Yevskatiya' used all its power against them. One after another they were arrested, thrown into prison, murdered, tortured, exiled. The Jews were warned not to come into contact with them. There is no doubt, in a sober assessment of the situation, that this was a desperate and seemingly hopeless war.
Everything turned upside down.
At the height of the struggle, the authorities arrested the Rebbe himself, with the desire to remove him from the world, God save us. By miracles, they were forced to retreat slowly, until on the 12th and 13th of Tammuz, 1927 (1927), they were forced to release him. It was a single drop of joy in the midst of a sea of suffering and trouble.
And now everything turned upside down. It was the determination that the Rebbe expressed in the face of the communists that triumphed. The evil regime collapsed, and the Jewish faith, which had been suppressed for decades, burst forth anew with great ardor. There is an eternal message here: Even in difficult times, one must not lose one's spirit and faith. One must look ahead, be patient, and remember that the people of Israel are marching toward their redemption, and with God's help we will arrive.
