The pages of the history of Eastern European Jewry are woven with golden threads of devotion and Torah, but it seems that the city of Gomel in Belarus holds a special place of honor in the Hasidic pantheon.
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The city, which was once a magnet for thousands of Hasidim and boasted the rabbinate of the eminent Rabbi Yitzhak Isaac Epstein, known as 'Rabbi Isaac Homiler', who was appointed by the old Rebbe, the Baal Tanya, has experienced many upheavals.
From the golden age, the underground activities of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva during the communist era, to the years of spiritual desolation. Now, the historical gap has closed, and the second largest city in Belarus stands at the threshold of a new and exciting era.
This special atmosphere was well felt at the Hasidic "Departure in Peace" gathering held this week in Moscow, led by the head of the kollel, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Marzel. The kollel members gathered to greet and bid farewell to their friend from their school days, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kot, who is leaving with his family on a mission in the city of Hommel.
For the young Rabbi Kut, a life of missionary service is not a new concept: he absorbed it in the home of his father, the rabbi of Estonia and the emissary of the G.A.H. Rabbi Shmuel Kut, who brought about a real revolution in his country, and from the home of his father-in-law, the emissary of Kfar Daniel, the Rabbi Moshe Marinovsky.
Now, the luxurious family chain is reaching another destination in the Russian-speaking world.
The Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, who accompanies the development of communities in the former Soviet Union, addressed the blessed departure and praised the city's glorious Hasidic past. In his remarks, the Chief Rabbi emphasized that there is already extensive and impressive Jewish activity in Hommel, which is guided with dedication by the head of the local congregation, Joseph Zholdov, an active man who stands as the pillar of the community - who promoted the new rabbi's family to the city and the community and stated that their arrival was intended to add vitality, expand the circles and infuse rich Hasidic content into the existing frameworks.
With the packing of suitcases and the final preparations for the trip, the gaze of the Shluchim family and all the partners in the process is turned forward with a momentum of action, especially at the beginning of the High Holy Days and the Tishrei holidays, which are full of action for all members of the Jewish community.
The activity in Homel, whose streets are soaked in the melodies and stories of Hasidic people from past generations, will now be duplicated and expanded in close cooperation with the local community leadership.
