A Brief History
The Previous Rebbe of Lubavitch, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok, had been imprisoned – and was initially given a death sentence - by the Soviet authorities (GPU) in Leningrad, on the 15th of Sivan 5687 (1927), for his immense efforts to preserve Yiddishkeit under the Communist rule. His predicament brought international pressure to bear on the authorities. On the 3rd of Tammuz, his sentence changed to a 10-year forced exile in remote Kastroma, and on the 12th-13th of Tammuz he was officially freed altogether, obtaining permission to leave Communist Russia, and eventually reaching the free shores of America.
Preparations
From the start of the month of Tammuz, we begin making the proper preparations for the annual public gatherings (Farbrengen) that will take place on the Festival of Liberation, the 12th-13th Tammuz.
Preparations are necessary, to ensure a large attendance and that these gatherings will occur in numerous locations. There need be an increase in both quantity and quality of these gatherings, with new locations being added each year.
