At the begin of the war, the Rebbe and his family escaped from Poland to the border of Romania and Russia. When the Russians invaded the area, the Halberstams returned to Lemberg. With the help of a hefty bribe, Rav Shlomo obtained a government job that enabled him to continue his Torah learning undisturbed. He eventually returned to Bobov, but was informed that he was wanted by the authorities and hurriedly escaped to Bochnia, where a large ghetto containing thousands of Jews had been established. He found many of his Chassidim in the ghetto, and they attempted to procure a work permit for him. He remained there until late 1942, showering the other Jews with encouragement and bolstering their emunah. He even established a yeshiva for bochurim in the ghetto.
Finally, armed with forged papers showing that he was a Hungarian citizen, Rav Shlomo escaped from Bochnia and made his way to Kashau and then to Budapest. After the Nazi conquest, he travelled to Grosswardein. He had suffered terribly in Bochnia, losing his wife and two of his children. After his arrival in Romania, he worked tirelessly to assist and rescue other Jews.
In Romania, the Rebbe obtained papers attesting that he was an Italian citizen. Using those documents, he escaped to the city of Bari in Southern Italy. In the camps established in Italy, the Rebbe was surrounded by dozens of bochurim and yungeleit who had been separated from their families. He made sure to have a qualified shochet from Rome provide them with meat, and he obtained clothing and shoes for the young men drawn into his orbit, The Rebbe served as a compassionate and caring father figure for the refugees, breathing new life into them and forging close bonds with all of them.
In part two, we examine some of the facets of his greatness and including some of the tense moments when the Rebbe prepared, along with his young son, to surrender his life ‘Al Kiddush Hashem.’
