This Week in

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  5744-1984, during a children’s assembly, the Rebbe delivered a talk in Russian, addressing the Jews living behind the Iron Curtain. He described how difficult it is to practice Judaism there and brought attention to the Soviet Union’s constitution, which actually grants individual freedoms, and proclaimed that the counter religious activity is in fact illegal and should not be permitted. The Rebbe related how, in the face of government intimidation, his father had successfully fought for the local matzah production to be according to Halachic specifications.
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  5747-1987, at the farbrengen on the last day of Passover, the Rebbe spoke about the new neighborhood that Chabad was establishing in Jerusalem to absorb the Soviet refugees who would soon be released from Russia. He gave matzah to the project coordinators, as a way of participating in the groundbreaking celebration, mentioning that after the holiday, they would also be receiving a check.

1. Torat Menachem 5744 vol. 3 page 1492 2. Torat Menachem 5747 vol. 3 p. 147