The 28th of Sivan: Part Five

00:00 Good Yom Tov. The of Ches Sivan in honor of the twenty-eighth of Sivan, the day that the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin arrived safely in the United States during the wartime in 1941. The in continuation to the earlier installments where we discussed the twenty-eighth of Sivan and the efforts and events that finally led to the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin's arrival in the United States. We continue now with installment number five. Now, a new challenge faced the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin. How will they reach America? During the war, the only viable option for travel was by boat, and at that time, the only port that they could depart from was in Lisbon, Portugal. The Rebbe had his American visa. Now he needed a transit visa from Portugal, one which will allow him to pass through the country. With the help of the previous Rebbe, they received the transit visas that allowed them to travel to Lisbon. They also managed to acquire the much sought after boat tickets that will safely take them to America on one of the last boats crossing the Atlantic. The Rebbe and the Rebbetzin arrived in Lisbon and prepared to travel on the ship that will finally take them to safety. Just as they were about to board the boat, an urgent telegram from the previous Rebbe arrived with surprising instructions. It said, "Do not board this boat." The Rebbe and the Rebbetzin did not hesitate for a moment. They allowed the boat to depart without them, despite the fact that this was

02:12 rumored to be the last ship out of Portugal heading towards the United States. Indeed, this was a wise move, for a few days later, they heard that the boat was captured by the Italian Navy, and all of the passengers were held captive as prisoners of war. They were held on an island until the end of the war. Soon after their miraculous rescue from this fate, the Rebbe was notified that yet another boat will venture across the Atlantic, making the trip to America. However, they were told of this ship's embarking too late. All the tickets had already been purchased. Rabbi Mordechai Bystritsky happened to have bought two of these prize tickets for his in-laws, Rabbi Levi and Rachama Lukever. Unfortunately, the couple was not granted the necessary Portuguese transit vis- visas and were unable to leave France. When Rabbi Mordechai heard of the Rebbe's predicament, he gladly gave his tickets to the Rebbe. In a footnote in the article by Rabbi Yafetz, he writes that, "However, it should be mentioned that American Joint Committee chartered this boat as well as many others, and assisted the previous Rebbe in obtaining the two tickets." On the 16th of Sivan, the Rebbe wrote a Reshima, an essay in which the Rebbe elaborates on a quote of our sages in the tractate of Sanhedrin 98A, and the Rebbe cites sources from the Talmud and from Kabbalah in great depth. This we will im yirtze Hashem discuss on a separate note, referring to focusing on the contents of the essay and

04:35 the upcoming trip to the United States. On the 17th of Sivan, the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin finally boarded the boat Serpa Pinto. Based on documentation, this boat was one of many which the Joint rented, at least in 1939, to rescue Jewish refugees from Europe. Many of these refugees had visas with which to enter the United States and paid for their tickets with their personal money. In its second trip in 1941, the boat included six hundred passengers, and amongst them, the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin, and they all arrived in New York. In middle of the trip, the boat was held up by a British information boat for three days. A search was made for German citizens. In general, these trips experienced hazardous episodes. During this time period, about five hundred commercial boats were sunk. The last voyage of this boat was in 1944. In certain archives, one can research the total amount of trips which the boat made from 1939 until her last voyage. We will im yirtze Hashem continue in the next installment.