USA (3): The Previous Rebbe's visit (1929) and settling in the US (1940)

00:00 Behemsech in continuation to the earlier installments in regards to USA two fifty, two hundred and fifty years since the independence of the United States. We are discussing in a series of installments the connection, relationship between the Chabad Rebbes and the United States. We continue now with installment number three, discussing the previous Rebbe's visit to the United States. It was in summer Taf Shpe Tes, late 1929, the previous Rebbe visited the United States for almost an entire year, traveling through a number of states. This was a visit to browse the United States regarding the future, which served as a preparation for the next visit when he returned and settled in the US on the ninth of the second Adar Taf Shin, 1940. Amongst the cities which he visited in 1929 was Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, the Rebbe arrived on the thirteenth of Kislev and remained there until the twelfth of Tebet, nearly a full month. Mr. William Thatcher, the mayor's secretary, invited the Rebbe to visit Independence Hall. The Rebbe was seated in a special automobile which escorted him in a, a grand parade through the streets of Philadelphia to Independence Square. The impressive motorcade proceeded along Market Street to twenty-second and Chestnut Streets, directly to Independence Hall. It was a royal reception, the warmest welcome ever accorded to a distinguished individual in Philadelphia. Independence Square was completely filled with people. Mi-Mr. Thatcher escorted the Rebbe into Independence Hall and seated him in the very chair in which George Washington had once sat. While seated in that

02:21 chair, the Rebbe offered a blessing for the entire government and spoke with great praise about the American Constitution. "This is the first wonder I have encountered upon my arrival in America to behold the cradle of American liberty," the Rebbe remarked. The Rebbe was then escorted in a grand procession to the Liberty Bell, where he placed a beautiful laurel wreath. On that occasion, he remarked, "The liberty that was founded upon religion is the strongest liberty." We continue now referring to the second visit that the previous Rebbe arrived in the United States and settled there. This was on the eighth day of the second Adar in the year Taf Shin, March nineteen forty. After a voyage of twelve days, at four o'clock in the afternoon, the coast of New York came into view, and about two hours later, they arrived at the harbor. It was the established rule that any ship entering New York Harbor after four o'clock in the afternoon was not permitted to disembark its mass passengers until the following morning. On the third day, Tes Adar Sheni, nine o'clock in the morning, delegations arrived to welcome the arrival of the Rebbe. After the delegations had exchanged greetings, the inspection of the documents began. The officials responsible for disembarking the passengers suggested that the Rebbe leave the ship immediately, because if they waited until the general disembarkation began, there would be great congestion and commotion among the approximately eight hundred passengers. At eleven thirty, the Rebbe left cabin number thirteen, which he had occupied a

04:39 total of thirteen days and two and a half hours. The Rebbe went up to the upper deck and in a few words, brief words, expressed his thanks to the captain and his assistant for their kind treatment. The harbor and the entire area were filled to capacity with men and women. As soon as the Rebbe appeared, cries of Shalom Aleichem rang out, voices recited the blessing of Shehecheyanu, and the clicking of dozens of cameras was heard. Rebbe then entered the terminal building. There, he was welcomed by delegations representing the Agudas HaAdmorim, which is the Association of the Rebbes, the Agudas Harabonim, which is Association of Rabbis, the Rabbinical Council, Degel Harabonim, Agudas Yisroel, Mizrachi, Young Agudas Yisroel, Poalei Agudas Yisroel, Young Mizrachi, Young Israel, the Rabbi Yitzhak Elchanan Yeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Berlin Yeshiva, Rabbi Yankov Yosef Yeshiva, Rabbi Meir Zev Margolis Yeshiva, Teida VaDas, Teidas Emes, Avas Teida, Teidas Chaim, and others. A representative of the mayor delivered a welcoming address. The Rebbe responded briefly and bestowed his blessing upon each dele-delegation individually. Nine years later, in the month of Adar, on the 16th of Adar, Tov Shin Tes, 1949, the naturalization ceremony for the previous Rebbe as a citizen of the United States was held. At 1.30 p.m., a special legal delegation on behalf of the United States government arrived at 770. Among these present were the judges Mr. Yerucham Fishel Kleinfeld and Mr. Leib Reifel, the attorney Mr. Yekasil Kramer, and the two chief officials of Kings County and others. The Rebbe received them

06:46 in his room, Yechidas room, dressed in Shabbos clothing with Zayden silk and wearing his Spadik with his son-in-law, our Rebbe, standing beside him. The previous Rebbe signed the various documents. After receiving his certificate of citizenship, he opened by saying, In connection with this occasion, the Medrash relates that when Avraham Avinu was commanded, Lech lecha me'artzecha ume'iladetecha ume'beis avicha el ha'aretz asher areka, go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you. Then while he was traveling through Aram Narayim, he saw them eating and drinking, and he said, With that I have no share in this land. When he reached the ascent of Tzur, Tyre, he saw them occupied with weeding and hoeing, and he said, With that my portion be in this land. Thereupon HaKadosh Baruch Hu said to him, To your descendants I will give this land. So too in our case, after all the journeys and wanderings from place to place, from country to country, now by divine providence I have found the proper place from which the work of spreading Yiddishkeit and disseminating the wellsprings outward will be directed here in America. In those days our Rebbe remarked that Congress enacted a special law so that my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, could receive his citizenship in his own home. For when the Nesi HaDor requires something, special laws are enacted for that purpose. We will, the minister shall continue in the next installment.