Closing the Circle: Memorial Plaque for the Father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Installed at His Former Prison
86 years after the Soviet regime imprisoned Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson for his religious leadership, a memorial plaque has been unveiled at the Lukianovka detention facility in Kyiv. The initiative was led by Kyiv’s Chief Rabbi Yonatan Markovitz and Rabbi Ariel Markovitz.
On the 20th of Menachem Av, the yahrzeit of the father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, of blessed memory, a historic circle was closed in Kyiv. On Monday, an official memorial plaque was installed at the Lukianovka detention facility, where he was held under the Soviet regime after being arrested for his steadfast commitment to preserving Judaism.
The installation followed extensive efforts by Rabbi Yonatan Markovitz, a Chabad emissary and Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, who also serves as the rabbi for Ukraine’s prison service, alongside his son, Rabbi Ariel Markovitz, who directs Jewish activities in the country's prisons. They coordinated closely with the prison administration to honor Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s memory at the site of his incarceration.
The ceremony was attended by the facility’s commander and his deputy, who joined Rabbi Markovitz in unveiling the plaque. During the event, the commander expressed his regret over the injustice inflicted upon Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, who was imprisoned solely for his role as a Jewish leader, noting that this painful chapter in history deserves to be remembered.
“There is deep significance in the fact that precisely on the yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak we merit to set up a memorial plaque in the place where his freedom was taken from him only because he was a rabbi who spread Judaism,” Rabbi Markovitz said.
The plaque features the story of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s imprisonment and includes a quote from his own writings about his time in detention. Additionally, the facility was presented with the book “Nitzotzei Levi Yitzchak,” based on his teachings, which will be made available for the benefit of Jewish prisoners.
“This is a historical rectification and a moving closing of the circle. In a place where they tried to silence the voice of Judaism, there is now a memorial that tells the story of the valor and self-sacrifice of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, of blessed memory, the father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe,” he added.
