Memorial Plaque for Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Father Installed at Kyiv Detention Center on His Death Anniversary

On the 20th of Menachem Av, marking the death anniversary of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a historic memorial plaque was unveiled at the Lukyanivska detention center in Kyiv. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was imprisoned there during the Soviet era for steadfastly maintaining his Jewish faith. The plaque installation was the result of prolonged efforts by Rabbi Yonatan Markovitch, Chabad emissary and chief rabbi of Kyiv as well as rabbi for Ukraine’s prison services, and his son Rabbi Ariel Markovitch, who manages Jewish activities in prisons.

The ceremony was attended by the detention center’s commander and his deputy, who collaborated with Rabbi Markovitch to establish the memorial. The commander expressed regret over the injustice suffered by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, emphasizing that his imprisonment was solely due to his religious leadership, and called it a painful chapter in history that must be remembered.

The plaque details Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s imprisonment story and includes a quote from him about his incarceration. Additionally, the book "Nitzotzei Levi Yitzchak," based on his teachings, was donated to the detention center for the benefit of Jewish inmates. Rabbi Markovitch highlighted the deep significance of unveiling the plaque on the day of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s yahrzeit, calling it a historic rectification and a poignant closure. He noted that where the Soviet regime once tried to silence Judaism, there is now a site commemorating the rabbi’s courage and devotion.