Rabbi Shneur Ashkenazi Shares His Untold Personal Encounter With the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Rabbi Shneur Ashkenazi, one of the leading lecturers in Chabad Hasidism, appeared with Rabbi Nati Rosengarten in the podcast studio of Kikar HaShabbat to mark Gimmel Tammuz, the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The episode was presented as a discussion about the Rebbe’s legacy and why, 30 years after his death, he still moves people deeply.

During the podcast, Ashkenazi revealed a personal story involving the Rebbe that he said he had never shared publicly before. The conversation also explored who the Lubavitcher Rebbe was, why he continues to inspire emotion and reverence decades later, and why Chabad sends many of its followers to Israel even though the Rebbe himself never visited the country.

The discussion further touched on Chabad customs and symbols, including the movement’s distinctive dress, the meaning of “770” for Chabad members, and the group known as the “Meshichists.” The original piece framed the podcast as a broad, reflective look at the Rebbe’s influence and identity within Chabad.

The article also briefly included a separate live update noting that after about an hour, a protest outside Prison 10 ended and the crowd, which had gathered with the participation of a rebbe, dispersed.