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Over 2,000 Chabad Hasidim Gather in Muslim Kazakhstan for Rabbi Schneerson’s Yahrzeit

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By נחמן שטרנהרץ

First reported by Behadrei Haredim · Aug 2, 2026

What happened

Over 2,000 Chabad Hasidim gathered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to commemorate Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson’s yahrzeit, overcoming complex travel through Muslim countries. Rabbi Yeshaya-Elazar Cohen leads a thriving Jewish community there, turning the rabbi’s exile site into a vibrant center of Jewish life.

01Over 2,000 Hasidim from Israel, the US, and Europe traveled to Almaty for Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson’s yahrzeit.
02Travel involved long routes through Muslim countries due to lack of direct flights.
03Rabbi Schneerson was exiled and died in Kazakhstan under communist rule, with his wife caring for him.
04Rabbi Yeshaya-Elazar Cohen has led Kazakhstan’s Jewish revival since the Soviet Union’s fall.
05Eight Chabad families maintain vibrant communities in seven Kazakh cities.
06The pilgrimage included Shabbat gatherings and Torah study near the rabbi’s gravesite.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

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