11 Nissan
Encyclopedia
Yud Aleph Nissan, the 11th day of the month of Nisan
in the Hebrew calendar
is the birthday of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
(1902-1994), the leader of the Chabad
dynasty of Hasidism, and is celebrated by his followers as a festival.
The day had been marked by public parades since 1992, when Schneerson was in hospital recovering from a stroke.
The first public recognition of Schneerson's birthday was instigated by his personal envoy to Washington DC, Abraham Shemtov
, who urged friendly congressmen to persuade Jimmy Carter
to declare the day to be Education and Sharing Day
in his honor, in 1978. The day has been declared Education and Sharing Day
by all succeeding U.S. Presidents.
The day is marked by an annual official Tzivos Hashem
parade around Crown Heights
Nisan
Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days...
in the Hebrew calendar
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...
is the birthday of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
(1902-1994), the leader of the Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
dynasty of Hasidism, and is celebrated by his followers as a festival.
The day had been marked by public parades since 1992, when Schneerson was in hospital recovering from a stroke.
The first public recognition of Schneerson's birthday was instigated by his personal envoy to Washington DC, Abraham Shemtov
Abraham Shemtov
Rabbi Abraham Shemtov is a leading Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi who was one of the closest confidants of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson....
, who urged friendly congressmen to persuade Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
to declare the day to be Education and Sharing Day
Education and Sharing day
Education and Sharing Day is a day made by the United States Congress in honor of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson the Lubavitcher Rebbe's efforts for education and sharing for Jews and non-Jews alike. During his lifetime the Rabbi opened scores of centers of education called "Chabad Houses"...
in his honor, in 1978. The day has been declared Education and Sharing Day
Education and Sharing day
Education and Sharing Day is a day made by the United States Congress in honor of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson the Lubavitcher Rebbe's efforts for education and sharing for Jews and non-Jews alike. During his lifetime the Rabbi opened scores of centers of education called "Chabad Houses"...
by all succeeding U.S. Presidents.
The day is marked by an annual official Tzivos Hashem
Tzivos Hashem
Tzivos Hashem, is a Brooklyn, New York based organization that was founded in 1980 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe as a youth group to serve both the physical and spiritual needs of Jewish children.-Participants:...
parade around Crown Heights
Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....