Back to the Future - Liozna

Last Thursday, we visited the town of Liozna. A small city, it was
home to Rabbi Schneur Zalman, founder of Chabad, and the city in which
he developed Chabad Chassidic thought.There are presently no Jews in
the town (as far as we can tell). But, before World War 2, that wasn't
the case.The town's Mayoress approached us to convey her awareness and
respect for Liozna's special place in Chassidic history (she added
that Marc Chagall used to live there too!).She seemed so conversant
with 'Chassidic Geography' that I asked her if she herself was Jewish.
She smiled and said: "Probably! My family is here for generations andd
the village population used to be overwhelminlgy Jewish, so maybe a
grandmother!"While Rabbi Schneur Zalman himself is buried in the town
of Haditch, his daughter - known as Rebbetzin Devorah Leah (d.) - was
buried in Liozna. She is famous in Chabad literature as a woman of
deep spiritual insight and great self-sacrifice.Our visit to her
gravesiter wasn't about history. It came from a deep-seated, personal
desire to connect with someone I admire and respect. Her soul
continues to exist, and I feel honored to have brought her into my
life to the extent I did.

More coming up....