Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump paid a personal prayer visit on Monday to the Ohel, the resting place of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the most influential rabbi in modern history and the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, on the first anniversary of Oct. 7 terror attacks.
President Trump was accompanied by Yael, Adi and Roy Alexander, parents and brother of Edan Alexander, who is currently being held hostage by terrorists in the Gaza Strip; Jerry Wartski, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp; and two Jewish college students facing antisemitism on campus. Chabad-Lubavitch leaders greeted the President, who placed some money into the large charity box near the Ohel entrance before entering the mausoleum to pray.
In many ways, Trump’s prayer visit is a family tradition: Prior to both presidential elections, his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, paid late-night, media-free visits to the Ohel.
The Rebbe’s resting place in Queens, N.Y.—the most visited Jewish holy site outside of Israel—is considered a pilgrimage site of great spiritual significance. Millions of people — Jews and non-Jews — send prayers, and some 400,000 visit in-person annually, seeking inspiration, guidance and blessings. Dignitaries and world leaders from across the political spectrum visit the Ohel, often without fanfare.
A revered Jewish leader, the Rebbe also emphasized a universal vision for a better world. Teaching that there is goodness inherent within all of humankind and the infinite potential of every individual and each good deed, he believed in the fundamental need to nurture this good within man via a moral and ethical education, especially among children.
In recognition of the Rebbe’s work, both in the public eye and behind the scenes, beginning in 1978 every U.S. president has proclaimed Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., on the Rebbe’s birthday. In 1994 he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his “extraordinary life and work.”
The Rebbe’s impact continues to be felt throughout the Jewish community and broader society.
