Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson was arrested on June 15, 1927 (15
Sivan, 5687) in
Leningrad,
USSR (now
St. Petersburg,
Russia) by the Soviet secret police also known as the
Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU). His arrest occurred during a period of increased repression against religious leaders and institutions, as the Soviet government sought to suppress religious practices and organizations. The Rebbe was charged with conducting
Counter-Revolutionary activities, which were seen as counter to the state's efforts to eliminate religion from public life and he was
sentenced to death by Soviet authorities. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson was held in the (now the
Bolshoy Dom) in Leningrad. During his imprisonment, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson experienced severe conditions, including isolation and harsh interrogation. His interrogators attempted to pressure him into confessing to various charges, but he maintained his composure and refused to cooperate. He endured significant physical hardship during this time, including deprivation of food and water, particularly during the first days of his captivity. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson's situation garnered international attention, prompting various Jewish communities and leaders worldwide to intervene on his behalf. Notably,
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, first
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of
Mandatory Palestine (now
Israel), sent urgent telegrams to Soviet officials, urging them to reconsider the charges against him. The involvement of influential individuals, such as
Yekaterina Peshkova, President of the
Political Red Cross of the Soviet Union, was pivotal in advocating for his release. In the United States, Justice
Louis Brandeis of the
U.S. Supreme Court lobbied for Schneerson's release which led to
US President Calvin Coolidge also making appeals to Soviet authorities, adding diplomatic pressure to the international advocacy efforts, which ultimately contributed to the commutation of the Rabbi's sentence from a death sentence to exile. On July 3, 1927 (
3 Tammuz, 5687), Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson was exiled to
Kostroma, a town in the
Volga region of Russia. His exile was still under strict surveillance and control by the Soviet authorities. It was not until nine days later on July 12, 1927 (12 Tammuz 5687), that he was finally permitted to return to his home in Leningrad. On the following day on July 13, 1927 (13 Tammuz 5687), he was actually fully liberated and returned home to Leningrad and was greeted by thousands of followers. Later on in late 1928, after navigating the complexities of Soviet bureaucracy, Rabbi Schneerson managed to get permission to leave Russia with the help of international pressure. He traveled to
Riga,
Latvia, where he stayed until 1929 == Commemoration ==