U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15) visited the Ohel in Queens, N.Y., the resting place of the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, the most influential rabbi in modern history, on Thursday, Mar. 13th.

Since the Palestinian terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Torres has emerged as a proud beacon of support for Israel and the Jewish community. While some political leaders have sought to equivocate Israel’s defensive war with Hamas and other terror groups’ actions, and Jews were targeted on the streets and campuses of New York and beyond, Torres has consistently called out antisemitic rhetoric and actions, whether it’s come under the guise of anti-Israel activism or taken the form of blatant anti-Jewish hate. Torres has done so without consideration to what side of the political aisle the antisemitism has come from.

In a recent speech, Torres encouraged Jews to take pride in their Judaism and to “Live not in shame but in pride. Live not in fear, but in freedom. Because where there is fear, there can never be freedom. I am so proud to stand with all of you as a fearless warrior in the fight against antisemitism. We stand together. America stands with Israel … am Yisrael chai.”

The Congressman visited the Ohel accompanied by Rabbi Levi Shemtov, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Riverdale in Torres’ district. He has made repeated trips to Israel to show his support, meeting with families of hostages kidnapped in Gaza and visiting communities brutalized by the terror attacks. In New York, in his own district and beyond, Torres has frequently visited synagogues and Jewish institutions, listening to concerns and reaffirming his commitment to fighting antisemitism.

His steadfast stance has not come without a cost. Torres has faced criticism and harassment campaigns from antisemitic figures and groups for his unequivocal support of Israel and the Jewish community, yet he has remained resolute and consistent in his position.

Torres’ visit took place on the Fast of Esther, which immediately precedes the joyous holiday of Purim. The holiday commemorates the (Divinely orchestrated) salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persian from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.”

On his way into the Ohel, the Congressman placed some money into the large tzedakah box near the entrance, in keeping with Jewish tradition to increase in charitable giving, and lit a memorial candle.

About the Ohel

The Rebbe’s Ohel is the most visited Jewish holy site in North America, drawing people from all walks of life in a way similar only to the Western Wall in Israel. It is common for people to visit the Ohel to pray in proximity to a personal or professional milestone—whether a bar or bat mitzvah, wedding, anniversary, beginning a new endeavor or overcoming personal challenges.

Millions of people send their written prayers via email and post to the Ohel, while approximately 1 million make pilgrimages there each year. Located at the Old Montefiore Cemetery, the Ohel is open 24/7 and has long been a place for reflection for private citizens and world leaders alike, Jews and non-Jews, each coming to the holy site to pray, seek inspiration and find solace.

The Rebbe’s universal impact has been recognized by every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter, who in 1978 began the tradition of proclaiming the Rebbe’s birthday as Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A. In 1994, the Rebbe was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his “extraordinary life and work.”

The Rebbe was born in 1902 in what is today Ukraine, arriving in the United States in 1941 after escaping from Nazi-occupied Europe. A decade later, following the passing of his father-in-law and predecessor the Sixth Rebbe—Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory—he assumed leadership of the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

Far from focusing only on the revival of the Jewish people, the Rebbe turned his gaze outward to the world at large, emphasizing a universal vision for a better world. He spoke of the 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, who must be impressed upon from the youngest age that it is within their capacity to change the world for the better.

Throughout his lifetime, the Rebbe expended thousands of hours meeting and corresponding with people from all walks of life, among them rabbis, statesmen and laypeople, Jews and non-Jews, including Presidents Carter and Ronald Reagan, Shirley Chisholm and Robert F. Kennedy.

Visiting the resting place of the righteous is a long-held tradition in Judaism. The Talmud recounts how Caleb visited Hebron to pray at the Maarat Hamachpela (“Cave of the Patriarchs”), the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. Resting places of Jewish mystics and sages in Israel and Europe are considered sacred spaces and have been visited by Jews and non-Jews for centuries.