SHEMINI ATZERES & SIMCHAS TORAH 5766 IN CROWN HEIGHTS

Hundreds of additional guests came to spend Shemini Atzeres & Simchas Torah in Crown Heights.

Shortly after Licht Bentchen it started to pour. Despite the rain the annual pre-Hakofos Kiddushim took place around town.

Shemini Atzeres
In the Rebbe's room Hakofos started right after Maariv. The Rebbe's & Moshiach's Sefer Torah were present @ Hakofos in the Rebbe's room. Israel Zev "Shmidy" Goldshmid continued his Chazaka of bringing the Sifrei Torahs from downstairs to upstairs & then returned them later so that they could be used @ the main Hakofos downstairs. Hakofos in the Rebbes room ended @ lerech 8:35pm.

Downstairs Hakofos started @ 9:00 pm. There was a new path built on the far side of Shul (near the Kingston Ave Vaiber Shul) that was for a new line to kiss the Rebbe's Sefer torah, and it started in the back by the steps where the Rebbe would walk up to Farbrengen.

Tahalucha
Thousands of men, bochurim and children went to a record 300+ Shuls on Tahalucha. Starting from the early afternoon groups some accompanied by police escorts left 770. The groups went to all parts of the city including Queens, Flatbush, Brighton Beach, Howard Beach, Sea Gate, Manhattan, Canarsie, Boro Park, Park Slope and more.

Simchas Torah
Downstairs in 770, Hakofos started @ lerech 10:00pm but as usual it took a while for the Shul to fill up as everyone was making their way back from Tahalucha. The "official" hakofos, ended around 1:30am but the singing, dancing and Amiras Lechaim went on till the wee hours of the morning.

Hakofos in the Rebbe room were held immediately after Maariv and ended @ lerech 8:50pm.

Chazzonim over Yom Tov S =Shachris, M = Mussaf, CT = Choson Torah CB = Choson Breishis

770 Downstairs
Shemini Atzeres
S – Luzer Kenig
M – Mendel Reizes

Simchas Torah
S – Yitzi Hecht
M – Kalman Weinfeld
CT – S. Butman, M. Shagalow, N. Shapiro and some others
CB - The Rebbe & the Friediker Rebbe & Baal Koreh made the Brochos

Rebbe's Room
Shemini Atzeres
S – R' Yuzevitz
M – Yisroel Gordon

Simchas Torah
S - Sholom Duchman
M - Moshe Kotlarsky
CT - Rabbis' / Mazkirim - B. Klein, C.Y. Krinsky, L. Groner
CB - The Rebbe & the Friediker Rebbe & Baal Koreh made the Brochos

Food & Drink
As usual special thanks goes to Nochum Markowitz who made all the arrangements for the "Kiddushim" on Shemini Atzeres & Simchas Torah both night and day.

Farbrengen
Towards the end of Shabbos thousands packed the downstairs of 770 for a Farbrengen. Everyone sang the Niggunim of all the Rebbeim. There was also a Maamer Chazzered by Rabbi Levi Garelik. A very small Farbrengen also took place in the upstairs Zal as well.

@ The Ohel
A crowd of close to 200 spent Shemini Atzeres, Simchas Torah & Shabbos Bereishis @ the Ohel. The guests visited 35 Shuls in Long Island & Queens on Tahalucha.