The Rayatz

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880–1950), known as the Rayatz, was the sixth Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Born in Lubavitch, Russia, he succeeded his father Rabbi Sholom DovBer as leader of the Chabad dynasty. The Rayatz was imprisoned twice by Soviet authorities in the 1920s for his religious activities, and after his release he emigrated to Latvia and later to the United States. In 1940 he settled in New York, where he revitalized American Chabad despite his declining health. He was renowned for his spiritual depth, sharp intellect, and commitment to strengthening Jewish observance in the diaspora. He established institutions for Jewish education and outreach that became foundational to modern Chabad's expansion. His correspondence and teachings profoundly influenced twentieth-century Jewish thought.