Shmuel Schneersohn

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Shmuel Schneersohn (or Rabbi Shmuel or Maharash) (1834–1882), was an Orthodox rabbi. He was the fourth Chabad Lubavitch Rebbe based in the town of Lubavitch in present-day Russia. He was the son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn who was the third Rebbe of Lubavitch. He was also known as the Maharash.

During his years of leadership as "Rebbe" (1866-1882) he was instrumental in fighting Anti-semitic decrees and pogroms throughout Russia and beyond. For these purposes he traveled widely to places such as Petersburg, Kiev, France and Germany, doing all he could to improve the lot of his persecuted co-religionists.

Since 1940 the Chabad-Lubavitch movement has been based in Brooklyn, New York in the United States where it has trained thousands of young rabbis and sent them together with their wives and young families to staff positions in an array of yeshivas (Torah schools), synagogues, and educational outreach centers known as "Chabad Houses".

Noted quote: "the world says when encountering an obstacle try going under then over, but I say Lechatchila ariber - go over (the obstacle) to begin with!"