Women Gather to Mark Gimmel Tammuz in New York

On Thursday, Gimmel Tammuz, more than 100 women came together for A Women’s Gathering of Souls convened by the Women’s Monday morning Project Likkutei Sichos class, in conjunction with Chabad of Five Towns.

26 Jun 2026, 15:01 by COLlive Editor · COLlive

by Joannie Tansky

On Thursday, Gimmel Tammuz, more than 100 women came together for A Women’s Gathering of Souls convened by the Women’s Monday morning Project Likkutei Sichos class, in conjunction with Chabad of Five Towns, who graciously hosted the event.

Many had already gone to the Ohel and chose to continue their journey by joining this unique gathering. What unfolded over the next three hours was a program of remarkable depth, warmth, and inspiration that left a lasting impression on those in attendance.

A Bit of History
Covid brought a great deal of misery to the world, but it also brought unexpected opportunities. Before Covid, how many of us had heard of Zoom?

It was during those difficult days that the Project Likkutei Sichos Monday morning women’s class was born. What began with just twenty women gathered around their computer screens has steadily grown into a community of close to three hundred, still on Zoom.

Along the way the annual Shabbaton celebrating Yud Shevat was born and, this year, for the first time, a virtual Farbrengen in honor of Yud Alef Nisan and most recently, this special gathering in honor of Gimmel Tammuz.

A Level Playing Field
Our van from Montreal was full, six women making the journey to New York for Gimmel Tammuz; first, to be at the Rebbe’s Ohel and then to be part of an extraordinary event. As the miles passed, it struck me how different we all were. We came from different backgrounds, different families, different stages of life. Our levels of Yiddishkeit varied. Our customs were not the same. There was a generation or two between some of us.

Yet none of that mattered. What bound us together was the Rebbe.

At the event there were women who had grown up with and seen the Rebbe with their own eyes many, many times. Some had received dollars once or twice. Others knew the Rebbe only through stories, teachings, and the lives he continues to inspire. But on Gimmel Tammuz, those distinctions seem to fade away.

Because no matter who we are, where we come from, or what our personal connection looks like, we are all living in a world without the Rebbe’s physical presence, longing to see him. And in that shared longing, something remarkable happens.

The absence of the Rebbe’s physical presence has created a level playing field. We stand together not because of what we once had, but because of what is.

Each of us is searching, growing, connecting, and carrying the Rebbe’s vision forward in our own way. In that sense, no one stands ahead and no one stands behind. We are simply fellow travelers on the same journey, united by the same love, the same mission, and the same hope.

Back to the Event
Women from all corners of the Jewish world, many already in New York for Gimmel Tammuz, converged for a sumptuous luncheon and a program that spoke to the meaning of the day.

One of the highlights focused on the revolutionary way the Rebbe empowered, and entrusted women with a central role in Jewish life and the future of the Jewish people.

The day also focused on the unbelievably wide range of the Rebbe’s orb. The program was beautifully steered by Mrs. Tzipa Wertheimer.

Mrs. Rochie Shemtov and Mrs. Reizel Chein led the crowd in Tehillim.

Mrs. Rochie Lazaroff, who together with her husband, Rabbi Eliezer Lazaroff, founded and directs the Aishel House in Houston’s renowned medical district, shared moving and inspiring stories drawn from decades of helping patients and families navigate some of life’s most challenging moments, and how the Rebbe’s sichos have always been front and center in her work and life. Her words offered a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have on the lives of countless others.

The keynote speaker was Mrs. Rivky Slonim, the beloved teacher of the Monday morning class. Her talk addressed: What is the Gift of the Rebbe to the World?

She skillfully shared how the Rebbe took the word eruv and illuminated the concept in a way never ever understood by anyone. Those present were kept spellbound as Rivky showed us how that small word can encapsulate the three loves the Rebbe spoke of when he assumed leadership on Yud Shevat. How the Rebbe constructed an eruv surrounding the entire world, and how privileged we all are to be granted the opportunity to assist in that endeavor.

An extraordinary video of the Rebbe speaking to young women decades ago depicted an empowering message: the Rebbe encouraging those women to teach Yiddishkeit even though the concept was very foreign to them. In the clip, a JEM production, various women described rising to what the Rebbe asked of them despite their own self-doubts. The adage that the Rebbe didn’t have followers, but instead created leaders was very much present in the room.

A panel featuring Hannah Kaplun, Aliza Krivisky, and myself, women of different ages and backgrounds shared the evolution of our personal connection to the Rebbe. Each story was deeply moving, offering a unique and compelling perspective.

Mrs. Chaya Teldon led the women with inspiring stories and niggunim, enabling everyone to quietly absorb what they had just listened to. As she said, song is the pen of the soul and those present needed time to digest the soul of the words they had heard. Absolutely gorgeous!

One of the highlights of the event took place toward the end of the afternoon. An anonymous donor bequeathed a dollar from the Rebbe to be raffled off. The woman who won had come to New York from Argentina. While her story is lengthy, she very succinctly described how she was brought to Yiddishkeit by her dear friend Mrs. Rochie Shemtov while living in Uruguay. In the past few weeks, they found out they would be together in New York and decided to come to the event.

En route from the Ohel, the woman from Argentina shared with Rochie how she did not have a dollar from the Rebbe and it was this very woman who won the raffle.

After the formal program concluded, Mrs. Vivi Deren led a warm, soul stirring farbrengen, inspiring many who joined to share their personal experiences and stories.

If you would like to join the Monday morning class, which begins at 10:00 am sharp EST: https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/rivkyslonimlive/

G-d willing, the third annual Project Likkutei Sichos Shabbaton will take place January 7 and 8 in Tarrytown. Stay tuned for more information on this amazing, not-to-be missed Shabbos.

Women Gather to Mark Gimmel Tammuz in New York

On Thursday, Gimmel Tammuz, more than 100 women came together for A Women’s Gathering of Souls convened by the Women’s Monday morning Project Likkutei Sichos class, in conjunction with Chabad of Five Towns.

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