page_title: Menucha Rochel Slonim
section_title: Life in Hebron
hierarchical_section_title: Menucha Rochel Slonim / Life in Hebron
caption_attribution_description: Family photo of Eliezer Dan Slonim (standing right, back row), his wife Chana Sara (standing next to him, back row) and family members.
context_page_description: Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel Slonim was a daughter of Rabbi Dovber Schneuri, the second Rebbe of the Chabad Hasidic dynasty. She is regarded a matriarch to the Chabad dynasty as well as Hebron's Jewish population in general.
context_section_description: For forty-three years she served as the matriarch of the Hebron community. New brides and barren women would request blessings from her. Before she died on the 24th of Shevat, 5648 AM (6 February 1888), she sent a letter to the then Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, informing him of her imminent passing. She thus lived during the leadership of all of the first five Lubavitcher Rebbes.
  She became renowned among both townspeople and beyond, Jews and non-Jews alike for her curative and salvation abilities, and was nicknamed "the grandmother Menucha Rachel". Every bride who visited the Tomb of Machpela on the day of her wedding came to get her blessing and the Admor Rebbe Elazar Mendel of Lelov used to visit her home three times a week when staying in Hebron. He was strict about standing when she entered or left the room and always asked her to bless him.
  Her family went on to become leaders of the Hebron Jewish community, helping unite the Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewish communities and reaching out to the Arabic community. Her son was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Slonim, who was the father of Rebbetzin Moshke Devora Epstein, who inherited Menucha Rochel's home when she got married. Other children included Rabbi Mordechai Dov Slonim.
  Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Slonim was the chief Ashkenazi rabbi during the 1929 Hebron massacre. His son was Eliezer Dan Slonim, who spoke fluent Arabic and was a member on the city council and a director of the Anglo-Palestine Bank. He had excellent relations with the British Mandate authorities and Arab community and was reported to have not believed in rumors of an impending riot. He and his family were slaughtered as they attempted to make a barricade in the Slonim family house. One-year-old Shlomo Slonim (1928-2014) survived the massacre. He was the grandson of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Slonim and son of Eliezer Dan Slonim. Shlomo Slonim went on to join the Irgun Tzvai Leumi, the Haganah, and the Israel Defense Forces. He worked for Bank Leumi for almost 50 years, was married for 50 years, and had 4 children. His photo as a wounded toddler is included in the Museum of the Jewish Community of Hebron  as are many photos of the Slonim family.
caption: The family of Eliezer Dan Slonim of Hebron.
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