The Chabad emissary in Lubavitch, Russia — caretaker of the Ohel, director of the restoration, and the person who has dedicated his life to preserving the heart of Chabad history.
Rabbi Gavriel Gordon serves as the Chabad shliach (emissary) based in Lubavitch — one of the most historically significant postings in the entire Chabad network. To live and serve in the village that gave the movement its name, where the Rebbeim are buried, where the Ohel stands, is both a profound honor and a profound responsibility.
Rabbi Gordon's role encompasses everything required to maintain a living Jewish presence in a village that is today home to only a handful of Jews: caring for the Ohel, maintaining the Akeda Shul, coordinating restoration projects, welcoming the thousands of visitors who travel to Lubavitch each year, and ensuring that the sacred sites remain dignified and accessible.
He is also the primary coordinator of the systematic restoration work undertaken in partnership with the Geder Avos organization — work that has transformed the state of the cemetery, uncovered and rebuilt the original shul, and restored the Ohel to its current condition.
In 2018, excavation work led by Rabbi Gordon's team uncovered the original foundation of the synagogue bordering the Ohel — the shul where the Frierdiker Rebbe delivered his last Maamar in Russia in 1922. Rabbi Gordon coordinated the four-year rebuilding project that returned the shul to full functionality by 2022.
Working with the Geder Avos organization — sponsored by Yosef and Penina Batsheva Popack — Rabbi Gordon has overseen the systematic excavation, cleaning, and reinstallation of hundreds of matzeivos in the historic Lubavitch cemetery. A complete database of every grave has been compiled.
A new Ohel was built over the resting places of the wives and daughters of the Chabad Rebbeim — the Rebbetzins — who had long been without a proper memorial structure. The project restored dignity and proper identification to the site.
The most significant renovation of the primary Ohel since its 1989 rebuilding was completed under Rabbi Gordon's coordination — including structural work, grounds improvements, and enhanced visitor access.
Rabbi Gordon receives groups and individual visitors from across the world who travel to Lubavitch to pray at the Ohel, visit the cemetery, and connect with the history of the place. The Schneerson House provides accommodation; the restored shul provides a place to pray and study.
Under Rabbi Gordon's leadership, a century-old architectural blueprint of the Chatzer (Rebbe's courtyard) was discovered and analyzed, revealing previously unknown details about the historic compound. The burial database and archive materials are being developed for wider research access.
"This shul was in use even as the chassidim left Lubavitch… the last Maamar in Russia was spoken here."
— Rabbi Gavriel Gordon, on the discovery of the Akeda Shul foundation, December 2018Since 2018, Rabbi Gordon has worked in close partnership with the Geder Avos organization, which undertakes Jewish cemetery restoration projects worldwide. The Lubavitch project — fully sponsored by philanthropists Yosef and Penina Batsheva Popack — has become one of the most comprehensive cemetery restoration efforts in the Russian Jewish heritage space. Together, Rabbi Gordon and Geder Avos have transformed the physical state of the Lubavitch cemetery and its surrounding sites.
To arrange a visit to Lubavitch, make a donation to the restoration, contribute historical materials, or reach the team directly, please use the contact page. Rabbi Gordon and the project team welcome anyone with a connection to Lubavitch — whether through family history, scholarship, or spiritual devotion.
Contact the Project