In honor of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson on the 120th anniversary of his birth, President Biden has declared this day Education and Sharing Day, USA.

Through education, we learn to recognize ourselves in our neighbors and cherish the dignity of our shared human experience.  No one understood this better than the man whose life and legacy we celebrate on this day:  Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe and leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

The Rebbe’s devotion to educating people worldwide and his profound respect for diversity, inclusiveness, and equal justice have set a strong example for generations of Americans and people across the globe.  Having survived one of history’s cruelest chapters, the Rebbe emerged determined to help heal the soul of humanity.  He left his mark as a thinker, leader, and teacher who recognized the limitless potential of every human being regardless of their background.  His outreach is still felt today in countless houses of worship, centers of education, cultural exchanges, and service communities worldwide.

The Rebbe described education as “the cornerstone not only of Jewish life, but of humanity at large.” His life and outsize legacy are testaments to this commitment to learning “not merely as a process of imparting knowledge and training for a ‘better living,’ but for a ‘better life.’ ”

Photo Credit: David Everett Strickler at Unsplash.com.