The Rebbetzin Who Came In From The Cold

Rebbetzin Rochel Pinson passed away on February 3 (16 Shevat) at the age of 102, closing a life that spanned some of the darkest chapters and most hopeful renewals of modern Jewish history. At the time of her passing, she was the oldest serving Chabad-Lubavitch emissary—a distinction that reflected a lifetime of fierce devotion to Jewish continuity.

Born in Leningrad in 1924, Rochel cut her teeth on the values of courage and selflessness. Her father, Rabbi Yitzchok Raskin, a graduate of the original Chabad Tomchei Tmimim yeshivah in Lubavitch, Russia, was deeply involved in sustaining Jewish life under the Soviet regime. Officially employed as a shochet, he also helped support underground yeshivot, maintained an outlawed mikvah, and sheltered Chasidic figures who were pursued by the secret police. The family home became a hub of clandestine religious activity at great personal risk.

That danger became tragically real in February 1938, when Rabbi Raskin was arrested during a mass Soviet purge targeting Chasidim. Rochel, who was fourteen at the time, would never forget her father’s parting words. As he was taken away, he charged his daughters to remain proud Jews. Weeks later, he was executed.

The years that followed brought further loss. When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, the family fled east, enduring hunger and displacement. Rochel’s grandmother died in exile, and, in 1943, her mother passed away suddenly. Nineteen years old and orphaned of both parents, Rochel relocated to Samarkand, where a resilient Jewish and Chabad community had taken root.

There she met Rabbi Nissan Pinson, whose own father had perished in a Siberian labor camp. The two married three years later and soon sought escape from the Soviet Union. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, they joined other Chabad families who slipped westward using forged documents, passing through the displaced persons camp in Pocking, Germany, and eventually settling near Paris. Hoping for stability at last, they began raising a family and dreaming of life in the United States.

Instead, their path led elsewhere.

In the early 1950s, as Chabad began rebuilding Jewish life across North Africa, the Pinsons were appointed by the Rebbe to assist the growing Chabad mission in Morocco. Rochel was hesitant at first. After years of upheaval, she had hoped to settle down in a supportive Jewish community. But, remembering her father’s example, she agreed. In Casablanca, she became deeply involved in strengthening Jewish education and communal life, discovering a vibrant community eager for renewal.

After several years, the Pinsons were asked to relocate again, this time to Tunisia. The Jewish community there—ancient in origin but weakened in infrastructure—required sustained support. The Pinsons settled in Tunis, where they would serve for decades. Beginning with a small number of students, they helped build schools, strengthen kosher and mikvah facilities, and restore Jewish life with patience and persistence.

Rebbetzin Pinson played a central role as an educator and a mentor, particularly to women and children. She became a beloved maternal presence in the community. Even during periods of political unrest, anti-Jewish violence, and mass emigration, the Pinsons remained.

Rabbi Pinson passed away in 2007. Rebbetzin Pinson continued her involvement well into advanced age, remaining closely connected to the community she helped build.

She passed away as thousands of Chabad shluchot emissaries were convening for the 2026 annual women’s international conference—a fitting coda to her life’s work, reflected in the gathering itself. From Soviet cellars to North African classrooms, Rebbetzin Rochel Pinson’s life was a testament to steely courage, steadfast faith, and unbreakable commitment.

Mrs. Pinson is survived by her children who serve as Chabad emissaries in France and Belgium, and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.