Kehot Publication Society is the publishing division of the

Chabad-Lubavitch Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...

movement.

History

Kehot was established in 1941 by the sixth Rebbe of

, Rabbi

Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn Yosef Yitzchak (Joseph Isaac) Schneersohn (; 21 June 1880 – 28 January 1950) was an Orthodox rabbi and the sixth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic movement. He is also known as the Frierdiker Rebbe (Yiddish for "Pr ...

. In 1942, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak appointed his son-in-law, Rabbi

Menachem Mendel Schneerson Menachem Mendel Schneerson ( – June 12, 1994; Anno Mundi, AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to adherents of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or simply the Rebbe, was an American Orthodox rabbi and the most rec ...

(who became the seventh Rebbe in 1951) as director and editor-in-chief. Prior to the establishment of Kehot, printed editions of Chabad texts were limited. Since its founding, Kehot published many volumes of both Hasidic texts and general Jewish literature, growing significantly as an established publisher of Jewish books published in several languages. Rabbi Menachem Mendel served as editor for many of the early Kehot publications. In a 1946, he wrote of his editorial work for Jewish holiday literature published in French and in English. He edited both Jewish educational literature for children as well as volumes of Hasidic discourses.Igrot Kodesh vol. 2, page 90

Name

The name ''Kehot'' (קה"ת) is a Hebrew acronym for ''Karnei Hod Torah'' (קרני הוד תורה) meaning "the rays of the Torah's glory", and the three Hebrew letters feature in the publishing house's logo. The letters also refer to the Hebrew year, 5505 (תק"ה), in which the founder of Chabad, Rabbi

Schneur Zalman of Liadi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, (; September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) commonly known as the Alter Rebbe or Baal Hatanya, was a rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism. H ...

, was born.

References

{{Authority control Book publishing companies based in New York (state) Chabad organizations Jewish printing and publishing Jewish organizations established in 1942 Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn Publishing companies established in 1942 1942 establishments in the United States Chabad in the United States Orthodox Jewish publishing companies