Chabad bochur wakes after week in coma from Simchas Torah injury

A seventeen-year-old Chabad yeshiva bochur from Rechovot, Shneur Zalman Neiman, woke last night (Tuesday night) in a New York hospital after being sedated and ventilated for a week.

Shneur Zalman sustained a severe head injury during Simchas Torah while at Chabad world headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Over the past week, many in Chabad and across Klal Yisrael davened for his complete and speedy recovery. His name for tefillah: Shneur Zalman ben Talia Natasha. Last night he opened his eyes for the first time.

Chabad's deputy mayor, Rabbi Aryeh Lipsker, a Chabad chossid who is currently in New York, rushed to the hospital to meet the family.

Lipsker put Rechovot mayor Matan Dil on speakerphone in a live call. The mayor wanted to share in the family's simcha and bless Shneur on the encouraging news. He spoke with family members, expressed his emotion at the hopeful development, and wished Shneur a complete and speedy recovery, with Hashem's help.

The rav of Chabad in Rechovot, HaRav Menachem Mendel Gluchovsky shlita, one of Chabad's senior rabbonim, wished the yeshiva bochur a speedy recovery in a live video call he held with him from Rechovot. "What great simcha we have in the kehillah in Rechovot," the rav told the bochur with emotion. "Shneur, we love you. Continue to be healthy until we merit to dance together here in Rechovot with the entire kehillah, l'chaim l'chaim."

Family members are calling on the public to continue davening and doing good deeds in his merit and for his recovery as he still has a long road ahead.