Avraham: “This story turns “loving all Jews” on its head. To make a holiday celebrating the founder of Chabad’s “rescue”….”
Actually, I don’t find this minhag offensive at all, although I see where you’re mistaken. After all the shame and excommunications that he had to put up with and the lies and false charges that were levied against him by the Misnagdim, one can imagine the utter pain and torture the Alter Rebbe suffered at the hands of this Misnaged to whom he was sent after his supposed freedom. To question the veracity of the stories that are told of the Alter Rebbe as well as the comments he made regarding his stay in the misnaged’s house, is simply atrocious and despicable. These traditions, which are related at great length in the Sichos of our Rebbeim and hold a firm ground in Chabd tradiotion, and someone who claims that these stories and comments are unfounded or unreliable, is essentially taking issue with the whole Chabad mesorah.
I hope that those that proposed these doubts and claims will apologize at the soonest opportunity.