This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Kinus HaShluchim, the Annual Convention of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries, which brings together 5,000 rabbis from every corner of the world for a weekend of learning, inspiration, and camaraderie. There’s no event like it in the world!
As I walked into the banquet hall on Sunday night in New Jersey, I was struck by the sheer diversity of the crowd. Friends and colleagues from every corner of the globe had gathered in one place, united by our shared commitment to spreading kindness, compassion, and Jewish values as the Rebbe’s shluchim.
One of the highlights of my weekend came before I even arrived at the convention. As I was driving down to New Jersey, I noticed a bus stranded on the side of the road, with a group of rabbis standing on the side of the road trying to hitch rides. Apparently, one of the buses on the way to the banquet had broken down. Without hesitation, I pulled over and offered to take five rabbis—the amount of available seats in my minivan.
As we drove, I discovered that the rabbi sitting in the passenger seat right next to me was actually my fourth-grade teacher from Johannesburg, whom I hadn't seen in 35 years! A beautiful moment—and just one of many.
I cried with thousands of my brothers and their guests as we paid heart-rending tribute to Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who was murdered in Abu Dhabi just days earlier. The entire crowd of 6,500 paid a virtual shiva call to his family.
I was inspired by Rabbi Yehoshua Soudakoff, who was born deaf and works with the Deaf community, as he delivered a resounding and moving speech in sign language.
I felt proud as I listened to Dr. Brian Levin, a doctor in Owings Mills, Maryland, who told us how Chabad inspired him and he now puts tefillin on with all his patients.
But most of all, simply spending time with my fellow compatriots, rabbis from all kinds of communities, working on the same mission, was invigorating. Living in Manhattan creates many unique challenges, and hearing from fellow rabbis across the universe about the unique problems they face was both eye-opening and inspiring. We are all in this together.
I spoke to a friend from Cape Town who shared the unique challenges of being a pulpit rabbi. Another from Stuttgart told me that even though only 500 Jews live in his city, he still has a daily minyan and kollel of 22 locals.
I bumped into a friend from Thailand who sent me regards from people who had visited them. A fellow rabbi from Long Beach, NY, told me he is slowly conquering his town with love despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles!
I met old friends from Israel, Melbourne, Texas, and Italy. Wherever you live, there’s probably a Chabad emissary not far from you.
But you don’t need to be a rabbi or an emissary or even religious to start making a difference in the lives of others. Reach out to a Jew in your neighborhood and have a Shabbat meal together or connect over a Torah thought. Together we’ll be a powerful force that will hasten the arrival of Moshiach and the Final Redemption.