This past Monday, Chana and I met with a young Jewish woman. After chatting for about 30 minutes, Chana mentioned that she looked familiar. They quickly discovered that back in 2006, Chana was a Chabad intern in her hometown in California, teaching in the same Hebrew School she attended! We now hope to continue that learning, virtually, some 15 years later.
This past Tuesday, I bumped into a young man at a wedding and we got to chatting. He's a student at Virginia Tech and he was excited to share how he just returned from an inspiring Shabbaton weekend in Brooklyn with his Rabbi. It turns out his Rabbi at Virginia Tech is a dear friend of mine, a study partner when I was in Melbourne Australia.
I received a text from a Rabbi I hardly know. He sent me a photo of a dear local friend, who had been hospitalized while traveling. The Rabbi was there at my friend's bedside; visiting, laying Tefillin, providing words of support.
Such scenes could have taken place in Kinshasa, Puerto Rico or Capetown. Or Cary.
Because we don't believe in strangers. We believe in family.
Who is 'we?'
'We' is the Rebbe's army of G-dliness and goodness.
Consider the reality that observant people generally gravitate to larger Jewish communities. It’s the natural way to support an observant lifestyle, and to perpetuate that observance within one’s family. Yet, beginning in 1950, the Rebbe inspired Chabad couples to reach beyond their own religious comfort to settle in communities which need their spiritual influence. The Rebbe was going against the grain, but – one couple at a time –Chassidic men and women committed their lives to bettering the world, by moving to places where they could make a difference.
In the early years, there was a trickle of 'lamplighters' (called Shluchim - literally 'emissaries') moving out to bring warmth and illumination to a world in need. But over time, that trickle became a stream, and then a steady flow of couples setting out across the globe to make this a better world. Today, the type of stories I shared above the norm.
This weekend is the international convention of Chabad Rabbis (the women convene in February) in Brooklyn. - The main event Sunday Night is the largest Jewish event in the USA. Tune in live at 4:30 at this link.
In honor of the occasion, allow me to share some facts about Chabad you may not have know:
- This past year, 120 new Chabads were established. That is on average, one every three days. And this is at a time when sadly, many other Jewish organizations are closing or merging.
- Today, there are 5,646 emissary couples in all 50 states and over 100 countries around the world. Aside from being your local Jewish resource, they are the people embracing your child on campus, providing schnitzel to your niece backpacking in Cambodia, and providing you with a Passover Seder as you vacation in New Zealand.
- According to the Pew Research Center’s Jewish Americans 2020 study, two-in-five Jewish adults (38%, or 2.2 million people) have engaged with Chabad.
- More importantly, the younger the segment, the more connected they are with Chabad. More Jews age 35 and younger are involved with Chabad than any other Jewish group.
Closer to home, Chana and I are deeply honored to witness this type of growth in Western Wake County.
From a Hebrew School that began with 4 kids in our garage to a school bustling with 80 kids BH...
From a group that met in a living room for classes & services...to a growing community in the midst of a building campaign for a multi-million dollar Jewish Center.
But here's the key: No matter the growth, the secret sauce remains the same. Far more important than numbers and buildings is a commitment to unconditional love for the individual. That every Jew should feel they have a place to go for nourishment - whether physical or spiritual, emotional or intellectual.
In a world that seems more fractured every day, Chabad Shluchim provide love and spiritual sanity. Without reservation.
5000 purveyors of goodness, coming together to recharge their batteries and recommit to their mission of spreading light.
It’s good for the world.
And it’s good for you.