The rebbe's army convention 2006
Rabbi Brackman attends Chabad emissaries international convention, returns with uplifted feelings and great sense of pride
Eating dinner with three thousand rabbis is indeed an experience to write about. This week for the first time I attended the International Convention of Chabad Emissaries. Over three thousand Chabad Rabbis from all corners of the globe came together to share inspiration, camaraderie and love of Judaism.
Chabad is arguably the largest Jewish organization in the world. At the convention it was announced that this year three new countries, Vietnam, Laos and Guadeloupe, were added to the list of countries that are served by Chabad Centers. There is now virtually no place in the world that is not served by Chabad. It was incredibly moving to sit in a room with so many people who have dedicated their entire life to Jewish continuity.
When a young Chabad couple moves to a place like Vietnam they make a lifetime commitment. Often there is no permanent central funding for them and they know that within a few years they will have to become financially self sufficient.
In addition to this because in many far-flung places there is no adequate religious education for their children the parents have to make the heart wrenching decision to send their young kids thousands of miles away for school.
Children on a mission
This takes us to, what was for me, the most moving part of the entire convention. There was a presentation given about the children of Chabad emissaries who live in the Ukraine. The children expressed how they themselves felt that they were on a mission to spread a love for Judaism.
Whereas in normal circumstances one would worry that without a proper Jewish environment and friends the children’s Jewish identity would suffer. Amazingly however, this presentation proved that the opposite is true. The children of Chabad emissaries living in places with little or no religious infrastructure are just as dedicated to spreading Judaism to fellow Jews as their parents are.
Upon seeing the unity of purpose and the dedication of the Chabad rabbis who took part in this convention it is impossible not to walk away with a feeling of immense pride and optimism for the future of Judaism.
This feeling is thankfully shared by Chabad’s major patrons including the Rohr family who have donated tens of millions of dollars to Chabad over the last few years and were thus honored at the convention’s grand banquette. When George Rohr was asked why his family supports the work of Chabad so heavily he answered because at Chabad he gets the most value from his charitable dollar.
Exponential growth
Twelve years ago, after the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneershon, experts predicted the demise of the Chabad movement. They could not have been more wrong.
In fact during the grand banquet those who became emissaries in the twelve years since the passing of the Rebbe were asked to rise and nearly half the room stood up. This international convention of three thousand Chabad Rabbis shows that, against all odds, not only is Chabad alive, it continues to grow exponentially.
Recently Dr. Ron Wolfson of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles wrote that other Jewish organizations must learn from Chabad, the "radical hospitality experts" of the Jewish community (as quoted by Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism in an article he wrote in Reform Judaism Magazine).
The growth of Chabad over the past twelve years, showcased at the convention, shows that its success is not just the result of a charismatic leader or a successful business model.
Integral to Chabad is a philosophy of unconditional love for each Jew and the belief that intense spirituality is to be found not within the enclave but especially outside of it. Clearly the passionate dedication and love which this ideology breeds in its followers will be difficul to replicate without replicating the philosophy itself.
