More than 1,000 attendees at a central Chabad gathering marking the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe were surprised this week when Argentine President Javier Milei quietly entered the hall and joined the farbrengen from the upper gallery.
The event, held at the Belgrano auditorium in Buenos Aires ahead of the 3rd of Tammuz—the date commemorating the Rebbe’s passing—drew participants from across the city and beyond.
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Argentine President Javier Milei joins a Chabad gathering in Buenos Aires marking the yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Video clips of the Rebbe were shown, including a famous segment of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before his first term as Israeli premier in 1996. That was followed by footage of Milei’s own recent visit to Israel, where he presented Netanyahu with a painting of the prime minister shaking hands with the Rebbe.
Milei, known for his warm affinity toward Judaism and the Chabad movement, attended the event discreetly and without delivering a formal address. Chabad organizers said he had specifically requested that his visit not be made into a public spectacle, expressing a desire simply to honor the Rebbe’s memory. Throughout the evening, he sat quietly and listened attentively alongside senior members of the Jewish community.
The keynote speaker was Rabbi Moshe Bryski of California, who delivered an emotional address about the Rebbe’s global influence. Other speakers included public figures such as Jewish-Argentine businessman Eduardo Elsztain, who spoke about his personal connection with the Rebbe.
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Behind the scenes, Chabad representatives said Milei shared in a private conversation that he prays daily in a designated space in his home. “I stand there and pray every morning,” he said, adding that he reads with interest and enthusiasm every story and teaching about the Rebbe.
Milei, who has previously visited Chabad headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in New York and has paid his respects at the Rebbe’s resting place, has repeatedly spoken of drawing personal inspiration from the Rebbe’s teachings.
Chabad officials described his attendance as a rare gesture by a head of state, driven not by political interest but by genuine emotion and belief. “This wasn’t about photo ops or media coverage,” one attendee remarked. “It was a sincere, personal gesture by someone who truly feels connected.”