On Thursday of this week, the world conference of Chabad emissaries opened in the courtyard of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in New York. On Sunday morning, thousands of emissaries will line up for the traditional group photo, in front of the Rebbe's Beit Midrash, at 770 Eastern Parkway.
This photograph, which was later published worldwide, shows thousands of Hasidim, all of whom have a uniform appearance. However, to truly understand the significance of the photograph, one must use a little imagination and see each and every one of the thousands of emissaries as standing at the center of a circle, surrounded by dozens, hundreds, and thousands of Jews, from all corners of the Jewish people.
These days of the conference are days of recharging batteries.
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The Shluchim, who are at the ends of the earth all year round, will return to their point of origin, to the sources of strength and faith. They will pray in the Rebbe's house of worship, prostrate themselves on his holy throne, and strengthen their connection to the Mishlech. They will spend four days together, a Sabbath of brothers, and return for a while to the days when they sat side by side in the Beit Midrash and prepared themselves for the great mission.
Going into the wilderness
This conference provides the best opportunity to feel the pulse of world Jewry. It provides a deep understanding of the existential problems of the Jewish people today, from assimilation and assimilation to anti-Semitism and terrorist threats.
However, meeting these people makes you most impressed by their determination to reach every Jewish community, even the most distant and isolated, and to breathe life into Judaism.
You meet young emissaries who have recently set out to the most remote places. Some are in places where there has never been any Jewish life – no synagogue, no organized community, and certainly no Jewish educational institutions. The Jews living in these places are scattered within the general population, and have almost assimilated into the Gentiles.
And suddenly the young messenger landed on the scene, opened a synagogue, established a system of Torah lessons, founded activities for children, began holding events on holidays. From literally nothing, Jewish life began to flourish in the barren desert.
You talk to slightly older shluchim, those who started from the same place, but who have been active for several years, and you hear about a bustling synagogue, kindergartens and even schools, a magnificent mikveh, a variety of kosher food products - a thriving, organized and vibrant Jewish community. Many of these shluchim brought with them to the conference representatives of the community who, just a few years ago, had not even thought about the fact that they were Jews, and today they are warm partners in the development of the young community.
The challenges abroad
This conference reveals to you the challenges of Jewish existence today. The Israeli public, faced with security problems and economic hardship, is unaware of the struggles of communities abroad with their existential problems.
The main Jewish challenge around the world is to deal with the waves of assimilation and assimilation. To locate the Jews scattered across vast expanses, to awaken the spark hidden within them, and to tie them into a system of Jewish life.
These emissaries stand at the forefront of this campaign, bringing about the true revolution in contemporary Judaism, and preparing the world for its complete redemption.
