By COLlive reporter
While a picture often speaks a million ‘words’, an image designed by Shlucha Goldie Avtzon of Hong Kong speaks 13,000 ‘SOULS’.
After hearing reports of the successful Seders that took place throughout Asia this Pesach, “we wondered how many people actually participated,” says Avtzon.
After some research, the total figure was garnered from personal calls and regional whatsapp chats, and the result of 13,000 people was astounding and moving – even to seasoned Shluchim.
To visualize what that number really means, she had the idea to design an image that depicted that number.
Chabad Houses throughout Asia hosted 43 Sedorim this year, most in locations with permanent Chabad Houses and some in remote areas. Some were held in massive tents to accommodate crowds of 2,000, some were in small rooms set for 20. Some were white glove, five star service, and some were outdoor garden affairs. Some were organized by veteran Shluchim and others by Shluchim who arrived only 2 weeks ago. Some locations could freely bring in Kosher food and religious articles while some had to jump through many hoops to secure their basic needs.
Whether for thousands, hundreds, or 20 people, each participant who joined was there because of the Rebbe’s vision when sending out Shluchim to Asia.
The graphic depicts each person who joined a Seder as a little dot, and the result is “literally” dizzying.
“What’s amazing is not the number, but the fact that every one of these dots is an actual person and that they each had a place to go where they were welcomed,” Avtzon says.
As one participant commented on Facebook, “I’m proud to say I was one of those dots.”
Seders were held in:
CAMBODIA: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Kampot, Koh Rong CHINA: Beijing, Chengdu, Foshan, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kowloon, Intown (Shanghai), Nanjing, Ningbo, Pudong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Taipei, Yiwu, INDIA: Mumbai, Bangalore INDONESIA: Bali JAPAN: Kobe, Kyoto, Takayama, Tokyo KOREA: Seoul LAOS: Luang Prabang MYANMAR: Yangon NEPAL: Kathmandu, Manang, Pokhara, THAILAND: Bangkok – Sukhumvit, Silom & Kaosarn, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Pai, Phuket, and VIETNAM: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An, Sapa.
Each Seder was masterfully and uniquely coordinated by local Shluchim and Shluchos who were assisted by visiting bochurim and local volunteers.
