Israel’s New Consul General Discovers Crown Heights

Ambassador Asaf Zamir, Israel’s Consul General in New York, visited the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Crown Heights and the Jewish community there on Thursday.

Ambassador Zamir toured 770, putting on tefillin in the Rebbe’s study and spent several minutes there praying by himself. He learned about the Rebbe’s impact and leadership in a guided tour by Rabbi Motti Seligson, a Chabad spokesman. He also went into the synagogue area of 770, where he stopped and chatted with a group of yeshiva bochurim from Israel, who are studying in New York for the year.

Ambassador Zamir then visited the Jewish Children’s Museum, where Devorah Halberstam, co-founder of the JCM and the Chairwoman of the NYPD’s hate crime review panel, provided the consul general a private tour of the JCM, where she told him the tragic story of her late son, Ari.

Ambassador Zamir attended a round table discussion, with young Chabad leaders at various Chabad institutions at the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute’s offices, including JLI, the Friendship Circle, Chabad Young Professionals, the Jewish Online School and Chabad.org. Rabbi Efraim Mintz, executive director of JLI, met the ambassador as well.

Experiencing the community scene, Ambassador Zamir strolled down Kingston Avenue, the main artery of the community, stopping into shops and greeting people.

He also met with Crown Heights Rov, Rabbi Yosef Braun, as well as Rabbi Chanina Sperlin and Rabbi Eli Cohen, of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.

The day was capped with a conversation with young Jewish business leaders at the home of Rabbi Moshe Pinson.

Ambassador Asaf Zamir said: “It’s impossible to visit Chabad and meet with some of its young leaders and not be impressed with their work for Jewish life in New York and all over the world. It is important for me to meet the Rebbe’s emissaries — the emissaries of Judaism — around the globe, as we strengthen the already amazing relationship between the global Jewish community and the people of Israel.”

“I came here to understand the Crown Heights community, to understand the challenges and to reassure everyone that Israel is here and listening.”