By COLlive reporter
Photos by Baruch Ezagui/COLlive
Rabbis are currently making their way from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries to participate in the International Kinus Hashluchim, the annual convention of Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis.
Set to take place in Crown Heights and other neighborhoods in New York, organizers are expecting some 5,600 rabbis and communal leaders in what is being billed as the largest Jewish gathering in North America.
The convention comes as American Jewry and Jewish people worldwide mourn the horrific anti-Semitic shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 dead more injured.
Chabad Rabbis have been a leading voice in the aftermath of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack on U.S. soil, urging government officials to take stricter measure to stop hate and protect Jewish centers.
A press released from Chabad World Headquarters said that among the topics that will be covered during the Kinus will be combating antisemitism, counseling and guiding congregations in the aftermath of the Pittsburgh attacks and synagogue security.
Other topics are the opioid epidemic; mental health; stemming the tide of assimilation; counseling troubled relationships; inclusion; and a conference within the conference for rabbis who serve students on college campuses, ensuring a lasting impact on the next generation.
Staff at Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, with the help of a group of Shluchim, have spent months in preparation for the Kinus which will begin this Wednesday evening and culminate with a gala dinner on Sunday evening.
