Meet Your (Shlichus) Bashert

By COLlive reporter

In Chabad, there are two basherts that need to be found: Your spouse and your shlichus. Finding either can be a lengthy, tiring and even excruciating process.

A recently filled position at the Shluchim Office – the global Chabad Lubavitch resource center is aiming to help young couples find a location for their life-long dedication to the Jewish future.

While the numbers of Shluchim has grown at a dizzying pace – 85 new ones were assigned in the last 6 months alone, according to one source – there are many more willing and searching for their opportunity.

“There are many more yungeleit than there are jobs,” says Rabbi Mendel Samuels, Director of Chabad of the Farmington Valley in Weatogue, CT, who has taken the position as Shluchim Placement liaison at the Shluchim Office.

He describes his task as being “a shadchan for Shluchim” and as such is organizing the first Shluchim Placement Meet ‘N’ Greet to be held this Friday, November 1, alongside the International Kinus Hashluchim in Brooklyn, NY.

The candid gathering over lunch and light refreshments from 12:00-2:00pm at the Shluchim Office will be an opportunity for shluchim and yungeleit to meet up and discuss resumes, opportunities and expectations.

“The idea is to get both sides in the same room at the same time to accelerate the process,” Samuels told COLlive. “There are many who want to go out and many who want to hire but there are things to be sorted out, so it’s all about communication.”

Samuels, who is regularly in touch with Shluchim and has spoken publicly at the Crown Heights Kollel where many newlywed men learn, says the process is very similar to shidduchim.

“It’s about checking if there’s a connection and there is compatibility. Meeting in person and talking for 15 minutes can give an indication,” he says.

Resumes will be made available and Samuels says he will be on hand to help conversations develop and follow-up later on if there’s interest. If all goes according to plan, you can expect more than 85 new shluchim in the next few months.

RSVP to [email protected] or call at 860-463-9572 (kindly indicate if you are a Shliach or a Yungerman).