Shluchim Fly in For Rabbi Kotlarsky’s Birthday

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Baruch Ezagui/COLlive

Dozens of Chabad Shluchim from around the United States and the world flew to New York to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch.

Gathered at the events hall in the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights, L’chaims were said at the birthday farbrengen organized by family and friends on Monday night.

A special Sefer was printed for the occasion, collecting references in Torah, Mishna, Halacha and Chassidus about the significance of the number 70.

Present from the former Soviet Union were Dnipro Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky, Rabbi Dovid Mondshein, Director of the Ohr Avner Chabad Foundation in Moscow and businessman Raphael Rutman of Kiev.

Argentina’s Head Shliach Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt was there, as well as Rabbi Mendel Azimov from France, Rabbi Bentzi Sudak from London and Rabbi Shimon Freundlich of Beijing, China.

At the head table, Rabbi Kotlarsky was flanked by Eliat’s Chief Rabbi Yosef Hecht, 770 Mashpia Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi and Chicago Rabbi Boruch Hertz.

New York City Council Member Mathieu Eugene stopped by and told Rabbi Kotlarsky that the day was dedicated in his honor.

Many participants expressed their appreciation to Rabbi Kotlarsky for playing a key role in expanding the global Shlichus network of Chabad centers and institutions.

Rabbi Kotlarsky travels the globe establishing Jewish centers for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, becoming known as “Judaism’s Globe Trotter.”

In many countries he is the public face of Chabad, visiting heads of state and opening new Chabad centers worldwide.

He serves as the director of the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries (“Kinus Hashluchim”), and Chairman of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) and Chabad on Campus International.