Shluchim Gather in Staten Island

150 Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim gathered in Staten Island for the annual conference, hailing from Connecticut, Massachusets, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and New York.

The conference opened on Sunday in the Hilton Garden Inn where the Shluchim were greeted by the host Rabbi Moshe Katzman and his wife.

After a buffet brunch, Rabbi Aaron Gancz of Morristown, NJ addressed the crowd about the education of children.

Over the course of the afternoon, conference participants heard from various Shluchim on a variety of relevant topics. Among them were Oholei Torah Maggid Shiur Rabbi Avraham Gerlitzky who spoke about the days of Moshiach in Halacha, Rabbi Gurary of Buffalo who shared his experiences during the early days of his Shlichus, and Rabbi Zushe Winner who spoke on practical Halacha in daily Shlichus.

Before the close of the afternoon session, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch and director of the Regional Kinusim, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky shared inspiring words on the topic of “strengthening the role and the mission of a Shliach” and peppered his talk with holy words and stories that inspired and invigorated the crowd.

Several hours after the start of the conference, the Shluchim davened Mincha and were ushered into an adjacent room filled with elegant, festive round tables for the annual banquet attended by the Shluchim, friends and supporters, children of Shluchim and Rabbis and community leaders of the Staten Island Jewish community.

Guests were welcomed by the conference host, Rabbi Moshe Katzman, who asked Rabbi Yitzchak Raskin to the podium. Rabbi Raskin shared fascinating details and anecdotes about the life of his uncle Rabbi Dovid Raskin OBM, Chairman of the Lubavitch Youth Organization since 1955, who passed away several weeks ago.

Rabbi Yaakov Lehrefield, spiritual leader at Congregation Young Israel in Staten Island, Rabbi Yossi Deren of Greenwich, CT and Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, director of the Regional Kinus, also spoke.

After the banquet, Shluchim posed for a group photo and a Maariv service. Shluchim were invited to join in a Chassidic Farbrengen led by Oholei Torah Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yisroel Friedman at the Chabad House of Staten Island that carried through all hours of the night.