By COLlive reporter
The annual International Conference of Shluchim, which takes place each year on Rosh Chodesh Kislev, will kick off on Thursday, however, this year it will be remarkably – and historically – different.
Due to the global pandemic, the annual conference which brings together 4,000 Shluchim and their supporters for a weekend of learning, inspiration and camaraderie, will be held virtually for the first time.
Still, the conference is expected to be the largest ever in terms of attendance, as well as one of the most ambitious in scope and reach, as more than 5,000 Shluchim- and thousands of lay leaders, family members and admirers—will be able to join the conference due to its online format.
The Kinus will begin Thursday morning, with a grand opening session featuring greetings from Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Chairman of the Kinus Hashluchim.
The Kinus will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 15, with the annual Grand Event at 1:00 PM – the highly anticipated Grand Banquet, which will be a large scale, slick production, featuring addresses from renowned attorney Nathan Lewin and UK Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson, interspersed with multimedia presentations depicting Chabad life around the globe.
Throughout the 4 day conference, with Shluchim tuning in from time zones as many as 22 hours apart, organizing live programming throughout the weekend is a challenge that has been met with innovative solutions, like a rolling melaveh malkah that will begin after Shabbos ends in New Zealand and will continue with Shluchim tuning in from around the globe, concluding in Alaska well over 24 hours later.
But despite the challenges, organizers felt the conference, with its celebration of Jewish unity and uplifting of Jewish communities around the globe, had to go on.
“We see the global nature of this year’s conference as an opportunity rather than a setback,” said Rabbi Kotlarsky. “This year’s unique format will allow us to showcase diverse Jewish communities around the globe and the Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries at their helm.”
As the conference goes worldwide, general sessions throughout the weekend will be hosted by Chabad-Lubavitch centers in England, Ukraine and Israel, among many others, as each community will display its unique flavor, as well as focus on the overall theme of the conference, which is how to overcome every obstacle emissaries may face in the service of the communities they lead.
This year, sessions will focus on the challenges that the coronavirus pandemic has brought, such as overcoming Zoom fatigue; how to deliver education in the virtual world; and sessions focused on maintaining physical and emotional health at a time when both are under tremendous stress.
A simultaneous conference for the children of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries (Tzeirei Hashluchim) will also take place virtually with a suite of uplifting and entertaining events that they will tune into from across the globe—a beacon of inspiration at a time when many are isolated.
“While the format of the conference will be very different than usual, its goals remain the same: to connect, to inspire and to uplift,” Rabbi Kotlarsky said.
VIDEO
Dear Shluchim first thing I would like to tell you that there are a lot of people who are organizing this year is really special and amazing so therefore I want to Say we believe in Heshem and we trust in Heshem since this year it’s a little bit different than all other years I want to say is no matter what the Rebbe is proud of each and every Shluchim no matter where are you From the Rebbe understands you that this year it’s a Little bit different but we still need to stand strong we need to stay… Read more »