As the energy of the Kinus builds, the final 60 recipients of the “New Shluchim Grants,” one of the numerous Hachlatos taken at last year’s Kinus, has been announced.
Each year, the International Kinus Hashluchim brings a flurry of excitement and activity to the Jewish world. Far more than a gathering to celebrate the Rebbe’s vision and connect with each other, in recent years, the Kinus has transformed into a platform for colossal growth in the shlichus universe.
The momentum of thousands of shluchim sitting together, and in keeping with the Rebbe’s vision for the Kinus from its inception, fuel ambitious hachalatos with such global scope, many of them seem almost too implausible to become a reality.
If this is true every year, it was particularly true last year, the first kinus emerging from the isolation of the pandemic and concurring with Yud Aleph Nissan 120 years. With the wind in the sails from this twin-headed inspiration, the hachlatos pledged then were nothing short of fantastical.
“Thirty-six new Sifrei Torah for shluchim across the world! Let’s build 120 new mikvaos! Let’s triple the amount of Merkos Shlichus bochurim this year! CTeen lounges and grants for expanding CKids Hebrew schools across the country from Sunday to every day of the week!”
As the Kinus came along this year, the dreams are no longer dreams, but a reality. While all hachlatos were initially pledged for Yud Aleph Nissan 5783, there was a broad push to see them come to fruition ahead of schedule for this year’s Kinus.
Indeed, a siyum of thirty-six Sifrei Torah is scheduled for the Kinus banquet on Sunday. In similar fashion, every single one of the bold declarations above have hit the ground running as well. The mikvaos are up, hundreds of bochurim swarmed the world this past summer, Hebrew Schools have exploded across the landscape, a network for Chabad Houses catering to Israelis in the diaspora has been created and Libraries are being launched.
One particularly special hachlatah seeing the full light of day as the Kinus is underway is the 120 new shluchim. As the central plank of Chabad’s growth worldwide, each new shliach who takes up the Rebbe’s mantle to whichever corner of the world they go is further testimony to the robustness of the Rebbe’s vision and reach. While the first round of sixty new shluchim was already announced over the course of this past year, the final sixty more new shluchim are finally being announced ahead of this year’s Kinus.
Each new shliach is receiving a two-year grant from Merkos to jumpstart their shlichus. Additional resources in the form of mentoring, guidance, and ongoing workshops by the New Shluchim Desk at Merkos 302 are also being provided.
“Our Shlichus in Lake Havasu City, Arizona is unique and challenging,” said Rabbi Mendel Super. “The community is small, and is a mix of retirees, young families, second-home owners and tourists. A remote town in Western Arizona, Havasu is 150 miles from the nearest Jewish community, with no mikvah, no kosher food, and little of the resources that Shluchim need. This grant will go directly towards reaching the more than 2,000 Jews who live in the region.”
For Rabbi Mordechai Gurevitz, who, together with his wife Nechama, recently moved to Coquitlam, British Columbia, the grant received is already being put to good use. “With so many Jews in the area here not yet served, we are blessed to see our nascent Chabad House experience rapid growth. As one of the highest cost of living areas in the country, this growth brings with it astronomical expenses, of course. This seed money is a welcome boon for our sustainability.”
“The Kinus is a special time to reflect on the past year, both in our successes and where we can improve, but more importantly, not to be complacent and push for more,” said Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Chairman of the International Kinus Hashluchim and Vice-Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch. “As the Kinus grows from year to year, the message for us is to be ever more ambitious in our reach. After all, we cannot rest until the true goal of our collective shlichus has been accomplished—to bring Moshiach!”
Rabbi and Mrs. Avi and Chana’la Rubenfeld, Chesterfield, MO
Rabbi and Mrs. Avraham and Mushky Baron, Leawood, KS
Rabbi and Mrs. Avraham and Mushka Minsky, Newark, NJ
Rabbi and Mrs. Avraham and Yocheved Naparstek, Bordeaux, France
Rabbi and Mrs. Avrohom and Leah Engel, Dumont, NJ
Rabbi and Mrs. Aycee and Sorella Abrahams, Randwick, Australia
Rabbi and Mrs. Berel and Chana Dubinsky, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim and Raizel Groner, Elk Grove, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Berel and Bracha Paltiel, Fishtown, PA
Rabbi and Mrs. Boruch and Sara Simon, Stowe, VT
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim and Menuchy Birnhack, Hamilton, Bermuda
Rabbi and Mrs. Haim and Hanna Chetrit Porto, Portugal
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim and Chaya Loschak, Montecito, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim and Chaya Pinczower, Mamaroneck, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim and Menucha Schwartz, Roswell, GA
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim Shaul and Mushky Shkedi, Billings, MT
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim and Esty Zippel, Utah County, Utah
Rabbi and Mrs. Chanina and Shterna Grunblatt, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rabbi and Mrs. Chneor and Rivka Levy, Miami Beach, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid and Talya Goldshmidt, Atlanta, GA
Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid and Mushka Tiechtel, Berlin, Germany
Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid and Nechama Dina Weiss, Topanga, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Dovi and Pessi Levy, Hollywood, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Dov and Jessica Schochet, London, England
Rabbi and Mrs. Eagle Sholom and Goldie, Pepperdine University, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Elchanan and Henny Kuperman, Whangarei, New Zealand
Rabbi and Mrs. Eli and Mushka Eckstein, Dania Beach, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Eli and Dabrushy Pink, Leeds, England
Rabbi and Mrs. Eli and Mushka Tenenbaum, Omaha, NE
Rabbi and Mrs. Gavriel and Miriam Weberman, Crete, Greece
Rabbi and Mrs. Henoch and Sara Rosenfeld, Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi and Mrs. Gavriel and Menucha Isenberg, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Rabbi and Mrs. Yisrolik and Liba Kievman, New York University, New York, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Leibel and Draiza Kaplan, Flamingo, Ontario
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Bluma Cohen, Charlotte, SC
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Leah Danow, Fort Wayne, IN
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Tzaita Freedman, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Mushkie Greenberg, Cleveland, OH
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Chana Lowenthal, Copenhagen, Denmark
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Chaya Minsky, Ahwatukee, AZ
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Mirel Mintz, Tiburon, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Chaya Plotkin, Parkland, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Hindy Rosenblum, South Hills, PA
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Chana Sputz, Reno, NV
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Chaya Mushka Wolf, Saratov, Russia
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi and Shoshana Roda Yudkin, Larnaca, Cyprus
Rabbi and Mrs. Dani and Rochel Libersohn, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
Rabbi and Mrs. Mattisyohu and Chana Charytan, Mill Basin, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Meir and Chana Horowitz, Wilmington, DE
Rabbi and Mrs. Meir and Tani Lerman, East Village, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Meir Shlomo and Etty Gordon, Paso Robles, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem and Nechama Dina Attal, Grenoble, France
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Eisenbach, Naharia, Israel
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem and Malka Englesman, Ibiza, Spain
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem and Chaya Golomb, Modesto, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem and Chanie Gruzman, Salzburg City, Austria
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem and Musya Marozov, Tbilisi, Georgia
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Mendel Begun, Beverly Hills, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Mendel and Sara Rivka Weinfeld, Vienna, Austria
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Nachum and Libi Rosenberg, Bangalore, India
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem and Chaya Mushka Shmotkin, Wheeling, IL
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem and Faigy Zajac, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Leah Baitelman, Universal City, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel Barash Prague, Czech Republic
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Rivka Chein, Trafford, England
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Sarah Fischer, Augusta, GA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Rena Gordon, Woodland Hills, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Tonna Korf, Highland Park, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Mushka Lebovics, S. Petersburg, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Chana Lerman, Norcross, GA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Chaya Osdoba, Satellite Beach, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Mushka Rapoport, Miami Beach, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Itta Super, Lake Havasu City, AZ
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Chana Winner, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Rachel Zarchi, Carolina, PR
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel Zilbershtrum, Jurmala, Latvia
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy and Mirel Bistritsky, Saugus, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy and Mushky Ceitlin, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy Eisenbach, Annecy, France
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy and Mirel Heber, Delray Beach, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy and Rivky Hertzel, Lusaka, Zambia
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy and Sara Malka, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy and Dobie Mentz, Bel Air, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy and Sara Malka Shishler, Johannesburg, South Africa
Rabbi and Mrs. Mordechai and Hadas Bigio, S. Andres Island, Columbia
Rabbi and Mrs. Mottel and Nechama Gurevitz, Coquitlam, British Columbia
Rabbi and Mrs. Shomo and Chaya Morrison, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe and Hadassa Berkowitz, West Marin, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe and Sheina Caytak, Ottawa, Canada
Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe and Sarah Spalter, Lake Forest, IL
Rabbi and Mrs. Nissan and Chaya Mushka Naparstek, Plymouth, MN
Rabbi and Mrs. Nissen and Chana Pewzner, West Shore, PA
Rabbi and Mrs. Noam and Chava Rosen, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Rabbi and Mrs. Osher and Liba Goodman, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Rabbi and Mrs. Osher and Rochale Krishevsky, London, England
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Mussie Rapoport, University of Chicago Grads, Chicago, IL
Rabbi and Mrs. Shmulie and Sarah Sanowicz, University of Arizona Grads, Tuscon, AZ
Rabbi and Mrs. Berel and Rochel Sasonkin, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Rabbi and Mrs. Shalom and Bracha Cheruff, New Haven, CT
Rabbi and Mrs. Shaya and Mushky Gourarie, Worthing, England
Rabbi and Mrs. Shaya and Esty Itkin, Cincinnati, OH
Rabbi and Mrs. Shimon and Rochel Lahiany, Marrakech, Morocco
Rabbi and Mrs. Shimon and Rivka Partouche, Montreal, Canada
Rabbi and Mrs. Shlomie and Mushky Deren, Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi and Mrs. Shmouel Bensoussan, Perpignan, France
Rabbi and Mrs. Shmuel and Chani Grossman, Burlington, VT
Rabbi and Mrs. Shmuel and Shevy Gurary, Maple Valley, WA
Rabbi and Mrs. Shmuel and Yehudit Havlin, Bremen, Germany
Rabbi and Mrs. Shmuel and Nechama Fradel Levertov, Leander, TX
Rabbi and Mrs. Shneor and Moussia Epstein, Baltimore, MD
Rabbi and Mrs. Shneur Fagan, Phoenix, AZ
Rabbi and Mrs. Shneur and Simi Itzinger, Chagrin Falls, OH
Rabbi and Mrs. Shneur and Sheina Matusof, Issaquah, WA
Rabbi and Mrs. Shneur and Mussi Shusterman, Flevoland, Netherlands
Rabbi and Mrs. Sholem and Aidele Vigler, Houston, TX
Rabbi and Mrs. Sholom Ber and Shaina Miriam Gershovitz, S Petersburg, Russia
Rabbi and Mrs. Sholom and Liba Loebenstein, Ambler, PA
Rabbi and Mrs. Sholom and Chana Sima Myers, Bratislava, Slovakia
Rabbi and Mrs. Sholom-Ber and Toby Weiss, London, England
Rabbi and Mrs. Tzemach and Mushky Feller, Macalester-Groveland, MN
Rabbi and Mrs. Tzemach and Devora Shemtov, Livonia, MI
Rabbi and Mrs. Tzvi and Hadassa Alperowitz, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Rabbi and Mrs. Tzvi and Masha Rimler, Chandler, AZ
Rabbi and Mrs. Uri Feldman, Wynnewood, PA
Rabbi and Mrs. Ezra and Bracha Wiemer, George Mason University, Fairfax County, VA
Rabbi and Mrs. Yaakov Abudraham, Tigre, Argentina
Rabbi and Mrs. Yaakov and Rivka Landa, Toronto, Canada
Rabbi and Mrs. Yaakov and Chaya Mushka Raskin, Ellenville, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Yehoshua and Aidy Rubin, West Hartford, CT
Rabbi and Mrs. Yehoshua and Adina Lipkin, Jako, Costa Rica
Rabbi and Mrs. Yisroel and Mushky Gerlitsky, San Francisco, CA
Rabbi and Mrs. Yitzchak and Shuli Lew, Milton Keynes, England
Rabbi and Mrs. Yitzchok and Bina Lerman, Rutherford, NJ
Rabbi and Mrs. Yosef and Hadassah Buchman, Venice, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel and Goldy Kalmanson, Mason, OH
Rabbi and Mrs. Yosef and Mushka New, East Boca Raton, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Yosef and Riki Posner, Plantation, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Yossi and Mushka Bernstein, Richmond Hill, Ontario
Rabbi and Mrs. Zalmen and Malky Itkin, West Lake Worth, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Zalmy and Mussia Plotke, White Plains, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Zev and Mussy Kaplan, Innisfil, Ontario
Rabbi and Mrs. Zvi and Mushka Birnhack, Southend on Sea, England
What’s “the grant”?