By COLlive reporter
Photos, Video: Sholem Srugo
Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, who served as the Rebbe‘s secretary and a key figure in the central organizations of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, was hosted for an interview last week at Touro College in New York.
He was introduced as the secretary of Chabad’s 3 central organizations Agudas Chassidei Chabad International, Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and Machne Israel Development Fund, and serving as chairman of the latter two.
“Today he has more titles and responsibilities than I want to read right now,” joked Touro President Dr. Alan Kadish at the opening of their conversation at Touro’s Lander College for Women on West 60th Street.
Dr. Kadish said he was “fascinated by the energy, perseverance and success of Chabad,” noting that institutions that were built and inspired by the Rebbe to welcome Jews around the globe.
Dr. Kadish said that Rabbi Krinsky’s “dedication to spreading the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe continue to shine a light even during the darkest moments when selfless shluchim and their families have been victims of terror.”
In their conversation, Rabbi Krinsky answered questions doubt about the Jewish community’s future in Europe, Chabad’s close bond with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and what to do about anti-Semitism in America and elsewhere.
Across the nation, anti-Semitic incidents are reaching historic levels. In 2018, there were 1,879 recorded attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions, according to the Anti-Defamation League. This comprises the third highest year on record since the 1970s, when the ADL first began tracking anti-Semitic attacks.
In addition to law-enforcement agencies stepping up their protection, Rabbi Krinsky called on utilizing the option of a “moment of silence” in American public schools to pray and reflect at the beginning of the day.
“Silence can be more expressive than a shout,” he said, pointing out that the Rebbe has campaigned for this initiative and suggested it as a solution to instill morality and values in American youth.
But ultimately, Rabbi Krinsky conceded, “there’s no solution for anti-Semitism. It has been going on for 3000 years and you just can’t control it.”
VIDEO: Rabbi Krinsky in Conversation with Dr. Kadish
Where can we see the full program?