After a weekend of inspiration and connection at the world’s largest gathering of Young Jewish Professionals, Sunday’s visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel was the culmination of it all.
Organized by the CYP International Team at Merkos 302, the preparatory program at the Queensborough Performing Arts Center featured two videos of young professionals were featured, sharing their personal journeys of connection with the Rebbe.
In one, Johnny Ellis from Hoboken, New Jersey, described hitting a low point after college before discovering the Rebbe’s teachings with his CYP Shliach, Rabbi Shmuly Levitin. “Before, I didn’t really have an identity,” he said. “The Rebbe speaks about being proud to be a Jew. I’m Johnny the Jew. And that makes me so proud.”
In the second, Amanda Newman recalled her first visit to the Ohel. She had never heard of it before. “I had to Google what it was,” she admitted. She wrote a 15-page letter introducing herself to the Rebbe and left feeling “so deeply connected to Hashem.”
Then it was their turn, following the program, 1,200 young professionals bused to the Rebbes Ohel, A single-file line formed, as young professionals lit candles and prepared to enter. Inside, the room fell quiet except for whispered prayers and soft tears. For many, it was their first time at the Rebbe’s resting place. For all, it was a moment of deep connection before heading home with a renewed sense of purpose and Jewish pride.
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