Full Day Youth Shluchim Kinus Track Addresses Historic Surge in Jewish Family Involvement
A historic surge in Jewish youth engagement is sweeping through Chabad Houses around the world, and Shluchim are working to meet the demand. Hebrew Schools are bursting with record enrollment, after-school clubs are thriving, and Chabad Houses are expanding with unprecedented engagement.
What began as a wave of post-October 7 solidarity is becoming a full-fledged movement: families seeking connection, belonging, and meaning through their children’s experiential Jewish education.
“The Rebbe consistently emphasized that the goal of the Kinus is ish es rei’eihu ya’azoru, Shluchim strengthening one another,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Director of the Kinus and Chairman of CKids International. “This year especially, with so many navigating new and urgent realities, connecting with other Shluchim who truly understand makes all the difference.”
A recent study by the Jewish Federations of North America found that 44% of Jews connected to Chabad increased their involvement after October 7: the highest of any denomination. For many families, that growing connection has resulted in Hebrew School registration, a child’s commitment to a mitzvah mission, or an entire family reigniting their own Jewish pride through their child’s enthusiasm.
“Our challenge now is to help Shluchim turn short-term curiosity into lasting connection,” explains Rabbi Zalmy Loewenthal, director of CKids International at Merkos 302. “The Rebbe taught us that the key to the Jewish future depends on chinuch. The question we’re all asking is: how do we take this surge of Jewish feeling and give it deep, enduring roots?”
At this year’s Kinus HaShluchim, this historic momentum will take center stage. The full-day CKids track of seminars will create a space for Shluchim to share their front-line experiences helping Shluchim meet and channel the surge, transforming emergency-mode engagement into long-term Jewish growth.
From topics such as how to build Hebrew Schools that include the entire family to keeping afterschool clubs fresh and exciting, and how to make early childhood programs the starting point for a lifetime of Jewish pride and connection. Rabbi Sholom Ber Diskin of Pacific Palisades, CA and Rabbi Meir Simon of Highlands Ranch, CO will offer insights from their leadership in youth programming, helping Shluchim think strategically about sustaining growth and managing camp and school budgets and logistics with clarity and confidence.
Already, the results are visible. In dozens of communities, CKids Shluchim are opening new classrooms and developing creative programs that make Jewish learning hands-on and joyful. Shluchim are investing in new infrastructure to meet the growing demand. For many, it’s not just about accommodating more students: it’s about harnessing a spiritual turning point in Jewish life.
Rabbi Levi Weinbaum of Birmingham, AL will speak to the growing need for outcome-based education, helping Shluchim recognize and cultivate real results, whether in a 25-student Hebrew School or a 500-child day camp. Meanwhile, Rabbi Aaron Herman will share practical communication tools and Rabbi Zalman Baumgarten of Great Neck, NY, will guide fellow directors in best practices for setting systems that support growth while freeing up headspace for meaningful leadership.
In a rapid-fire session designed for peer-led brainstorming, Rabbi Sholom Block of Plano, TX will facilitate dynamic exchanges where Shluchim can share their challenges and hear fresh solutions from fellow youth Shluchim around the world. Later, a collaborative forum featuring five voices, including Rabbi Moshe Kramer of Boca Raton, FL and Rabbi Sholom Block, will spotlight practical ideas that have re-energized their own local programs.
“The energy in youth programming today is unlike anything we’ve seen before,” said one Shliach. “Many parents who were once indifferent are now saying, ‘This is where we belong. I want my child to actually experience Judaism.”
