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Chabad.org Editorial Conference

Rabbi Bentzi Sudak leads a discussion about the new Chabad.org homepage

BROOKLYN, NY [CHI] — Members of the editorial team of Chabad.org – the world’s leading Jewish website and the flagship site of the Chabad Lubavitch movement – gathered from across the globe last week in New York for two days of intense brainstorming and skill-building sessions.

The conference began at the Rebbe’s Ohel, where editorial team members signed and read a Pidyon Nefesh asking the Rebbe for his guidance and brachos for the team to merit to fulfill the Rebbe’s wishes of them in spreading yiddishkeit, Torah and Mitzvos and the fountains of Chassidus in the best and widest possible manner.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

The first day of meetings continued at the special meeting place adjacent to the Ohel (arranged by Rabbi Abba Refson). The team watched a JEM film, Purim 5733, where the Rebbe urges everyone to utilize their fullest potential and every single talent, in spreading yiddishkeit – and never resting on one’s laurels.

Subsequently a series of brainstorming sessions about various areas of the website, both current and future, ensued, along with some specific skill-building exercises.

Later, in the first of a series of sessions held at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos Linyonei Chinuch, addressed the group and expounded upon the extraordinary reach of Chabad.org across the globe, noting his encounters with countless people throughout his travels who use Chabad.org on a constant basis. He emphasized the great responsibility the editors have in spreading Yiddeshkeit and presenting Chabad-Lubavitch on the web.

Rabbi Kotlarsky reminisced about his brother-in-law and founder of Chabad.org, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Kazen, and how the site has grown from one person of immense mesirus nefesh answering questions and connecting to thousands of people deep into the night, turned into an organization of more than 50 people promoting Yiddishkeit on the internet.

Rabbi Yisrael Deren of Connecticut greeted the editors on behalf of the Merkos Internet Vaad which oversees the continued growth of Chabad.org.

Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, who heads the Chabad.org organization, spoke about the extraordinary devotion that Chabad.org’s partners display to its mission and growth. Shmotkin singled out in particular the families of Moshe and Lilian Tabacinic of Bal Harbour, FL; George and Pamela Rohr of New York; and Craig and Debra Cogut of Greenwich, CT; to which team members responded with a rousing applause.

A significant portion of the conference was devoted to learning more about the Rebbe’s enormously high editorial standards, along with reviewing a myriad of specific edits from the Rebbe on editorial issues. Chozer and maniach Rabbi Simon Jacobson shared some of his personal experiences with the Rebbe’s directives and approach to writing, followed by Rabbis Dovid Zaklikowski, Zalman Shmotkin and Yanki Tauber who cited additional specifics.

Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor of Thailand spoke of the role Chabad.org plays in the daily lives of Shluchim, in enabling more than 2,900 of them to have top notch websites via the 1,018 sites now part of the Chabad.org family, despite what is usually minimal know-how. He expressed great admiration for and gratitude to the Chabad.org staff who assist him and his fellow Shluchim in their local community Shlichus.

Some of the group’s upcoming projects were screened for the first time, including a new 3D division, online translated Rambam text, stick-figure cartoon lessons, a full-blown online university with extraordinary videotaped shiurim for people of all learning levels, an art site, an all-new homepage, a new Russian site, a comprehensive online Chumash initiative, and much more.

Participating editors included Rabbis Asher Crispe (“Chabad.org University”), Tzvi Freeman (Ask the Rabbi, Daily Dose, Kabbalatoons and more), Menachem Kaminker (Chabad.org Hebrew site), Shmuel Lifshitz (Audio Site), Menachem Posner, Yehoshua Runyan (News Site), Levi Shmotkin (New Projects), Naftali Silberberg (General Editor), Dovid Taub (Multimedia and Interactivity), Yanki Tauber (Site Editor), Dovid Zaklikowski (TheRebbe.org), along with Rabbis Bentzi Sudak (Lead Designer) Meir Simcha Kogan (Site Manager) and Zalman Shmotkin ((Executive Director and Team Leader).

The women editors included Mrs. Chana Benjaminson (Feedback), Sara Esther Crispe (TheJewishWoman.org), Nechama Posner (Art Site), Tamar Runyan (News) and Chana Weisberg (Society and Living; Think Jewish).

Editors were joined for some sessions by other Chabad.org staff members, and a separate session was held for the many Ask-the-Rabbi responders on Chabad.org’s team.

Rabbi Shmotkin opened and closed the conference by urging the entire team to follow the Rebbe’s directives to continuously innovate, expand and otherwise serve ever more Jews with ever better content and life tools. Shmotkin also urged team members to spread the word among Anash and others with innovative ideas and talents to always know that their ideas and talents are welcome and sought.

“This is not a website belonging to any one group of people,” Shmotkin explained. “Chabad.org is really the zechus, responsibility and hafatzah tool of every Lubavitcher chasid.”

The conference was imbued with a spirit of purpose and togetherness, allowing the entire team to return to their respective homes with renewed vigor and clarity to continue to grow and reach out to every single Jew, per the Rebbe’s wishes.

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23 Comments

  • A Shliach admirer

    Chabad.org, Zalman Shmotkin and the whole team are truly amazing! they are literally taking maayonus to “Chutzah” continued hatzlacha.

  • chazak chazak vnischazek

    Of the most underrated and unappreicated mosdos in lubavitch. Its about time they came out of the closet.

  • anonymous

    You are doing great. I remember the first few months, years etc. when R’ Kazen AH would show me his usage statistics, for anyone who remembers irc #israel he was on most nights doing kiruv…. His neshama certainly is seeing tremendous aliyos due to all of your hard work!!

  • chaim

    chabad.org rocks!!! cant wait to see the new homepage!! maybe they will even fix the search! that is one thing that needs to be fixed!

    only hatzlacha!!!

  • Fan!

    Go Chabad.Org!!

    Go Shmotkins!!!

    (And Kabbalatoons!!)

    (Nice To See You Sholom Klein Keep Up The Good Work!)

  • A Shlucha

    The Women’s Site is the best part of Chabad.org! My women love it and totally relate to the pieces. Yashar Koach and keep up the good work. And thank you, Sara Esther Crispe

  • Crown Heights Fan

    This is the best group of Shluchim in the world. they work tirelessly and create a ongoing Kiddush Hashem and are Mekarev so many people.

  • Shliach

    On behalf of our entire community, I’d like to say thank you for the tremendous site that we have. It enables us to properly portray ourselves as a full resource center for yidishkeit. Additionaly, the site itself has a tremendous amount of content for the community, and myself, to use.

  • Sara bas Esther

    My hat (not literally!) goes off to Mrs. Shaffer who has been an unbelievable help to me in every way for my shlichus and my own personal family questions. Thank you Chabad.org for giving her to me!!! I’m sure many others feel this way too!

  • Out of town Shliach

    Great work!
    But why don’t I hear the M word mentioned? Or is it Chas Veshalom a dirty word R”L?!
    Yes you guessed it the word Moshiach.
    Shluchim let us not forget the Rebbe wanted all our peulos to go through the Gate Of Moshiach!(Chayai Sarah 5752 Sefer Hasichos)

  • Yaakov B.

    Hey Middle Moshe! Just wondering if you saved any of that cake for anyone else?

    And Big Moshe, don’t worry about being left out of the “honorable mention” roster, we all know who REALLY makes things go ’round.

    Keep up the great work guys (all of you)!

  • toishav to out of town

    Shliach, you are not just “out of town”, you are also “out of touch”. You dont know any of the guys working there, I do, they are imbued with the rebbes shlichus and message of moshiach even though they dont chant it or hold up banners announcing it