Jewish Programs Help Keep Faith Alive

Since the end of World War II, assimilation, intermarriage and the distractions of the secular world have fractured the Jewish community in ways our patriarchs never envisioned. Recognizing this as a threat to our very survival as a faith and as a people, leaders of Jewish communities throughout the world have reached out to young and old, affiliated and unaffiliated, observant and not as observant in an attempt to reacquaint them with their faith, their traditions and their history.

Recently, I was invited to attend the 2006 International Convention of Chabad Emissaries where 3,000 rabbis and 1,000 lay leaders from around the world came together to share in their mutual love, support and commitment to their respective Jewish communities.

Chabad is one of the largest Jewish outreach organizations in the world, serving Jewish communities in 78 countries, in far off places like Siberia, Thailand, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and right here in Northern Nevada. It was impossible to sit in this massive audience and not feel awed by the energy and promise that permeated the Garden State Exhibition Center in Somerset, N.J. I saw and experienced an unbridled passion of a people, a faith and a lifestyle that celebrated all aspects of this ancient faith. At an age when most young folks in their early 20s are trying to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives, these young 24- and 25-year-old rabbis and their families travel to all parts of the world to support, inspire and encourage their fellow Jews for the rest of their lives.

I left New Jersey with a sincere belief that this experience would help me inspire my Jewish friends and neighbors to take a deeper, more thoughtful look at their own faith, further solidifying the future of our dynamic, expanding community. When I landed in Reno, I felt excited, reinvigorated and more determined than ever to continue to explore and enjoy the spiritual journey I’ve been on for the last decade.

Here in Northern Nevada, Chabad Rabbi Mendel Cunin and his wife, Sarah, have spent the better part of the last

10 years presenting a plethora of Jewish programs that have inspired, encouraged and delighted our vibrant Jewish community.

After spending a mere 36 hours with the Chabad rabbis of the world, I came back with a better appreciation of the commitment it took for the Cunin family to leave the comforts and beauty of their established lives behind and create a new life right here in Northern Nevada. And speaking as one member of our Northern Nevada Jewish community, we are fortunate they did so.
“L’chaim, to Life!”

Steve Hyatt is a member of the Chabad of Northern Nevada.