Northeastern Regional Kinus Inspires Shluchim
180 shluchim from the New York-New England region gathered Sunday at Chabad of Port Washington, NY for a day of learning, inspiration, and camaraderie. The program included helpful sessions on halacha, chinuch, and other shlichus concerns, and it concluded with a grand banquet and lively farbrengen.
Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, who was appointed by the Rebbe to set up and direct the regional kinusim, said such events serve to rejuvenate the shluchim. “They don’t just come to hear helpful workshops; the presiding brotherly spirit gives shluchim that extra push to overcome the many challenges in the months ahead.
The Kinus, hosted by Rabbi Sholom Moshe Paltiel and Rabbi Ilan Weinberg, offered numerous workshops delivered by fellow shluchim and experts, including a moving discussion by Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz on child safety and the importance of spending quality time with one’s children despite a busy schedule.
Rabbi Avrohom Sternberg joined Rabbi Paltiel to launch an initiative encouraging shluchim to learn Chassidus over the phone together. “It’s not just to add limud haTorah,” said Paltiel. “It is also about adding that inspiration, ensuring we are plugged in to the Rebbe’s message and fulfilling our shlichus with a chayus.”
The goal is to have 110 daily chavrusas set up, in honor of the Rebbe’s 110th year. “We all can get into a rut, perhaps feel down or begin doing things by rote,” said a participating shliach. “Learning Chassidus, especially as part of such an incredible program, will make a world of difference to each of us individually, and to our communities.”
The banquet featured a video presentation of the Rebbe speaking of the importance of Torah learning, which bolstered enthusiasm toward the newly launched campaign. Rabbi Kotlarsky later shared numerous stories of the Rebbe, showing his care and attention toward Shluchim. Local resident and renowned lawyer, Mr. Arney Herz, addressed the crowd saying, “I am very nervous to speak in a room full of beinonis.” He told the story of his journey to Yiddishkeit after decades searching for meaning the Far East. “I’ve put on tefilin almost every day for six years now,” he said.
In his keynote address, Rabbi Velvel Butman, of Scarsdale, NY spoke of the Rebbe’s availability in every place and every time zone and related the story of a tearful phone call he received one evening from a man who was distraught at having missed saying kaddish for his father’s yartzeit. “Hold one,” said Butman, “you didn’t miss it yet.”
He immediately called Rabbi Itchel Krasnjansky in Honolulu, only to be told by the secretary, “The rabbi is unavailable; he is in the middle of the afternoon prayers.” After a little coaxing, Rabbi Krasnjansky, Rabbi Butman, and an emotional Yid were on a conference call saying kaddish.
Following the banquet, Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov of Philadelphia, PA was welcomed by Rabbi Kotlarsky and farbrenged with the shluchim late into the night. “It was a tremendous honor and zechus hosting so many shluchim in our home, so many people who have dedicated their lives to such a vital mission.”
Photos by Bentzi Sasson
Thankful Shliach
Where’s the lasagna? It was great!
BSW
Thank you R’ Sholom Moshe, R Ilan, R Kotlarsky and Reb Levi Feigenson (especially the fine china!) for a five star afternoon and evening with much toichen (and all others who were involved)
A fan from Yeshiva
Go Moishe Katzman, one of the ehrliche, hard working Shluchim around.
Fearless Leader
There’s my tatty!
Suckers!
“Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, who was appointed by the Rebbe to set up and direct the regional kinusim”–
this is not true, and a fabrication of Dor Hashmini.
Stop buying in to the revision of history and the self-promotion of Suite 302.
Check with the Chabad historians before posting such an incredible fib.
a mechaya
so refreshing to see Shluchim without ties! just raw chassidim without the show.
Appointed by the Rebbe???
“Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, who was appointed by the Rebbe to set up and direct the regional kinusim…”. Where did you get that information from?
Before you make such statements, you should check the facts!
To Numbers 5 & 7
Is this really what is important to you? There’s a big world out there and a lot of good things to be done. You seem very concerned with fighting silly wars. It’s time to grow up and develop a higher sense of values.
To number 8
In response to number 8, I am not trying to fight at all. I just see that it’s becoming fashionable to rewrite history & people think they have a right to self appoint themselves to positions they claim the Rebbe gave them.
I dont like hypocrites
So you hide behind a anonymous name to do the exact same thing you are questioning. Fabricating and Making statements that are not verified or true.
If my memory serves me correctly the Rebbe spoke about the Kinussim Aizorim in a Sicha (mem tes/nun) and Rabbi kotlarsky was appointed to split the regions and set them up from the very beginning. (including if you remember the European one held in Russia early on)
to 5&7 why dont you just go out and do the things the Rebbe appointed you to do (like preparing the world for Moshiach)
to #9
How do you know otherwise? Were you involved with this that you know the difference.Dont forget that Rabbi kotlarsky is involved for over 40 years and was clearly entrusted by the Rebbe with many responsibilities.
No more baloney
The story was written by Rabbi Kotlarsky’s own press office, the other Merkos: Suite 302 (see exact same story on COL and on the Hebrew sites in Hebrew!).
This is an effort to rewrite history. Ask people that remember. Guys like Mendel Feller, Leizer Zaklikovsky, Chaim Saul Bruk, Yossie Greenberg, Lipa Brennen, Yossie Friedman, or Rabbi Sholom Yisroel Chodakov, or Rabbi Krinsky and Rabbi Klein, and they will tell you who was in charge of the kinussim programs under the Rebbe.
They wil all tell you that Rabbi Kotlarsky would always get a dollar from the Rebbe with the words “for the nesiyos” meaning for the trips he took around the world. That was his function.
to #9: “how do you know otherwise?’ is a weak argument. In fact, this is precisely what the 302 press office is hoping for – reactions like yours. Ket the press office show his credentials in claiming his appointment.
Funny
Yirmi, that would be like calling rabbi krinsky the rebbes driver.
Clearly you know he traveled because he was sent to set up and open shlichus around the world which is a tremendous responsibility.
I love the way you bring “ the guys who would remember” who we’re all buchrim instead of the head shluchim he facilitated their shlichus or the times he was directly sent to get involved in certain projects.
As for the dollars videos why don’t you also bring the times the rebbe gave him “far aleah shluchim or far de gantze kinus”
I signing out of answering your silly agenda and jealous driven comments.
Rabbi kotlarsky – continue being the trailblaizer the rebbe gave you the kochous to be.
Researched the facts
To Funny:
This is no laughing matter.
I asked around, and seems like the above comments are true.
Now, Chasidim dont’ pretend to be what they are not, and certainly do not use the Rebbe to help bolster an image one is trying to deceitfully impart to a new generation who do not know otherwise.
No one is diminishing from Rabbi Kotlarsky’s acheivements. He reached where is at now by tremendous amount of hard wrok and dedication.
But that does not give anyone the right that he was “given” things by the Rebbe that he was not.
Everyone knows that all things regarding to Kinus Hashluchim, and Sefer Hashluchim went through Rabbi Hodakov and Rabbi Krinsky and from there it trickled down.
There is no shame in this for Rabbi Kotlarsky, or fro rabbi Lipa Brennan who used to receive the mashke from the Rebbe for the Kinussim and also by dollars was addressed regarding the kinus. No shame here either for Rabbi Kotlarsky.
Everyone has their inyan. No need to claim inyanim that were not yours and yet state that the Rebbe “gave” it to you.
I wish Rabbi Kotlarsky much hatzlacha in his most important role in Chabad-Lubavitch. May he do it with more dignity and and shtrakeit.