9 moments from an incredible kinus

What a gathering.

I spent most of the weekend with thousands of Chabad rabbis from around the world at the international conference of shluchim, also known as “the kinus.” (Kinus in Hebrew means “get together.”) It was an incredible experience. Let me share nine insights and personal moments from an unforgettable weekend.

1. A minute can last a long time

I don’t know all the shluchim around the world. There are over 5,000 of us! But I do know many — shluchim from our area, others I am communicating with regularly but rarely see, not to mention a nice, long list of classmates from my yeshiva days.

Oh, just a short break for some bragging rights. One of my classmates is a shliach in South Korea. Another one is in Vietnam, a third is in Cambodia, and one is in Hackensack. LOL.

But back to the kinus. Because the time is so short, sometimes all you get is a big hug, a warm “how are you doing,” and that is it. But those mini encounters are also so powerful because they remind me how many people around the world are doing the same work the rebbe asked us to do. You get to see and feel part of the big picture.

2. A thousand people every Friday night

A friend told me that another friend of ours, a shliach in Thailand, is hosting 1,000 people every Friday night. Yes, that is not a mistake. This is how many tourists visit his city on a typical Friday. I was in awe.

Later, I met the rabbi from Thailand, and when I expressed my awe at the number of people he hosts every Shabbat, he said, “This must be a misunderstanding! It’s not in my city. It’s another city in Thailand that has so many people every week. We have only four hundred people every Friday.”

“Only 400 people.”

3. It is not a job

One of the workshops included the option to submit anonymous questions to the panel, and some of the questions got very personal. People spoke about their challenges, their fears, their vulnerabilities.

One of the panelists, a shliach, took a moment to acknowledge and recognize what shlichus is. “When I moved to my city, they once invited us to a meeting with another rabbi, who said any day can work for me beside Tuesday, that is my day off. Given that rabbis often work on Sundays for Sunday school, weddings, and funerals, he had one day designated as a day off, when he is exempt from working. The shliach added: “I remember thinking to myself, a day off? That is a funny concept. A Chabad rabbi never has a day off.”

I was thinking to myself how true this statement was. When I opened a Google listing for our Chabad in Hackensack, I had to choose business hours. I chose the option of open 24 hours a day, not because our building is open for 24 hours, but because this is the nature of Chabad. Now, obviously, we have family and personal responsibilities that need to be tended to. Still, if we are available, we will pick up the phone and help in any way possible.

And people know that. I had people calling our Chabad line at 10 p.m. and at 2 a.m. Sometimes it is not time sensitive, and sometimes it is. For example, “Rabbi, my father died yesterday, and I need a place to say Kaddish.” Thank G-d I was up and I was able to help.

4. Do it with joy

At one of the main sessions, Rabbi Berel Lazar, the Chabad rabbi from Moscow, shared personal memories from a farbrengen with the rebbe exactly 40 years ago. It was the night of Simchat Torah, and the rebbe had been encouraging people to be joyous, much more than usual. The rebbe called all the shluchim to realize they have a job to do: to spread simcha, joy, all around the world.

“How can we be happy with so much darkness around us?” he was asked, and replied, “Because we remember what the rebbe always said, that even one small act can bring light to the world and change the world for the better. So every moment is an incredible opportunity.”

5. Friday at the ohel

We spent Friday morning at the rebbe’s ohel, the holy resting place, praying and reconnecting with our mission. Later, at the gala banquet, Bob, a guest, told me, “It is unbelievable to see all of this and realize that it is all because of one man’s vision.” He is right.

6. Back in Hackensack for Shabbat

I spent Shabbat back home in Hackensack. It was lovely, and we also had the largest crowd we ever had for a typical Shabbat, close to 40 people. Yes, it is not Thailand, but thank G-d we are growing!

7. The picture

One of the remarkable moments at the kinus is the group picture, the class photo of all the shluchim. Every year, I have the same thoughts. While you see a sea of bearded rabbis, we are only the representatives of a much larger movement, a movement that is supported by hundreds of thousands of Jews around the world. Every Chabad is self-funded, which means it takes an incredible number of people to sustain all the Chabad houses around the world. Yes, the shluchim might be the ones you see, but the supporters are the ones who make it all possible. If you support our Chabad, or any Chabad, thank you.

8. The children

While the fathers have joined the adult kinus, the children have been having their own kinus. It is incredible to see their enthusiasm and excitement. Do not forget that for many of them it means going to an online school, and others might have to commute for a long time every day. Being a young shliach is not easy. But as the rebbe said, they do it with joy.

9. Closing thoughts

The gala banquet was phenomenal; you can watch a replay at Chabad.org/Kinus. Oh, and for those who are wondering what about the shluchos, the rebbetzins, do not worry. They have their own convention, often much better than ours.

As I was driving back home, I was thankful, inspired, but most importantly, committed. With G-d’s help and the help of so many wonderful people, we will continue the rebbe’s vision and do it with joy.

Mendy Kaminker is the Rabbi of Chabad of Hackensack and an editorial member of Chabad.org. He looks forward to your comments at rabbi@chabadhackensack.com.

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