This year, for the 20th year on YWN, tens of thousands of viewers from around the world will be able to view the International Kinus HaShluchim banquet live on a broadcast made possible by the organizers of the Kinus. The live streaming webcast begins at 12:30PM on Sunday, Nov. 30, and is taking place at the The New Jersey Conference and Expo Center in Edison, NJ.

The highlight is always the traditional roll call of countries and regions which is followed by spirited dancing.

As we have done for many years, YWN will be bringing you thousands of photos, as well as extensive video and photo coverage from the massive event.

The 41st annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries, also known as the Kinus Hashluchim, unites more than 6,500 rabbis and lay leaders from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries and territories around the world.

The Kinus is an annual event, replete with the workshops on topics running the gamut from mental health to fundraising, and social media to end of life counseling. The four days together culminate with the gala banquet, which brings all of the Chabad rabbis and their guests together in a giant conference center in New Jersey.

At this year’s Kinus Hashluchim, taking place less than a week since the tragic murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan HY”D, the program will celebrate five decades of growth and success. Held in the midst of the Shiva, when Rabbi Kogan’s family and the global family of Shluchim are still in mourning, his loss will be deeply felt throughout the gathering.

While the gala finale on Sunday is live-streamed to the public, showcasing Chabad’s annual activities to the masses, Thursday evening’s program is dedicated to the Shluchim themselves. Empowering stories of individual Shluchim will be shared, uplifting their fellows with the vivacious drive to continue making this world a dwelling place for Hashem, one mitzvah at a time.

“R’ Moshe [Kotlarsky] OBM was intimately involved in picking the theme for this year’s Kinus,” says Rabbi Simcha Backman, Shliach in Glendale, California, and Kinus organizing committee member. “We sat together for hours, shortly after Pesach, ironing out various details. He was passionate about ensuring the Shluchim had the ultimate experience both physically and spiritually.”

Only months after Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky OB”M’s passing, the Kinus will commemorate the crucial role he had in growing the Kinus from a small gathering in 770 to the flagship of Jewish outreach it now represents.

“My father’s voice is inseparable from the Kinus Hashluchim and the Rebbe’s ten mitzvah campaigns,” shares Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, who has now stepped into his father’s role as director of the Kinus. “He dedicated his life to supporting the Shluchim in their mission and advancing the Rebbe’s vision. His commitment was evident in moments of triumph and in times of sorrow, always ensuring that every Shliach felt supported.”

“The Shluchim are the global support system of the Jewish people, providing critical aid in situations where no one else does,” says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, who undertook his father Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky’s role as director of the conference after his passing this year. “From war in the Middle East and Ukraine to natural disasters, and a shocking increase in antisemitism, the Shluchim are there for every last person.”

In a deeply moving moment, the gala will pause to honor Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in the UAE who was brutally kidnapped and murdered last week in Dubai. A memorial ceremony will stand as a testament to his unique dedication and tragic sacrifice.

The introductory program will be hosted by Rabbi Heshy Epstein, a Shliach in South Carolina, together with Zev Jacobson from Jerusalem, streamed live from the gala banquet. The program allows the Kinus to highlight real-life stories of Shluchim on the ground in unique situations, ahead of the main program celebrating success on a global level and committing to lofty goals for the forthcoming year.

The tragic events of October 7, 2023, led to an uprising of antisemitism throughout the Jewish diaspora. Young Jews on college campuses struggled with their Jewish identity in the face of constant taunting, protests, and attacks. Meanwhile, Jews living in the most remote corners of the globe, far from any Jewish infrastructure, struggled with isolation. However, individual Shluchim stepped up to provide solace to each and every Jew, and the Kinus kickoff show aims to tell that story.

On the front lines of the battle for Jewish pride on campus, Rabbi Zev Johnson represents Chabad at the University of Texas. Himself inspired to become a Chabad Rabbi thanks to his experience as a student in Austin, Rabbi Johnson will showcase the important work Chabad on Campus. Meanwhile, across the country, Rabbi Dov Greenberg caters to Jewish students’ needs at Stanford, where Jewish pride shone despite extreme protests over the past year.

In the vast expanse of Australia, Chabad of RARA (Rural and Regional Australia) bridges geographical divides by serving Jewish people across the continent’s remote regions. Led by Rabbi Menachem Aron, the organization maintains contact with over 5,000 Jews through innovative outreach, including road trips in a bright yellow Mitzvah Tank campervan that delivers Jewish resources, arranges Shabbat meals, and provides spiritual connection.

“These two young men bursting with positivity satiated my spiritual hunger,” shared Caroline from Rockingham, Western Australia. “To have two fine New Yorkers affix my own mezuzah, perfectly slanted onto my doorpost, was such an unexpected holy joy.”

While lives are touched in the land down under, war rages in Ukraine. Also featured in the Kinus kickoff program is Rabbi Moshe Moscowitz, Shliach to Kharkiv, Ukraine, the backbone of his community, staying strong while under attack for over a year. Rabbi Akiva Camissar, Director of the Chabad Israeli Center in Amsterdam, will recount the outpouring of love and support among his community during the recent shocking attacks on innocent Jews.

Commemorating the 16th yahrzeit of Rabbi Gaby and Rivky Holzberg OBM, the Shluchim to Mumbai, India, who were murdered by terrorists in 2008, Rabbi Yisroel Koslowsky, who bravely took over their holy task, will describe how the community rose from the ashes to create a home away from home for tourists and travelers, as the ultimate Jewish response to tragedy. He will be joined by Avremi Rapoport, who spent Pesach in Mumbai as part of the long-standing Merkos Shlichus Roving Rabbis program.

As Shluchim take their seats at the gala banquet, tune in to watch the program live on YWN!

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