Unpublished Letters From Lubavitcher Rebbe to Be Unveiled at Global Chabad Shluchim Convention
Thousands of Chabad shluchim from across the globe are gathering in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for the annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries, known as the Kinus Hashluchim, which opens Wednesday evening, November 4. This year’s gathering will feature the unveiling of rare correspondence and personal guidance from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, alongside discussions addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing Jewish communities today, including the rapidly expanding influence of artificial intelligence on children and teenagers.
The annual convention brings together thousands of shluchim serving Jewish communities in countries around the world, from major metropolitan centers and communities throughout Eretz Yisroel to remote locations in Belarus, Croatia, Brazil, and elsewhere. The gathering provides an opportunity for the emissaries to strengthen their connections, exchange experiences, and receive practical guidance for their ongoing work in spreading Yiddishkeit.
Organizers have arranged extensive security measures throughout the convention, which will draw thousands of participants to Crown Heights and other locations in New York over the coming days.
This year’s program, organized by the convention committee under the leadership of Rabbi Menachem Kotlarsky, places particular emphasis on the changing realities confronting Jewish families and communal leaders in an era of unprecedented technological development.
Among the central sessions will be a workshop titled “Protecting Our Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” examining the educational, social, and psychological implications of increasingly sophisticated AI technology. Participants will discuss the potential dangers posed by these developments, particularly for young people, as well as strategies for promoting responsible technology use while taking advantage of its potential benefits for Jewish education and community outreach.
Another educational session will be led by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Jacobson, who will explore the emotional and spiritual challenges facing contemporary teenagers. The discussion will focus on helping educators and communal leaders develop meaningful relationships with young people that extend beyond the traditional classroom setting.
One of the convention’s most anticipated presentations will feature previously unreleased historical materials from the personal secretariat of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Groner will present a collection of rare letters, personal responses, and practical directives discovered among the papers of his father, the late Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner, who served for decades as one of the Rebbe’s personal secretaries.
The materials are expected to provide participants with additional insight into the Rebbe’s approach to communal leadership, individual challenges, and the responsibilities of shluchim. The presentation will examine how the Rebbe’s personal instructions and guidance can be applied to the circumstances confronting emissaries in their communities today.
Beyond the educational and historical presentations, the convention will feature discussions on innovative approaches to expanding Jewish communal life.
Rabbi Moshe Bryski of California will share his model for transforming Chabad centers into vibrant hubs of Torah learning and Jewish activity throughout the day, creating opportunities for individuals of different backgrounds and levels of observance to participate in ongoing educational programs.
Another session will focus on promoting awareness of the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, the Seven Noahide Laws, among non-Jewish populations, an initiative that the Lubavitcher Rebbe strongly encouraged as part of his broader vision for spreading awareness of the universal moral obligations established by the Torah.
The convention’s major communal gatherings will take place over the weekend.
On Friday morning, thousands of shluchim are scheduled to visit the Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens for a mass gathering of tefillah. During the visit, a general pan, or pidyon nefesh, containing requests and prayers submitted by Jews around the world, will be read.
On Motzoei Shabbos, the participants will gather at the large Bedford Hall for an evening devoted to shared experiences, encouragement, and mutual support. Shluchim representing communities in Barbados, Florida, Texas, Finland, and other locations will address the gathering, offering accounts of their work and the distinctive challenges they encounter in their respective communities.
