
5,000 rabbis pose for ‘class photo’ in Crown Heights
BY TODD MAISEL
Thousands of rabbis from
around the world descended
on Crown Heights on Sunday
for an annual conference
of Orthodox Jewish Hasidic
leaders — and a “class picture”
of nearly 5,000 rabbis,
who gathered in Brooklyn
around their shared faith.
“It’s important for me to
meet my friends, to strengthen
my work, and do what God
wants us to do,” said Rabbi
Shalom Ber Sudak of London,
England. “We want to encourage
people to be close to
the Yiddishchite, to be happy
with what we are supposed to
do.”
The rabbis fl ew in from
across the globe for the International
Conference of
Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries
— a yearly event designed
to strengthen Jewish awareness
and practice around
the world, said one religious
leader.
“I was invited, and have
been coming for 50 years,”
added Rabbi Joseph Hardman
of Israel. “I represent 6,000
disciples that I’m here for.
I’m very veshtatum — meaning
Nearly 5,000 rabbis from around the world met in Crown Heights for an annual conference — and a group photo. Photo by Todd Maisel
COURIER L 32 IFE, NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019
I’m very satisfi ed here
because they always make us
feel welcome.”
Prior to the photo, the rabbis
— who came from as far as
India, Belgium, and Ukraine
— prayed in tight quarters
inside the Lubavitch synagogue.
One rabbi said he felt honored
to attend the event with so
many other religious leaders.
“We need to take a full
review of what we do,” said
Rabbi Mordachai Chencon
of Brussels, Belgium. “We do
this to hold together – and together
we are strong, that is
very important.”
Across from the gathering,
a number of Orthodox
Jewish men protested by
hoisting large yellow banners
proclaiming the death of the
grand rebbe — the spiritual
leader in the Hasidic movement
— leading to a pitched
shoving match.
“They have a right to protest,
it’s a free country,” said
Rabbi Chaim Chanukah of
Pasadena, California. “This
is a week of achievement, fi ve
to six days of brotherhood and
community. Nobody arguing,
just different languages.”