Rabbi Eliyahu and Batsheva Kaminetzky, Chabad of Taos, New MexicoTaos Trails & Jewish TalesBy: Chaya ChazanIn typical Chabad fashion, my wife, from New York, and myself, from Melbourne, had a relative on shlichus in New Mexico, who assured us there was a sizable Jewish population in Taos, a desert town in northern New Mexico. He invited us to participate in the yearly Shabbaton he ran there to help introduce us to the community.We were lucky to meet Ted Gold, who later became a founding member of Chabad of Taos. When his mother passed, shluchim in Al
Rabbi Motti and Zlata Lewin, Chabad of Normandy, France D-Day: Davening on the Beaches of NormandyThe decision to move on shlichus wasn’t a difficult one. Since we’re both children of shluchim, the decision felt very natural. I knew Normandy had a Jewish presence because my brother is a shliach nearby, and would often be called regarding kosher food, funerals, and minyanim. We expected a vibrant Jewish presence, especially when we visited and saw the beautifully upkept shul in the center of town. When we walked inside, however, we were disappoi
Rabbi Daniel and Chaya Ira Stoller, Chabad Russian Center of Ashkelon, IsraelThe Rebbe’s ChallengeBy: Chaya ChazanWhen we first received an offer to be shluchim, I was deep into earning my masters in mechanical engineering. We regretfully turned it down, but Rabbi Itche Wagner wouldn’t take no for an answer. Israel was inundated with Russian-speaking immigrants, and little had been done for them until then. Rabbi Wagner was determined to change that. He kept pressuring us, but I couldn’t fathom handling two such high pressure roles.Around that time
Rabbi Moshe and Yocheved Raskin, Chabad of Kampala, UgandaResurrection after the Raid: Yiddishkeit in UgandaI grew up in a shluchim family. My siblings are scattered around the world, serving a variety of communities. The Rebbe’s mission to light up all four corners of the globe was instilled in us from a young age. My wife experienced a similar upbringing. When we met, we bonded over this shared dream. We’d talk for hours about building our own Chabad house. We envisioned starting a community from scratch and serving a part of the world that ha
Rabbi Yossi and Ilana Bassman, Bader Hillel High, Milwaukee, WisconsinA Match Made in Heaven; A High School Made on EarthBy: Chaya ChazanImagine a school that caters to a full spectrum of students, from the country’s best Jewish day schools to students straight out of public school, providing for all a Torah-true education that rivals that of the most illustrious Jewish high schools. It sounds like a dream - and also, a logistical nightmare - but at Bader Hillel High, that’s just a normal Tuesday.I’ve always dreamed of becoming a shliach. When Rabb
Rabbi Moshe and Chana Thaler, Chabad of Berdichev, UkraineRebuilding From DestructionI’d been to Zhitomir on Merkos Shlichus - a program where bochurim are sent to help shluchim during the summer months. I also worked under Rabbi Plotkin in Berdichev for half a year or so. After we got married, a shlichus opportunity in Ukraine came up, and we were happy to take it.In many ways, the Berdichev of today is very like the Berdichev of the shtetl. The city has always been a bastion of Chassidus, and was the hometown of such renowned tzaddikim as Reb Levi Yi
Rabbi Tuvia and Chaya Teldon, Lubavitch of Long Island, New YorkIn For the Long HaulBy: Chaya ChazanNeither of us grew up in a religious home, but we were both fired up to join the Rebbe’s shlichus brigade! I was plucked from Kansas and brought to the newly formed Yeshivas Tiferes Bachurim in Morristown in 1972. My wife, Chaya, who grew up in Detroit, attended Beis Rivka in the 60’s before Machon Chana existed, and we both received a strong education. We knew we wanted to join the Rebbe’s army.—-----------On Yud Shevat, 1977, one day before our w
Rabbi Yitzchok and Nechama Dina Minkowicz, Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida“Chabad Shows Up!”By: Chaya ChazanWe both knew we wanted to go on shlichus. We were offered many positions in many cities, but we wanted to pioneer and open a Chabad house in unchartered territory. We asked Rabbi Korf, the head shliach of Florida, if there was anywhere in Florida without shluchim in the area. After considering, he remembered a doctor in Southwest Florida who’d once requested a resident rabbi.We went to meet the doctor, and explored the area. Fort Myers
Rabbi Shmuel and Batya Vishedsky, Chabad of Kobe, JapanA Life Saving DeliveryThere is nothing scarier than the unknown, and there were a lot of unknowns when we first started looking for shlichus. We knew there was a small, negligible almost, Jewish population, and Japan was an extremely expensive country to live in. Baruch Hashem, we were convinced to try it out. We came for Purim, and hosted a small party. There was a small Orthodox community, and many more interested Jews than we thought. The community asked me to stay as their salaried rav, and agree
Rabbi Yosef and Rivka Gruzman, Chabad of Aachen, GermanyThe Gimmel Tammuz I Didn’t Spend in New YorkBy: Chaya ChazanMy parents moved to Vienna, Austria on shlichus just a few months before I was born, so I am a shliach from birth! Vienna has a small, but strong, Jewish community, whose roots can be traced back hundreds of years. Aachen, Germany is a little different. It is a barren wasteland, Yiddishkeit-wise, so we found ourselves building from scratch when we first moved.We spent a couple of years in Dusseldorf, Germany, assisting the Barkahns with t
