Chabads aim to grow, keep Judaism alive

There are 5,000 Chabads across the world and the Five Towns has two – the Chabad of Hewlett and the Chabad of the Five Towns – and the many rabbis from those Chabads, including Rabbi Nochem Tenenboim and Rabbi Zalman Wolowik attended the 38th annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries in Brooklyn Oct. 28 to 31.

The Chief Rabbi of Iran Yehuda Gerami visited the United States and attended the conference, called the Kinus Hashlochim. There are no Chabads in Iran, but the country once known as Persia, has a rich Jewish history that stretches back more than 2,500 years, and despite the recurring Middle Eastern conflicts there are roughly 20,000 Jews in Iran, concentrated in the country’s major cities of Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran.

Wolowik, the leader of the Five Towns Chabad, attended his 27th conference. “Every year we get together at the convention and it’s like a family,” he said, noting for him it is truly familial as his father-in-law Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky chaired the conference and is the director of the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries and vice-chairman of Merkos L’lnyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

Known as “Judaism’s Globe Trotter,” he travels the world establishing Jewish centers for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

Gerami, 35, used the conference to meet and speak with the Chabad rabbi from around the globe, including Australia, Russia, Turkey, along with the United States. In North America there are 2,984 Chabads. The rabbi has studied in Israel and the U.S.

For Tenenboim, the leader of the Hewlett Chabad, for the past 10 years, said the overarching sentiment he gleaned from the conference was, “The feeling of the Jewish renaissance,” he said, noting that despite all the challenges facing Jews across the world that the mission is to, “make sure our Chabad and every Jew and person who wants to be inspired,” has that opportunity.

Though not every Chabad rabbi could attend because of Covid restrictions, Tenenboim said the convention was “very impressive” and all that was said was “most encouraging,” as the rabbis returned to their congregations. “The rabbi was very impressive and is always learning,” Tenenboim said about Gerami,” he is doing the utmost to keep Judaism alive.”

In the Five Towns, where there are many Jews and living an observant life is much easier, Wolowik said in comparison it is more difficult for Iranian Jews, and the mission is to “help them to preserve their tradition.”

Chabads serve as anchor worldwide for Judaism, Wolowik said, and it is all about relationships that keeps the global Jewish community together, whether it’s the upcoming Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, where the menorah is viewed as symbol of religious freedom, he said or helping people build a mikvah in North Woodmere, the first one in that community. A mikvah is a ritual bath for Jewish women.

“With Chabad being an anchor, we have very strong friendships that make the world a better place,” he said.