Rabbi Shalom and Chana Bakshi, Chabad of Woodbridge, OntarioLoaves of LoveBy: Chaya ChazanShlichus was a part of the equation from the very beginning. When we first moved to Toronto, it was as a part-time assistant to local shluchim and a teacher in the cheder. After a few years, we moved to Woodbridge, a small suburb of Toronto, to open our own full-time Chabad house.The area is mostly Italian, with less than 1% of the population being Jewish. When we initially started looking for Jews, we found ten Jewish families and two Jewish owned businesses. Later
Rabbi Hesh and Chavi Epstein, Chabad of South CarolinaFulfilling Our Marching OrdersBy: Chaya ChazanAt every farbrengen we attended, the Rebbe spoke about changing and preparing the world for the coming of Moshiach. The Rebbe encouraged and empowered each chassid to be an agent of change - to go on shlichus and elevate our little corner of the world.Attending these farbrengens week after week inspired us to fulfill the Rebbe’s vision. It was a foregone conclusion - something my wife and I both agreed was non-negotiable as soon as we met. We just knew,
Rabbi Benny and Sharonne Zippel, Chabad of UtahA Life-Changing Birthday GiftBy: Chaya ChazanA month before the Rebbe’s 90th birthday, Merkoz, the branch of Chabad Lubavitch responsible for sending shluchim all over the world, decided to give the Rebbe an especially meaningful gift: an official shliach to the state of Utah. Utah had been previously visited by Merkoz shluchim, bochurim who spend a couple of weeks in the summer assisting shluchim and visiting Jews in rural areas, and had met a few people.When we were asked to join the shluchim family, I i
Rabbi Royi and Sharon Tor, Chabad of Emek HaMaayanot, IsraelPrayer and Camaraderie on the KibbutzI grew up in a verdant wasteland. The kibbutz where I was born was full of greenery and growth. Spiritually, however, it was dry and barren. Not a single member of any of the thirty-odd kibbutzim in central Israel ever stepped foot in a shul. My first exposure to Judaism as a religion, rather than a culture, was in the army. From there, my curiosity grew, and in my search for more, I wound up at Chabad.My wife had a similar upbringing and journey to Yiddishke
Rabbi Dovber and Fraidy Orgad, Chabad of Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaThe Rav of KlausenburgBy: Chaya ChazanIt all happened pretty quickly. We were busy working local jobs in Kfar Chabad, but we decided we wanted to do something more impactful; something more than just working 9-5 for a paycheck. We searched through shluchim websites, where we found a posting in Romania. We applied for the position. A month later, we met with Rabbi and Mrs. Deitsch, the shluchim in Bucharest. Two months after that, we were on a plane to Romania.Romania is a country steeped in Jew
Rabbi Avraham and Chanie Friedman, Chabad of Coral Springs, FLThe Power of the MeshaleachBy: Chaya ChazanAs a bochur, I had the zechus to be part of the second group of shluchim the Rebbe sent to South Africa. We spent 2 years there, assisting the head shliach, Rabbi Lipsker, and other local shluchim with their work in the community. Not only did that experience earn me life-long friends, but it also gave me the familiarity and inspiration to continue on shlichus after I got married.My brother-in-law, Rabbi Yossi Denburg, had moved to southern Florida on
Rabbi Yona and Ester Liba Brodkin, Chabad of Nof HagalilBringing Torah and Tefillin to Ukrainian and Russian RefugeesMy wife and I didn’t actually start as shluchim. My wife’s family came back to Judaism through Chabad and the Rebbe, my family started their journey back to Hashem while still in the Soviet Union. My father became a shochet and started helping families get kosher meat in addition to his work as an engineer. Eventually, in 1983, my family made aliyah, followed shortly by my wife’s family in 1996.Now we live in Nof Hagalil with our 8 c
Rabbi Mendy and Shterna Kaminker, Chabad of Hackensack, NJHackensack ICU - Inspiring Community & UnityHackensack is one of the oldest communities in Bergen County - over one hundred years old. Unfortunately, over time, many of its core members passed away or moved, and the synagogue was in imminent danger of being sold to a church. The community asked Rabbi Simon, the head shliach of Bergen County, to step in, hoping a Chabad presence could revitalize the Yiddishkeit of Hackensack. Rabbi Simon asked us if we’d be interested in moving there, and, o
Rabbi Zvi and Chayale Hershcovich, Chabad of Stavropol, Russia/Notre-Dame-de-Gr?ce, CanadaHashem Runs the WorldBy: Chaya ChazanAs a bochur and a newly married couple, I’d been to Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions. I was a head counselor at a Ukrainian kids’ camp, and led Pesach sedarim in Russia. I felt drawn there. These simple people’s neshamos shone so brightly.It took some convincing, but my wife finally agreed to move on shlichus to Russia. We met with Rabbi Lazar, Russia’s head shliach, and, after some discussion, settled on Stavropo
Rabbi Shalom and Sara Paltiel, Chabad of Port Washington, NYOne Pen Stroke Changed My LifeBy: Chaya ChazanWhile looking into various options for shlichus, we were seriously interested in one specific place. We spent a couple of weeks there - and loved it. As per the Rebbe’s instructions, we spoke to three friends who were experienced in this topic, and they all agreed it would be a good match. We were ready to sign a contract!We wrote to the Rebbe, detailing the shlichus, and mentioned we’d asked yedidim mevinim (friends who are experts in a specific
