In the wake of the war in Israel and rising antisemitism around the world, approximately 6,500 Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis convened at the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Cambria Heights Friday morning for the largest gathering of Jewish leaders in the United States. The purpose of this gathering was to pray for the people of Israel, Jewish people around the world and all of humanity.
The rabbis, on Nov. 10, prayed at the resting place of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who is viewed as the most influential rabbi in modern history. The resting place for the man known as the Rebbe is considered to be a place of deep spiritual sanctity, with approximately 400,000 people, Jewish and not Jewish, frequenting the site each year to seek blessings, guidance and spiritual inspiration.
This gathering of Jewish leaders happened as they came from all over the world to take part in the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries. This annual conference takes place in New York City for the purpose of strengthening Jewish awareness and practice across the globe.
The focus on this year’s conference is the ongoing war in Israel, the rise of antisemitism on college campuses and beyond and the Jewish spiritual awakening seen from Chabad rabbis globally since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. In addition to the 6,500 in attendance, another 1,400 Chabad emissaries in Israel will be joining the conference remotely, as they are needed in their communities.
According to Rabbi Motti Seligson, those that met up at Old Montefiore felt it was important to be there and show the unity of the Jewish people.
“It’s a fraught time for Jews everywhere and for humanity,” Seligson said. “This is an opportunity to come together and pray. This is a sacred place for all people. They come all the time to seek inspiration, help and prayer.”
Seligson noted that many Jewish people all over the world have become more focused on their religion since the attack by Hamas in Israel. The tragedy acted as a spiritual awakening for them.
“This awakening has caused so much unity that we’ve never seen before,” Seligson said. “For Jews everywhere, there’s resolve and focus and mutual support.”
Chabad-Lubavitch is considered to be one of the most dynamic Orthodox Jewish movements today. The movement is guided by the teachings of its seven leaders, known as Rebbes. Rabbi Schneerson was the most recent Rebbe, helping to guide Jewry to safety after the devastation of the Holocaust. He set an array of programs, services and institutions to serve the Jewish people until his death in 1994.
