This November, my father and I had the privilege of attending the Chabad Kinnis, a celebration of the Chabad movement and a reunion for the Chabad shluchim (or emissaries). Attendees came from 108 countries and all 50 states.
While the Kinnis is mainly tailored toward those actively involved in the Chabad movement, it is open to all Jews, and more than 6,000 Jews from various backgrounds attended. Being a part of the Kinnis was an amazing experience, and I’d like to share it in this article.
In order for you to fully understand the experience, some context regarding the Chabad movement is necessary. Chabad was founded in 1775 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi and was meant to provide outreach to many unaffiliated and non-observant Jews, bringing them back to Orthodox Judaism.
The movement really took off in the mid-20th century, when Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, became the 7th Chabad rebbe. He spread the movement to many different countries, where he sent “shluchim” who revitalized previously dormant communities by providing minyanim, kosher food, and other Jewish necessities to Jews living in or visiting these communities.
Nowadays, Chabad is a global movement that houses shluchim in all 7 continents and 50 states, bringing together Jews and increasing Torah observance worldwide. The Kinnis celebrates Chabad’s achievements and honors the shluchim who make those achievements possible.
The night started out with some singing, as well as a tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, which was especially emotional as it was the 25th Kinnis since his death. The video highlighted many of his life accomplishments, like spreading Orthodox Judaism, and showed some of his speeches from years ago.
The Rebbe’s message of inclusivity and outreach to all Jews, no matter their level of observance, still resonates today, so it was inspiring to hear that message directly from his mouth. It was a great way to start off the night.
Next, we heard from the child of a Chabad shaliach who has ALS, a deadly muscle disease. Unfortunately, the father’s condition prevented him from attending Kinnis, but he asked his son to speak on his behalf and read some thoughts that moved the crowd. He explained that Chabad was immensely supportive when he was diagnosed and gave him purpose during the toughest period of his life.
It was a moving speech and especially poignant as his son, representing the future of Chabad and orthodox Judaism as a whole, delivered the speech eloquently and showed that there is hope for the next generation of Judaism.
Following that speech, we had the privilege to hear from Dave Friedman, our country’s ambassador to Israel. He stated that Chabad impacted his life immensely; a Chabad rabbi in his community had given him guidance for years and showed him a path that eventually lead him to become an influential politician and statesman.
Friedman also asserted that Chabad is the biggest reason for the resurgence of traditional Judaism in recent years. His speech showed just how far Chabad’s reach has become: it doesn’t only affect those in ultra-orthodox or isolated communities; it’s influence extends to some of the most powerful Jews in the world.
After the speeches, we were treated to an excellent meal of chicken, meat, and rice, which was especially impressive, given the sheer number of people at the Kinnis. It would have been understandable for the food to be subpar, but the fact that the organizers went above and beyond to serve great food shows how much work and energy is put into making the Kinnis a wonderful event.
Following dinner, we watched a video presentation honoring specific shluchim who made exceptional sacrifices in order to fulfill their role of spreading Jewish observance in the community they are situated in.
These shluchim picked up their families, relocated to remote communities with little Jewish observance such as Rwanda, Mauritius and Kyrgyzstan, and settled in new homes for the purpose of increasing Torah observance within these communities.
The shluchim truly embody the Chabad ideal that one crying Jew searching for God is the focal point of the universe and that if one believes in the torah and mitzvot, that person has an obligation to share that belief with other Jews.
Although only a couple of shluchim were honored in the video, later in the night, all shluchim from all countries were honored through the roll call. Each country with a Chabad shaliach was singled out, ranging from Jewish epicenters like New York and Jerusalem to countries with barely any Jews, such as Congo, Cambodia and Crimea.
I was especially surprised at the number of Chabad centers in Africa and Asia, totaling 30. The roll call was triumphant and showcased Chabad’s widespread positive influence while simultaneously displaying the individual achievements of Chabad shluchim in these countries.
My father, Edward Markovich, has been involved with Chabad since he went to Lubavitch sleepaway camp as a child. He loved the roll call and the night as a whole.
“[The roll call] was my favorite part of the night and capped off a great experience,” Markovich said. “It was my first time attending, and the Kinnis lived up to my expectations as I drew inspiration from the Shluchim who demonstrated their great commitment to Jews and Judaism.”
Finally, the night ended with 6,000 Jews from differing backgrounds joyously dancing and celebrating as one. The room was buoyant and the dancing represented what Chabad does best: bringing Jews together.
Seeing that unity was one of the most inspirational and meaningful moments of my life. Attending the Kinnis was an experience I will never forget.