By COLlive reporter
Photos: Itzik Roytman/COLlive
The opening general session of the International Kinus Hashluchim in Brooklyn, NY, the annual convention of Chabad Rabbis, opened with sights set on Israel.
With wildfires raging across northern Israel, a number of rabbis gathered at the Brooklyn Marriott have come from the region with their families or communities facing danger.
One of them is Rabbi Yehuda Dunin, Director of Chabad Haifa – Achuza Carmel in the large Israeli port city which streets are currently emptied as firefighters battle the flames.
“100,000 people were evacuated- including my family,” Rabbi Dunin said. “Let us daven together for everyone to return home safely and without damage.”
Shluchim then began reciting chapters of Tehillim in merit of all those affected in what some Israeli political leaders suspect is racially motivated against Jews.
For the third consecutive day, wildfires are burning throughout Israel, largely fueled by a two-month drought. In the northern city of Haifa, several roads and schools were closed and dozens of residents were evacuated in some neighborhoods, while tens of thousands were told to evacuate immediately.
“We ask help from Above that the fires should end immediately,” said Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and organizer of the convention.
The conversion’s first day was dedicated to discussions and workshops on furthering Chabad’s work in education, outreach, counselling and social services.
The general session was dedicated to explaining how realistic and imminent the final redemption is and how to present it to Jews from all backgrounds and ages.
