Shluchim Level Up Their Toolbox at Inaugural Youth Summit

Photos: Chaim Tuito

Over five hundred youth-facing shluchim joined a special Kinus program at The Arches in Crown Heights, consisting of a full-day program of workshops, panels, and punchy six-minute talks.

From 10 AM to 6 PM, the Youth Summit at the Kinus HaShluchim addressed common challenges, facilitated networking, and shared powerful tools for everything from event planning to fundraising, reaching Gen Z, and creating a more connected future for the next Jewish generation.

“So many shluchim have seen the extraordinary impact of their work with the next Jewish generation,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Merkos 302’s Executive Director. “It’s important to give them a platform to share their knowledge and give all shluchim a chance to see yet more growth.”

Hosted in conjunction with CKids and CTeen International at Merkos 302, the Summit featured powerful talks from experienced shluchim like Rabbi Adi Goodman of Cooper City, Florida, and Rabbi Zalman Marcus of Mission Viejo, California, alongside panels on directing a Camp Gan Israel, handling sensitive situations, fundraising, and more.

Rabbi Marcus delivered a headline talk on linking numerous youth programs to enable community youth to transition seamlessly from Hebrew School to CTeens to Chabad on Campus and beyond.

Meanwhile, a bustling resource fair featured resources for everything from Bar Mitzvah prep, camp, CTeen merch, and the best yeshiva programs for Jewish youth of all backgrounds.

“There’s a growing community of shluchim who focus exclusively on reaching the next generation,” says Rabbi Sholom Block, of Chabad Plano, TX. “The Youth Summit gave everyone a chance to come together, address shared challenges, and share tools for success.”

One timely workshop featuring Rabbi Shais Taub, Rabbi Yitzchok Naparstek, and Rabbi Zalman Duchman offered a candid discussion of the best way to present the Rebbe’s views on Eretz Yisroel to today’s youth.

The day wrapped with an inspiring conclusion ceremony featuring talks from Rabbi Avremi Shapiro and Rabbi Bentzi Lipsker of the Meromim Foundation. “We work hard, we plant seed after seed, but we don’t always see the fruit of our labor,” Rabbi Shapiro said. “The Rebbe once said, ‘I can’t guarantee that you’ll see the fruit, but I can promise you that fruit there will be.”