A large crowd gathered in Crown Heights this past Sunday to celebrate the life of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky OBM, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and an globetrotting ambassador of the Rebbe, on the occasion of his shloshim.
Locals, visiting Shluchim, friends and donors gathered at Bais Rivkah on Lefferts Avenue. The event, MC’d by his son Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, captured the essence of his life through a series of heartfelt speeches and interspersed with compelling video presentations.
“My father dedicated his entire life to the Rebbe’s causes; all he desired was to give the Rebbe good news. Vehachai yiten el libo, may we all aspire to the same,” he shared with those gathered.
His son Rabbi Sruly Kotlarsky, Director of Chabad Lafayette Hill in Pennsylvania opened the evening sharing how his father’s entire life was to be around the Rebbe. He would never miss a farbrengen (even while learning in Montreal) unless he were on a shlichus.
He noted the special attention the Rebbe gave him during the years 5751-5752. At each farbrengen he was present, the Rebbe would motion to him to say L’chaim on a full cup and then watch until he finished the cup. Rabbi Kotlarsky felt this was giving him the koichos for after Gimmel Tammuz, his son said.
Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar shared about his close relationship with Reb Moshe (as he was fondly known.) “He was a humble man and everything he did was for the Rebbe so he wouldn’t have wanted us to stand here and make a fuss of his accomplishments. But as he was a very organized person, it’s apropos that his shloshim is in the buildup to Gimmel Tammuz, so let us take this opportunity to learn from his dedication to the Rebbe, how to be better Chassidim ourselves.”
The program featured Rabbi Kotlarsky’s children, adding a personal touch to the evening. Rabbi Levi Kotlarsky led a siyum mishnayos, as is customary on a shloshim. This was followed by a touching speech from renowned Jewish philanthropis George Rohr, who shared about his 40-year friendship and partnership with Rabbi Kotlarsky. A video was played of Rabbi Kotlarsky himself introducing his “best friend.
Rohr recounted that as a young entrepreneur, while living in New York, he visited the Kotlarsky home in Crown Heights for a Shabbos, and “never really left.” Becoming a regular at the Kotlarsky’s home in Crown Heights, and at the Rebbe’s farbrengens, he developed a close friendship with the family and became the influential figure that he is, contributing tremendously to Chabad centers and revolutionizing Jewish life across the globe. “I lost a beloved partner and friend,” he concluded.
Rabbi Kotlarsky was a familiar face to many for his role at the International Kinus Hashluchim. In 2019 he invited his close friend David Friedman, former American ambassador to Israel, to speak at the Kinus.
Addressing the Shloshim event virtually, Friedman recounted how when Reb Moshe reviewed his speech ahead of the kinus, he requested any mention of his own accomplishments be removed, focusing instead on the Shluchim themselves.
A series of videos provided a multifaceted view of Rabbi Kotlarsky’s life. One showcased Shluchim expressing how deeply he cared for them and their small-town success. Another highlighted his early years establishing Chabad centers in remote locations around the globe at the Rebbe’s behest. A third video demonstrated his compassion for others beyond the realm of Shluchim, showing a man whose mission extended to all he encountered.
“For many people, their mission or calling in life reflects their personality. But for Reb Moshe, it was the Rebbe’s mission that became his personality and his entire being,” renowned lecturer Rabbi YY Jacobson explained in a video message.
“Despite being entrusted by the Rebbe with immense responsibilities, Reb Moshe was a down-to-earth person who saw himself as a follower, not a leader,” shared Rabbi Efraim Mintz, Executive Director of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).
“He connected with everyday people not only influential figures, making him a relatable chossid we can aspire to emulate in the days surrounding gimmel Tammuz.”
The event concluded with a call to action regarding the OneMitvah platform from Rabbi Dovid Kotlarsky, Shliach to East Lakeview, Chicago. He explained that his father passionately believed in the power of this platform to bring Moshiach.
With an easily accessible interface, onemitzvah.org enables anyone to create a mitzvah campaign to share with their contacts. Whether for a special occasion such as a Bar Mitzvah or wedding, or a difficulty for the community to rally around such as an illness, every Jew can become a lamplighter, spreading the light of mitzvos to other people, thereby bringing Moshaich closer.
As the formal event drew to a close, attendees gathered for a late-night farbrengen, sharing stories and inspiration on deepening their connection to the Rebbe ahead of Gimmel Tammuz.
Shluchim visiting New York from near and far shared how Rabbi Kotlarsky was key in setting up their shlichus, and how his focus and determination in fulfilling the Rebbe’s mission should be an inspiration to us all.
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A teshura was giving out during the event – read it here
