Shluchim Meet in Historic Mansion

By Josh Salter

11 acres of landscaped gardens in the enchanting Warwickshire countryside played host this week to the 5773 UK Kinus Hashluchim, an annual convention that was attended by 81 Shluchim.

The Bosworth Hall Hotel’s 17th century mansion and its commitment to preserving the original character of the stately home seems fitting to the conference’s theme of “Strengthening the Shliach and his Family.”

A variety of educational workshops, presentations and discussions were aimed at further equipping the Chabad Lubavitch emissaries, educators, and community and campus rabbis to fulfill their Shlichus.

Professional presenters included Phaivish Pink, Director of the Torah Teachers Training Scheme who ran a series of workshops for educators and James Marlowe, a Dale Canergie Coach.

Other workshops included Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson on ‘How to Shiurim that will have your Baalei Batim coming back for more’ and Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin MBE on ‘From L’chaim to Oblivion’ – recognizing the signs of alcohol addiction and how to deal with it.

Rabbi Bentzi Sudak, CEO of Lubavitch UK which hosted the Kinus, provided a report and update on UK developments over the past year and going forward. He also conveyed the blessing of his father, England’s Head Shliach Rabbi Nachman Sudak who was not able to attend.

A panel of young shluchim examined ways of working with Young Professionals. Rabbi Reuven Leigh led a round table session on Home Schooling, Dayan Levi Raskin examined practical halachic issues relating to Kashrus and Rabbi Pesach Efune led a session on Sholom Bayis.

Making the most of the historic setting of the conference in the picturesque country village of Market Bosworth, Rabbi Mendy Korer led a group of shluchim on a bike tour of the area.

Spread across 2 days, the first evening featured the gala dinner. The MC, Rabbi Yitzchok Sufrin kept the evening flowing with his inimitable sense of humor. He introduced Rabbi Mendy Lent of Chabad of Nottingham and Rabbi Mendel Plotke of Chabad of Hendon who shared some anecdotes from their Shlichus. Rabbi Avremi Kievman of Liverpool delivered an inspiring keynote address.

Following the banquet, Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov led a vibrant and uplifting Farbrengen that saw many Shluchim singing, dancing and talking until the early hours of the morning. It was particularly inspiring to see a large group of chassidim, some of whom had only finished farbrenging a couple of hours earlier sitting down for a shiur chassidus given by Rabbi Yoinasson Golomb before Shachris.

The Conference Chairman, Rabbi Yehuda Pink commented that this was the largest UK Kinus and thanked all the members of the Vaad Hakinus for their help in making it such a success. The Shluchim returned home reinvigorated and ready to redouble their work in their respective areas of Shlichus.