Rabbi Shimy and Devorah Leah Heidingsfeld, Chabad of Moorpark, CaliforniaI Can’t Believe We Live on a RanchBy: Chaya ChazanFrom the start, we were dedicated to moving on shlichus. We moved to California almost immediately after our marriage to get right in the thick of things and begin any way we could, even before we’d found our official “territory.” We knew that Moorpark, a growing city about an hour out of Los Angeles, would be a good place to open our own Chabad house. We were also familiar with the area, since Devorah Leah had worked for shl
Rabbi Eli and Dabrushy Pink, Lubavitch Centre of Leeds, EnglandA Bracha for Children in G-d’s Own CountryAs native Brits, we settled in London while searching for shlichus opportunities. As a bochur, I’d had some experience working for shluchim in Ukraine, so for a while, moving there permanently was a very viable option. For various reasons, it didn’t work out. Instead, the Shlichus Placement Bureau, a branch of the Shluchim Office, offered us a place in Leeds, UK, working with Head Shliach Rabbi Angyalfi, Rabbi Cohen, and their families. Another
Rabbi Nechemia and Baila Raizel Schusterman, Chabad of Peabody, MassachusettsDoing What Needs to be DoneBy: Chaya ChazanMy wife and I both grew up on shlichus, so opening our own Chabad house was a no-brainer. We’ll soon be celebrating our 20th anniversary in this quiet, suburban, north Massachusetts town.The Jewish communities of Massachusetts trace back to colonial times, and vestiges of vibrant Jewish life can still be seen in the form of now-defunct synagogues. There are five houses of worship in Peabody - a testament to Jewish gr
Rabbi Mendy and Devorah Lea Levy, Chabad of Buenos Aires, ArgentinaExploring for Jews in ArgentinaOur journey began with a small Chabad house and a big hope to help Argentinian Jews grow closer to Yiddishkeit. After a while, my parents opened a Jewish learning center and ran it successfully for ten years. In 2018, they opened a Chabad house as well! Today, we work under my father, Rabbi Avraham Levy, and, together with other shluchim, we work to build and enrich the Jewish community in Belgrano, a Buenos Aires neighborhood with a Jewish population of ove
Rabbi Refoel and Chani Silver, Chabad of CuraçaoThere’s No Such Thing As a Small JewBy: Chaya ChazanFor most, the term “Caribbean Island” triggers thoughts of relaxation, vacation, and lazing around on sunny, sandy beaches. For us, while Curaçao does boast some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, it also connotes home, shlichus, and a remarkable resurgence of Yiddishkeit. The island’s most popular tourist attraction is Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, built in 1732 by Sephardic Jews. In the 1920s, Ashkenazi Jews also began migrating to
Rabbi Yisroel and Leah Wilhelm, Chabad of the University of Colorado, Boulder, COBe Bold as a Boulder ShliachBy: Chaya ChazanShlichus was a dream we both shared. A newly formed organization, Chabad on Campus, was supporting shluchim on college campuses and creating a global, cooperative community. Dealing with inquisitive, impressionable, and idealistic young adults appealed to both of us, so we began searching for campus shlichus options. Rabbi Scheiner, the head shliach of Boulder, Colorado, hired us as full-time shluchim for Colorado University.I’d
Rabbi Shmuel and Sara Malka Weiss, Chabad of the Western Wall, YerushalayimHeinachta Tefillin Hayom?By: Chaya ChazanOur shlichus is very unique. We don’t have a Chabad house; instead, all our activities are done outdoors. Our last expansion was a couple new folding chairs. After our initial meeting, we never see most of our “community” ever again. We’re just yards away from the holiest site in the world - the Kotel Hamaaravi, the last remaining wall of the Beis Hamikdash.Thousands of visitors come to the Kotel every day, to daven and connect with
Rabbi Shalom and Chana Bakshi, Chabad of Woodbridge, OntarioLoaves of LoveBy: Chaya ChazanShlichus was a part of the equation from the very beginning. When we first moved to Toronto, it was as a part-time assistant to local shluchim and a teacher in the cheder. After a few years, we moved to Woodbridge, a small suburb of Toronto, to open our own full-time Chabad house.The area is mostly Italian, with less than 1% of the population being Jewish. When we initially started looking for Jews, we found ten Jewish families and two Jewish owned businesses. Later
Rabbi Hesh and Chavi Epstein, Chabad of South CarolinaFulfilling Our Marching OrdersBy: Chaya ChazanAt every farbrengen we attended, the Rebbe spoke about changing and preparing the world for the coming of Moshiach. The Rebbe encouraged and empowered each chassid to be an agent of change - to go on shlichus and elevate our little corner of the world.Attending these farbrengens week after week inspired us to fulfill the Rebbe’s vision. It was a foregone conclusion - something my wife and I both agreed was non-negotiable as soon as we met. We just knew,
Rabbi Benny and Sharonne Zippel, Chabad of UtahA Life-Changing Birthday GiftBy: Chaya ChazanA month before the Rebbe’s 90th birthday, Merkoz, the branch of Chabad Lubavitch responsible for sending shluchim all over the world, decided to give the Rebbe an especially meaningful gift: an official shliach to the state of Utah. Utah had been previously visited by Merkoz shluchim, bochurim who spend a couple of weeks in the summer assisting shluchim and visiting Jews in rural areas, and had met a few people.When we were asked to join the shluchim family, I i
