Power of Prayer & Positive Action at Forefront of World’s Largest Jewish Women’s Leadership Summit
By Jacob Scheer/Chabad.org
Some 4,000 Chabad-Lubavitch women emissaries and lay leaders from around the globe gathered this weekend in New York for the 35th annual International Conference of Chabad Women Emissaries, the largest Jewish women’s leadership gathering in the world.
While the yearly conference has a celebratory atmosphere, uniting women leaders from Alaska to Zambia, this year’s gathering came during a particularly challenging time for Jewish communities worldwide. From devastating wildfires in California to ongoing war in Israel, and rising antisemitism on college campuses, the women on the frontlines of Jewish communal service are confronting urgent realities.
Chabad-Lubavitch women emissaries, known as shluchos, are dedicated leaders who manage and grow Jewish communities worldwide, often in remote locations with minimal Jewish infrastructure. They serve both affiliated and unaffiliated Jews, welcoming all regardless of background or observance level. From bustling urban centers to quiet towns, Chabad women create not just spiritual homes but vibrant focal points of Jewish life.
The conference, known as Kinus Hashluchos, ran from Feb. 19 to Feb. 23, uniting women leaders from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries for five days of workshops, networking, and spiritual renewal. The conference is annually timed to coincide with the anniversary of the passing of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, of righteous memory, the wife of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
Thursday morning saw the emissaries visit the Ohel in Queens, N.Y., the resting place of the Rebbe, as well as the nearby grave of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka. The women came to pray for their families, communities, and humanity at large, carrying countless prayer requests from people around the world.
Friday morning featured the iconic “class picture” with thousands of women gathered in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, the headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Brooklyn, N.Y. Despite cold weather, the women—representing Jewish communities from 111 countries worldwide—stood proudly together, a powerful portrait of Jewish women’s leadership and unity.
The capstone of the conference was Sunday’s gala banquet, held at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center in Edison, N.J. This year’s theme, “connection,” highlighted the bonds that unite Jewish people worldwide with each other and with their Creator.
As is tradition, the evening began with prayer. Chapters of Psalms were recited by Feigy Rapoport of Chabad of Mequon, Wisconsin; Lea Duchman of Chabad of the United Arab Emirates; and Michal Wexilshtein of Chabad of Hadera, Israel. Rapoport spoke of the power of women’s prayer, while Duchman represented the Jewish community of the UAE, where Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan was murdered late last year. Wexilshtein noted the presence of mothers of Jewish hostages being held captive by Hamas in Gaza and requested all in attendance to pray for the safe return of every kidnapped Jew.
A video tribute honored Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, the late vice chairman of Merkos who for years was the dynamic force behind both the men’s and women’s Kinus. Following the presentation, his son, Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, director of Merkos Suite 302, announced a slew of new initiatives, including funding for 15 new CKids after-school programs to serve more than 800 children.
Prayer requests from people around the world
Rivka Kotlarsky, wife of the late Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, shared moving memories of her husband’s dedication, including his last visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel, just days before his passing. “He came to thank the Rebbe for the privilege of being his shliach,” Kotlarsky explained to the thousands in attendance. “ … To the shluchim and shluchos my husband’s message was always clear: ‘Always be grateful for the privilege of carrying out the Rebbe’s mission.’”
Faces of the Frontlines
In a series of live interviews conducted by Chabad.org’s Chana Weisberg, host of the Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories podcast, and Sarah Alevsky, Chabad emissary in Cleveland, Ohio, the audience heard powerful firsthand accounts from women serving on the frontlines of Jewish life worldwide.
Zisi Cunin shared how after her Pacific Palisades community was devastated by January’s wildfires, she knew they needed to reopen their Chabad preschool as quickly as possible. “Where are these children going to be? By Divine Providence, my husband mentioned to someone we’re looking for a school, and they knew of a vacant school building … it was unbelievable,” she shared. “We got in full gear with our full maintenance staff, cleaned it up, painted it, got new furniture, and we opened up in five days.”
Chava Backman, co-director of Chabad at the University of South Florida for 15 years, described their response to post-October 7th anti-Jewish protests on campus. “A typical day we’re on campus meeting Jewish students at our Chabad table, doing events, classes, and then at night we have social events … every day of the week we have something else going on at Chabad,” she explained. Despite needing to hire security for their Chabad Center and home, they remained focused on “creating a safe space for Jewish students on campus.”
Sheina Amram of Chabad of Nahariya, Israel, who serves the French-speaking community in Israel’s far north, shared how during times of war and missile attacks from nearby Lebanon, they conduct programs in bomb shelters, maintaining Jewish life even under threat.
The keynote delivered by Elisheva Martinetti
From China to Milan: A Journey of Faith
The keynote address was delivered by Elisheva Martinetti, whose remarkable Jewish journey began in Jixi, northeast China. When she was 11, her mother discovered a book about Judaism and began exploring the faith. At 15, Elisheva was sent to Singapore to learn more, beginning a journey that would take her to Sydney, Melbourne, Safed, and London.
“It feels like a dream to be standing here,” she said through tears, as the audience rose to their feet in a moment of heartfelt emotion. Today, she and her husband, Rabbi Dovid Martinetti, serve as Chabad emissaries in Milan, Italy.
“Thank you, shluchos, for sharing the authenticity of G-d’s Torah, and introducing me to Judaism as a young girl. Thank you for your warmth and sense of family I experienced in your homes,” she said. “My story is personal, but its message is universal. No soul is ever too far. Every connection we make with someone connects them to their Source.”
Tzipi Hatovely, Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, followed, noting that while she had broken ground as the first woman in her position, “the Rebbe had sent female ambassadors decades earlier than anyone else.” She spoke of receiving coins for charity from the Rebbe as a 12-year-old girl and proudly noted that her first speech as deputy foreign minister was based on Torah teachings often cited by the Rebbe regarding the Jewish people’s connection to the Land of Israel.
The Four Corners of the Earth
A special video presentation brought stories from women serving as Chabad emissaries at the literal ends of the earth. Fraidy Klein shared insights from life serving the Jews of Bariloche, Argentina, while Ida Kolpak spoke of Jewish life in Stalin’s “Jewish homeland” of Birobidzhan, Russia. Chani Wolf described the extreme conditions of dark winters and endless summers in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Odeya White explained how she never expected to devote her life to the Jews of Perth, Australia.
The evening concluded with the iconic Roll Call, representing generations of Chabad emissaries. Chana Wagner of southern Portugal represented those who’d departed for their localities since 2020, followed by representatives from each decade: Chaya Fuss (Fremont, California, 2010-2020); Mussy Litzman (Seoul, South Korea, 2000-2010); Chani Labkovsky (S. Paulo, Brazil, 1990s); Rivkah Yurkowicz (Melbourne, Australia, 1980s); Hinda Gerlitzky (Tel Aviv, 1970s); and Hindy Lew, who was dispatched to England by the Rebbe in 1965.
“Feel the power in this room,” Yurkowicz called out as the Roll Call concluded. “It radiates outward, far beyond these walls, the entire world is represented right here, right now. Let’s channel this energy into action and finish the mission of bringing Moshiach now!”
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