Tradition! 6,500 Chabad shluchim from 100 countries pose at 770

More than 6,500 rabbis and Jewish leaders from more than 100 countries gathered in New York last week for the 43rd International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries, the largest rabbinic conference in the world and one of the largest Jewish gatherings outside Israel.

The conference took place while antisemitism remained at historic levels and the landscape of American Jewish life was undergoing a seismic shift.

The emissaries arrived as new research confirmed that the “surge” in Jewish engagement since Oct. 7 was holding, and that many of the newly engaged were turning to Chabad. A newly released study by the Jewish Federations of North America found that the surge had grown to 38 percent of American Jews this year, seven points higher than in 2025. Among communally engaged Jews in the surge, the plurality turned to Chabad.

For decades, Chabad has championed a strong, proud and confident expression of Jewish life. It is an approach that refuses to let antisemitism set its terms. It reflects the vision of the Rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, whose teachings continue to guide the emissaries and inspire Jews of all backgrounds.

Around the world, Chabad emissaries put up giant menorahs in city squares and open new Jewish centers on campuses, in cities and suburbs, even in places with few Jews.

Chabad’s growth has come while American Jewish life as a whole has been shifting. Between 2001 and 2020, the number of Chabad congregations in the United States nearly tripled, from 346 to 1,036. Over the same period, the number of Conservative congregations fell 36 percent and the number of Reform congregations fell 15 percent.

Many Jewish denominations have struggled to fill pulpits. Chabad, by contrast, has seen a steady rise in young rabbis and their wives volunteering for new posts, both in established Jewish centers and in places with few Jews, such as rural Arizona.

During the four-day conference, the rabbis attended workshops and programs and reconnected with colleagues they may not see the rest of the year. Sessions focused on sustaining Chabad’s rapid growth. Topics included building campaigns, new CTeen and CKids chapters, and outreach to Jews in isolated areas. Other sessions looked at ways artificial intelligence can free up emissaries’ time for the personal relationships at the center of their work.