Chabad Headquarters marked the 123rd birthday of the Rebbe—with Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky announcing the next round of thirty-five new Shluchim couples who will be supported with seed grants to expand the Rebbe’s life’s work in some of the most unexpected corners of the world. From Mykonos to Kenya, West Adams to Tanzania, they are planting seeds of Jewish life—some where Jewish infrastructure once existed, others where it never did. Each of these couples is receiving seed funding from Keren Hashluchim to help establish new Chabad centers and build Jewish communities, carrying forward a vision that has, for generations, redefined what it means to be there for another Jew. Yud Aleph Nissan has long served as a catalyst for expansion. In 1972, on the Rebbe’s 70th birthday, the Rebbe famously requested that Chassidim establish 71 new institutions—one for each year. It was a transformative moment. The Rebbe personally contributed ten percent of the initial costs for each project, and reports streamed in from across the world as schools, mikvahs, and Chabad Houses were launched in response. Wednesday’s initiative builds on that same momentum. “Today, as many Jews face uncertainty, despair, and disconnection, these new Shluchim are offering the opposite: stability, hope, and belonging,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Director of the International Conference of Shluchim, and oversees the New Shluchim department of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch. “This Yud Aleph Nissan, as antisemitism rises and more Jews feel isolated, the Rebbe’s response continues to guide us: build. The answer is always to build—more light, more connection, more Jewish homes in the places they’re needed most.” The initiative also follows through on a commitment made by Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, who announced at the Kinus Hashluchos last year that Keren Hashluchim would fund 100 new Shluchim couples, this is the second segment announced bringing the total to 85 so far. After being approved by the board of Merkos, many of the couples have already begun laying down roots. Rabbi Michoel and Hindy Zajac are now in West Adams, a historic Los Angeles neighborhood where Jewish life once thrived in the early 20th century but has since faded, leaving beautiful old synagogues derelict. But Rabbi Michoel Zajac, together with his wife Hindy, recipients of the grant, have been working hard to change that. “While preparing for our permanent move to West Adams, we’ve spent the past few months going door-to-door and have connected with over 80 Jewish people in the area,” Michoel shares. “Located just outside the Los Angeles eruv, West Adams has the potential to return to its past as a bustling Jewish community. We aim to develop the Jewish infrastructure needed to make that happen and to provide a home for the many Yidden already living here. Especially in these challenging times for the Jewish community, the Jews we’ve met have been grateful to be welcomed by Chabad, and we are honored to do our part for the Rebbe’s greater vision.” Over ten thousand miles away, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Rabbi Shimon Menachem and Chana Aziza are working to meet a very real need—one that has never been addressed in the country’s history: building the first-ever mikvah. “We’ve seen a deep thirst among the Jews here to reconnect to their identity,” said Rabbi Aziza. “There are around 150 Jews living permanently in Tanzania, plus […]