Jewish Peace Corps Mission to Reach 600,000

Several hundred Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical students are preparing to visit India, Ireland, Poland, Turkey, and Uzbekistan among hundreds of other remote U.S. and international destinations this summer, where they will meet local community members and reach out to individuals, families and fledgling communities with a wide range of spiritual, and educational resources.

At an orientation meeting yesterday, the students met with Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, director of the Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch Peace Corps Program, who gave them pointers for effective outreach on their mission. Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch—the Lubavitch educational division, addressed the students and recalled that the Jewish Peace Corps Program was founded by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, in 1946.

Dedicated to the purpose of Jewish outreach, the mission will address community needs on many levels. The rabbinical students will run intensive seminars on the Jewish lifecycle, holidays, and mysticism. They will advise community members on matters ranging from Jewish law and ethics, to launching successful Jewish educational programs. The rabbis will connect members of the community with the nearest Chabad-Lubavitch center, to help facilitate continued Jewish activity after they leave.

Throughout the ensuing year, students will maintain close contact with communities and individuals, often visiting during the holiday seasons, sending shipments of Jewish literature and other Judaica, or answering questions long-distance, all in an effort to make traditional Judaism a viable reality for all Jews, everywhere.

Now in its sixth decade, the program, sponsored by Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch the educational division of the world Lubavitch movement, with the generous support of the Rohr Family Foundation, has set a goal of reaching 600,000 Jewish people this year through similar missions in the course of the year.

Meetings may be arranged with visiting rabbis this summer by contacting Lubavitch World Headquarters.