While tourists in Mykonos are busy searching for the perfect sunset, a conference of a completely different kind is taking place in the center of the island. More than 100 Chabad emissaries from 40 countries in Europe and Africa have gathered for an extraordinary regional gathering - in the midst of a period rife with anti-Semitism.
At first glance, this would seem like another regional gathering of community rabbis, but many of them are working hard to restore Jewish life to places where Judaism was almost completely wiped out 80 years ago.
Among the emissaries, one could find those who came from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel. They work there every day, to reach every Jew. "Today, the challenge is not only to establish institutions, but to find the Jews who are hiding," shared one of the rabbis in Africa.
""Breaking through" the wall of fear
Rising anti-Semitism in Europe has caused many Jews to take down their mezuzahs or hide their Star of David necklaces. The Shluchim discussed creative ways to "crack" this wall of fear, to seize the opportunity to build a resilient community and welcome every Jew with open arms, regardless of their situation or connection to tradition.
The rabbis' schedule was packed, from morning to evening. Rabbi Menachem Kotlarsky of the Chabad World Center, which oversees the management of regional gatherings, conducted workshops and guided the shluchim on how to build long-term infrastructure and how to transform a small Chabad house into an empire of education and a large center of Jewish life.
Alongside lessons into the night with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gluchovsky, one of the senior Chabad rabbinical court judges in Israel, TED-style lectures were held in which the Shluchim presented innovative and groundbreaking ideas. Among the lecturers was the head of the JLI Global Torah Institute, Rabbi Ephraim Mintz, who came from New York.
The day after in deleted communities
One of the highlights was the discussion about the "day after" in communities that have experienced spiritual erasure. The rabbis spoke about the responsibility to revive synagogues that had been deserted for a century. "We are building the future of the Jewish people here," said one of the participants as he left the emotional salute that concluded the event.
The conference in Mykonos is just one link in a chain of regional rabbinical conferences currently being held around the world, but the message that emerged from it is clear: In the face of anti-Semitism and fear, the answer of Chabad emissaries is to build additional communities and make efforts to reach as many Jews as possible.
