150 CTeen Leaders Gather for Mid-Atlantic Summit in Washington

Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, spoke to 150 CTeen leaders on Sunday at the CTeen Mid-Atlantic leadership summit.

They represented 50 public schools across nine CTeen chapters across six states. Over the weekend, they toured the nation’s capital and celebrated Shabbos together. CTeen is Chabad’s international network for Jewish teens.

Kaploun’s talk keynoted the weekend. It was focused on  “Turning Challenges Into Change.”

A Miami businessman, Kaploun was nominated as Special Envoy by President Trump in April 2025. The Senate confirmed him that December. The post carries the rank of ambassador. 

He spoke to the teens about Jewish pride and identity. He urged them to learn their history and to know the great contributions Jews have made to the world. Each of them, he said, is part of that legacy, whether they feel it or not.

“These teens spent the weekend seeing what it means to be a proud Jew,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of Cteen International. “Now they go home to share that light with their friends, their schools and their communities.”

Kaploun also spoke about Jewish unity. Outward differences in dress or observance do not divide the Jewish people, he said. To those who hate Jews, those differences have never mattered. Jews must stand together.

His central message was that every action counts. To show what he meant, he told a story from a recent flight.

A family on the plane was traveling with their teenage son, who has special needs. He was having a hard time and could not settle down. A passenger behind them grew angry and complained. Kaploun offered to give up his own seat if it would help. In the end, the complaining passenger moved to empty seats at the back, and Kaploun stayed where he was.

As the plane landed, the boy’s father came over to thank him. He admitted he had never really known any Jewish people. But from that day on, he said, he would stand up for the Jewish community. One small act of kindness had changed how he saw an entire people.

That, Kaploun told the teens, is the power each of them holds. The way they act reflects on all Jews and can change how the world sees them.

He closed with a teaching from the Rebbe. It is not enough to take care of yourself, the Rebbe says. You have to take care of others too. If you know alef, teach alef.