20 New Shluchim, 12 New Mikvaos and $1.6M for Simcha Fund

During the Evening of Tribute closing off the Kinus Hashluchos, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky announced a list of sweeping initiatives, including 20 new shluchim, the first 12 out of 36 new Torahs, and the continuation of a simcha fund that had already distributed $1.6 million.

During the Evening of Tribute closing off the Kinus Hashluchos, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky announced a list of sweeping initiatives, including 20 new shluchim, the first 12 out of 36 new Torahs, and the continuation of a simcha fund that had already distributed $1.6 million.

The initiatives are part of a larger drive aimed to give a gift of millions of mitzvos to the Rebbe for his 120th birthday this Yud Alef Nissan. First announced by the Kinus Hashluchim, each project has since launched and begun distributing grants towards their larger goal.

Among the initiatives was the re-launch of the shluchim fund. “Since Chof Av, there has been ka”h over 350 births, 290 bar mitzvahs and 280 weddings among shluchim families. Over $1,650,000 has been funded to date,” Rabbi Kotlarsky announced.

He also announced 20 new shluchim to points across the globe, who would be receiving start-up funds from Merkos 302. The 20 would be the first group of a total of 120, as a gift for the Rebbe’s 120th year.

The shluchim are:

New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Marozov – Tzibilisi Georgia
New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim Birnhack – Hamilton, Bermuda
New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Shimon Lihani – Marrakesh, Morocco
New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Zevi Kaplan – Innisfil, Ontario
New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Shneur Shusterman – Flevoland, Netherlands
Cteen &Chabad Young Professionals Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel Lerman – Peachtree Corners, GA
Cteen & Youth Rabbi Sholom Ber Schmerling – Venice, FL
Youth Rabbi Lev Wolf (Odessa) – Saratov, Russia
Cteen & Youth Rabbi Sholom Ber Weiss – Belgravia, England
Chabad Young Professionals Rabbi Henoch Rosenfeld – Pittsburgh, PA
New Community Rabbi Meir Shlomo Gordon – Paso Robles, CA
Chabad on Call Rabbi Mendy Heber – Delray Beach, FL
Chabad Young Professionals & Small communities Rabbi Chesky Malka – Gothenburg, Sweden
New Community Rabbi Nissan Naparstek – Plymouth, MN
Cteen Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy Bistritsky – Saugus, CA
New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Gabriel Veberman – Crete, Greece
New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Shmulik Havlin – Augsburg, Germany
Chabad Young Professionals Rabbi and Mrs. Levi Lowenthal – Denmark
New Community Rabbi and Mrs. Shneur Itzinger – Chagrin Falls, OH
Chabad On Call Rabbi Yehoshua Rubin – West Hartford, CT

Also announced were the first 12 Mikvos to receive funding approval this period:

Rabbi and Mrs. Shneur Hech – Puerto Vallarta Mexico
Rabbi and Mrs. Yosef Teitelbaum – Khmelnitsky
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim Rabinowitz – Brest – Belarus
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi Pinson – Ajaccio, Corsica
Rabbi and Mrs. Shalom Rabinovitz – Bad Homburg vor der Höhe Germany
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim Zvi Konikov – Melbourne, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Levi Krinsky – Manchester, New Hampshire
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim Azimov – Girne North Cyprus
Rabbi and Mrs. Yosef Halprin – Varna Bulgaria
Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim Grossbaum – East Setauket, NY
Rabbi and Mrs. Berel Pewzner – Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Rabbi and Mrs. Rafael Tawil – Salta, Argentina

“The CTeen Lounge is the newest innovation in shlichus,” Rabbi Kotlarsky said, explaining that the lounges were spaces where teens could hang out in a fully Jewish environment. He then announced the first 6 CTeen lounges out of 36 that would be receiving grants.

They are:

Chabad of Raleigh Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy Wilschanski – Raleigh, NC
Chabad of Cobb Rabbi and Mrs. Ephraim Silverman – Cobb, GA
Chabad of Orange Rabbi and Mrs. Pesach Burston – Orange, NY
Chabad of Bellevue Rabbi and Mrs. Sholom Ber Elishevitz – Bellevue, WA
Chabad of Fairfax Rabbi and Mrs. Shloime Adler – Fairfax, VA
Chabad of West Suffolk Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid Weinbaum – West Suffolk, NY

Finally, a raffle was held on the first 12 of 36 Sifrei Torah in honor of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin, which will be given to shluchim who do not yet have a Torah of their own.

The winners of the raffle were:

Rabbi and Mrs. Shmuel Levitin – Seattle, Washington 
Rabbi and Mrs. Eli Chaikin – Barbados
Rabbi and Mrs. Shmuel Sputz – Caldwells, NJ
Rabbi and Mrs. Meir Shmotkin – Alameda, CA
Rabbi and Mrs Ari Rubin – Givat Nili, Israel
Rabbi and Mrs. Yaakov Raskin – Montego Bay, Jamaica
Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Raskin – Compala, Uganda
Rabbi and Mrs. Avraham Perlstein – Salem, Oregon
Rabbi and Mrs. Yisroel Simon – Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy Gutnick – Parkland, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Yoseph Bronstein – Davie, FL
Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Engelsman – Ibiza, Spain

To apply for the grants, visit kerenhashluchim.org/120

For sponsorship opportunities, email [email protected]