For Rabbi Kotlarsky, Medical Challenges are a Springboard for Growth

At the Gala Banquet of the Kinus Hashluchim, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky shared how recent health challenges have spurred him to triple his efforts, and announced a remarkable list of initiatives and goals that he had set for himself.

By Anash.org reporter

At the Gala Banquet of the Kinus Hashluchim, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos and Chairman of the Kinus, shared how recent health challenges have spurred him to triple his efforts, and announced a remarkable list of initiatives and goals that he had set for himself.

Rabbi Kotlarsky shared with the huge crowd that he had recently gone through a serious medical challenge. He told the assembled that after a recent surgery, he lay in a hospital bed and thought to himself, “What would the Rebbe demand of me in this situation?”

He decided that he would not double, but triple his efforts to help shluchim around the world. He then proceeded to announce a remarkable list of initiatives and goals that he had set for himself to reach by the conclusion of the Rebbe’s 120th year on 11 Nissan 5783.

• The Simcha Fund, which gives shluchim a grant for each personal family simcha, will re-start distributing funds to assist with wedding, bar mitzvah and birth-related expenses.

• A new Yom Tov fund will assist any shliach who needs help with Yom Tov expenses.
  
• 120 new shluchim couples, among them 25 ‘Shluchei Torah’, will join the army of shluchim in spreading Yiddishkeit even further.
  
• 120 new Mikvaos will be built around the world.
  
• 360 shluchim will receive funding for libraries in their Chabad Houses.
  
• 36 Sifrei Torah will be written and given to Shluchim who don’t have one yet.
  
• 120 new Hebrew Schools will be established.
  
• 1,200 pairs of Merkos Shluchim, totaling 2,400 bochurim, will travel the world, bringing Yiddishkeit to Jews without a permanent Jewish community.

Rabbi Kotlarsky urged the thousands of shluchim to each reach out to Yidden they had not yet reached out. The goal, he said, would be that through the combined effort of each shliach reaching out to his community, and each community member reaching out to another, at least 120 million mitzvos would be collected!

Each initiative was met with a resounding applause, as Rabbi Kotlarsky inspired the shluchim with his unwavering commitment to persevere and overcome any challenge he may face, as he works to fulfill his shlichus and helps them fulfill theirs.