Friends to Honor 50 Years of Shluchim to New York Capital

50 years ago, Rabbi Yisroel and Rochel Rubin set out as the Rebbe’s Shluchim to Albany, New York, and the Capital Region. Since then, local Chabad Centers and a community school have grown and flourished. A special event will celebrate the shluchim’s jubilee year.

The Capital Region of Northeast NY State will be celebrating 50 years (1974-2024) since the arrival of Rabbi Yisroel and Rochel Rubin as the Rebbe’s Shluchim to Albany, establishing Chabad of NY’s Capital Region. Since then, a day-school was established and continues to thrive (which Morah Rochel Rubin continues to lead), there are a dozen Shluchim and Chabad Centers in the immediate Capital Region area, and many more Shluchim throughout the Hudson Valley and Eastern NY State. 

Chaf-Cheshvan is a fitting time to recall the Troy Yeshiva, in NY’s Capital Region, which was a unique establishment of the only Tomchei Tmimim to be also under the aegis of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch by Rabbi Hodakov. While the Yeshiva itself was short-lived, it was ahead of its time in serving alternate needs in Chabad education, and its impacts are long-lasting. Today, its alumni are enriching Jewish communities around the world. 

A 50 Year Jubilee celebration will take place on Sunday (December 8th ) between Vayeitzei and Vayishlach. The date is significant as the Rebbe sent a special letter, in honor of the 5th year celebration, that describes the difference of Yaakov “leaving his parental home… heart full of apprehension” in Vayeitzei, but returning home in Vayishlach blessed “complete, whole and perfect in every respect, spiritually, physically, and materially”. The Rebbe applies this to the Chabad emissaries as “the spirit of our father Jacob is very much alive in Chabad-Lubavitch institutions and animates the Lubavitch activists with exemplary dedication…”

This Rebbe letter is affectionately known in Albany as “the Vayeitzei-Vayishlach letter” and is read each year as if it was sent by the Rebbe anew. This 50 Year celebration takes place exactly 45 years from that letter and its promises and blessings are amply fulfilled and continue to be realized. May we continue to see the blessings ten-fold as we now celebrate 50 years. 

Rabbi Yisrael Rubin is also known beyond Albany for his many creative articles and mitzvah promotions as well as his love of Torah study and unique scholarship. For over a decade, Shluchim used his syndicated “Holiday Guide” newspapers with over 50 editions. One of his first mitzvah promotions was the Shabbos Candle Lighting matchbooks which the Rebbe asked for, and the Rebbe especially appreciated and enjoyed his two-toned article titled “Tisha B’Av has Two Sides”. The Rebbe funded the printing of his “Daily Chitas” newspaper as a 770 student, and the Rebbe encouraged a more universal name which became “The Torah Times”. 

The December 8th event will honor Capital Chabad’s founding Shluchim Rabbi Yisroel and Mrs. Rochel Rubin, and recognize the local Chabad Centers which have grown and flourished over the years, including the Simon, Morrison, Laber, Kremer, and Rubin families of Shluchim, and areas beyond as well. 

“50 Year” event organizers are asking friends of Rabbi Yisroel and Rochel Rubin to send messages and memories to be published in the commemorative journal which will also have a collection of some of Rabbi Rubin’s archive materials, and/or to send a landscape short video of a memory or message reflecting on these 50 years of Shlichus and dedication.

To place a message in the commemorative journal visit: capitalchabad.com/50Years for more info or to send a video message, please contact Rabbi Mordechai Rubin 518-368- 7886 or Mrs. Raizy Rubin 518-772-7299.