A tribute video shown at the Kinus Hashluchim honored the founding generation of Chabad shluchim who started a shlichus revolution with no guidebook or established path, relying only on the Rebbe’s words and their unshakable determination and faith in the mission.

In the 1950s and 60s, a small group of young couples heeded the Rebbe’s call and set out to places they had never seen, communities where a bearded rabbi in a black hat was a startling sight. They built everything from scratch, one neshamah, one home, one mitzva at a time.

A special video, shown at the kinus banquet, paid tribute to early shluchim: Rabbi Avrohom Korf, late head shliach of Florida; Rabbi Moshe Herson, late head shliach of New Jersey; and Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar, late director of the Shul of Bal Harbor and the Aleph Institute.

In the video tribute, Rabbi Lipskar shared the moment when he entered yechidus, in the summer of 1969, before going on shlichus.

“The Rebbe looked up at us. The Rebbe’s smile, he put on his full smile, it was like the sun shining in the middle of the day. He lifted his hand over his shoulder and said, ‘Ich fur duch mit eich – I am going with you.’”

At the conclusion of the video, the stage was opened for the children continuing their parents’ shlichus: Rabbi Mendy Herson – head shliach of New Jersey, Rabbi Benji Korf – head shliach of Florida, and Rabbi Zalman Lipskar – director of the Shul of Bal Harbor.

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