New Website Brings Rebbe’s English Letters One Click Away

For half a century, hundreds of thousands of Jews from all across the world wrote to the Rebbe with their deepest questions, and the Rebbe responded time and again, answering each with unmistakable clarity, timeless wisdom, and boundless empathy. Now, for the first time, the Rebbe’s English letters have officially launched online, making that guidance accessible to anyone, anywhere, in seconds.

The new website, launched by Rebbe Responsa in time for the Kinus Hashluchim, brings together over 5,500 of the Rebbe’s English letters in their original English in one searchable collection.

Whether you’re looking to simply browse through the collection, gain insight from the Rebbe’s variety of profound guidance, or find clarity in an existential crisis, it is now just a click away.

For decades, hundreds of thousands of people wrote to 770 Eastern Parkway, and the letters came by the sackful, from every continent, in every language, day after day. A man struggling emotionally and feeling unfulfilled. A child trying to understand Hashem. A young woman unsure which direction to take. A father weighing a medical decision. A businessman worried about his livelihood. Each one received a personal reply.

To the man who felt unfulfilled, the Rebbe wrote, “A person may not consciously be aware of his true spiritual state and what he lacks, having suppressed certain inner drives, so that all he is aware of is a feeling of frustration and unfulfillment.”

To a child named Assaf, who wrote that he wanted to know if Hashem really exists, the Rebbe addressed the child: “Suppose you were walking in the streets and saw a skyscraper…”

While much of the Rebbe’s Hebrew and Yiddish correspondence appears in Igros Kodesh, the English letters remained scattered across books, publications, private collections, and the archives of their recipients. Written largely to American and English-speaking Jews from every kind of background, they reflect the Rebbe’s distinctive approach to speaking with people in their own world, in their own language.

The project set out to gather them. Over the years, the team worked closely with collectors, archives, and recipients to locate, transcribe, and catalog the letters, with careful attention to accuracy, documentation of sources, and the privacy of those who received them. Many letters were uncovered through families who generously opened their personal files.

Each letter is accompanied by research, including an introduction, biographical information about the recipient, historical background, and references to related correspondence, so readers can understand the circumstances behind the words.

The result is a collection that covers nearly every area of life. Visitors can search any topic, and in virtually every case, the Rebbe addressed it. Mental health, marriage, parenting struggles, business and finances, medical procedures, security in Eretz Yisroel, education, and even art are all there, along with hundreds of other subjects, from study and travel to shidduchim, residency, and publishing. The answer appears in seconds.

There are three ways to explore the newly launched website. Type a keyword into the search bar and matching letters come up right away. Browse by topic, with subjects organized under guidance, worldview, Judaism, Chabad, the Jewish calendar, and lifecycle events.

Or go through the full index by year, from 5702 to 5752, and follow the Rebbe’s correspondence across five decades. Under worldview, readers will even find the Rebbe’s thoughts on the sciences, politics, women, and his vision for America. Under Chabad, there is guidance on shlichus and on assisting Jews around the world.

The lifecycle section walks through the stages of a Jewish life, from pregnancy and birth, to bar and bas mitzvah, to marriage and family life, and even death and mourning. The Jewish calendar section gathers letters connected to each month and yom tov, from Tishrei through Elul, as well as the days of the week.

For those who want something quick, the site features daily insights, short quotes from the letters paired with a one-line headline, such as “Satisfaction never lasts, and that’s a good thing.” There is also a Daily Letter Challenge, and weekly printed booklets bring selected letters to communities around the world.

Behind the project stands a dedicated team led by Rabbis Shimon Gansburg, Chaim Muss, and Zalman Pape, along with dozens of volunteers and staff who gave countless hours to researching, locating, transcribing, editing, and organizing the letters.

When life takes an unexpected turn, when a decision is too large to make by yourself, or when a question won’t leave you alone, the Rebbe’s guidance is now accessible to everyone.

To explore the collection, visit RebbeResponsa.com. The Rebbe Responsa app is also available for download on both iPhone and Android.

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