If anyone still imagines that a shliach’s week revolves around giving shiurim and preparing drashos, this week’s UK Kinus Hashluchim painted a very different picture.

Over two days, more than 112 shluchim from across the United Kingdom gathered for the annual Kinus Hashluchim of Chabad Lubavitch UK. Discussions ranged from artificial intelligence, fundraising, and charity governance to practical halachah, healthy living, campus outreach, and youth programming. Yet despite the packed schedule, the first day concluded with a farbrengen that continued until the early hours of Tuesday morning, before the Kinus resumed just a few hours later.

That contrast captured the essence of this year’s Kinus. Alongside Torah and Chassidus, today’s shliach is called upon to lead charities, embrace new technology, respond to security concerns, and build thriving Jewish communities.

The Kinus featured a number of international guest presenters from the United States and South Africa. Sessions covered topics like AI, led by Rabbi Mendy Shishler of AI for Shlichus, STaM with Rabbi Menachem Kahn of Vaad Mishmeres STaM, alongside other relevant topics like fundraising, CRM systems, governance, chinuch, CTeen, campus outreach, and practical halachah. Participants also attended mandatory Counter Terrorism Awareness and Protective Security training delivered by officers from the Metropolitan Police.

Travelling from New York, Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302, addressed the gala dinner and met with shluchim throughout the Kinus. The evening also featured updates from UK shluchim, including the announcement of the Chabad Lubavitch UK Tefillin Bank by Rabbi Yehuda Pink. This initiative is built on complete transparency; every purchaser receives the names of the sofer who wrote the tefillin and the magiah who checked them, together with full halachic certification.

Participants also heard from Mr Benjamin Zaoui, a corporate banker from London, who shared how the friendship and guidance of his local shluchim transformed his Jewish life and that of his family.

The highlight of the Kinus was the spirited farbrengen led by Rabbi Yehudah Tiechtal of Berlin that continued until 6:00 the following morning. Rabbi Tiechtal reminded the assembled shluchim that while it is easy to become absorbed in the daily responsibilities of shlichus, they must never lose sight of whose work they are carrying out. The mosdos they build and the successes they celebrate all belong to the Rebbe, with every shliach privileged to play his part in that mission.

Just two hours later, many of those same shluchim were back together for a shiur Chassidus before Shacharis, before continuing with another session of learning and connection.

By Tuesday afternoon, the shluchim returned to their communities with fresh ideas, practical tools and new initiatives that reflected the remarkable breadth of modern-day shlichus.