Winners of New Shluchim and Mikvaos Grants Announced

Merkos announces the next batch of New Shluchim and Mikvaos grant recipients as part of the Kinus Hachlata to “Triple Our Efforts.”

One of the greatest features of the annual kinus hashluchim held in New York during the winter is that it’s not at all limited to New York during the winter.

Upon the Rebbe’s instruction, each year, the kinus serves as a situation room where big and bold hachlatos are made with global impact. And as much as the kinus has a long-lasting and far-reaching results every year, this year’s kinus took an exponential turn. Standing at the lectern of the gala banquet after a brief hiatus due to an unprecedented pandemic, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, ambitiously announced a dizzying slew of hachlatos that at the time seemed nothing more than an idealistic dream.

With the inspiration of 120 years since the Rebbe’s birth, the reach may have been lofty, but it was every bit justified. Answering an urgent call from around the world, these bold hachlatos address such fundamental needs like mikvaos and new shluchim and will surely change the dynamic of Jewish life in communities around the world.

And sure enough, about halfway through the year, Merkos is happy to announce that many of those hachlatos are well underway. At this juncture of Chodesh Sivan, a time when the Jewish people famously stood as one people at the foot of Sinai in an unprecedented level of unity, it’s a fitting time to bring the entire Lubavitcher community into the situation room and see for themselves the dizzying progress.

Merkos announced that 42 New Shluchim and 48 Mikvaos have been approved for funding from Keren Hashluchim, bringing the total number to 60 New Shluchim and 60 Mikvaos funded so far this year. As it is halfway between the last Kinus and the coming Kinus, they are also now halfway towards our goal in these two initiatives of supporting 120 New Shluchim and the building of 120 Mikvaos by the end of the Rebbe’s 120th year.

In addition to funding new initiatives, Merkos has worked feverishly in developing an entire framework of support, workshops, training, and other resources for existing mosdos. Seminars such as “Foundations for Shlichus” and detailed training relevant for Taharas Hamishpachah provide even those shluchim who already sport such things as an existing mikvah with a full roster of support.

And it doesn’t stop there. Many of the other hachlatos undertaken at the kinus are on the conveyor belt to the finish line. Six state-of-the-art CTeen lounges are all already in construction around the world. Sixty communities so far have been awarded a full CKids Hebrew School curriculum, along with the accompanying training and resources. An Israeli Desk working with the network of shluchim serving Israelis in the Diaspora is already hard at work.

Arguably one of the most ambitious goals, the “OneMitzvah” campaign, has also launched with much success. With a lofty target of 120 Million mitzvos for the Rebbe, this platform has brought close to 500 communities together with tangible, action-based mitzvah campaigns. All are strongly encouraged to join this tremendous effort by visiting onemitzvah.org and creating a “OneMitzvah” campaign for your community.

With all these programs already in the bank, many more are still in the works, just about ready for roll-out. For example, the 36 Sefer Torahs are in the midst of being written and a large number of grants for new libraries are soon to be announced.

“It goes without saying how monumental these global campaigns truly are, and how much they will change the face of hundreds of communities around the world,” said Rabbi Kotlarsky. “It is our fervent hope that it brings the Rebbe tremendous nachas ruach to see the bold efforts to once and for all, finally bring Moshiach now!”

Merkos acknowledges and gives a hearty blessing to the lead donors of Keren Hashluchim: The Rohr family, the Tabacinic family, the Meromim Foundation, the Yisroel Foundation, the Mashiyev Family Foundation, the Azar family, the Gniwisch family, and the shluchim who have brought their donors on board to support these initiatives.

Grant applications are still open. Anyone interested is encouraged to visit kerenhashluchim.org

For sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to [email protected]

New Shluchim Grant recipients:

Dovid Goldshmidt – Atlanta, GA

Zalman Fischer – Augusta, GA

Dovid Tiechtel – Berlin, Germany

Chaim Shkedi – Billings, MT

Avraham Naparstek – Bordeaux, France

Levi Cohen – Charlotte, SC

Nissen Pewzner – Cumberland County, PA

Berel Groner – Elk Grove, CA

Moshe Yaakov Berkowitz – Fairfax, CA

Levi Danow – Fort Wayne, Indiana

Mendy Plotkin – Fox Chapel, PA

Menachem Attal – Grenoble, France

Mendel Korf – Highland Park, CA

Dovi Levy – Hollywood, FL

Aryeh Sufrin – Ilford, England

Shneur Matusoff – Issaquah, Washington

Mendy Shishler – Johannesburg, South Africa

Levi Yudkin – Larnaca, Cyprus

Tzemach Shemtov – Livonia, Michigan

Levi Goldgrab – London, England

Shmuly Gurary – Maple Valley, WA

Tzvi Alperowitz – Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Zalman Levy – Miami Beach, FL

Mattisyohu Charytan – Mill Basin, NY

Mendy Golomb – Modesto, California

Chaim Loschak – Montecito, CA

Mendy Eisenbach – Naharia, Israel

Avraham Minsky – Newark, NJ

Shimon Bergman – Shimon Bergman

Yitzchok Kuperman – North New Zealand

Eliyahu Tenenbaum – Omaha, Nebraska

Moshe Caytak – Ottawa, Ontario

Mendy Barash – Prague, Czech Republic

Chaim Schwartz – Roswell, GA

Tzemach Feller – S Paul, Minnesota

Berel Dubinsky – Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Mendel Leibovitz – St Petersburg, FL

Levi Mintz – Tiburon, CA

Mendel Chein – Trafford, England

Mendy Weinfeld – Vienna, Austria

Shimon Partouche – Westmount, Canada

Mendel Gordon – Woodmere, NY

Mikva Grant Recipients 

Rabbi Ahron and Chaya Blasberg,  Noord, Aruba

Rabbi Mendy and Mushka Krasnjansky,  Kihei, HI

Rabbi Ari and Mushkie Rubin, Trinity Beach (Cairns), Australia

Rabbi Mendy and Shternie Deitsch, Chandler, AZ

Rabbi Mordechai and Shoshana Morozow, Shymkent Kazakhstan

Rabbi Arie Zeev and Mendetzon, Batumi, Georgia 

Rabbi Aryeh and Rosie Weinstein, Newtown, PA

Rabbi Moshe and Mushka Cohen, Huntsville, Alabama

Rabbi Asher and Dini Hecht, Mcallen, TX

Rabbi Oshy and Oshy Deren, Blouberg, South Africa

Rabbi Avraham and Lapine, Columbia, MO

Rabbi Pinchus and Esther Ciment, Little Rock, Arkansas

Rabbi Avremi and Nissa Yarmush, Bellingham, WA

Rabbi Shimon and Devorah Heidingsfeld, Moorpark, CA

Rabbi Baruch and Chaya Rozmarin, St Georges, Grenada

Rabbi Shlomi and Racheli Tabib, Taipei, Taiwan

Rabbi Chaim and Bar Sella, Kigali, Rwanda

Rabbi Shmuel and Chaya Berkowitz ,  Providenciales Turks and Caicos

Rabbi Chanan and Tuba Chernitsky, St. John’s, Newfoundland

Rabbi Shmuel and Bella Lepkicker, Kochav Hatzafon Neighborhood, Israel

Rabbi Chmouel and Shtema Lubecki, Rouen, France

Rabbi Shmuel and Chaya Mushka Greenberg, Wichita, KS

Rabbi Shneur and Chavi, Segal Baku, Azerbaijan

Rabbi Daniel and Raiszel Huebner, S Miguel De Allende, Mexico

Rabbi Dov Ber and Fraidy Orgad, Cluj Napoca – Klausenburg Romania

Rabbi Yaacov and Halperin, Allenton, PA

Rabbi Eli and Sterna Chaikin, Barbados, Barbados

Rabbi Yakov and Hana Poliwoda, Boquete, Panama

Rabbi Elimelech and Goldi Perman, Pucon, Chile

Rabbi Yankel and Mushkee Raskin, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Rabbi Isroel and Hana Soriano, Concordia, Argentina

Rabbi Yehoram and Shterna Ulman, Sydney, Australia

Rabbi Kushi and Fraida Schusterman, Bel Air, MD

Rabbi Yehuda and Dvonye Korf,  Los Feliz, CA

Rabbi Menachem and Adina Landa, Novato, CA

Rabbi Yekusiel and Devorah Alperowitz, Hyannis, MA

Rabbi Menachem and Dvora Levine, Weurt, Netherlands

Rabbi Yizchak and Chana Eisenbach, Paphos, Cyprus

Rabbi Mendel and Zajac, Pai, Thailand

Rabbi Yonasan and Natanya Abrams, Temecula, CA

Rabbi Mendel and Esther Lifshitz, Boise, ID

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak and Zehava Golda Slonim, Israel

Rabbi Mendel and Shani Katzman, Omaha, NE

Rabbi Yossi and Manya Lazaroff, College Station, TX

Rabbi Mendy and Chaya Singer, Bristol, United Kingdom

Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn, Jackson, WY

Rabbi Mendy and Devora Ita Lewis, Old Tappan, NJ

Rabbi Zvi Yaakov and Chanie Zwiebel, Blacksburg, VA