Thousands of rabbis gather in front of Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for a group picture on the occasion of the annual international conference of Chabad-Lubavitch "schluchim" or emissaries.
What began in the early 1980s as a meeting of several dozen emissaries from the United States, turned into an international annual event over the years described as "the biggest Jewish conference in the world."
The conference came to a crescendo Sunday night during a gala banquet highlighting the work of Chabad emissaries around the world and the partnerships they form with community lay leaders. Keynote smpeaker at this event was Britain’s Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks.
Nearly 4,500 rabbis from 77 countries attended the conference which included workshops, study sessions and lectures by emissaries as well as lay leaders.
On Friday, thousands of emissaries prayed at the grave of the Rabbi of Lubavitch, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. According to the organizers, the rabbi viewed the annual conference as "a family gathering" and used a series of phrases to express the special emotional connection he felt with his "soldiers".
Over the years, Chabad emissaries have managed to reach remote places in the world and create infrastructure for Jewish life from scratch. The next destination is Nigeria, which will soon be visited by a couple of pioneers.