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Today, We Are All Chabad

Jews all over the world are shattered, heartbroken and horrified by the senseless slaying of Rabbi Zvi Kogan by terrorists. 

When rumors of his abduction started to circulate, I desperately hoped it wasn’t true. I turned on my phone after Shabbat to a flood of messages. Nobody knew his fate, just that he was missing. 

Like millions of Jews across the world I prayed and said Tehillim for his safe and swift return. Alas, I woke up Sunday morning to the devastating news that he had been found, murdered in cold blood. 

What happened? Rabbi Kogan was being followed by Iranian agents, who figured out his schedule and when he would be alone and vulnerable. He was then kidnapped and murdered.

My heart hurts. 

Rabbi Kogan was like me. A fellow Chabad rabbi, stationed in Abu Dhabi. A Chabad rabbi who dedicated his life to helping Jews in the Emirates. 

He did what every Chabad rabbi is trained to do: Sent by the Rebbe to every corner of the globe, no matter how far-flung, to spread love and Judaism, making the world a better place. 

For this, he was murdered? How can we comprehend that? My heart cannot. 

Exactly 16 years ago—this very same week—Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holzberg were attacked and murdered by terrorists at their Chabad house in Mumbai. Rabbi Kogan’s murder brought back such clear, visceral memories of that terrible time. The timing and similarity is uncanny. Even more uncanny, Rabbi Kogan’s wife, Rivky, is a niece of Rabbi Holzberg. 

The shock and horror we are all experiencing this week is so reminiscent of how we felt 16 years ago. These are selfless Chabad emissaries, targeted simply and only because they were Jews. 

Since the UAE signed the Abraham Accords, it has been a safe and even hospitable place for Jews and Israelis. Rabbi Kogan should have been safe there.

Now we have to ask ourselves: What can we do? How can we honor Rabbi Kogan’s memory and bring comfort to his wife, his family, and his community?

We can’t understand G-d’s ways, but one thing we know to be true: the answer to darkness is always increased light. 

The world has lost a light—a Chabad rabbi who was dedicated, heart and soul, to helping others. Let’s step up and emulate Rabbi Kogan. We too can spread light and love and Judaism. We can be Chabad emissaries in our own corners of the world, igniting the flame of Judaism in every person we know, inspiring them to put on tefillin, light Shabbat candles, keep kosher and study Torah. 

We have no choice. It only takes a small amount of light to dispel deep darkness, and we desperately need more light. 

We know that evil forces will intensify immediately before the coming of Moshiach. There is no doubt in my mind that that is what we are currently experiencing. The end is almost here, we just need to propel ourselves over the finish line. 

This week, 5000 Chabad rabbis from all over the world will gather in Brooklyn for the Kinus Hashluchim—the annual conference of Chabad emissaries. This year, we will ache with the loss of Rabbi Kogan. But knowing that you are all joining us in our mission to spread light and Judaism all over the world will warm our hearts and souls. 

May G-d comfort Rabbi Kogan’s wife, his parents, siblings, extended family, and his community in the UAE. May we know no more tragedy and suffering, amen.

Our Gala Dinner at Cipriani is Fully Sold Out!

Our highly anticipated gala dinner will be held this coming Monday night at Cipriani Wall Street. It’s our annual fundraiser for our extensive Belev Echad program, in which we provide a complex network of services to the severely injured men and women of the IDF, helping to restore their lives. 

The gala does not come together easily. It is a herculean effort; six months of intense planning. But year after year, it pays off. The evening is one of inspiration and motivation that keeps people thinking and talking and coming back. 

The gala filled up about two weeks ago, but we kept reservations open. No longer are we full, now we’re overfull. We’re at complete and utter capacity—more than 1,200 people! We cannot admit a single extra person and we have a tremendous waitlist. In fact, we’re pleading with people to please, please let us know if they have to cancel at the last minute so that we can give their tickets to those who are still hoping for a spot. 

Anyone who has previously attended knows that they will walk out feeling deeply moved and uplifted, connected to Israel, and like a valuable member of our Upper East Side and Belev Echad communities, and our nation as a whole. They know they’ll be entertained, wined and dined, in good company, with new and old friends, meeting the soldiers, and creating memories that will stay with them for years to come. 

Here’s the astonishing part: Despite being sold out, despite being costly (although for a good cause), the flood of phone calls, emails, and texts from people eager to attend hasn’t abated! It’s clear our event has struck a chord and we’re grateful for the enthusiasm. We have a long list of people waiting, and if we can accommodate anyone we absolutely will. 

It’s human nature to want what one can’t have. It’s the phenomenon of desire and scarcity. When something is in high demand and limited in supply, our desire for it intensifies. The good old, "You always want what you can't have." It’s simply how we operate. 

In our spiritual journey, we often face similar dynamics. Things that are off-limits (forbidden fruit, for example) are all the more alluring. 

But it is our responsibility to learn to appreciate what we do have: Torah, mitzvot, and an indelible connection to the Creator of the Universe. 

So, let's take a step back and appreciate the abundance we have, rather than constantly yearning for what we can't have. Let's focus on the present moment and the blessings that surround us.

Thank you for your support. We look forward to a moving and uplifting evening at Cipriani!

Nearly Missed My Flight!

I traveled to Toronto this week for the wedding of my nephew Levi Vigler to Tzipi Nachlas. It was a beautiful celebration, filled with so much energy, joy, and dancing.

I took my 13 year-old son Zalman with me, and we flew in literally just for the day.

We left the wedding at the end of the night, got to bed around midnight, and woke up at 4:30 a.m. to catch our 7:00 a.m. flight back to NYC. I figured the odds of the airport being full at the crack of dawn—even for an international flight—were low, so we didn’t leave to the airport until 5:30 a.m.

Before we were even at the airport, my brother-in-law who was also flying home and was already in line, texted me that there were extremely long lines at passport control.

Oy vey! I was not happy. I hate long lines.

Well, when we got to the airport I headed to the TSA pre-check line, but when we got to the front of the line the security officer sent us back to the main line since my son does not have TSA precheck like I do.

The same thing happened at passport control. The line was hundreds deep. My brother-in-law had been in line for 40 minutes already and had not made much progress. I headed to Global Entry where there were no lines, but again, I was turned away because my son doesn’t have Global Entry, only I do. I felt sure I’d used global entry before with my kids, but perhaps it was when they were much younger.

Not only did she send me all the way to the back of the impossibly long line, she wrote a stern warning in my profile that if I ever dare to try doing this again, I’ll be banned from Global Entry for 10 years!

I knew there was no way I’d make it to my flight at this point, so I started considering my options. What a waste of a day! And we could have slept more than 4.5 hours!

My brother-in-law then called me and told me not to get into the line. “Download the MPC app,” he advised.

“I’ve never heard of this, what is MPC?” I asked.

“Mobile Passport Control app,” he explained. “Download it and follow the instructions and you can skip the line.”

What did I have to lose? I downloaded the app and followed the prompts, and within three minutes I was bypassing all the lines!

My brother-in-law ended up waiting in line for an hour. Fortunately, he had gotten there earlier than we had and he made the flight on time. I surely would not have.

And then I started wondering, how come nobody uses MPC? Why are hundreds of people waiting in line for a passport stamp while the MPC line is literally empty?

There are even signs all over the airport telling people to download the app, and yet nobody—myself included—knows about it! It’s just as efficient as Global Entry, only it’s an app.

I took away two lessons from this experience:

  1. We all have problems, and sometimes the solution is right in front of us—literally staring us in the face—and we still don’t see it. We need to actually open our eyes and look!
  2. There’s a certain ease and security that comes with following the crowd. But just because everyone is following the same path, doesn’t mean it’s the correct or best one. Sometimes the solution is one that most people don’t even know about.

Well, I guess now you all know about it, too, so go ahead, download the app and skip the line next time you travel. You’ll be glad you did.

We Made $250K, and Then We Lost It All

My wife and I were sitting together last week, when an email notification came in from our website, informing us that we’d received a donation of $250,000!

We are in the middle of our annual fundraising gala season, so thank G-d many donations are coming through. That wasn’t unusual. But receiving one for such a large number from a name neither of us recognized, now that is unusual.

We both wracked our minds and looked through our contacts to see if we could figure out who Mary was, but we came up blank.

Next, we wondered if it was a scam.

A quick Google search revealed that Mary was a real person with a Park Avenue address. Moreover, how many people have credit cards that will allow them to transfer $250,000? But the payment did actually come through, so we figured it must be a legitimate donation. Astounding!

I did some rapid mental calculations and within a minute or two had already figured out how we would spend the money to help our severely wounded soldiers with items they need.

The euphoria lasted for exactly nine minutes.

Mary called our office and apologized profusely for the mistake, explaining that she had intended to donate $250, not $250,000. And just like that, in the span of 10 minutes, we had made $250,000 and then lost $250,000. Unfortunately, because of our credit card processor fee, that well-intended donation of $250 actually ended up costing us almost $8000.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that everything we see and experience in life contains a lesson for us in our spiritual service. Here are three lessons I’m taking from this experience:

1. Life is full of highs and lows, every day, in every arena. The one immovable truth is our Father in Heaven. In all situations, whether we’re up $250K or down $250K, we know that G-d is with us and show gratitude for everything He provides.

2. There are no shortcuts in life! You have to work hard to make $250K. I am sure Hashem is looking out for us and will send us what we need through another avenue.

3. Every dollar we make is predetermined by G-d on Rosh Hashanah. It is our responsibility to create a vessel for His blessings to pour forth. Why He gave us 250K and then took it away nine minutes later I do not know, but perhaps it was to remind us that all money comes from Heaven.

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