Thousands of Jewish teens from around the world gathered for pro-Israel rallies in Times Square and at the grave of a beloved rabbi as part of the annual CTeen International Summit.
A large crowd prayed at Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schnierson’s grave Sunday in Queens, the day after the rally in Times Square, and a shredded handwritten prayer was spread over his final resting place.
The Rebbe’s resting place is known for its spiritual significance and receives more than 400,000 visitors annually.
Teen volunteer Mendel Zaklikowski said the graveside vigil was meaningful because Schnierson was passionate about young people.
“The Rebbe was very passionate about education. He was always talking about the potential that young people had,” Zaklikowski told the Post. “They are the future leaders of the Jewish world. Therefore, it is very important to instill in them a strong sense of Jewish pride.
“Just coming together is a huge thing for these teens,” Zaklikowski said. “Anti-Semitism is rampant, but when you get 3,000 teenagers together, it’s a big deal.”
The CTeen International Summit, hosted by CTeen, brings together teens from around the world for a weekend of prayer and workshops on topics such as anti-Semitism, mental health, and leadership.
This year’s theme is “Count on Me.”
Rabbi Mendy Kotralski, executive director of Chabad’s youth network, said Jewish teens are proud to be Jewish now more than ever in the organization’s history. He said the CTeen convention is more important than ever because of the challenges.
“For many teens, this is the largest Jewish gathering they’ve ever seen in their lives,” Kotralski said.
“Most of these teens are the only Jews in their schools and don’t encounter many other Jews,” Kotralski continued. “Being able to have that, the support, the energy, the Jewish pride, it allows them to stay focused, have a positive message and have pride.
“If this [gathering] It’s always been important, but now is the time. ”
Vinny Pozlands, 16, came from Mondsee to attend the summit.
“I’m really scared of what’s going on. It’s not just Israel. If you look at America, people are being targeted for hate crimes because they’re Jewish,” he told the Post.
But he said the rally gave him hope that better times may be on the horizon.
“It’s very uplifting. Something different. It’s amazing to see people from different countries: Singapore, Brazil, France, all over the place. We don’t all speak each other’s language. Maybe, but we are connected on a deeper level.”
Shana Siten, 14, of Kansas City, echoed Poslunds’ sentiments.
“It’s powerful to see so many young Jews,” Shana said. “It feels like we’re all in this together. I feel like God is sending us the help we need to be Jewish right now.”
Noam Dobev, 14, from Moldova, one of only seven Jewish students at the school, says anti-Semitism is a constant worry.
“Anti-Semitism exists everywhere. People hate Jews everywhere. It’s hard to be proud when you know there are people who hate you everywhere,” he told the Post.
“Here I can’t be scared. I know there are a lot of Jews everywhere.”
Sheena Cowan, 14, from London, told the Post she witnessed anti-Semitic bullying and attacks outside her school.
“Anti-Semitism is rampant at my school, especially on social media. People feel like they can say whatever they want,” she said.
“On the streets of London, I’m scared to shout out that I’m Jewish or play Jewish music, but here I can be open and I’m proud to be Jewish. can do.”
Schneerson, who is credited with forging a global Jewish renaissance in the aftermath of the Holocaust, not only led political leaders such as Ronald Reagan, Robert F. Kennedy, Shirley Chisholm, and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, but also We also heard from prominent figures such as: Elie Wiesel, Herman Wouk, Bob Dylan, etc.
During his 92 years on Earth, Schneerson has been so influential that he is known by many simply as “The Rebbe.”
Schnierson died on June 12, 1994. In the Hebrew calendar, it was his third day in the month of Tammuz in 5,754 AD.
