A personal reflection shared on i24 News a few years ago

It has been over two decades since the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, physically left this world. And yet, his presence is as alive as ever.

A few years ago, I was invited to share some thoughts on i24 News on the Rebbe’s yahrzeit. As I reflected on his impact, what stood out most to me was not only the Rebbe’s brilliance, leadership, or scope of influence—but the way he saw us. The way he saw each person.

The Rebbe saw potential where others saw limitation. He saw souls where others saw labels. He reminded us that true leadership is not about hierarchy, but about responsibility. He believed that every Jew, regardless of background or observance, carries a Divine mission that is indispensable to the unfolding redemption of the world.

That is why his image still hangs in so many homes—not just as a nostalgic reminder of the past, but as a call to action. His face reflects something deeper: a vision of who we are meant to become. A tzadik like the Rebbe does not draw attention to himself—he reflects your own inner light back to you.

Though I never met the Rebbe personally, his teachings have shaped my life. Like so many others, I grew up in a world already impacted by his spiritual revolution. Today, over a million people participate in Chabad-led Seders worldwide. Tens of thousands walk into Chabad houses on Shabbat or during crisis—not only because they are welcomed, but because they feel seen.

The Rebbe taught that the path to redemption—Geulah—comes through revealing the inner Torah, the teachings of Chassidut, and living with Divine consciousness. This is not mystical escapism. It is practical spiritual activism. It means making space for the Shechinah in our daily lives. It means seeing our children, our communities, and even strangers with the eyes of the soul.

That is why I chose to teach in Tzfat. It is not just a mystical city—it is the birthplace of inner Torah, the teachings of the Arizal, and the heart of the Kabbalistic revolution. The Rebbe sent his first shluchim to Tzfat because he understood its role in spreading the wellsprings of Divine wisdom to the entire world.

The Rebbe’s message lives on not through a successor, but through succession—through each of us stepping into the leadership we are meant to embody.

The Rebbe believed in us.
Now it is our turn to believe in ourselves and our light ✨