Each year the local Chabad rabbis from the Kansas City area lead a delegation to the world’s largest rabbinical conference — the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries. This year, with the conference conducted virtually, the local Chabad rabbis joined a virtual Zoom conference, which included workshops and discussions pertaining to the far-reaching work that Chabad does worldwide.
To conclude the weekend, a closing event was scheduled. This call was originally envisioned as a rolling virtual farbrengen — Chassidic gathering — that would begin on Saturday night in Australia and make its way around the world as the Sabbath concluded in each time zone, serving as a virtual melaveh malkah, a post-Shabbat meal symbolically “accompanying the [Shabbat] Queen.” Yet it turned out that this call made history and struck a world record as it neared a total of six days of continuous conversation and celebration.
In May, a popular New Zealand radio show attempted to host the world’s longest Zoom, clocking in at 23 hours and 39 minutes — just shy of its 24-hour goal. This rabbinic Zoom gathering has long surpassed that with a total of six non-stop days, and the conversations morphed from English to Hebrew and Yiddish, and then back to English — peppered throughout with Russian, French, Spanish and Portuguese — with anywhere between 200 to 1,000 rabbis on it at any given moment.
Hailing from places as far-flung as Perm, Russia; North Cyprus; Normal, Illinois; and Santa Fe, New Mexico, this crucial gathering formed a key part in strengthening the resolve of these rabbis in their communal work. This year, with the sense of isolation from socially distancing accentuating the experience, the popularity of the Zoom propelled this event to continue for six consecutive days.
Among the themes discussed in the 140-plus-hour call were the importance and immense potential of each individual, which is a key teaching of the Rebbe — Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory — and one with special relevance as in-person gathering has been curtailed during the pandemic; how best to safely serve communities during the ongoing lockdowns; as well as an exchange of ideas on how to celebrate Hanukkah, which begins Dec. 10, amidst the darkness brought on by the coronavirus.
“Being part of this historical Zoom event was simply amazing. It felt like a giant, endless, virtual class reunion ” said Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, director of KU Chabad in Lawrence. “It was encouraging to spend hours on end in the virtual company of one thousand rabbis, in one thousand locations, separated by oceans and joined by computer screens, schmoozing, singing, laughing and crying together; an intimate handful of one thousand buddies together as one.”
The theme of this year’s International Conference was all about “Fulfilling the mission under all circumstances”; how to overcome every obstacle emissaries may face in the service of the communities they lead. While the format of the conference was very different this year than usual, this longest Zoom ever demonstrated that it was no less powerful.
Rabbi Mendy Wineberg, director of Chabad of Leawood, shared that “while usually the Kinus banquet with 4,500 rabbis is the highlight of the weekend, this Zoom Farbrengen was even more uplifting. What made this event so unique is that we got to see everyone “on location.” It was a powerful reminder that the Chabad family spans the globe and is there for each and every Jew.”
