The room is alive with energy. Thousands of women from every corner of the world have come together for the annual Kinus Hashluchos Melava Malka, an evening where the deep bonds of sisterhood in Shlichus take center stage.
The night began with an emotional opening as Mrs. Bracha Admoni, Shlucha to Shiloh, Eretz Yisrael, stood before the crowd.
"I want to dedicate this Kapital Tehillim to my very good friend’s son—Amitai ben Bat-Tzion—and for every hostage still in Gaza. May they come home, safe and whole, without negotiations, without delays, without any more horrors."
The silence in the room was deafening as thousands of voices whispered "Amen."
Mrs. Admoni described the realities of life in her community, where 70% of the men have been serving in the army reserves for months. She spoke of soldiers lost, widows left behind, and the deep need for both spiritual and tangible support. "Your prayers, your support, your love—we feel it. Please, do not stop. It is needed now more than ever."
Then, Mrs. Mazal Sternbach Shlucha in Lagos, Nigeria, stepped up to the podium and shared a moment that defined the depth of the Shlichus sisterhood she had come to recognize.
“The closest Chabad House to me is a six-hour flight away,” she tells the room. “When I gave birth in Nigeria, I was alone—except for my mother and a fellow Shlucha who flew in just to be there with me. She came with a box full of homemade goodies, each with a little note. She knew. She understood. She reminded me: I am not alone.”
“And neither are you,” she says, looking around. “You, my sister, are never alone.”
From Nigeria to Georgia, the theme of connection echoed throughout the evening. The Georgia delegation shared how a small initiative transformed their region. Mrs. Shifra Sharfstein of Atlanta described how informal monthly gatherings became a lifeline for Shluchos spread across the state.
"For years, we were working in our own corners, doing our own thing. But we weren’t connecting."
A simple message on their Shluchos Whatsapp group changed everything: Let’s farbreng. No agenda, no structure—just an opportunity to come together. The result? A strong, deeply connected network that spans across the state.
"Now, every month, we make the effort to travel, even when we're exhausted. And every time, it's worth it. We recharge, we share, and we remind each other why we’re here."
For Mrs. Nechama Diskin of Pacific Palisades, California, the power of sisterhood became evident when her Chabad House was destroyed in a wildfire.
"What do you take when you don’t know if you’ll ever return?."
In the weeks that followed, her fellow Shluchos stepped in, sending everything from meals to financial assistance.
"You held me together. You reminded me that our mission isn’t tied to a building, a house, or even a city. It is in who we are. We are Shluchos—no matter what."
The night’s stories reinforced that while the work of Shlichus may be physically distant, the connections formed are deeply personal. Mrs. Nechama Turkov of Holon, Israel, recounted how a chance meeting at last year’s Kinus led to a lifeline of support.
"At the Kinus, I sat next to an American Shlucha I had never met before. We started talking. I told her about the families we were helping—the widows, the orphans, the hostages’ families. A few days later, her husband called. They wanted to help."
That small conversation turned into a major support effort, with an American Chabad House community adopting Israeli families in need.
"A community across the world showed up for us. And that changed everything."
As the night drew to a close, the message was clear: Shlichus is not a solitary journey. It is a shared mission, fueled by unwavering Bitachon, deep friendships, and a family that transcends borders.
“The challenges of Shlichus are real, but so is the support. The goal of the Kinus is that no Shlucha should ever feel alone. We hope when they return home, they carry with them the knowledge that across the world, there is the global family of Shluchos that stands behind them,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, director of the international Kinus Hashluchos.
For Shlucha Goldy Mochkin, who recently moved on Shlichus to SUNY Geneseo, NY, the evening’s theme struck a deep chord. "Moving out on a new Shlichus, the topic of sisterhood in Shlichus really spoke to me. It was a powerful reminder that we are all in this together, doing the Rebbe’s Shlichus, and that there are always fellow Shluchos to turn to for advice and encouragement."
The night ended with thousands of women linking arms, their voices rising together in song:
"I will do my part to bring Moshiach."
A mission that never stops. A sisterhood that never breaks. A commitment that continues—until the Geulah arrives.
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