The Jerusalem Post Miami Summit, taking place this year on January 13, which coincides with the 24th day of Tevet, will be held on a date of profound historical and spiritual significance in the Jewish calendar for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement – the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe. Founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the modern era, the Alter Rebbe left behind not only a revolutionary body of Torah thought, but a deeply rooted legacy of responsibility toward the Land of Israel and its people.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812) is known as the author of the Tanya, the foundational text of Chabad Chassidus, and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, a major work of Jewish law. Perhaps less widely known, but no less central to his worldview, was his fierce commitment to the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael. At a time when Jewish settlement in the land was fraught with economic hardship, the Alter Rebbe insisted that supporting its inhabitants was not optional, but essential.
That belief compelled the Alter Rebbe to establish Colel Chabad in 1788, creating what today is the world's oldest continuously operating Jewish charitable organization, dedicated to supporting the poor of the Land of Israel. What began as a lifeline for the struggling Jewish community of Ottoman-era Israel has evolved into a nationwide humanitarian network. Today, Colel Chabad operates 23 soup kitchens across Israel and provides monthly assistance to more than 50,000 families, including widows, orphans, Holocaust survivors, and households living below the poverty line. More than 235 years later, the institution established by the Alter Rebbe continues to transform spiritual responsibility into sustained, measurable impact for Israel’s most vulnerable populations.
At the Jerusalem Post Miami Conference, Rabbi Zalman Duchman of Colel Chabad will deliver a special address focusing on the Alter Rebbe’s legacy and its relevance to Israel today.
“The Alter Rebbe understood that love for Israel must be expressed through action,” Rabbi Duchman said. “He didn’t speak about Israel as an idea alone, but as a living responsibility. Colel Chabad exists because he believed that Torah demands care for the most vulnerable in the Land of Israel, then and now.”
Rabbi Duchman’s remarks will explore how the Alter Rebbe’s teachings continue to shape life and social responsibility in the 21st century, particularly at a moment when Israel is confronting unprecedented social challenges.
Hosting the conference, Rabbi Zalman Lipskar emphasized that the decision to hold the Jerusalem Post Miami Conference on the Alter Rebbe’s yahrzeit was set by divine providence.
“The Alter Rebbe demanded truth, taught clarity in confusing times and courage in difficult ones,” Rabbi Lipskar said. “Honoring his yahrzeit through a gathering that focuses on Jewish leadership, unity, and our bond with Israel reflects his belief that Torah must illuminate real life.”
Adding a powerful spiritual element to the conference, Chazan Yedidia Jaiat of the Shul of Bal Harbour will perform niggunim (wordless Jewish melodies) composed by the Alter Rebbe himself. These melodies are designed to elevate the soul beyond words, expressing longing, faith, and connection.
“The niggunim of the Alter Rebbe carry his teachings in a form that transcends language,” Rabbi Lipskar noted. “They remind us that Jewish identity is not only intellectual or political, but deeply emotional and spiritual.”
“In every generation, the question is not whether the challenges are new,” Rabbi Duchman reflected. “The question is whether we are prepared to respond with the same sense of obligation and unity that the Alter Rebbe demanded of his followers.”
As Jewish leaders, thinkers, and community members gather in Miami on the 24th of Teves, the Jerusalem Post Miami Conference will do more than commemorate a historic figure. It will reaffirm a legacy—one that continues to call for faith translated into action, and love for Israel expressed through responsibility.
Written in collaboration with Colel Chabad