Zalman Duchman, executive director of Colel Chabad, closed the Jerusalem Post Miami Conference with what he described as a clear “call to action,” urging constant, daily commitment to the Land of Israel rooted in faith, tradition, and practice. He thanked Rabbi Sholom Lipskar, the spiritual leader of The Shul, saying it was “a great honor to bookend this amazing conference,” which had opened with Rabbi Lipskar marking the yahrzeit of the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad and Colel Chabad.
Duchman framed his remarks around the Alter Rebbe’s revolutionary impact on Jewish life in the Diaspora. “The Alter Rebbe revolutionized the way the Jewish people in the diaspora recognized and felt Eretz Yisrael,” he said, explaining that the goal was “to awaken the love… to burn like a flame of fire – the love of every Jewish person to the Land of Israel.” He noted that “one-third of the correspondence of the Alter Rebbe, printed in Tanya, addresses this passion,” arguing that this 18th-century shift shaped Jewish attitudes toward Israel through the 19th century and “brings us until today.”
Quoting the verse “tamid einei Hashem” – that God’s eyes are on the Land of Israel “from the beginning of the year until the end of the year” – Duchman emphasized the dual meaning of constancy and growth. “If it’s tamid, it’s always,” he said, “but every year our passion has to increase… year after year.” At the same time, he stressed, “It’s not just enough during conferences. It must be done all the time.” Updating the idea for modern life, he quipped, “Today there’s no loose change… so of course, today we have an app for that.” Duchman concluded with a statement of faith: “We are 100% confident that Israel is the safest place for Jews. Israel will prevail because of its holiness and because of God’s blessings.”
Written in collaboration with Colel Chabad.