In a cavernous ballroom in Brooklyn, N.Y., more than 1,200 young Jewish professionals from 30 countries stood shoulder to shoulder on Jan. 10, candles flickering in their hands, singing an ancient Jewish declaration of faith with their brethren 10,000 miles across the globe.
A live video feed connected the group to hundreds more gathered in Bondi Beach, Australia—a community still reeling from the mass shooting by father-and-son terrorist gunmen on the first night of Chanukah that killed 15 people, including two local Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis who organized that event. Chants of “We love you, Sydney!” echoed off the walls.
The announcement was made at the cross-continental solidarity Havdalah ceremony at the conference, broadcast to Australia, that marked the shloshim, or traditional 30 Jewish days of mourning, since the deadly mass shooting there on the first night of Chanukah.
“Look around this room,” Igor Tulchinsky, the billionaire founder of quantitative hedge-fund WorldQuant, told the crowd on Saturday night. “A thousand young Jews in Crown Heights on a Saturday night. This is not normal. This is not accidental. This is Jewish history in motion.”
Rabbi Mendy Ulman, director of Chabad Young Professionals in Bondi and the brother-in-law of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, who was murdered in the attack, addressed both crowds simultaneously on the importance of seeing light and positivity in the world.
“This livestream coming from New York to Bondi and back has been immense for our community,” Ulman said. “It has given us strength beyond words. In the past, our young community might have felt a little far away because of the physical distance. But this moment we shared is so powerful, we feel closer than ever.”
The scene unfolded at CYP Encounter, a four-day summit that draws young Jewish professionals from around the world. This year’s event, which concluded on Sunday night, carried an urgency its organizers say reflects a generational turning point for Jews navigating careers, relationships and identity amid a global surge in antisemitism.
For Jacob Kasper, a 27-year-old from Estonia, the moment resonated deeply. His older brother lives in Australia and attends Chabad events there. When news of the Bondi attack broke, he feared the worst.
“When we saw the Australian young Jews together with us through the livestream, mourning yet still celebrating their Jewishness, it reminded me that we have to keep adding goodness to the world,” he said.
In his opening address, Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, chairman of CYP International at Chabad World Headquarters, pointed out that “each one of you is a light and a leader. I’m inspired by your unwavering commitment to stand proudly wherever you are, and uplift and include those around you.”
He announced the establishment of 10 new CYP lounges worldwide in response to the Bondi tragedy. They will serve as spaces where young Jewish professionals can network, study, celebrate their heritage and launch new initiatives for their communities. “When they try to extinguish our light, our response is to increase it,” he declared.
For Kasper, the announcement hit home: “As a member of a very small Jewish community, it’s so important to be part of something bigger. We can’t wait to have such spaces in Estonia.”
His journey to the summit underscores what draws young Jews from around the globe to CYP Encounter. Seven years ago, while researching his family tree, he discovered an unexpected truth: He was Jewish. He contacted his local Chabad rabbi, and a new chapter began.
“In Estonia, you’re always explaining what it means to be a Jew; nobody really knows,” he said. “Sometimes, you need a place to recharge. This weekend recharged me, physically and spiritually.”
“In my city, wearing a kippah has become an act of courage,” said Jonathan Pachter, 29, a finance professional from Paris. “But seeing successful Jewish professionals here living proudly gives us strength.”
On Friday afternoon, before the start of Shabbat, attendees heard from Eliya Cohen, who spent 505 days as a hostage in the Gaza Strip after being kidnapped and dragged across the Israeli border on Oct. 7. He spoke about resilience, faith and maintaining hope under extreme conditions, themes that resonated deeply with an audience grappling with their own, less extreme, challenges.
The weekend also featured the world’s largest in-person speed-dating event. Jewish industry leaders also spoke about navigating professional life while maintaining Jewish values and workshops addressing mental health, dating and confronting antisemitism in the workplace.
