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Last week, Nehama and I attended the Chabad Regional conference Europe / Africa, which took place in Istanbul. (You can see pictures on our Facebook page, including our visits to the Ashkenazi and the Neve Shalom synagogues)
This conference was very different that the one I usual attend every year in November in New York, which gathers 3500 (!) Chabad Shluchim from all over the world. It was much smaller, as it was geared for Shluchim and Shluchot in small or remote communities.
The lectures and workshops were very interesting and thought-provoking. Meeting friends and colleagues dealing with similar challenges and exchanging ideas and encouragements was also a boost of strength and motivation.
But the most inspiring message I was reminded of and took away from the conference is that what really matters is people, not numbers.
Many times, we measure the success of an event by the amount of people who attended it. But what really counts is if the event or class actually touched and inspired the attendants. If they walked away with something that they will take along in their lives.
You may have heard the following story before, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of it every once in a while:
A man walking on the beach noticed a young boy stopping every few steps, bending down and throwing something into the sea. "What are you doing?" he asked him. "There are starfish stranded in the sand. If I don't throw them back to the sea, they will die". Puzzled, the man replied: "But there are thousands of starfish stranded on this beach, and on many other beaches in the world. You can't make any difference". The young boy smiled, bent down, took another starfish and threw it back into the ocean: "I made a difference for that one" he said.
It is certainly more fulfilling to organize events with a big attendance. But what is crucial to remember, especially in smaller communities, is the power and importance of each individual.
I came back full of energy, feeling privileged and lucky to be part of this amazing, devoted and enthusiastic group of people, the Chabad Shluchim and Shluchot, devoted to preserving and developing Jewish life even in the smallest and furthest Jewish communities in the world.
May each one of us do our share and make a difference in the world, one starfish at a time.
Shabbat Salom,
Rabbi Mendel and Nehama Hendel