Jewish leaders from across the U.S. come to Santa Fe for fellowship and pray for return of hostages

May 12—More than 40 men with beards and black hats paraded through the Santa Fe Plaza Sunday. The rabbis were in Santa Fe from as far as Alaska and Hawaii for a conference aimed to share ideas and provide fellowship, according to the Santa Fe Jewish Center — Chabad.

Chabad is an acronym for three Hebrew words — Chochmah, Binah, and Daas — wisdom, understanding and knowledge, according to the Chabad Jewish Community Center.

With roots in 18th century Eastern Europe, Chabad-Lubavitch focuses on reaching people of Jewish heritage, regardless of how religious they are, according to its website. After the Holocaust, under the direction of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn and his successor, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, it became a worldwide movement and now has centers around the world.

This is an impressive conference because it brings together rabbis from parts of the country where Judaism isn't as prevalent as in other places, said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302 at Chabad World Headquarters.

The annual Western Regional Kinus Hashluchim, which began on Friday, ended on Sunday with a march.

Kinus Hashluchim is an annual event that brings Shluchim — or emissaries — together to share ideas and goals, according to the Chabad website.

Rabbi Mendel Lifshitz traveled more than 900 miles from Boise, Idaho, to come to the event.

"Every community is unique and you get to learn from others," he told the Journal. "As rabbis, we're often in the teaching mode, but it is a pleasure to be in the student mode, to learn from each other.

"That's really special."

'Bring them home'

At about noon Sunday, many of the attending rabbis and other Israeli supporters marched from the Santa Fe Jewish Center — Chabad to the plaza to pray for the release of Israeli men and women being held hostage in the Israeli Hamas War.

Some people held signs with photos of people kidnapped while others chanted "Bring Them Home."

Thea McCollum, of Santa Fe, said she came with her 13- and 9-year-old children to support the release of hostages and the Jewish community.

Another event attendee was Senate Minority Whip Craig Brandt, R-Rio Rancho, who told rabbis during Sunday's brunch before the march that "I'm not Jewish, but I stand with Israel's right to exist."

Brandt later helped carry the Israeli flag to the plaza where he continued holding it as participants read the names of the 100-plus people who are being held hostage as part of the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza.

Along with reading the names, marchers read a few verses from the Book of Psalms and a prayer for captives.

"Our brothers and sisters, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress and captivity who wander over sea and over land — may God have mercy on them, and bring them from distress to comfort, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption, now swiftly, and soon," the prayer read.

'Gain inspiration from each other'

The march took place toward the end of the Western Regional Kinus Hashluchim at the Santa Fe Jewish Center where about 40 rabbis from 22 states came to "swap stories, swap insights and give each other some advice and support," said Mendel Levertov, son of Santa Fe Chabad Rabbi Berel Levertov.

Lifshitz said people came to not only share ideas, but to "gain inspiration from each other and study together, pray together ... (To) brainstorm about how to improve our communities by leadership and unity amongst our people, especially during these trying times of the Jewish people throughout the world," he said.

"We believe in the power of prayer," Lifshitz added. "We believe in the power of good deeds. We believe that each person should view the world as equally balanced, and how one good deed, one good prayer has the power to sway the world in a positive direction."