In late November 2024, the news of Rabbi Zvi Kogan’s murder by terrorists in the United Arab Emirates sent shockwaves around the world. A Chabad emissary, he was killed while serving his community far from home. Yet in the shock and grief that followed, something remarkable emerged. Few were surprised to learn that there was a Chabad presence in the UAE. The very fact that an Israeli-Moldovan chassidic Jew was serving other Jews in the Persian Gulf had become, somehow, expected. This speaks volumes about both the extraordinary reach of Chabad and the courage of its emissaries.
To understand the depth of Rabbi Kogan’s mission, we must look back to our forefather Abraham, of whom the prophet Micah declared: “Grant… kindness to Abraham” (Micah 7:20). This verse captures the essence of Abraham’s being – not just as someone who practiced kindness, but as someone who embodied it so completely that chesed (loving-kindness) became synonymous with his name.
Abraham’s tent stood as a beacon in the desert, open on all four sides to welcome travelers from every direction. His kindness knew no bounds – even while recovering from his circumcision at the age of ninety-nine, in the intense heat of the day, he sat watching for travelers he might help.
When he spotted three strangers in the distance, the Bible tells us that he ran to greet them, setting aside his own pain in his eagerness to serve others.
Abraham’s kindness was borne from pure love for humanity and deep sensitivity to human suffering. When the region of Sodom faced destruction, Abraham pleaded for the lives of its inhabitants, despite their wickedness. When travelers ceased passing through his area after Sodom’s destruction, he relocated his entire camp, unable to bear the thought of missing an opportunity to help others. His tent wasn’t merely a place for physical refreshment – it was a space where every person, regardless of their background or beliefs, could experience unconditional love and acceptance. Through this boundless love for both humanity and God, Abraham transformed each encounter into an opportunity to share divine truth and draw others closer to their Creator.
Rabbi Kogan embodied this same pure love of humanity, carrying Abraham’s legacy into our time. His house in the UAE was a home for any Jew who needed one, regardless of their background or level of observance. His concern for others, like Abraham’s, came from a place of genuine love and care for every human being.
Indeed, this is the true essence of Chabad’s mission worldwide. When young couples leave the comfort of Crown Heights, Brooklyn to establish new Chabad Houses in distant lands, they follow Abraham’s example of putting others before themselves. Their work isn’t merely about religious outreach – it’s about creating spaces of unconditional love and acceptance, where everyone can find warmth and connection.
Rabbi Kogan’s murder came in a time of darkness, in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks in Israel, when forces of hatred sought to extinguish Jewish life. Yet the response to his death demonstrated the unquenchable spirit he embodied. Instead of retreating in fear, numerous young Chabad couples stepped forward, declaring their intent to do more, to go farther, to reach even more Jews. Like Abraham, whose tent remained open on all sides despite the dangers of desert life, these couples understand that true kindness knows no bounds.
The future remains bright not because darkness doesn’t exist – Rabbi Kogan’s tragic death reminds us all too painfully that it does – but because there are those who, following in Abraham’s footsteps, understand that kindness is more than a religious duty. Though terrorists took Rabbi Kogan’s life, they could not extinguish the light he kindled. That light lives on in every act of kindness, in every hand extended to help another, in every heart that opens its doors to those in need. It lives in the Jewish students finding pride in their identity, in the countless volunteers serving their communities, in the ordinary people doing extraordinary acts of kindness, and in all those who respond to darkness by spreading more light. Just as Abraham’s tent remained open on all sides, today’s bearers of light – whether through organized movements or individual acts of compassion – continue to illuminate the world through their unconditional love for humanity.
Rabbi Kogan, like Abraham before him, showed us that true kindness flows from a heart full of love for all humanity. May his memory be a blessing, and may his example continue to inspire generations to bring light and love to every corner of the world.
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