Lectures

There is an abundance to learn from the Rebbe’s example, even in the everyday seemingly small things, in the details of both his sensitivity to others to his devotion to Torah and truth, which remain inspiring, vibrant and relevant as ever.

Leah Namdar relates her personal journey from her first recollections of meeting the Rebbe to becoming the Chabad emissary of Sweden to her court case fighting to educate her children with the belief of G-d. Her underlying message is that nobody is too small or incapable to add new light and bring G-dliness into our world.

Following the Rebbe’s severe heart attack in 1977, Dr. Ira Weiss was entrusted to treat the Rebbe, which led to a special personal relationship for many years. (Recorded at a tribute for the Rebbe’s 20th yahrtzeit at the Eastside Torah Center in Bellevue, Washington)

Israel is routinely accused of genocide, war crimes, illegal occupation and more. Do you know how to respond to all the lies? This powerful presentation will empower you with the facts to defend Israel from the rising tide of anti-Semitism and the hate-filled accusations, because silence is no longer an option.

At the tender age of ten, Rabbi Nissen Mangel miraculously evaded the notorious ‘selection’ and the gas chambers to become Auschwitz’s youngest inmate. Marking his bar-mitzvah by wearing tefillin, he miraculously survived the infamous Death March and went on to live a life of communal devotion and extraordinary scholarly achievement.

Our strength as a people has always lied in our unity, but what is the key to transcending our differences? Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet explores the danger of religious prejudice and judgmental tendencies, and the fundamental imperative to foster loving respect for all. (From a talk celebrating the 19th of Kislev at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue.)

Education expert Shimon Waronker presents professional parenting techniques to raise your children to be responsible and sensitive with proper self-awareness.

There are two differing schools of thought in Judaism known as Musar and Chassidus. In this class Rabbi Schapiro contrasts the two approaches in these spiritual disciplines.

Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat, heroically issued thousands of visas to trapped European Jews, enabling thousands to escape the horrors of the Holocaust. Rabbi Levi Wolf shares his family experience in memorializing and celebrating this giant of moral kindness. (Video courtesy of Eli Rabinowitz)

Rashi Minkowicz, a dynamic young woman and mother of eight kids, was the co-director of the Chabad center in Alpharetta, Georgia when she unexpected passed away in 2014, yet she continues to inspire countless lives. Her aunt Shaindy Jacobson warmly reflects on Rashi’s enduring impact.

After thousands of years of male dominance, the time has come for the feminine era to emerge when feminine energy is appreciated.

The mission of the "Neshek" (acronym for Neirot Shabbat Kodesh) campaign is to encourage every Jewish women to light Shabbat candles. How did this campaign begin and how has it evolved over the years?

A hilarious and depth-filled talk on the true meaning of marriage and relationships according to the Torah and Kabbalah.

Mark Halawa was born into a secular Muslim family in Kuwait. Although his father was a non-observant Muslim, he was rabidly anti-Israel. But Mark had heard vague jarring family rumors, which proved to be true… Mordechai Halawa shares his remarkable story of personal discovery.

Rabbi Nissen Mangel addresses 700 students at Colorado State University sharing his first-hand experiences in the Nazi death camps and a message of strong Jewish pride.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the British Empire, shares his experiences and vision pertaining to this important issue. (This talk is from the gala dinner of Chabad of Greenwich, Connecticut).

Radically transform the way you look at yourself and the world around you. Join Rabbi Shais Taub as he presents a Jewish mystical six-step program toward discovering self and purpose, and managing challenges and addictions. (Recorded at Chabad Intown in Atlanta, GA)

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein shares heartfelt thoughts on how to approach and channel suffering and pain in a positive way. This talk was recorded on a day of learning on Tisha B’av, when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple.

We are all familiar with the themes of regret, repentance and confession associated with this time of year, yet there’s a more integral element we must first embrace if we want these days to truly be meaningful. (Filmed at Aventura Chabad in Miami, Florida in 2015)

A Jew must live boldly. We can either continue seeking acceptance from others, or begin accepting ourselves. To accept oneself is to live boldly. This boldness should not be with anger or with arrogance, but simply standing firmly in the place G-d has set out for us.

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, addresses college students at Lubavitch House at University of Pennsylvania on the need to actively defend Israel against all the lies and attacks.

Can we reconcile the Torah’s narrative of creative with the prevailing scientific view on the age of the universe?

Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet presents, at a 19 Kislev gathering in Chicago, how to tap into the tremendous power this day affords us to overcome our challenges, both from within and without, especially in a year of Hakhel and unity.

In his unique style of weaving storytelling and philosophical insight, Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie presents six big transformational ideas from the Rebbe that revolutionized the Jewish world and propelled a fledgling group of chassidim to blossom into the most influential movement in modern Judaism. (Filmed at Chabad of Flamingo in Toronto, Canada)

“Children’s children are the crown of a man.” As someone who has lived, loved and learned, what is our obligation to our family and to ourselves?

Meet Tuky Treitel (originally Gestetner), a well-respected member of the Montreal Jewish community who narrowly survived the Holocaust as a hidden child. She went on to raise a beautiful family (including dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren) despite the horrible memories, trauma, and distress she experienced during the formative days of her childhood. Her daughter, Shterni Rosenfeld, has just written a children's book about that dark and perilous time, allowing today's children to virtually walk along with a six-year-old girl, her little brother, and their cousin, as they left a happy Jewish home and comfortable life to hide from the Nazis to save their lives.

There’s a glaring void in Holocaust education and scholarship of the values, perspectives and responses of faith-driven Jewish communities. Rabbi Sholom Friedmann shares insight on the incredible phenomenon of believing Jews finding meaning in a meaningless reality of genocide that was perpetrated upon all Jews.

Join the community of Chabad of the Valley in marking the sheloshim (conclusion of the thirty-day mourning period) for our dear Rabbi Yehoshua B. Gordon, who inspired thousands from around the globe with his online Torah classes.

A veteran chaplain to Jews behind bars shares his experiences, inspiration and advice culled from decades of working with people on the margins of society.

In July 1976, Israel successfully executed the bold Entebbe rescue mission, codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt,” flying thousands of miles over enemy territory to rescue Jewish hostages being held by terrorists in Uganda. Join IDF Commander Sassy Reuven for a first-hand account of how the miraculous operation unfolded.

Discover what every parent should know about children and technology in the age of digital citizenship. Join Dr. Eli Shapiro for a fascinating presentation on how to deal with this rapidly evolving challenge and responsibility facing parents today.

This presentation provides a counter-intuitive approach and techniques for how to effectively praise children to increase their confidence in their own abilities.

Sara Karmely shares her personal journey and how the Rebbe became a central guiding figure in all areas of her life.

Mrs. Devorah Alevsky relates short stories from the lives of her children, to reflect the kind of work done by Shluchim who are spread throughout the world.

To be happy and fulfilled, our natural needs must be met. In this talk Rabbi Mendel Kaplan addresses our natural side on why a meaningful relationship with G-d is so necessary. (This pre-Rosh Hashanah lecture was recorded at the Chabad Romano Centre in Toronto, Canada)

Do the laws of war and international criminal justice adequately address unusual cases such as terrorists, piracy or rogue states? What is the legal basis for targeted assassination? A contrast between contemporary, secular legal thought and the Torah's judicial system.

On 20th January 2017, one of the great rituals of modern politics will take place: the inaugural address of a new President of the United States of America. In this short study, the question I want to ask is: Do we really fully understand the significance and history of this particular institution, and what it represents in a broader sense?

Must we accept belief in G-d blindly? What role does faith play in a modern day world? Discover how to bring the G-dly back into a G-dless society and communicate faith in the face of adversity.

The single greatest challenge to faith is when experiencing tragedy or loss. Can we make sense of the bad things that happen in our world, and how should we deal with these challenges? What is the Jewish approach when faced with grief and suffering? Must we defend G-d, challenge G-d, or simply accept?

Join Chabad of the Valley, family and friends from around the world in marking the first yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of Rabbi Yehoshua B. Gordon of blessed memory.

The field of medical ethics is a subject of great intrigue, particularly in light of new technologies, which present unprecedented ethical questions. Explore Torah true principles that help guide us in navigating these delicate issues.

An up-close look at the newly published book “Early Years”, which explores the formative years of the Lubavitcher Rebbe as told by documents and archival data. Rabbi Dr. Jacob Schacter will lead a discussion with co-authors Rabbis Boruch Oberlander and Elkanah Shmotkin at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York.

Documents show that the arrest of Chabad's founder in 1798 was part of a broad investigation that threatened to put the spread of the fledgling Chassidic movement to an end. The miracle of his redemption is the everlasting miracle of Chassidism itself, which endows finite reality with the infinitude of G-d.

Reflecting on her life work as an educator on campus, on cutting edge technology, and on the central image of the educator in Chabad's theological teachings, a veteran shluchah gets to the heart of how our own lives transform the lives of others.