The Chabad movement on Tuesday issued this statement:
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch–the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement–and Director of the annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries, after a valiant three-year battle with an illness. Rabbi Kotlarsky was only four days shy of his 75th birthday.
Dedicated to the vision of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, Rabbi Kotlarsky tirelessly traveled the globe to expand the Chabad-Lubavitch institutional network worldwide, and to provide support to its emissaries.
His work played an instrumental role in expanding Chabad’s work for the Jewish people worldwide.
Rabbi Kotlarsky’s passing is a profound loss for the Chabad-Lubavitch community and the entire Jewish world.
Rabbi Kotlarsky, who was born in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in 1949, joined Merkos, the Chabad outreach division, shortly after he got married, when the movement was experiencing explosive growth in the number of Chabad emissaries worldwide. Starting in 1968, he traveled to remote Jewish communities, assessing their needs and collaborating with local leaders to plan future Chabad centers. Combining organizational abilities and fundraising skills, he became a vital link between field operatives and Chabad headquarters.
As Vice Chairman of the expansive network overseeing more than 5,000 institutions across 100 countries, Rabbi Kotlarsky presided over the massive annual Kinus Hashluchim conference in New York City for Chabad emissaries. He directed this event where more than 5,000 emissaries and families participated in workshops, social activities, a communal Shabbat, and a banquet. Kotlarsky also served as a top Chabad spokesperson, overseeing religious and educational institutions globally.
He cultivated relationships with major philanthropists worldwide who funded Chabad’s growth, including the late Sami Rohr and his son George, whose investments significantly supported Chabad’s expansion on campuses and in Eastern Europe. Rabbi Kotlarsky’s office administered the Bogolubov Simcha Fund, disbursing grants for family expenses to Chabad representatives internationally. He also facilitated individual grants for emissaries and community projects by connecting them with philanthropic contacts.
