Jewish teenagers from more than 60 countries filled Nassau Coliseum on Sunday, waving flags, singing and cheering as they marked the close of the 18th annual CTeen International Summit in what organizers called the largest gathering of Jewish teens in the world.
The event, held Feb. 22 at the arena on Hempstead Turnpike, was the first time the summit’s closing ceremony took place in a major sports stadium. Organizers said the move to the Nassau Coliseum reflected both the growth of the organization and a desire to send a public message of Jewish pride and resilience at a time of rising antisemitism in schools and online.
“This is not just a New York City story. This is a Long Island story,” said Rabbi Yaakov Wilansky, leadership director of the international CTeen movement, which is affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. “We have leaders literally from all over the world — from Panama, Australia, everywhere — and we’re so lucky to host them here on Long Island.”
CTeen, founded 18 years ago as the teen division of the Chabad movement, now operates 900 chapters in more than 60 countries, launching a new chapter roughly every other week, organizers said. While about 4,500 teens traveled to New York City for the full weekend of workshops and programming, the closing ceremony drew an estimated 8,000 participants, including local teens and supporters.
Seven active CTeen chapters on Long Island helped host the gathering, placing local teens at the center of the international event.
“There is a snowstorm currently happening right now, but that didn’t stop us,” Wilansky said, noting that organizers moved the start time up by 30 minutes to accommodate travel concerns. “Look around the stadium — it’s full of teens and chaperones from all over the world.”
Throughout the weekend, participants attended leadership sessions and workshops focused on combating antisemitism in schools and on social media, mental health and resilience, preparing for Jewish life on college campuses, and strengthening personal identity and pride. The summit began with events across New York City, including a Saturday night program in Times Square, before culminating Sunday in Uniondale.
Sunday’s program featured speeches from teen leaders representing more than 60 countries, musical performances, and appearances by public figures and activists. Among the featured speakers were four former Hamas hostages who shared stories of captivity and resilience. One of them, organizers said, had been prayed for by teens at a previous summit and returned this year to address the crowd in person.
A delegation from Bondi Beach, Australia, also drew sustained applause. The group was led by Priva Schlanger, whose father, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was killed in the Chanukah attack at Bondi Beach. Leibel Lazaroff, who was shot in the same attack while trying to save others, also attended. Organizers said the teens’ decision to travel to New York was intended as a statement of unity and perseverance.
The ceremony included a concert by Jewish recording artist Nissim Black and remarks from business leaders, activists and influencers, including billionaire investor Igor Tulchinsky.
Source: LI Press
