The Lamplighter

What is a lamplighter?

Rabbi Akiva taught that “to love your fellow as yourself” is the cardinal principle of Torah. Each one of us must fundamentally and wholeheartedly care for and help our fellow Jew.

In our generation, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, citing the adage that “an emissary is like the person who sends him,” inspired thousands of couples — rabbis and rebbetzins, shluchim and shluchos — to blanket the globe in order to build and support Jewish communities across the world. What does such a mission entail?

Here’s the inside story and behind-the-scenes look at the sacrifice, selflessness, and motivation to help a Jew even in the remotest of places. These stories are both the true experiences of one rebbetzin and are emblematic of the day-to-day lives of shluchim everywhere.

“In this charming collection of stories and memories, Esther Feinstein gives a rich and honest account of Chabad outreach life from the inside. This book is bound to re-enchant you with faith and admiration!”

Rabbi Chaim Miller, author of the Gutnick Chumash and Practical Tanya (Slager edition)

Esther Feinstein, along with her husband and children, lives in the Midwest and serves as an emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. As one of five thousand couples who aim to transform the world by bringing every individual closer to their Creator, she co-directs a Chabad House—teaching and lecturing, counseling and advising, celebrating and sharing—shaping the community into one, extended family.