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“The answer to hate is:

The global Jewish community is reeling from this Kidnapping and murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogana Chabad emissary, in Dubai. The attack, widely condemned as an anti-Semitic act of terrorism, has heightened concerns about the safety of Jewish communities worldwide.

In an interview with Ynetnews, Daniel and Raizel Namdar, a husband-and-wife team of Chabad emissaries and social media influencers based in New York, shared their thoughts on the murder of Rabbi Kogan and the challenges of their mission to bring Jewish life to a global audience make.

Daniel and Raizel Namdar | “This Jewish family”

The Namdars view the attack on Rabbi Kogan as a grim reminder of the ongoing hatred against Jews. “They always try to portray attacks on Jews as a pretext for Zionism,” said Daniel, who is originally from Sweden. “I feel like this attack on Rabbi Kogan represents something much deeper. The fact that they attacked an emissary of the Rebbe, who in their eyes is a representation of the Jewish people, shows that they are only after the Jews, that they hate the Jewish people and what Judaism stands for.”

Rabbi Kogan, father and dedicated advocate of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s vision of Jewish outreach, was known for his work providing spiritual and practical support to the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates. His killing has heightened fears among Chabad emissaries, or shluchim, who often operate in regions with varying degrees of hostility toward Jews.

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Chabad emissaries Raizel and Daniel Namdar with their children Chabad emissaries Raizel and Daniel Namdar with their children

Chabad emissaries Raizel and Daniel Namdar with their children

(Photo: from Instagram)

The Namdars, who document their lives as a believing Jewish family on platforms like Instagram and YouTube emphasized the importance of responding to such tragedies with resilience and positivity. “The answer to hate is actually to be stronger in what they hate, and they hate us because we are Jews. “So we just have to be stronger Jews,” explained Raizel, who grew up in Australia.

“We are here to change the world by adding light. How can we detect the darkness? If the room is dark, just light a candle, turn on the lights, because that’s the way we need to respond – with positivity, with light.”

Their content, which began with Daniel’s weekly Torah portion videos, has evolved into a family-oriented channel aimed at breaking stereotypes about Jewish life. The couple believes their work goes a long way toward counteracting misunderstandings within and outside the Jewish community.

The Namdars’ efforts resonated with followers around the world, including non-Jews. “When we launched the channel as a family channel, we had a commentary that was really strong for us. Someone had said, ‘Until now I hated Jews, and now that I follow your family and see what Jewish life is.’ “I really can’t hate Jews anymore,” Raizel shared, “and that was very powerful for us because that’s what we’re here for. These are the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.”

However, they also face negative feedback, ranging from hate online to anti-Semitic harassment on site.

Recalling an incident in Vietnam, Raizel described being publicly insulted by a stranger while she was with her young children. The video of the confrontation went viral, reaching over half a billion views.

“It was very traumatic for my son. He’s only three years old,” she said, “so it’s definitely something that’s there and prevalent, and we can’t ignore it, and we have to be smart about it.” I think the answer is, don’t address anti-Semitism to let us approach. We have to do it and double down.

As anti-Semitism rises worldwide, Namdar supporters called on their Jewish co-religionists and Chabad emissaries to stand strong. “Perhaps they want to crush our souls and kill the spirits of the Jewish people and our bodies,” Daniel said. “But if they haven’t learned from the past, we always stand up, we always rise up.”

They added that the assassination of Rabbi Kogan and the war in Israel should serve as a wake-up call for Jewish communities to deepen their commitment to Torah values ​​and outreach. “We must carry on for the souls we have lost, including all the souls in Israel. That is our mission. That’s what we have to do. We must continue to live for them,” affirmed Daniel.

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