They are everywhere. In Siberia and Congo. In Alaska and Florida. In Israel and Europe. In Moscow and New York. Everywhere.

Their programs are conducted in schools and on the streets, in synagogues and in homes, in offices and in prisons, in cyberspace and one-on-one – formally and informally.

They are connected yet independent. They are traditional in their personal lives, yet liberal in their outreach. No one is excluded from their embrace.

What’s behind these Lubavitcher Chasidim, and what motivates them?

TheThey are connected, yet independent Rebbe. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory.

Even now, more than a decade after his passing on the third of Tamuz, 5754 (June 12, 1994), hundreds of young couples, stirred by his vision and passion, feel privileged to uproot themselves from home and hearth to take up permanent posts as the Rebbe’s emissaries – far from family, community, spiritual roots, comfort and amenities.

In greater numbers than ever, Jews everywhere continue to be inspired by the Rebbe’s teachings and guidance.

An endless stream of people – Chasidim and non-Chasidim, men and women, boys and girls, people from all walks of life – flock to his resting place from all corners of the world.

Some come seeking a blessing, others arrive asking for intercession on High on their behalf, still others visit to share a joyous occasion – the birth of a child, a Bar Mitzvah, a wedding.

What is it about the Rebbe that exudes so much love? What is it about the Rebbe that makes him so present even now – binding so many to him so deeply?

The following is an attempt to express personal appreciation of the Rebbe by exploring some of the manner in which he expressed himself in his discourses, correspondence, personal conduct, and modus operandi.

This essay does not and cannot adequately render the Rebbe’s personality and conduct. Nor is it capable of touching upon the Rebbe’s immense scholarship. It is instead a humble endeavor to capture some sense of what the Rebbe means to so many – and his uniqueness and contribution to world Jewry. It is an effort to record and share a little bit of the Rebbe’s consuming passion in the service of G‑d, his love, his study of Torah, and his vision of a world perfected.