The Kinus Banquet is a mega Jewish event, the annual gathering of the Rebbe’s Shluchim for the Kinus (conference) from around the globe along with (at the Banquet event) many lay leaders and supporters for a gala event and celebration of Shlichus. The Banquet is the culmination of several days of Kinus conference workshops, sessions, farbrengens, meetings and informal get-togethers, a reunion of sorts for the Chabad family of Shluchim spread across the globe. It can be watched live online at chabad.org/Kinus and is very often well worth watching.
Since my father had his stroke and his Parkinsonisms strengthened, he’s been unable to travel down for the duration of the Kinus. Instead we had an annual tradition of driving down together (sometimes with another brother, too) just for the Banquet. It was a chance for my father to see and be seen, for friends to come over to his table, to wish him well. And he enjoyed the videos playing on screen, the stories retold, the guest speaker…
Remember, my father is from the early Shluchim, the pioneers. He’s in a early 1980’s Shluchim photo with maybe a couple dozen Shluchim, maybe even less. Today there are thousands in the photo, it’s hard to make out people’s faces. It was still a great marvel for him to see the explosive growth!
But given his mobility limitations we couldn’t get a table deep in the thick of it. We needed easier access to the restrooms and to an exit. A table on the edge of the crowd was best, as it allowed room for a walker or wheelchair (depending on the year). There’s quite the sophisticated choose-your-table seating system on the Kinus website, and tables keep getting added as the signup progresses, so I had to be sure we’re choosing an edge table that would stay on the edge. (Re: the image: It’s not the whole table-setup, and by the time I screen-shot this most of the tables filled and turned gray, so it’s not as cool. But L7 is that little purple dot over to the far right).
This year my father passed away. It’s the first year I’ll be going to the Banquet (sans the dancing, as a mourner) without him. Technically, I could choose any table this year. It could be one of the tables deep in the thick of it, in the middle of the hall or closer to the stage. But somehow, not sure why, I chose again a table on the edge, on the periphery. It’s where my father would sit if he’d be going again this year.
It’s a wonderful thing to come across alumni and parents who are now guests at the Kinus with their respective current Chabads. If you’re there, come say Hi – I’ll be at L7, until the dancing starts. May we merit to dance again very soon!