Study and prayer are important -- but when another person needs help, we must move beyond thinking and take action. Established in 1774, Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the world’s oldest charities and social service organizations --and we have used an engaged, hands-on approach since the beginning.

Chabad’s first crisis intervention efforts date to the late 1700s, when the movement’s founder, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, urged Jews in Europe to assist impoverished communities in the land of Israel; Rabbi Zalman sent desperately needed financial support to the Holy Land and encouraged many people to move there. In 1814, Chabad led the reconstruction of Jewish communities in White Russia that had been devastated by Napoleon’s war.

After relocating to the United States during World War II, Chabad was actively involved in rescuing Jews from Europe, and in 1945 established a relief office for refugees in Paris. Chabad also initiated efforts to improve the welfare of Jewish farmers in rural America. When Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson assumed leadership of the movement in 1950, he greatly expanded Chabad’s community activism and social services. The Rebbe dispatched emissaries across the country and around the globe to serve as resources to educate, comfort, and uplift others.

Today, with more 2,700 international centers, the organization offers a broad array of social services to communities worldwide. In the United States, Chabad runs the largest network of nonsectarian social services under Jewish auspices on the West Coast. Countless people of all faiths have benefited from Chabad’s vital programs, which include counseling services, a hospital and prison chaplaincy, assistance for the homeless, free holiday meals, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, and more.

Another resource that is increasingly popular is the Chabad-sponsored website,  www.AskMoses.com, which uses modern technology to offer advice and information rooted in traditional values. The site provides visitors with live, one-on-one counseling and spiritual guidance from Rabbis and scholars who are available 24 hours a day, 6 days a week.

All of Chabad’s emissaries undergo thorough training in counseling and crisis intervention. Each of them strives to keep an open heart and open home for those in need, and they are always available to offer help during hard times. Chabad’s representatives carry on the Rebbe’s belief in the incredible power of each mitzvah, or good deed.

To learn more about Chabad’s services -- or to request immediate assistance -- please call Rabbi Jonathan Tuller, Director of Chabad’s Crisis Intervention Center, at (310) 598-3202.