“You are our future. We rely on you to spread Holocaust education and to stand up against anti-Semitism,” NYC Council member Chaim Deutsch told 1,500 teens.
Some 1,500 teens from 186 cities in 10 countries worldwide were in New York over the weekend for the annual Chabad Teen Network-CTeen Shabbaton.
After the Havdalah ceremony on Saturday night, which marks the conclusion of Shabbat and the beginning of a new week, the teens enjoyed a celebration of Jewish pride in Times Square, including music by popular Israeli singer Gad Elbaz, Chabad.org reported.
Chaim M. Deutsch, chair of the New York City Council Jewish Caucus, addressed the crowd, saying this year saw an 88-percent rise in hate crimes in the U.S. and telling them to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, as the number of survivors is dwindling.
