Sitting on the airplane at Newark Airport, Rabbi Sholom Cohen, director of CTeen of Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, felt relieved. Despite an earlier cancellation and extreme weather conditions, he had managed to secure seats for himself and his group of 11 teens on a flight home. They had spent the weekend at the annual CTeen Shabbaton in Brooklyn, N.Y., and it had been an uplifting experience; but their journey home had been thrown in jeopardy, until now.
Held each year in New York, the CTeen (Chabad Teen Network) Shabbaton is the largest gathering of Jewish teens in the world, bringing together more than 4,500 participants from 60-plus countries. From Thursday through Sunday, the teens are immersed in a packed program that blends fun with deeply meaningful experiences: a visit to the historic synagogue at Lubavitch World Headquarters; heartfelt prayer at the Ohel—the resting place of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory—and an opportunity to experience an authentic, vibrant Shabbat embraced by the Crown Heights community.
One of the highlights of the weekend is the Havdalah ceremony and concert held in Times Square after the conclusion of Shabbat. For one unforgettable evening, the “Crossroads of the World” transforms into a powerful epicenter of Jewish pride, as towering digital billboards light up with Jewish themes and CTeen activities from around the globe. The following day concludes with a closing event, after which, in previous years, groups would depart directly from New York to return home, carrying with them memories for a lifetime and a renewed sense of Jewish identity.
This year, however, those carefully designed plans were upended at a moment’s notice. A powerful snowstorm and nor’easter blanketed the tri-state area with up to two feet of snow, grounding thousands of flights and prompting travel restrictions across New York City and other areas.
Roughly a third of the participating teen groups found themselves stranded in New York, forced to wait for airports to reopen. Rabbi Cohen’s group was among those caught in the disruption. Their original flight was canceled, though they managed to secure seats on a later one. They made it to the airport and even boarded the plane.
In the tense minutes before departure, they were in touch with an emissary from Hungary who was on a flight with her group, just ahead of them. Then, her messages stopped, an indication that her plane had taken off. Relief seemed close.
But it didn’t last. The Manchester-bound flight was delayed for de-icing, and by the time that process was completed, the pilots were no longer permitted to undertake the lengthy journey. The flight would have exceeded their legally allowed flying hours, forcing yet another cancellation.
At that point, even chartering a bus back to Crown Heights was impossible. Roads had been closed to all but emergency vehicles and snowplows.
But the group was not left to fend for themselves.
The Chabad community in Hillside, N.J., near Newark Liberty International Airport, heard about the situation and immediately reached out to Rabbi Cohen to offer help. The rabbi and teens were warmly welcomed into their homes, where they were soon joined by other CTeen groups who had also been stranded in Newark.
Meanwhile, back in Crown Heights, CTeen Headquarters and the rabbis accompanying each delegation were working around the clock to care for the many other groups whose flights had been canceled, whether they had already returned to Crown Heights or hadn’t left in the first place. Although the official program had ended hours earlier, CTeen mobilized quickly, arranging a full hot supper for hundreds of teens. Within a short time, a local yeshivah’s dining room was filled with CTeens warming up, eating together and feeling very much at home.
Parents across the globe had been waiting anxiously for their children’s return. Now, they watched the unfolding events from afar, impressed by the resourcefulness of CTeen and the dedication of the rabbis caring for their children.
Messages of gratitude quickly poured in. “Thank you so, so much for all the effort, love, and care you’ve given them, and us. We really appreciate it. You are amazing,” read one message sent to Rabbi Cohen. Another parent wrote, “We truly appreciate everything you’re doing. The kids are taking it as an adventure.”
As the storm’s impact became clearer, it was evident that new plans and programming would be needed for the hundreds of teens who remained stranded, some for several days and others with no clear sense of when they would be able to return home.
Some groups managed to find alternative ways to head home. Among them was teen Nava Emanuel of CTeen Skokie, Illinois. Though she and the group had been set to fly home, they soon found themselves instead on an overnight road trip back to the Midwest with 50 teens from six cities across three states. “We were all really worried about spending so long cooped up on a bus with 50 people,” she said. "But it’s actually been fun. Some of us got to study Torah with the rabbi, we all said Shema together, and we got to spend more time with each other and meet teens from other chapters.”
For those waiting for their flights, other solutions were found. CTeen headquarters worked with Chabad rabbis, Crown Heights vendors and generous community members to create an extended program featuring workshops, activities, meals and lodging. Crown Heights schools, operating at limited capacity due to the snow day, opened their facilities to the teens, welcoming them for sports, swimming and other activities. A local yeshivah offered an impromptu “day in yeshivah” experience. A singer who had performed at the Times Square Havdalah and concert returned for another performance, while the group staying in Hillside crowded into a local musician’s home studio for a jam session.
“The teens’ positive spirit is truly inspiring,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, chairman of CTeen International. “Despite last-minute cancellations and constant changes, their energy remains high. They genuinely embody the Rebbe’s belief in the idealism of youth and their ability to change the world. It’s a powerful reminder that the Jewish future is bright.”
Among the delayed groups was a delegation from Sydney, Australia, whose teens had traveled nearly a full day just to reach the Shabbaton. As of Monday, they still had no confirmation of when the next flight to Australia would depart. Leaving later in the week would pose complications with Shabbat, while departing only after Shabbat would mean missing Purim altogether due to the international date line. Unless they were able to leave by Wednesday, the group faced the prospect of remaining in New York for more than another week. Still, while they were there, they intended to make the most of it.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty about when we’ll make it back home,” said Rabbi Mendy Schapiro of Chabad North Shore, who led the group. “But CTeen has been incredible, providing meals, creating programs and really making the best of the situation. And the teens have been amazing sports throughout it all.”
“It’s pretty awesome being stuck here in New York,” added a jovial Aiden Bethlehem, a member of the North Shore delegation. “For some of us Australians, it’s our first time ever seeing snow.”
In fact, they were so excited by the snow that the teens, together with other CTeen groups, volunteered to shovel street corners and sidewalks, and even dig out cars. A tedious chore for native New Yorkers, it was an unexpected delight for the teens, who embraced the teamwork and the novelty of it all.
“Ultimately, as the Rebbe always taught, a Jew is never truly ‘stuck,’” said Rabbi Schapiro. “G‑d places you somewhere for a reason, and that’s the motto we’re living by. As of now, we have a flight scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. We don’t know if it will actually take off, but until then, we’re going to make the most of every moment.”
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