Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter to Deliver Kinus Banquet Keynote
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, whose son was killed in Gaza and another son was critically wounded in a terrorist attack, will deliver the keynote at the International Kinus Hashluchim banquet.
by COLlive Reporter · COLliveBy COLlive reporter
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, will deliver the keynote address at the gala banquet of the International Kinus Hashluchim convention this Sunday, November 8, organizers announced.
Leiter, a longtime admirer of the Rebbe and supporter of Chabad’s worldwide activities, will address thousands of Shluchim and guests at the annual gathering at the New Jersey Conference and Expo Center in Edison, New Jersey.
His appearance comes after his family suffered two tragedies connected to the ongoing conflict in Israel.
On November 10, 2023, his son, Major (Res.) Moshe Yedidya Leiter, 39, was killed in combat in northern Gaza while serving as a company commander in the IDF’s 551st Brigade. A veteran of the elite Shaldag unit who was pursuing a career in medicine, Moshe left behind a wife and six children.
Nearly three years later, on September 23, 2026, another son, Neria Leiter, 38, was critically wounded in a Palestinian terror car-ramming attack at a security checkpoint along Route 443, near Beit Horon.
Neria, an IDF reservist who continued serving hundreds of days after his brother’s death, suffered severe head injuries and underwent emergency brain surgery at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
In an October 7 update, the ambassador reported that Neria had begun breathing independently but remained unconscious and in very serious condition. The family has asked the public to daven for Neria Dov ben Chana for a complete refuah shleima.
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Ambassador Leiter made aliyah in 1978 and has held several senior positions in Israeli public service, including chief of staff to Benjamin Netanyahu during his tenure as finance minister. He was appointed Israel’s ambassador to Washington in 2024.
During his tenure, he worked on negotiating a peace deal between Israel and Lebanon, and has visited and spoken at many centers, including Colel Chabad, American Friends of Lubavitch, Chabad of Montana, and Chabad of Sherman Oaks, California.
VIDEO: Ambassador Yechiel Leiter at the Colel Chabad 2025 gala in Florida
In announcing his participation, Kinus organizers described Leiter as “an eloquent voice for the work of Shluchim around the world,” noting his appreciation for their efforts to strengthen Jewish life, encourage Jewish pride and reach Jews in communities across the globe.
“His words carry the weight of his family’s mesirus nefesh and the conviction of the Rebbe’s call to add in goodness and kindness to bring the Geulah,” organizers said.
They added that his address will offer “a message of personal depth, speaking to the global Jewish community and to the purpose that lies at the core of our Shlichus.”
The banquet is the central event of the annual Kinus Hashluchim, which brings thousands of Chabad Shluchim from around the world to New York for several days of workshops, meetings and gatherings focused on their work in Jewish communities worldwide.
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