Shliach, Mentor, Friend: ‘A Thought for the Week’ is Back

At the 25th Yartzeit of Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan obm, Shliach and gifted communicator who produced "A Thought for the Week," the first English-language publication of the Rebbe’s teachings, his writings are being republished.

07 May 2026, 00:14 by COLlive Editor · COLlive

Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan obm was one of the most gifted communicators to emerge from the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in the last generation—a man whose words carried genuine warmth, clarity, and depth, and whose life was devoted to bringing the teachings of the Rebbe to Jews of every background.

As we mark the 25th yartzeit of Rabbi Kagan on 27 Iyar, his presence—and perhaps even more so, his voice—continues to resonate in a powerful way.

In 1965, Rabbi Kagan and his wife were sent on Shlichus to Detroit, Michigan, where he would spend the rest of his life building, teaching, and inspiring. From the outset, he was deeply involved in outreach—working with college students, teaching in Lubavitch schools, and engaging Jews across the spectrum with a rare combination of intellect and heart.

But it was in his role as a communicator that Rabbi Kagan truly became a household name.

A Thought for the Week

In 1967, Rabbi Berel Shemtov, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Michigan, enlisted the late Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan to translate and convey the Rebbe’s teachings into English. This would be a daunting challenge for most, since at the time, the Rebbe’s talks, which he communicated in Yiddish & Hebrew, were inaccessible to most American Jews. With none of the Rebbe’s talks available in English, Rabbi Kagan would have little precedent to follow. Fortunately, he was up to the task. Rabbi Kagan proved to be a master at distilling the Rebbe’s sichos —including some deep mystical concepts— for a lay readership.

Thus, A Thought for the Week, then the only English-language literature of the Rebbe’s teachings, was launched! It was a groundbreaking achievement that began with syndication in Jewish newspapers, and was broadcast on various radio and TV stations, during which Rabbi Kagan would read the weekly thought.

A Thought for the Week was also printed as a pamphlet, making its way by direct mail into the hands of hundreds, and by the following year into 2,000 homes across the state. The project soon took off in other locations, and Chabad Houses in Los Angeles, Miami and New Jersey followed suit. By early 1969, almost 50,000 homes nationwide were receiving A Thought for the Week!

Demand for A Thought for the Week grew, and by the time the Rebbe celebrated his 70th birthday in 1972, the essays were being translated into Arabic, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, and Braille.

Reflecting on the title “A Thought for the Week,” the Rebbe said to Rabbi Kagan: “May it be G-d’s will that this come forth from thought to speech, and from speech to action.”
Indeed, A Thought for the Week inspired real-life transformations among some of its readers.

These outcomes reflected the success of the project in meeting the Rebbe’s objective that it have a practical effect. As the Rebbe wrote to one grateful reader:

“I was pleased to read in the rest of your letter about your being greatly impressed by A Thought For the Week. I trust that, on the basis of the teaching of our Sages that the essential thing is the deed, your good impressions will be translated into actual deeds, that is to say, will be reflected in your own daily life as well as in efforts to spread and strengthen the teachings and practices of our Torah.”

Today, that legacy has been given new life!

Through the able work of Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, A Thought for the Week has been reproduced and re-released in one complete volume, allowing a new generation to access Rabbi Kagan’s masterful adaptations of the Rebbe’s teachings. The volume is available through Kehot Publication Society at Kehot.com and in major Jewish bookstores worldwide.

A Voice Beyond the Page

Rabbi Kagan was not only a writer—he was an orator of the highest caliber. He taught Chassidic philosophy at universities throughout Michigan and was a sought-after speaker, giving motivational lectures on a variety of Jewish topics. He was invited to speak for Jewish communities across the globe at locations such as South Africa, Canada, Alaska, Florida and more! His clarity and sincerity left a lasting impression on all who attended his lectures and farbrengens.

For several years, he hosted a weekly radio program, further extending his reach beyond brick and mortar and into the broader community.

In many ways, he became the face—and voice—of Chabad-Lubavitch in Michigan. As Associate Director of the Lubavitch Foundation, he served as its chief public relations figure, building bridges across communities and forming relationships with people from every walk of life.

He played a key role in envisioning and developing one of the most ambitious Lubavitch projects in the region—the Campus of Living Judaism in West Bloomfield, a 40-acre center dedicated to Jewish life, education, and growth.

A Life That Touched All

What set Rabbi Kagan apart was not only what he said—but how he connected.

He had a natural ability to speak to each person where they were. Torah scholar and beginner, Chossid and unaffiliated, Bochur and Senior Rabbi, each felt Rabbi Kagan’s deep care and attention when he was speaking to them. Shluchim and Anash now, who were Bochurim in the 1990’s, recount the moving farbrengens led by Rabbi Kagan, as he would inspire them with his genuine Ahavas Hashem and love for the Rebbe. He would weave Maamarim, stories of our Rebbeim, humor, and tears of longing for the Rebbe, all into one unforgettable farbrengen.

He cultivated friendships and admiration across the entire greater Detroit Jewish community and beyond, becoming a most beloved and recognizable rabbinic figure. Many would approach him for advice across a wide spectrum, and they knew that no matter what, a focused and present listening ear would be provided, even if Rabbi Kagan had not personally experienced what they were discussing with him.

A Sudden Loss

In the late spring of 2001, tragedy struck.

On May 13, after being the guest speaker at an uplifting Shabbaton at the Rebbe’s Ohel for visiting Chabad House members from Montreal, Rabbi Kagan was tragically killed in a car accident while on his way home.

He was just 59 years old.

The news sent shockwaves through Detroit and the broader Lubavitch world. A voice that had uplifted so many was suddenly silenced. And yet, in a very real sense, Rabbi Kagan’s voice was never lost.

Through A Thought for the Week, his words continue to be read, shared, and studied. Through his translations, his teachings, and the countless individuals that he inspired, his impact and his Shlichus lives on.

He showed what it means to communicate Torah—not just to explain it, but to live it and make it felt. In a generation searching for clarity, Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan gave people meaning.
In a world often fragmented, he gave people connection.

And through it all, he remained a devoted Shliach—faithful to his mission, and to the Rebbe whose teachings he so beautifully transmitted to others.

Shliach, Mentor, Friend: ‘A Thought for the Week’ is Back

At the 25th Yartzeit of Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan obm, Shliach and gifted communicator who produced "A Thought for the Week," the first English-language publication of the Rebbe’s teachings, his writings are being republished.

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