Chabad Lubavitch of Laos
Chabad-Lubavitch in Laos: a Chabad House for Israeli post-army travellers in Luang Prabang, opened in 2016–17 as Chabad's 92nd country
| Chabad Lubavitch of Laos
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Chabad-Lubavitch emissary operation |
| Founded | 2016 (Luang Prabang, late 2016); earlier posting 2006–08 |
| Founder(s) | Sholom Glitzenstein; Tamar Glitzenstein |
| Headquarters | Chabad of Luang Prabang, Ban Visoun, Oupparath Xiengkong Road, Luang Prabang |
| Area served | Laos |
| Key people | Moshe Zeev Belinow; Chaya Mushka Belinow (from 2026) |
| Remarks | Affiliations: Chabad Lubavitch of Thailand. |
Chabad-Lubavitch in Laos is a Chabad-Lubavitch house in Luang Prabang, "300 kilometers north of the country's capital, Vientiane", which serves mainly Israeli post-army travellers.[1] Rabbi Sholom Glitzenstein and Tamar Glitzenstein arrived shortly before Hanukkah 2016. In May 2017 Chabad called Laos "the 92nd country to have a permanent Chabad presence".[1][2] In January 2026 Chabad.org announced Rabbi Moshe Zeev Belinow and Chaya Mushka Belinow as "the newest Chabad emissaries to Luang Prabang".[3]
Emissaries and centre
- Earlier posting. A couple, Rabbi Shalom Ber Marzel and Tehila Marzel, "had been stationed there between 2006 and 2008". Roving rabbinical students had visited for decades before that.[1]
- Glitzensteins, 2016–. The couple ran a two-storey villa near the night market and the guesthouses used by Israelis. It had a dining room, synagogue, lounges and a kosher restaurant. Friday-night meals drew up to 50 young Israelis.[1] Sholom Glitzenstein had interned at the Bangkok Chabad House. His wife's uncle is Nechemya Wilhelm, who heads Chabad's tourist work in Thailand.[1] Lubavitch.com now lists a Sholom Dovber Glitzenstein and Tamar Temerl Glitzenstein at Chabad of Phuket.[4]
- Editor's note: that the Laos and Phuket Glitzensteins are the same couple is inferred from the matching names and has not been confirmed by a source.
- Current listing. Lubavitch.com lists Chabad of Luang Prabang at Ban Visoun, Oupparath Xiengkong Road, with no named emissaries and a link to Chabad of Thailand's Laos page.[5]
- Belinows, 2026. Moshe Zeev Belinow and Chaya Mushka Belinow were announced in January 2026.[3]
Relations with the community
The minyan described by Chabad.org in 2017 was made up of the rabbi, a British expatriate and Israeli backpackers. Chabad.org described the backpackers' "extended post-military tours" as "de rigueur in recent decades".[1]
Relations with the state, business and Israel
- Editor's note: no sourced information was found on dealings with the Lao state or with Israeli diplomats.
Funding
In 2017 the Glitzensteins said they relied on their colleagues in Thailand for financial backing and other support, including help from Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Ashkenazi with kosher supplies and paperwork.[1] (Chabad-side.)
Controversies
None found in the sources consulted.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2006–08 | Shalom Ber Marzel and Tehila Marzel stationed in Laos |
| Dec 2016 | Sholom Glitzenstein and Tamar Glitzenstein arrive in Luang Prabang |
| May 2017 | Chabad counts Laos as its 92nd country |
| Jan 2026 | Moshe Zeev Belinow and Chaya Mushka Belinow announced as new emissaries |
See also
- Hummus Trail
- Jewish, Zionist and Israeli connections to Laos
- Chabad Lubavitch of Thailand
- Chabad Lubavitch of Cambodia
- Chabad Lubavitch of Vietnam
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Menachem Posner, "Laos the Latest Far-Flung Country Chabad Calls Home", Chabad.org, 28 May 2017. Chabad-side.
- ↑ "Chabad opens in Laos, its 92nd country", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 30 May 2017. Press.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "New Chabad Center in the Land of a Million Elephants", Chabad.org, 28 January 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ Lubavitch.com centres directory, Phuket, Thailand, accessed October 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ Lubavitch.com centres directory, Luang Prabang, Laos, accessed October 2026. Chabad-side.