Shortly after his marriage, Kotlarsky began working for Merkos, the Chabad division responsible for outreach, on the cusp of an explosion in the number of volunteer Chabad emissariesaround the world. He started by travelling to outlying Jewish communities in 1968 - identifying their needs and working with local community leaders to plan future Chabad centers. Fusing organizational abilities, fundraising skills, common sense and a listening ear, he became a crucial resource - connecting field operatives with Chabad headquarters. Rabbi Kotlarsky oversees approximately 5000 rabbis who minister to a vast flock of mostly non-observant Jews. The network he oversees includes about four thousand institutions in a hundred countries. Kotlarsky has been described as Chabad's 'most visible global ambassador' and an educational visionary, who travels tirelessly to address gatherings worldwide. He is the administrator for emissaries around the world, and is on 24-hour standby to assist in times of crisis. Kotlarsky approves new locations, selects field rabbis, and presides over the massive Kinus Hashluchim, the annual international conference of Chabad emissaries which takes place in New York City. He serves as director of the conference, where more than 4,000 emissaries and their families participate in workshops, social events, a shared Shabbat and a banquet. He also serves as one of Chabad's top spokespersons, is a top emissary who visits heads of state around the world, and oversees religious and educational institutions in over a hundred countries. Kotlarsky has also been named in various published rankings of influential Jewish leaders including the Algemeiner Journals 'Jewish 100' and the Forward 50.
Fundraiser
Kotlarsky has cultivated Chabad's relationship with many philanthropists worldwide, including the late Sammy Rohr and his son George, the investor who has funded Chabad's expansion on college campuses and in Eastern Europe, among other places. His office administers the 'Bogolubov Simcha Fund' which disburses grants to Chabad representatives worldwide for family related expenses. He also facilitates grants for individual emissaries and their community projects through his contacts with philanthropists.
Personal life
Kotlarsky was born and raised in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn in 1949. His father, Rabbi Tzvi Yosef Kotlarsky, was a native of Otwosk, Poland who spent the World War 2 years in Shanghai. The elder Rabbi Kotlarsky was a member of the administration of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, the main Lubavitch yeshiva in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for over 40 years. Kotlarsky is married to Rivka Kazen, one of six daughters of Rabbi Shlomo Schneur Zalman Kazen, who opened the first Jewish girls school in France in 1946 at the directive of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. Rivka was born in Paris, where the school was located and lived there until 1953 when Kazen moved his growing family to America. Kazen's only son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Kazen, became a Chabad pioneer in the use of internet and email technology to spread Jewish knowledge. After his marriage, Kotlarsky settled in Crown Heights NY where he lives with his wife and where they raised their nine children. Kotlarsky's son, rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky serves as the director of Merkos 302 and as president of Chabad's international Cteen program.
