One of the greatest paradoxes of our time often goes unnoticed.
We are living in an era of unprecedented achievement. Scientific and medical breakthroughs have transformed human life. Standards of living are higher than at any point in history. Life expectancy has nearly doubled in the last century. Communication spans continents in an instant. The gap between matter and energy continues to shrink. With the advent of artificial intelligence and technologies yet to come, we seem to be approaching a world that earlier generations could only imagine as paradise.
And yet, at the very same time, we are witnessing unprecedented inner distress. Anxiety, fear, insecurity, and emotional suffering have reached staggering levels. Trauma and abuse are prevalent. Billions—perhaps trillions—of dollars are spent on therapy, medication, and countless attempts to soothe existential pain. Addiction is rising. Loneliness is pervasive. Despite our hyper-connectivity, intimacy is eroding. One can have millions of online “friends,” while marriages, families, and relationships struggle at their core.
How do we reconcile these two extremes? Are they unrelated—or deeply connected? Is our progress part of the problem, or part of the solution?
Some suggest that emotional turmoil is simply the byproduct of comfort—that earlier generations were too busy surviving to confront these inner struggles. But that explanation falls short. The question remains: why, at the height of human advancement, do so many feel lost, fragmented, and unfulfilled?
Please join me for this timely and penetrating conversation—discovering treasures in the darkest places—as we honor the 76th anniversary of the Rebbe, my teacher and mentor, assuming leadership in 1950, following the passing of his predecessor, the Previous Rebbe.
I want to dedicate this program to the profound—indeed revolutionary—vision of the Rebbe; a vision that illuminates, in unexpected ways, the unique nature of our times and place in history; an approach that does not deny the darkness, but reveals how it conceals untapped and unparalleled resources, like a black hole and an invisible atom that contains enormous energy. And how, by understanding the deeper forces at work in our era, we can transform today’s challenges into unprecedented opportunities for growth, meaning, and purpose, ushering in personal and global redemption.
