Wisdom from the Field By Tzviki Krasnjansky

In this episode of Wisdom from the Field, I sit down with Rabbi Yossi Grossbaum, shliach to Folsom, California, for a conversation about nearly 20 years on shlichus and the lessons he's learned along the way.

One of the central themes of our conversation is the importance of genuine connection. Taking the time to listen, getting to know people, and caring about them without an agenda. As Rabbi Grossbaum puts it, “Be a lighthouse, not a tugboat.” Our job isn't to pull people, but to inspire them through who we are and the relationships we build.

We also discuss:

Why listening is one of the most important things a shliach can do.

Building relationships without an agenda.

Fundraising with confidence, handling rejection, and responding when someone says no.

Thinking big, having bitachon, and making keilim for greater brachos.

Prioritizing shalom bayis and family while balancing the demands of shlichus.

Focusing on your strengths and doing what works for you.

An honest conversation with plenty of practical lessons and food for thought.

In this episode, I sit down with my uncle, Rabbi Bentzion Krasnianski, who has led Chabad of the Upper East Side for 35 years—and is now entering a historic new collaboration with Park East Synagogue.

But this conversation goes far beyond the announcement.

At its heart is one powerful conviction: Give people the real deal.

Don’t water down Yiddishkeit or underestimate the people you are trying to reach. Become immersed in the wellsprings of Chassidus, allow them to transform you, and then communicate them with authenticity and conviction. Because people aren’t only listening to what you say—they’re watching how you live.

That same principle shapes Rabbi Krasnianski’s approach to fundraising. Meaningful institutions aren’t built by collecting donations. They are built by developing genuine relationships and cultivating partners who take ownership of the mission—people who stop asking, “What are you doing?” and begin asking, “What are we doing?”

But there are no shortcuts. It takes years of giving, serving, building trust, and responding to one need at a time.

We explore the unique challenges of shlichus on the Upper East Side, the difference between donors and true partners, why communicating Yiddishkeit transforms the shliach himself, and how 35 years of consistent work ultimately opened the door to an opportunity Rabbi Krasnianski never could have imagined.

A passionate conversation about being emes, cultivating ownership, the long game of leadership, and what becomes possible when a shliach remains faithful to the mission.

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If this episode was meaningful, please share it with someone who might benefit!

For ongoing insights on fundraising, leadership, and the inner work of shlichus, join my email list here:

https://mailchi.mp/c0f254880cc4/new-subscribers 

To learn more about my work with shluchim, visit:

www.coachingbytzviki.com

If you would like to share some feedback you can reach me via email at:

[email protected]

Or via WhatsApp: 808-499-5850

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Are you really afraid of hearing “no”—or of what you believe that “no” would mean?

In this Field Note, I share a coaching conversation about uncovering the hidden beliefs behind our fears—and how questioning those beliefs can help us become freer and move forward.

To register for the upcoming workshop, Mastering the Inner Game of Fundraising, using the link below.

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5U9xqtFvQ72DLhUvNPuQvg

In this Field Note, I reflect on a short maamar of the Alter Rebbe and a teaching attributed to Reb Mendel Bar, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, that sparked a powerful insight about fundraising, leadership, and authenticity.

When our mission and fundraising become intertwined, how do we remain authentic? How do we ensure that our genuine care for the person in front of us doesn't get overshadowed by our need for support?

The reminder is simple, but profound: keep the ikar the ikar. Be there for the person first. Let everything else remain secondary.

I'd love to hear your thoughts after listening.

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Mastering the Inner Game of Fundraising

Discover how to overcome the fears, beliefs, and inner patterns that hold us back from fundraising with more confidence, authenticity, and freedom.

📅 Monday, August 24 - Yud Alef Elul

Register here:

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If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you.

For this episode of Wisdom from the Field, I sit down with Rabbi Mendel Lipskar, head shliach to South Africa for more than fifty years, for a rich conversation about what it truly means to be a shliach.

Rabbi Lipskar takes us back to the beginning of his shlichus, sharing the stories and guidance from the Rebbe that shaped his life's mission. Along the way, he reflects on building Jewish life in S.A. from the ground up, navigating financial crises, leading through both extraordinary growth and difficult challenges, and building a thriving network of shluchim while fostering unity, trust, and long-term collaboration.

But more than anything, this conversation is about the inner life of a shliach: staying connected to the Rebbe, remaining humble, persevering through setbacks, and never losing sight of the privilege and responsibility of carrying the Rebbe's mission.

Whether you've been on shlichus for five years or fifty, Rabbi Lipsker's timeless wisdom offers encouragement, perspective, and a renewed appreciation for the incredible zechus of being a shliach.

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If this episode was meaningful, please share it with someone who might benefit!

For ongoing insights on fundraising, leadership, and the inner work of shlichus, join my email list here:

https://mailchi.mp/c0f254880cc4/new-subscribers 

To learn more about my work with shluchim, visit:

www.coachingbytzviki.com

If you would like to share some feedback you can reach me via email at:

[email protected]

Or via WhatsApp: 808-499-5850

Follow on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 

In this episode, I sit down with Rabbi Yitzi Steiner, shliach at the University of Minnesota, for a rich and honest conversation about campus shlichus, fundraising, family life, personal growth, and learning what really matters with time.

A major theme of the conversation is simple but powerful: time is your best friend. In building relationships, raising support, and finding your own way, things often take longer than we want — but patience, persistence, and consistency can open doors that pressure never could.

Along the way, Rabbi Steiner shares practical wisdom on following up without giving up, asking for introductions more effectively, delegating what drains your headspace, creating healthy boundaries for family, and helping other shluchim whenever possible.

This is a grounded, thoughtful, and deeply practical conversation for anyone building a shlichus, and for life in general.

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If this episode was meaningful, please share it with someone who might benefit.

For ongoing insights on fundraising, leadership, and the inner work of shlichus, join my email list here:

https://mailchi.mp/c0f254880cc4/new-subscribers 

To learn more about my work with shluchim, visit:

www.coachingbytzviki.com

If you would like to share some feedback you can email me at:

[email protected]

Follow on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 

In this episode, I sit down with Rabbi Chaim Shaul Bruk, shliach to Bozeman, Montana, for a bold, honest, and deeply refreshing conversation about staying focused on the true mission of shlichus.

Nineteen years after moving to Montana, Rabbi Bruk reflects on building Jewish life across one of America’s largest states, with one of its smallest Jewish populations — from his early Merkos Shlichus trips, to creating a statewide network of shluchim, to reaching Yidden scattered across vast distances.

But at the heart of this conversation is a much bigger question: What are we here for?

With honesty, humor, and a lot of clarity, Rabbi Bruk challenges us to cut through the noise — comparison, politics, social media, public recognition, and distraction — and return to the ikar: bringing people to the Rebbe, learning and teaching Chassidus, reaching one more Yid, uplifting one more person, and living with the mission in a real way.

Along the way, he speaks openly about family, boundaries, chinuch, marriage, debt, inner work, and the danger of letting shlichus become defined by outside measures instead of inner purpose.

This is a powerful conversation about remembering what matters, staying grounded in the Rebbe’s mission, and asking ourselves honestly: What are we really here for?

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If this episode was meaningful, please share it with someone who might benefit.

For ongoing insights on fundraising, leadership, and the inner work of shlichus, join my email list here:

https://mailchi.mp/c0f254880cc4/new-subscribers 

To learn more about my work with shluchim, visit:

www.coachingbytzviki.com

If you would like to share some feedback you can email me at:

[email protected]

Follow on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 

In this episode, I sit down with Rabbi Menachem Caytak, shliach to Troy, Michigan, for a powerful conversation about building a community before it was obvious to anyone else.

Still in his first seven years on shlichus, Rabbi Caytak shares how he began building Jewish life in Troy one door and one relationship at a time — with persistence, grit, and a willingness to keep showing up.

Again and again, what stands out is his courage to go first: to see and speak a vision before it was fully visible, to talk about a Jewish center before there was a center, to look for a building before the money was there, and to keep creating keilim before he knew exactly how the brachos would come.

Along the way, he shares story after story of open Hashgacha Protis and remarkable miracles: unexpected donors, impossible opportunities, and doors opening in ways he never could have planned.

He also speaks about the power of writing a weekly duch to the Rebbe, as well as beginning the day with learning Rambam.

This episode is an inspiring reminder that hatzlocho is built through both emunah and action — the courage to go first, the discipline to keep showing up, and the full bitachon that when we create the keilim, Hashem fills them with bracha.

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If this episode was meaningful, please share it with someone who might benefit.

For ongoing insights on fundraising, leadership, and the inner work of shlichus, join my email list here:

https://mailchi.mp/c0f254880cc4/new-subscribers 

To learn more about my work with shluchim, visit:

www.coachingbytzviki.com

If you would like to share some feedback you can email me at:

[email protected]

Follow on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 

In this special episode of Wisdom from the Field, I sit down once again with Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman to explore a practical and highly organized approach to annual fundraising.

We discuss the shift from constant year-round fundraising pressure toward a more structured annual campaign model — including donor strategy, major gifts, ambassadors, campaign planning, and how presenting your moised with greater clarity and confidence can change the way people respond.

This conversation is especially relevant for shluchim and nonprofit leaders looking to create a more sustainable, focused, and effective fundraising process.

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You can reach Rabbi Schusterman via:

WhatsApp: 404-931-6449

Email: [email protected]

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If this episode was meaningful, please share it with someone who might benefit.

For ongoing insights on fundraising, leadership, and the inner work of shlichus, join my email list here:

https://mailchi.mp/c0f254880cc4/new-subscribers 

To learn more about my work with shluchim, visit:

www.coachingbytzviki.com

Follow on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook 

In this powerful conversation, Rabbi Yossi Mintz of Chabad Redando Beach shares the mindset, courage, and relentless persistence behind building one of the most impactful shlichus operations in California.

What began as a small grassroots Chabad house in Redondo Beach eventually grew into a thriving network of programs, schools, community initiatives, and a $70 million Friendship Campus — but Rabbi Mintz makes it clear that the greatest limitations were never external.

“The ceiling was in my own mind.”

In this episode, we explore:

This conversation is filled with fiery encouragement, practical fundraising wisdom, powerful stories, and a deep sense of mission and responsibility.

If you’re a shliach, leader, fundraiser, or anyone trying to build something meaningful, this episode will challenge you to think bigger — and remind you that sometimes the only thing standing in the way is yourself.

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If this episode was meaningful, please share it with someone who might benefit.

For ongoing insights on fundraising, leadership, and the inner work of shlichus, join my email list here:

https://mailchi.mp/c0f254880cc4/new-subscribers 

To learn more about my work with shluchim, visit:

www.coachingbytzviki.com

Follow on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook