After Chabad gathering, blizzard strands 1,500 Jewish teens in New York

Luke Tress is The Times of Israel's New York correspondent.

Pedestrians cross 42nd Street near Bryant Park during a snowstorm, February 23, 2026, in New York City. (AP/Seth Wenig)
Pedestrians cross 42nd Street near Bryant Park during a snowstorm, February 23, 2026, in New York City. (AP/Seth Wenig)

A blizzard leaves around 1,500 Jewish teens stranded in New York after visiting the city for an annual youth gathering hosted by the Chabad Hasidic movement.

Chabad’s CTeen International Shabbaton brought around 8,000 Jewish teenagers from 60 countries to New York City, Chabad’s home base.

A massive snowfall cancels flights around the northeast US, leaving many of the participants stuck. More than 15 inches (0.4 meters) of snow has landed on JFK Airport in Queens.

One of the teens, from Australia, says in a statement from Chabad that she’s missing important schoolwork.

It’s not all bad news, though — some of the youths, from areas like Brazil, have never experienced snow before.

Program organizers have put together activities such as workshops to keep the visitors busy.

Around 50 of the teenagers from six US cities who had their flights canceled drove overnight on a bus from New York to Midwestern cities such as Skokie, Illinois.

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