Kindness Delivered By Chabad Cares Nevada

When a woman in Reno called looking for a rabbi to visit her ailing husband in the hospital, Rabbi Moshe Cunin didn’t hesitate. Within an hour, he was at the man’s bedside, offering comfort and helping him don tefillin. That moment captures the mission of Chabad Cares Nevada: reaching Jews through compassion, one act of kindness at a time.

Launched this summer, Chabad Cares Nevada is part of a new initiative led by Rabbi Moshe and Doba Cunin to meet people where they are, literally — in hospitals, senior homes, or times of personal struggle. The program serves communities from Carson City to Incline Village, where many live far from organized Jewish life. 

One of the Chabad Cares’ signature initiatives is Kitchen of Kindness, where volunteers prepare and deliver fresh, home-cooked meals to individuals and families in need. The meals don’t only provide nourishment — but also comfort and a sense of community.

Gershon Molyneux, a British expat living in Reno, hadn’t been to synagogue in 30 years when he met Rabbi Cunin in a parking lot. Rabbi Cunin helped him put on tefillin, and invited him to attend services. “Chabad makes you feel welcome — they treat me like one of their own,” Molyneux said. Now a regular at services and Torah classes, he also receives warm, home-cooked meals through the Kitchen of Kindness program.

The impact of these efforts is felt in moments both big and small. On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Cunin visited a senior home in downtown Reno where residents hadn’t celebrated a Jewish holiday in years. One woman, who had vowed never to engage with Judaism again after a painful falling out with a Reform rabbi three decades earlier, broke down in tears as she heard the shofar for the first time since then. She told staff she never thought she’d experience that sound again.

The program doesn’t just focus on seniors or isolated individuals — it responds wherever there is need. When a family from California came to Reno for kidney transplant surgery, volunteers arrived that afternoon with homemade soup and care packages.

“We engage two groups of people — volunteers and recipients,” Rabbi Cunin explained. “The ‘givers’ find meaning just as much as the ‘receivers.’ One woman loves gardening, so she grows and delivers flowers to seniors. A local restaurant owner helps cook meals. Each person brings their own mitzvah to the table.”

Maya Kimia is one of those volunteers. Last month, she joined some ten others in the kitchen, preparing soups and baked goods that were later delivered to people who were struggling. “Even though I hardly knew anyone there, it felt warm — we were all coming together to do a mitzvah,” she said. “Chabad Cares brings the community together in a different way. I’m excited to see it grow.”

Recently, Rabbi Cunin joined the Greater Basin Chaplain Corps, giving him direct access to emergency calls whenever someone requests a Jewish chaplain. “We want every Jew — no matter how distant they feel,” said Rabbi Cunin, “to know that in a moment of need, someone will show up.”