About Rabbi Mendy Labkowski
Rabbi, chaplain, educator and community builder — a lifelong Buffalonian dedicated to strengthening Jewish life across Buffalo and Western New York.
Rabbi Mendy Labkowski is a rabbinic leader, chaplain and community builder serving Buffalo and Western New York. He is the founder, Executive Director and spiritual leader of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life of Buffalo, and Director of Chabad Young Professionals (CYP) Buffalo.
A lifelong Buffalonian, born and raised in neighboring Amherst, Rabbi Labkowski has dedicated his life to building Jewish life in Buffalo through Torah education, pastoral care, community programming and personal relationships. Whether teaching Torah, leading Jewish celebrations, officiating lifecycle events or supporting people through times of joy and challenge, he strives to make Judaism welcoming, accessible and meaningful.
Rabbinic education & ordination
Rabbi Labkowski’s Hebrew name is Menachem Mendel, given in connection with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson — renowned for his love of Torah learning, dedication to Jewish education and commitment to reaching every Jew with warmth and compassion. Those values continue to guide Rabbi Labkowski’s work.
Drawn to Torah study from a young age, he received his Rabbinical Ordination in 2018 from the Central Chabad Yeshiva, Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch, under its dean, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Labkowski. He also earned advanced rabbinic degrees equivalent to bachelor’s and master’s level studies.
In 2020 he received Judicial Ordinations from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, a member of the Supreme Rabbinical Court of Israel, and Rabbi Dovid Schochet, President of the Toronto Rabbinical Council and a member of the Central Committee of Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbis — qualifying him to serve as a rabbinic judge, with advanced training in Jewish law and rabbinic decision-making.
Chaplaincy & pastoral care
Rabbi Labkowski serves as a chaplain at Kaleida Health and Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), providing spiritual guidance, emotional support, grief counseling and end-of-life care to patients, families and healthcare professionals. In 2026 he was appointed a Chaplain with the Buffalo Police Department, providing spiritual care, crisis response and grief support to officers, civilian personnel, their families and members of the public affected by tragedy and critical incidents. More about his chaplaincy.
He has supported the Buffalo community during times of crisis, offering comfort, guidance and trauma support following tragedies affecting the region. To him, a rabbi’s responsibility extends beyond teaching Torah — it means being present for people in their greatest moments of need.
Building Jewish life in Buffalo
Through synagogue services, Torah classes, holiday programs, educational initiatives and community outreach, the Chabad Center for Jewish Life has become an important hub of Jewish life in Western New York — a welcoming home for every Jew, regardless of background or level of observance. As Director of Chabad Young Professionals (CYP) Buffalo, Rabbi Labkowski has built a thriving community of Jewish young adults in their 20s and 30s — through Shabbat dinners, events like Drinks & Dreidels, Menorah & Martinis and the CYP Chinese Shabbat dinner, Torah study over a drink, networking and volunteering. Young professionals connect with him easily: he is relaxed, real and fun to be around, meets people where they are, and makes Judaism feel relevant to their careers, relationships and lives in the city.
Global experience
In 2015–2016, Rabbi Labkowski served in Caracas, Venezuela, strengthening Jewish communal life through education, youth activities, outreach and humanitarian initiatives, and later worked as an educator in Brooklyn. The experience shaped his conviction that authentic Jewish leadership is expressed through compassion, service and personal relationships.
Family
In June 2018 Rabbi Labkowski married Chaya Mushka, originally from Montreal, who has worked in Jewish outreach in Montreal and Pleasant Hill, California, and as an educator. Together they made downtown Buffalo their home, and today they co-direct the Chabad Center for Jewish Life. Meet the Labkowskis.
“We will go the extra mile to make you feel comfortable. After all, Chabad is your home for everything Jewish in Buffalo.”— Rabbi Mendy Labkowski
- 2015–2016Rabbinic service in Caracas, Venezuela
- 2018Rabbinical ordination, Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch
- 2020Judicial ordination as a rabbinic judge
- TodayFounder & Executive Director, Chabad Center for Jewish Life of Buffalo; Director, Chabad Young Professionals (CYP) Buffalo
- ChaplaincyKaleida Health & Erie County Medical Center (ECMC)
- 2026Chaplain, Buffalo Police Department
Let’s talk about what you need
Whether you’re planning a celebration (simcha) or facing a difficult moment, Rabbi Labkowski is a call or text away.