Nearly 6,000 rabbis and Jewish leaders from 100 countries and territories gathered at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center in Edison Sunday.

The annual conference is the world's largest rabbinic gathering aimed at strengthening Jewish awareness and practice around the world.

The group joined for the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries.

Zalman Grossbaum, a rabbi in Livingston, says it's special to have so many in New Jersey for the event.

"It's an incredible honor to host all of these rabbis from literally around the world, here in our home state," he says.

Over the course of the six-day conference, participants have the opportunity to learn and exchange ideas with colleagues from places as far away as Hong Kong and Rwanda.

Many at the conference were also thinking about the leader of the Chabad movement, who died 25 years ago.