Born in Brooklyn, Rabbi Mendel Lifshitz was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He has studied at rabbinic academies in Los Angeles, Paris, Johannesburg, Jerusalem & New York.

He graduated from the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey in 1998.

As a rabbinic student, he developed a passion for Jewish outreach.  Rabbi Mendel Lifshitz has been on assignment to over 30 countries including Belize, Congo, Cyprus, France, Ghana, Honduras, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, Uganda and Ukraine.  Amongst other duties, his missions have included organizing Pesach seders, delivering lectures on Judaism, international relations, and terror trauma counseling.

After receiving his rabbinic ordinations in Jerusalem and New York, he accepted a position as assistant Rabbi at The Shul of Bal Harbour in Miami, Florida, where he served for three years.  While there he was responsible for adult education, singles programs, rabbinic services and outreach at the largest Chabad outreach synagogue in the country.

He met his South African wife, Esther, in New York.  They have four sons and a daughter: Dovid Tzvi, Shneur Zalman, Mushka, Aryeh Laib, and Moshe Gavriel.

Rabbi & Mrs. Lifshitz moved to Boise in April 2004 to establish Chabad Lubavitch of Idaho and the Chabad Jewish Center.