Unfortunately, other Chabad practices are less admirable. Here are two examples.
Re: The Good and Bad of Chabad
In last Winter’s column, (here) I reflected on Chabad’s admirable hospitality. Indeed, throughout the world, in virtually every city where a Jewish community of even modest size is to be found, Chabad shelichim (emissaries) conduct religious services, visit hospitals, teach children, organize Jewish holiday celebrations, and offer Shabbat meals to lonely Jewish students and travelers. No other Jewish movement—Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform—has been able to produce a corps of similarly devoted young men and women who are prepared to serve the Jewish people with such personal sacrifice.
Unfortunately, other Chabad practices are less admirable. Here are two examples.
In Russia, Chabad leaders have established an alliance with the increasingly autocratic President Vladimir Putin. Such alliances have their purposes, but not when they are used to deny recognition and funding to other Jewish groups. Looking back at the history of eastern European Jewry, we all view with distaste those chapters that involve Jewish groups drawing close to ruling despots so that they can work against other Jews with whom they disagree. We do not need a modern version of that history in the Russian Federation today.
In North America, the issues are very different. Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox synagogues routinely require families that want their child to have a bar/bat mitzvah to meet certain requirements—the son or daughter must attend religious school for a year or more, and the parents must commit themselves to study and congregational worship. The reason is clear: absent Torah learning and familial involvement, the bar mitzvah will be without meaning, an excuse for a party. Chabad centers, however, generally provide a bar mitzah service with few, if any, requirements. Chabad says that no child should be denied a bar mitzvah, and the family—which is usually unaffiliated—may be drawn later into Jewish life. Perhaps. More likely, the lesson is that Judaism is not a serious endeavor and that even the most significant milestones require only a modicum of commitment.
Surely no family should ever be denied membership in a synagogue because of inability to pay. But we should protest when Chabad, or anyone else, becomes a purveyor of Jewish minimalism, lowering educational standards for our children and community.
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
President, Union for Reform Judaism
david
Unbelievable REFORM JEWS are complaining that we "Chabad, or anyone else, becomes a purveyor of Jewish minimalism, lowering educational standards for our children and community."what about protesting reform destroying judaism
David
This has got to be the Funniest comment I’ve ever read!!!!
Elizabeth
Um, "Rabbi" Yoffie of the Reformed Judaism movement is complaining that Chabad is a "purveyor of Jewish minimalism"????
johnathen kleinmen
That just pour ‘sinas cheinam’ . People who do not appreciate the wonderful work of Chabad will always find petty problem’s with them. No organization in the world is perfect but Chabad is pretty darn close to it
lol
hahaha nothing to even respond. if anything reform is significantly lowering todays jewish education standards, chabad is only raising them!
Professor Joe
Just because of insoluble variants that are associated with Mr. Yoffie’s inattentive commitment to association with non-partisan relationships, why should his assumptions about Chabad be considered effective in a non-socialistic realm?
Invariably, the monumental cause of his inept will to disassociate himself with the objectives contained in his momentous occurrence of volatile semi-permeable integration should not be accepted by the masses.
I think that his relative tone needs to be adapted to conform to the imperialistic views maintained by the general populace.
Zalmy
Hmm, so according to this Rabbi’s logic, should we happen to see a poor man that is on the brink of death from starvation, we should not immediately feed him, rather we should make sure that he is sincere. That he really wants the food
You know, maybe we should make him earn the food, so the food "will have some value to him".
If we just give him a hand out, he will never be motivated to become a working member of society.
Now while those points are valid, in theory. Should you decide to implement them, you will in most probability, end up with a corpse on your hand.
My point being, physical hunger (or shal I say "starvation") is no different than spiritual hunger.
Were we to implement this Rabbi’s ideas, quite possibly, we’d have numerous "spiritual corpses".
Never say no to a starving person.
Period.
Just one mans opinion.
Zalmy
Yirmi Levy
I find it quite ironic that a Reform "Rabbi" accuses Chabad of "lowering educational standards for our children and community".This is comming from a man whose group is responsible for "smorgasbord Judaism" where you can pick and choose the bits that you like and discard the rest!!! Perhaps "Rabbi" Yoffie should stick to worrying about where he is going to park his car this shabbos and leave Judaism to those who practise it!
think a drop
so better they dont become religious for the year and nothave a bar/bat mitzvah?! at least they should get something!!
Yehoshua Sussman
Chabad is basically the lone organization who will open itself to the totally unafilliated. The choice these unafilliated families are makeing is NOT what TYPE of bar mitzvah to have-whether it will be properly prepared or not-but rather-will they have one at all! So surely some minimal contact with Jews and Judaism is preferable to the other unfortunate option-none whatsoever.
GoodPoint
Rabbi Yoffie, has a good point on questioning chabads methods, however he is missing the understanding of the chabad motive.
shmerel
Look at his last paragraph. What an idiot! Religion his way would be to convert the family pet
Zalmy
Ever since the fall of communism the reform movement has been complaining about Chabad’s monopoly in the former soviet union, and the support they receive from the Russian government.
It’s time to stop the whining.
You reap what you sow.
We all know the story of the little red hen……
One day as the Little Red Hen was scratching in a field, she found a grain of wheat.
"This wheat should be planted," she said. "Who will plant this grain of wheat?"
"Not I," said the Duck.
"Not I," said the Cat.
"Not I," said the Dog.
"Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
Soon the wheat grew to be tall and yellow.
"The wheat is ripe," said the Little Red Hen. "Who will cut the wheat?"
"Not I," said the Duck.
"Not I," said the Cat.
"Not I," said the Dog.
"Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
When the wheat was cut, the Little Red Hen said, "Who will thresh the wheat?"
"Not I," said the Duck.
"Not I," said the Cat.
"Not I," said the Dog.
"Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
When the wheat was threshed, the Little Red Hen said, "Who will take this wheat to the mill?"
"Not I," said the Duck.
"Not I," said the Cat.
"Not I," said the Dog.
"Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
She took the wheat to the mill and had it ground into flour. Then she said, "Who will make this flour into bread?"
"Not I," said the Duck.
"Not I," said the Cat.
"Not I," said the Dog.
"Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
She made and baked the bread. Then she said, "Who will eat this bread?"
"Oh! I will," said the Duck.
"And I will," said the Cat.
"And I will," said the Dog.
"No, No!" said the Little Red Hen. "I will do that." And she did.
During communist times where was the reform movement?
Where they running underground schools?
Where they opening up mikvas?
Where they keeping judiasim alive?
At the pain of death.
A horrible death, doing back breaking labor in Siberia.
The answer is, no, no and no again.
You reap what you sow.
If thirty years ago they would have put the same amount of effort they spend on whining, in to being active in Russia, maybe, just maybe, they would have a presence in Russia.
And now it is to late.
As the saying goes; you snooze, you loose.
The end.
It’s time to move on, now is not the time to lament about past failures, rather put your energy into doing something constructive.
And please, please, stop the whining.
We are sick of it.
Chabad belong in Russia!
Firstly what’s a man, who stands for Reform ‘Judaism’ writing this anyway?!why should WE be nispoelled by such a person, someone who doesnt even stand for authentic Judaism??
The fact is that chabad is the biggest jewish organisation in Russia today and just like other Jewish organisations (aish for example) get offended or annoyed when Chabad take them over, so too Chabad were the first people to make there way into Russia even before the fall of the iron curtain, even at a time when it was dangerous, Chabad were the only people who were willing to be Moser Nefesh for other Yidden, now that it is baruch hashem easier for people in Russia, the rest of the world should leave Chabad be, and let them get on with their important work.
If it is for the benefit of jews in Russia, that they should be close to the government, so be it!
chabad have made a good name in Russia, resulting in close ties with the president, this should only continue and help Yidishkeit thrive in Russia even more!
a chosid
Typical Reform response of only complaints. The truth is they are jealous & they are angry that people are increasing awareness of their Jewish identity & roots. these people are leaving the phoniness & insanity etc. of reformed conservative excuses of yiddishkeit & returning & recognizing the truth.
From FORMED Judaism
I find it very funny for him be writing about giving over "torah values" what a joke! Look at chabads track record of getting people involved in Yidishkeit and look at the reform movement asimilation record. (can look up the numbers at any JCC.)
I think he’s just upset because there hebrew school attendance is shrinking and chabads hebrew school are booming!
Hey Eric,
Maybe you should start instilling some real "Torah Values" in your "temple"
Hebrew day schools and we might hear from people we meet on the streets "Oh I put on tefillin everyday" instead of "the last time I put these on was my Bar Mitzvah"!!!!!
a very bemused Lubavitcher and BT (B H!)
I’m laughing. I grew up reform and my bas mitzvah was completely ridiculous. It was not even on my bas mitzvah but when I was 13 because girls are just as good as boys right? Not only that but the synagogue was "on vacation" on my birthday (English – I didn’t even know my Hebrew birthday then) so they had it a month later. My mom couldn’t afford renting the place both on Friday night and Saturday night so I lained from the Torah Friday night. (nevermind a girl laining I didn’t even knew what I was saying, I memorized it and I certainly didn’t know the trop). My bas mitzvahs and my brothers’ bar mitzvahs were similarily meaningful. I mean it was my day and I felt special but meaningful?
This is so hilarious I’m beginning to think that I overslept and I woke up on the 14th of Adar.
Disgusted
Makes me want to barf. Coming from Reform/Conservative, who dont demand anything from those trying to convert to a "life of Torah", should look down their noses when Chabad allows already-Jewish child to have a Bar Mitzvah at their Shul.
And I qoute "More likely, the (Chabads) lesson is that Judaism is not a serious endeavor and that even the most significant milestones require only a modicum of commitment."
Barf.
Hefif
There’s a very smart shliach, Brackman Judaisms in the foothills, who wrote a response to this article.
molo
"But we should protest when Chabad, or anyone else, becomes a purveyor of Jewish minimalism, lowering educational standards for our children and community."
That is rich, coming from the reform.
awacs
"More likely, the lesson is that Judaism is not a serious endeavor and that even the most significant milestones require only a modicum of commitment."
Pot, kettle, black.
Oh no, not again.
This guy has an obsession with Chabad. What is he so afraid of?
elchonon
Are you kidding me ? this is from mister yoffie of reformism.. preaching some kind of fake judaism allowing gay rabbi’s and intermarrige and fraud conversions and your worried about chabad supposedly making judaism "less serious"
Maybe because me and you have a different judaism, we keep shabbos, kosher, tefillin etc..
We also embrace all jews no matter their way of life…
But you seem to have a problem with anyone not embracing your false judaism.
Maybe when the joint in russia actualy feeds kosher in their kitchen we could talk..(this was told to me by a friend who’s father is a joint rav)
anonym
did anyone answer him??
CH Cynic
But for conversions all that reform requires is five minutes of their time and a couple bucks.
A proud Tomim
wow thats it…I guess we’re in good condition!!
BobbyCohen
The chutzpah and absurdity of this article is beyond belief.
I am going to try hard and not sling mud at Reform.
However, when judging the success of a product or project, one examines the outcome.
The Chabad approach is always if a oppotunity presents itself to do a mitzvah, ‘chap arein’. When their is an opportunity for a Jew who has not put on tefillin that day, he is encouraged to do so. The approach from Chabad is feel good, get excited about your status as a Jew, have a bar mitzvah, ie do mitzvahs, put on tefillin and experience first hand a mitzvah.
Chabad is revitalising and encouraging Jews to make a long term commitment to Judasim and themselves, which like when teaching a young child to walk is one step at a time so to with mizvahs one step at a time and as when a toddler takes those first steps everyone gets excited, so too when a Jew does their mitzvahs we all get excited.
Chabd is thank G-D growing, and sharing the same ideolelogy with their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. No major generation gap in ideals here. Thus, just using a rule of thumb to examine validity and success, Chabad is doing very well. Keep up the good work, we all need you. Moshiach now.
Just my opinion..
I maybe going against the grain here. But I think that a sign of a mature and responsible person or for that matter an organization is the ability to accept criticism. No matter whom the person is. Even if he is the president of Reform Judaism and I believe he has a point with his comments on Bar Mitzvahs. In some cases Parents will pay for a nice Shabbos Kidush and then have no connection at all with Chabad again. Other Shluchim have them attend some classes etc..But there is no uniform approach to this issue. I think the JLI institute which has produced a series of great learning topics,should come up with a course for Bar Mitzvahs. A mandatory program which the Bar Mitzvah boy/parents need to take. Or the shluchim office who have some great programs like "phone school home school",can develop a program to tackle this issue. Just because Reform Judaism has no legitimate answers. That doesn’t mean we can’t do better. Does anyone out there agree???
Shoshana
In some ways he’s right. I agree with his comment about Chabad in Russia. I’ve been in the Russian Chabad system and I think it’s true. Though Putin is a known antisemite and Russia is an antisemitic country, Lazar kisses up to him, and I don’t respect that. Russia already had an acting Chief Rabbi Shaevitch (non-Chabad) by the time Lazar was appointed to the office. Taking the office of the chief rabbi while there is already another chief rabbi on duty? Clearly there’s money and politics involved.
boruch ben tzvi A H Kohaine Hoffinger
B"H
Mr. Eric H Yoffie is probably getting a nice salary.
We expect him to give it up for the truth?
It doesn’t even pay to respond because he’s being ‘bribed.’
Same holds true for Israeli government, incl. Shas, etc.
The Rebbe, MH"M called it blood money (supporting Oslo Accords).
Same here. Blood money.
Motzei shame ra is like spilling the next person’s blood.
yechiel
If only Israeli leadership had enough commonsense as some non Jewish politicians, who say it as is, w/o selfish political filters, distorting their judgment -to do what’s best for Israel’s security,
I wonder however how much of what Huckabee said (thinking he was) "off the record" would he dare to state publicly!
clearly intelligent sensible human beings see (in horror) the self-defeating apologetic posture of Israeli leadership, and conclude that if Israelis don’t feel worthy of standing up for their right to exist in security, why in the world should anyone else rescue them from their own grave they have so consistently dug for them selves, if it wasn’t so tragic it would be comical, to watch a few yet powerful politicians betray their country and nation this way, do to their blatant inferiority complex as Jews! And imagined personal political gain!
Maybe if these "secularists" had been educated properly about their own faith and rich heritage, they would appreciate there Jewish-ness enough to demonstrate some appropriate self respect! Rather than forever seeking the approval of the world.
They don’t realize that they would garner far more respect from the world-community by standing up for them selves!! Vs. their current apologetic-appeasing posture which does anything but generates respect!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
it is obvious to any objective observer that the "RABBI" cannot tolerate the growing threat to the reform movement posed by Chabad,
1) Chabad has succeeded to educate numerous members of the reform movement to authentic traditional Judaism, and makes no apologies of it, “we’re happy to share the beuty and joy of “traditional” Judaism with anyone seeking to learn it”
2) Chabad’s old-fashioned Judaism seems to satisfy more and more Jews who feel let-down by the reform-ulated “improved” version of Judaism
3) Chabad’s unprecedented global success. Amounts to irrefutable evidence disproving the foundational premise of the reform ideology (which is, that traditional Judaism is obsolete in the modern world, and for Judaism to survive it needs to be reform-ulated “compromised” “remade in the image of man!) and RABBI Yoffie must be disoriented/confused about, how it is possible for a movement such as Chabad (ideologically opposites) a movement firmly uncompromising of original Judaism, is able to produce (from its own non-secular Yeshiva system) a $6.8 Billion global operation Manned by an Army of highly capable, dynamic and presentable Leaders, without resorting/conforming to any of the “secular” imperatives. (Such as secular: Training, College, Dress and “Cultured” in the ways of the world,) completely defying the so called “progressive” paradigm.
4) More unsettling to the Rabbi: how can “old-fashioned Judaism” not just survive but thrive! While in stark contrast to reform members which don’t last the third generation!
5) I can hardly expect someone is his position to Humbily, take his figurative hat off to Chabad in sincere defferance and respect, acknowledging that maybe its time to read the writing on the wall and TRULLY be “PROGRESSIVE” and adapt to the FACTS on the ground! (as many reform Rabbis are already doing to one degree or another)
Enough Said!
FlatbushYid
Some one asked why should we be nispoel re Eric Yoffie’s comments etc.
In truth Eric is head of a very very large segment of American Jewry and his comments are his opinion for obvious reasons. No reason to knock him, just understand where he’s coming from. Chabad won’t change anyhows and good for them – the Rebbe hada plan and so it is!
That said, Eric is deep down a friend of Chabad for those that know him, very very nispoel of what we stand for, and what we’ve accomplished. Of course it does not help his goals but thats life. I know he respects Chabad overall with all its issues too.
I’d rather have Eric in my corner then a self-hating Berger who is just a wannabe.
Chaim
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, I have to say that to write such an article, it must come from jelousy. The reform movement in North America has 15,000 kids in camp per summer, that seems pretty low considering the numbers that Gan Yisroel get all over the USA in one summer. Furthermore, at least these kids are getting a Bar Mitzvah, these kids would otherwise not have one at all. But according to Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, who says that a family has to be committed for whole year to the shul, many families do not want and are not interested and chabad is there to help them. How many people has the reform movement been able to being back to judaism? Chabad is the clearly ahead.
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, i have to say that your time would have been better spent trying to help jews in need.
It is interesting however how, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie took this time to make such remarks and at the same time is putting down the largest kiruv organization in the world tha has gone to most parts of the world to help jews in need. While the the reform movement is absent in helping jews worldwide.
Far Kein Yidden Gedacht
The Bar mitzvah problem is that they require all these prier "preparations", and the boy/family walk away from the whole thing, that they did wahtever they had to do, they even got barmitzvahd, and thats the end of their judaism. chabad however teaches that yes, evry little thing counts, and evn if you did a little it’s godd, but dont stop there, keep it up, keep on doing more and more, and yes, the family will be brought closer to judaism at a later time, and it all started with the boy’s bar mitzvah. they however end the whole judaism thing with the bar mitzvah!
A Felow Jew
Has any 1 thought that may be its all about money do you know how much the Reform movement make on these bar/bat mitzvas plus the tuition they charge for that prior year of studying????
let me be the 1 to enlighten you and tell you that this rabbi of sorts can not deal with the fact that in Chabad they would do it only for very miner fee just to cover basic cost or even at NO CHARGE AT ALL
you know the line ppl
ITS ALL ABOUT THE BENJEMENS
And membership don’t even get me started
ats
I have two boys who are now 25 and 19. The eldest had a very large bar mitzvah at a Conservative Synagogue. He wanted the same big, elaborate party his friends were all having. Like his friends, when it was complete, he never returned to shul. My younger son, however, attended a Chabad Hebrew School starting in the 4th grade. He had a bar mitzvah but he chose not to have the same elaborate affair his brother requested. It was about the ceremony and there was a luncheon with friends and family afterward. He continued to attend Sunday school and then went on to Chabad’s “Hebrew High” program on Sundays. He has gone off to college out of state and now goes for the occasional Shabbat meal at Chabad and attends services there. When he has a problem he feels comfortable discussing it with the Rabbis he has known for ten years or the local Chabad Rabbi in his college town. They are even his friends on Facebook.
Now you tell me — which program generated more “commitment”?