Op-Ed: Another 11th Grader Writes…

Hi, I’m an eleventh grader. Another eleventh grader wrote about how hard it is for girls in Crown Heights and other big Lubavitch schools to swim against the tide. One of the things that actually helps us teenagers create positive peer pressure is Achos Hatmimim (which deserves a whole article onto itself).

But what about the girls who don’t even have that??

Op-Ed Response: Chabad. Period.

Rabbi Shimon Raichik of Los Angeles recently wrote that he does not wish to enter directly into the “Chabad-Lite” issue, but simply to urge that we turn to the Rebbe for guidance. He quoted several passages from a published letter of the Rebbe, of which the following is representative:

Jews and Politics: Orthodox Jews Play Pivotal Role in GOP Candidates’ Pro-Israel Stance

Texas Governor Rick Perry, a contender for the Republican Presidential nomination, held a press conference at the W Hotel in midtown Manhattan a few months ago. It was a clear showing of his strong support for Israel, and criticism for what he believes are the failed and misguided policies of President Obama on Israel.

What Did the Rebbe Have to Say About ‘Chabad Lite’?

Recently there has been a public discussion taking place about Chabad standards. On one side of the discussion there are those that have taken a more lenient approach that is a direct challenge to what Chabad standards have been until now.

Op-Ed: Confronting Shlichus Addiction

The other night I received a call from a friend. He was very conflicted and under a lot of stress. He works for a company and receives just enough money to cover his most basic expenses. Worse yet, he sees no room for growth within the company.

Op-Ed: Chabad 2.0

The annual gathering of Chabad’s global emissaries, the Kinus Hashluchim, elicits a paradox. Here is an organization that is truly international, operating even more outposts than the United States government. Chabad is not only the world’s largest Jewish educational network, it is quite simply one of the world’s largest networks period. Perhaps only the Catholic Church has a more extensive grid of schools and educational outposts. Yet, for all its internationalism Chabad continues to evince a largely parochial mentality. It is global in scope but not in outlook.

Op-Ed: Lessons from the Brutal Truth of Steve Jobs

In the early 90’s I fell in love with Steve Jobs’ new NeXT computer. I had used a Macintosh since I was 19 but after Jobs’ was kicked out of Apple I gravitated to his new invention which blew the Mac away. As Rabbi at Oxford, I regularly hosted world leaders to lecture to our students and I had to have Jobs. So I arranged a meeting with one of his top lieutenants and traveled to Redwood City, California.

What Would the Rebbe Say About Occupy Wall Street?

Occupy Wall Street has become a powerful movement that is spreading around the globe. Its adherents claim they are outraged & feel hopelessly trapped by a cabal of bankers & corporations. This movement has been developing its own brand of philosophy & ethics.

Op-Ed: Solving the Shidduch Crisis

It is not necessary to go into detail to describe the urgent crisis that is currently taking place in our midst regarding Shidduchim.

Op-Ed: Love Your Jewish Sister, Dress Modestly!

My best friend Shevi called me the other day, distressed over the shul her husband started attending. “Malka, you can’t imagine what the women are wearing there,” she said. “Yes I can,” I sadly replied. “He loves the davening, but I feel nervous with him going there,” she continued. “I tried to discuss it with him, but he likes the shul and doesn’t want to stop going. I totally understand, but why should he have to see women dressed that way?”

Op-Ed: Stop Judging!

Dear Doe Namay AKA John Doe,

Your op-ed last week gave me a bigger jolt than my morning coffee. You stated your opinion against ‘Chabad Lite’ because they may, G-d forbid, call themselves Chabad. Do you consider yourself Chabad? Where exactly can I pick up some “Chabad” measuring tape? Is anyone who disagrees with your opinion really a hater? And how exactly can you say, after penning such an article, that you have Ahavas Yisroel?

Op-Ed: ‘Chabad Lite’

In Lubavitch there is the phenomenon of the so called “Chabad Lite” community. People who grew up as Lubavitchers, consider themselves Lubavitchers, but do nothing to actually be Lubavitch. They don’t dress like the way a Lubavitcher would dress, speak the way one would speak, or act in the basic way a chossid would act. In general, I have no issue with these types of people; many of them are my friends and neighbors and we get along wonderfully. I have one major issue: they consider themselves Lubavitch, and take part in our mosdos.

Op-Ed: No Comment on Rubashkin

President Barack Obama had no reservations attempting to block the execution of Humberto Leal Garcia, a Mexican man that was convicted in 1994 of the rape and murder of a 16-yearold girl in San Antonio. On July 5, 2011, The Guardian reported that: “The White House has asked the US Supreme Court to put the execution of Humberto Leal Garcia on hold while Congress passes a law that would prevent the convicted rapist and murderer from being put to death along with dozens of other foreign nationals who were denied proper access to diplomatic representation before trials for capital crimes.”