770 in the Eyes of Visiting College Students
Two Oxford University students, Danny Kessler and Joshua Felberg, have set out on an ambitious project to review every synagogue in Britain. Along the way, they decided to include one U.S. synagogue in their review: 770. This is what they saw.
The USA may be a bit beyond our remit of “every synagogue in the UK” but we thought we’d go and see what all the fuss was about.
We visited the Lubavitch (Chabad) Headquarters, situated at 770 Eastern Parkway, in a borough of New York City.
Since the death of its leader/’Rebbe’ in 1994, Chabad has been sharply divided. On the one side are the “Messianists”, who believe that the late Chabad Rebbe Schneerson is, in some respect, the Messiah.
They can be identified as the ones wearing bright yellow pins and sporting kippot with the slogan “long live our leader, teacher, rabbi, king messiah for ever”.
In the synagogue they stand packed into the corners closest to where the late Schneerson sat. Their theology roughly states that when the Rebbe returns, the Temple will be rebuilt in NYC, and then be transported straight to the Old City in Jerusalem.
On the other side are the more conservative Chabadniks, who choose not to proclaim the Rebbe as the messiah. They make up most of the attendees, with traditional black hats and adorned in their long black coats. The central synagogue is covered with messianic slogans, and large posters continue to hang from the wall proclaiming the long deceased Rebbe as Messiah – despite numerous legal battles.
The posters cover much of the architecture, but the walls are still lined with oak bookshelves. At the front of the synagogue is the foundation stone set by the previous Rebbe, Yosef Yitzhak, which some Lubavitchers will kiss before they enter on Friday night.
The majority of those present on the night were members of Chabad on Campus, an outreach movement aimed specifically at Jewish students on campuses throughout the world. The atmosphere was electric.
One thousand students were packed into the synagogue and despite a large Texan Rabbi with a voice like an organ leading the service it was impossible to keep track of what was going on. Upon reaching “lecha dodi” the room exploded, singing, dancing and clapping pulled everybody in.
By the fourth verse people were hurling themselves off of tables into the throng, with numerous Rabbis crowd-surfing across the room. The community is utterly unique: nowhere else can one find so much politics, so much passion and so much informality in a synagogue service. This isn’t a quiet, dignified synagogue where the Chazzan wears a silly hat and the bridge club meets on Tuesdays. The Chabad movement has changed the face of Judaism, and this is its epicentre.
tsk tsk
umm crowd surfing in a shul is very disrespectful. after all its a house of worship and we need to conduct ourselves as if we were in front of a king or president.
bochur
if im not misktaken, the foudation stone was place by the Rebbe Zy’a.isnt that the reason a few arrests were made a couple years ago wen some idividuals decided to change the monument around the stone???
Wow, double wow.
Apart from a few small errors, I have never read such an eloquent article that encapsulates the whole 770 experience in so few words. Well done guys!
Huffington Post
To Number 1:
That’s not true, Shmuley Boteach is coming out with a new book called “Kosher Crow-Surfing: How to Crowd-Surf in Front of a King or President”.
Why do Lubavitchers have to be so anti-intellectual and have such knee-jerk reactions?
Yukel
Love the ending “ This isn’t a quiet, dignified synagogue where the Chazzan wears a silly hat and the bridge club meets on Tuesdays. The Chabad movement has changed the face of Judaism, and this is its epicentre.” These guys picked on the nekuda, we don’t play bridge, and the boiler is still functioning.
CHT
Don’t criticize, outside people just tell what they see. Overall, I felt 770 provided positive image. Not tzadikim (definitely right) no silly hats (emisdikite) electricity that changes the face of Judaism (I am proud)
Not my chair, not my problem.
“Large Texan Rabbi” ….. un er meint az er iz a chochem…
A Chasid of the Rebbe
the article for the most part is well written & there are a couple of mistakes such as who laid the corner stone which was done by the Rebbe & I believe the majority of 770 attendees at least in their hearts do hold the Rebbe as Moshiach. what should have been pointed out to the students & subsequently placed in the article is that the Beliefs by those saying Yechi etc. are based upon the Rebbe’s own words(Sichos)& are available in print in many languages for people to judge for them selves
Critic
“I believe the majority of 770 attendees at least in their hearts do hold the Rebbe as Moshiach. what should have been pointed out to the students”
The fact that you “believe” does not make it truth.Apparently you have abrogated to yourself the ability to know what goes on in the hearts of the majority of 770 attendees.On the other hand perhaps your’e right and that’s why the majority of Crown Heights residents refuse to daven or even step into the large zal of 770 any more.
Save Our Shul
Meshichistim Clowns – get out.
to #9 (Critics)
When you say “Majority” what statistical data do you use? Last election results?
Critic
To #11
When you tell me where #8 gets his “statistical data” from I’ll tell you where I get my “statistical data”from.
touched by a sweet article
Give them a break their just simple uni students who got inspired over a shabbos in crown heights.
Not every article needs to be dissected into inner meanings and criticized!
Their just simply writing how they much they enjoyed it and the good impression it left on them.
And of course if they enjoyed it their going to exaggerate it a bit.
oxford?
these oxford students go to one of the best universities in the world… they need to learn to do their research netter.
Loud Proud Crowd-Surfer
Crowd surfing.
Definition: Moving from person (student) to person and chatting, backslapping, and all the rest of the trappings a shliach uses that no other ‘kiruv’ movement could hope to copy (without loking like a cheap copy.)