Jewish Press Opinion: Achdus With Chabad
In an opinion piece published on the Jewish Presses website, an author laments Chabads massive organizational prowess and success in ‘Kiruv’. The article is titled “Achdus with Chabad” which decries how Chabad is “not really integrated with the rest of Orthodoxy,” and how we are “obsession to one degree or another with their Rebbe as Moshiach.”
Achdus With Chabad
I don’t know how they do it. But I am jealous of them. Chabad is perhaps the most successful group in Orthodoxy at raising money for their causes. Their sources are often not even the wealthy Jews of Orthodoxy. And their organizational skills are legendary. They are probably better than anyone at maximizing the “bang for the buck.”
This is the one thing that struck me about a recent article in the Forward:
Chabad operates 1,000 preschools worldwide, including 300 in Israel and 400 in the United States. In 2010, Chabad launched a special early childhood initiative called The Machne Israel David and Lara Slager Early Childhood Initiative. In the past two and half years, this fund helped in the creation of 45 new preschools (most in North America, and two each in Argentina, South Africa and Australia). There are plans to create another 100 over the next four years.
While it is true that their emphasis on reaching out to secular Jews of necessity requires them to disengage from areas of high Orthodox concentration and thereby have less contact with wealthy Orthodox philanthropists – that doesn’t mean they are going to be successful at raising funds from the secular and unaffiliated Jewish philanthropist.
But – necessity is the mother of invention I guess, and somehow they manage to appeal to those donors to fund their projects.
As I have said many times, no one can touch Chabad outreach in terms of sheer numbers. They have probably gotten more people to be observant, than all the other Kiruv groups put together. And it is projects like the above that enable them to do it.
This is why I am jealous of them. Not in any harmful ‘evil eye’ sense. I am jealous that the rest of Orthodoxy cannot match them. We have done rather well in recent years raising money among our own for various projects. But it is no secret that we are still very far from having the money we need just to support one institution – Jewish education.
I don’t have to convince any Orthodox parent – even the more affluent ones – about the pressures of tuition. That is a subject that has been well covered here before. Long story short, tuitions are so high that even families with incomes well into 6 figures are sometimes given scholarships. Especially if they have a big family. It is also no secret that tuition does not cover the typical school budgets. Nor do most of those budgets even pay their teachers what they deserve.
Not that Lubavitch doesn’t have similar problems. But that’s because the huge sums of money they raise for outreach purposes do not go towards their communities own educational needs. That money goes almost exclusively for outreach programs and schools.
Nonetheless, the fact that they are so successful at spreading out and spreading the word of God through His Torah is something to be admired.
I have not dealt with Chabad in quite some time. But those who been reading this blog for awhile know of my criticisms – not the least of which is their obsession to one degree or another with their Rebbe as Moshiach. Even though he died well over a decade ago. Although things have quieted down quite a bit on that front, I don’t think they have given up on that very troubling idea.
Among other criticisms I have of them is one that bears on the subject of this post. They are not really integrated with the rest of Orthodoxy. While there is definitely some cross fertilization between us, it is not because they actively seek it. To the extent that they do, they tend to do it only on their own terms. Or on an individual basis and not an organizational one.
The evidence for this is the fact that unlike the rest of Orthodoxy, their children – with rare exception – attend only their own Chabad schools. They have built an empire of separation. Which is an irony of sorts when you consider that their primary concern is outreach to fellow Jews. But the truth is that outreach is so important to them that consider integration with the rest of Orthodoxy to be of secondary or tertiary importance. At least that is what it seem like to me.
One reason they are so separated from the rest of Orthodoxy – is the way they do outreach. Every Jewish soul they reach is convinced to believe that Chabad equals Judaism. They never distinguish (at least not at first) between an exclusively Lubavitch Minhag and Halacha. They teach their own customs as though they were Halacha. So that in most cases, if someone becomes religious through them, they become a Lubavitcher. Their community grows through outreach while their members become just as separated from the rest of the Orthodox community as are Lubavitchers from birth.
And so it goes. Chabad continues to be wildly successful at outreach while having little to do with the rest of the Orthodox community unless they are in control. Like the annual Simchas Torah concert they host for Chicago on Chol HaMoed Sukkos. It is their event.
It wasn’t always like that. When I was in elementary school in Detroit at Yeshivath Beth Yehuda – a pioneer Torah U’Mesorah school – two of my very beloved teachers there were Lubavitcher Chasidim. And Lubavitchers sent their children to that school. We were integrated. I believe that the same thing was true all around the country through most of the sixties (with the possible exception of New York where separate schools may have already existed). Lubavitch was just one type of observant Jew among many types that attended the same schools.
As they grew in number here in Chicago – and feeling that mainstream day schools and high schools did not pay sufficient attention to Chabad in general and the Rebbe in particular they started setting up their own schools which focus heavily on Chabad and the Rebbe.
Fast forward to today and we have 2 girls high schools right across the street from each other. One Lubavitch and one Beis Ya’akov. And the girls have absolutely nothing to do with each other. I don’t see that as progress. I see it as contributing to the divide between us. Year after year; class after class.
And that bothers me. Chabad’s strengths would serve all of us well If we could become more integrated. It would take a lot of tolerance on both sides. And it would take a willful and purposeful approach to doing so. And a bit of compromise. Lubavitch would have to stop being so proprietary and the rest of Orthodoxy would have to become a little more tolerant. Their efficient fundraising and organizational skills would serve Judaism as a whole much better if we could integrate and use those skills for common purpose. And integration with the rest of Orthodoxy would expand Chabad’s outreach to even greater heights combining and sharing with other non Chabad outreach groups. Making them both more effective.
I’m not saying that this is all that doable. There are certainly many obstacles. Some of which may be insurmountable. But I wish it were. Wouldn’t it be great for example if those two girls’ schools would combine? I’d love to see it. But it will probably never happen.
mendel
Nothing new under the sun. for 50 years they are jealous so they attack us hidden inside what they call a compliment.
They never could understand why we don’t beg for love from the rest of the “chareidi” world.
They want us to be like them, but we are not. we are chassidim of the Rebbe.
We have a duty and obligation to be leaders and shine the way to bring Moshiach, just as the Rebbe wanted!
Let them have their asifas, we have the Rebbe.
harry -
the divide is because of ppl like you – not from the chabad community. it is the fierce Independence that the Rebbe instilled in us that makes us so successful, and we get that from going to our schools, not bais yaakov (which i attended, btw)!
also, the yeshivish values, of learning in kollel and having parents support their children for life, is unsustainable – that’s one reason there is no money there.
Insider
I am very familiar with The Jewish Press in many capacaties. I know exactly who is responsible for gleefully publishing this op-ed. I am pretty sure that Naomi Mauer did not see it before it went in.
The above is clearly my opinion and based on prior knowledge of the paper and staff.
?
The chareidi world has long ago abandoned any support for the Jewish Press. They consider it a Modern Orthodox paper which does not reflect the Yeshivish values nor does it march to the beat of Moetzes Gedolie Hatorah. The Jewish Press has been pushed aside and replaced with Hamodia or Yated. We are the last of the ultra-religious that still buy advertising space in the Jewish Press. .It is FOOLISH of the publishers to bite the hand that feeds it.
Eli
The success of Chabad comes from the fact that we have a single point of leadership and we derive our inspiration from the Rebbe, who told us we should do this “kiruv,” or “shlichus” as we call it. If we ran around making everyone ELSE successful, we would have nothing.
Integrating other groups of Orthodoxy would absolutely not “expand Chabad’s outreach to even greater heights.” We have our model that clearly works. Why is the author so afraid of people becoming Chabad? We are very open and welcoming to all Jews, no matter the observance. All levels of Orthodoxy are welcome at Chabad’s events. I wouldn’t say the opposite is true.
bt
#1 is right on!
me
were are chasidim of the rebbe, they are not,. Period! Full stop!
Moshe
Dear Mr. Harry Maryles
US CHABAD LUBAVITCH are busy with doing good and help everyone. You continue with the Jewish lgbt groups this your only readers.
we don’t need lectures from a newspaper who brings sedom in to the Jewish home
Now They Complain
So typical. First people like this author do all they can to alienate Chabad from the rest of Orthodoxy. Take for example the way that they talk about kiruv as if it is an idea that they discovered and implemented. How often is Chabad mentioned in the Mishpacha, Hamodia or other magazines when they have articles about kiruv or talk about kiruv professionals?
#2 #1
#1 You’re a typical lubavitcher who is unable to take constructive criticism.
# 2There is a lot more money in the yesivish commuinity then in lubavitch. In addition, one does’t need to accept their way of life just because they study in their system; 20 Percent of BMG in Lakewood are Chasidishe yungerliet.
Harry Maryles From SEDOM
what else you will think about writing Mr Harry Maryles
you just finished publishing the hoax “rape” and now you start with lubavitch ?
continue the work of your non-Jewish press
with the PR for the mishkav zochurnikes
a misunderstanding
the issue really isnt that we are separate, its because they refuse to except us for who we are. harmony/achdus doesn’t mean that one becomes like the other, rather it means that we both except each other for who we are. the Rebbe actually stressed that each type of jews, wether chassidish, veltish, lubavitch, or even different types of chassidim, we each have our own mission to complete. the jewish nation is not complete without the other. a hand cant be upset at the foot for not doing what the hand needs to do. the same between jews. we except them, (or at least we are supposed to) its the “chareidi” world that doesnt except us. and the fact that we teach others the chabad way, is because we know that to be correct. besides we do tell them the diference between our customs and halacha
Menachem
Well, the reason why we are successful in Shlichus is because of the drive and passion that we have for it which comes specifically from our chinuch. Its that simple.
And we do believe we have something special that the rest of the frum community doesn’t have and that is Chabad Chassidus as expounded by the Chabad rebbeim. Teachers who learn chassidus , no doubt, impart (Perhaps subconsciously) something that is more important than the actual subject studied at hand.
to #9
I didn’t read any constructive criticism. just the same old lies about how we want to make/trick everyone who enters a chabad house unto a lubavitcher etc. As for learning in BMG,other chasidim routinely learn in misnagdishe yeshivas without any effect on their chasidishkait becuse they anyway don’t learn chasidus.
From Chicago
I know Mr. Maryles and his family well. I also know there are two Bais Yaakov high schools within walking distance of each other and there is very little interaction between them- hashkafa divides. In fact the school he supports is the school that protested vehemently when the “frummer” other Bais Yaakov opened! The principal of the Bais Yaakov he refers to, taught at Lubavitch Girls High School, and several graduates of Lubavitch elementary school attend that Bais Yaakov. The other one won’t accept Lubavitch no matter what, so I wouldn’t blame Lubavitch for that Mr. Maryles.
opinion
Knowing who Maryles is, this is about the best he’ll ever write about us. He usually rights a mild compliment and then goes for the kill. Here he doesn’t really write any major insults at us he merely implies that we want nothing to do with the rest of the frum velt. Yawn… We’d rather not mingle with those that despise us. Hence we don’t make extra effort to interact. I remember on gimmel taamuz little litvishe children slapping each other five. Where does that come from Maryles? They learn hate [from their parents] to Lubavitch from their exit of the womb.
Pinchos Woolstone
Chabad is not into Kiruv.
Kiruv presupposes that the”we” are superior to the as of yet religious.
Maybe ,they are more ethical more G-dly and more “religious”than many of “us” in the Torah observant camp.
The Rebbe may his holy merit protect us , want us to share the warmth of Torah and Mitzvos not convert anyone, because every Jew is a child of G-d.They are already home, because the whole existence is only G-dliness.
Mr.Marles,today, calling yourself “Chassidishe” may have little to being a Chosid.
Chassidus is not about wearing the right uniform, eating kigel and going the a Rebbeishe Tisch, it is a way of thinking, learning, davening and acting consistent with Shitas HaBaal Shem Tov zy”a.
insider
Whats ironic here is that Harry Maryles is a distant relative of Rabbi Wolf, the director of the chabad schools in Chicago!
Both are descendants of Reb Shimon MiYaruslav, zt”l (1758-1840)
Funny
How all of the Jewish world USE Chabad for minyanim, food, etc. when they are traveling the world! and then they have the audacity to speak against chabad???? It is disgraceful, Chabad are the only people who help EVERYONE , whether ,litvish, chassidish, yeshivish or not frum . Everyone! even non jews!
moshe from Melbourne
Thank you #15 for revealing the true facts, if not for you he could have fooled all and make one think for a minute he is sincere!.
Mr. Maryles you should be ashamed of yourself!
former detroiter
I was a student in Bais Yehuda in the 80’s. As Lubavitchers we were looked down upon. So back then WE WERE NOT integrated, like you write. We were hated by our classmates because we were Lubabs. When we had Gedolim pictures on our classroom walls the Rebbe’s picture was taken down by classmates and thrown on the floor. Mainstream judaism hated Lubavitch then and now. EXCEPT when you need Chabad in far flung corners of the world for your comfort and convenience.
serel chana maness
most people have already answer mr.m,but l’d like to add that all subjusts are taught with chassidus,so the learning is very different,as the rebbe stress how vital a chassidus education is. l became frum through a bais yacob girl,and now she lubavitch,only because l’d invited her to come to ny for simcha torah,she loved it,l had no idea,it was just a friendly visit. l had my girls in bais jacob’cause the principle and l did not get along,later they were switch to bais rivkah,the girls there called my daughter cabbage,she hated it. also the rebbe said that the kashus of the food was a question,we hold by lubavitch meat,for good reason
..............................
I was born in Lakewood. Every Misnagid is taught from the moment he is born, that he must be against and hate Chabad!!!
Just like every secular Israeli hates a religious Jew. It’s in their blood.
But when they travel around the world, the Misnagdim, the secular Jew, where do they find a warm meal on Shabbos, help in a remote country, if one of their kids get in trouble? Genuine, sincere, and available help and concern wherever they are, and whatever they need???? CHABAD !!! At the end of the road, YES, everyone will be Chabad. Chabad means serving Hashem with the maximum of your 3 intelectual ,Chochmah, Binah and Daas faculties, and your 7 emotional faculties. Each and every one of us will serve Hashem to the utmost of our intelectual and emotional capacities. And, Yes we have the most success, because we have the Brocha and Hatzlocha of the Rebbe”Rosh Benei Yisroel”. The Rosh,head gives life and vitality to the rest of the body, whether you admit it or not. Whether you are consciously aware of it or not. The Rebbe gives us energy, blessing and success to carry out our divine service. We are the hands and the feet of the Rebbe. And, yes, whoever is connected to the Rebbe is Meorrer Rachamim Rabim from the Rebbe, Freierdike Rebbe, and Rebbe Rashab. The fact that they don’t remotely begin to get it, it’s ok. We have to make sure that our fellow Chabad Lubavitchers get it, and they don’t fall to the side.
sam
We didn’t make our own Yeshivas because we were looking to create new budgets and undertakings for ourselves, we created them because ignorant rabbis pushed us away. Rabbi Boumgarten was teaching in the Yeshiva in Buenos Aires and a certain rabbi “Evicted” him and any lubavitch from the Yeshiva. so he opened a new yeshiva and that “rabbi” continued teaching hate to his youngsters and told them not to talk to the Chabad “kofrim”…
clarity seeker
Im still looking for clarity on what is considered “Mainstreem orthodoxy” and who represents it.
Is it Modern orthodox and the OU ?
Is it Satmar? if so what stamar?
is it Brisk or BMG or Telz?
the list is long and they all seem to have a few common denominators…. none of the above agree on most issues. none have genuine leadership they actually listen to win put to the test, and all of them keep changing their message and flip flopping on their platform. They are left with very little influence on the world so they resort to putting everyone else in Cheirim.
So I ask… who or what is so called “mainstream orthodoxy”?
from chicago
Of course chabad in chicago isn’t integrated w rhe rest of the community there they frikkin hate us
moshe der g
many nice answers and commentw ere written here we should copy and paste the on the jewish press website
but a look back in history in many cases reveals the eaxact opposite of what he says in many cities that lubavitch opens schools first then the y came along and sent their children there and then when they felt they had the financial backing they opened their own schools look at boston in new york in the 50 and 60s and i am sure in many other cities where the friedeiker rebbe opened achei temimim and others
the famous vurt about moshiach being a misnaged applies here they would not accept a chsidishe moshiach but we would accept anyone ..
and the final comment
it is because we raise our children in OUR schools that they learn to live the life of a lubavitcher chosid . whether they go out on shlichus or in the business world a lubavitcher is different we have a different bren for torah and mitzvos and ahavas yisroel
vdal
come on - let's compromise!
Ostracize us for generations, and as soon as you see that our way (chassidus, shlichus, ahavas yisroel) works, complain that we’re not looking to join you on YOUR terms. No thank you, we’ve been doing well until now, and we will continue until Moshiach (that scary concept. ..) comes.
Yodel
#28 is spot on, I remember in OT early 60’s when about half my classmates were not Lubavitchers (including a grandson of R’ Yaacov Kaminetzky Z”l and the grandchildren of the Naroler Rav) and as soon as they could afford they all opened their own schools and ran, the excuse being that they can’t have the children learn to daven Nusach Ari when at home it’s all different.
I witnessed the same in London some 30 years ago when Rabbi Cousins was the headmaster and they had about 300 students most of whom were not Lubavitchers, but as soon as they could they opened their own schools and Lubavitch went down to 100 students.
So my dear Mr. maryless after you bashed us up so nicely, would you suggest that we stop davening Nusach Ari so that we can join your schools? Forget the hatred and disdain that they reserve for the Lubabs as pointed out by others. Seriously, you are running out of topics with which to bash us but this one is really a lame one and pathetic too.
The reason we are so successful is because we were taught by the Rebbe to love EVERY Jew and never to feel superior to any Jew, that’s why we can relate to them and they respond in kind. You are just incapable of such behavior to other Jews, just review all your articles about Lubavitch and you’ll realize how much you have to learn to know what love is.
Maybe if you would stop bashing Lubavitch and instead you’d start learning Chassidus, starting with Tanya and going all the way to Likkutei Sichos for a good few years, maybe you’ll learn the secrets of our success, and you’ll become successful too as we’ll as becoming a happier person yourself and you’ll find no need to bash us, but instead you’ll feel fulfilled while sharing Yidishkeit with other Jews.
shlaich
ashrainu chasidim anu umaoyim chassidai chabad amayafo shluchi adonainu morainu v’rabainu
What's the big deal?
So, why is it that a problem, that Lubavitch do things their way (assuming it’s the Rebbe’s way)? Is there anything wrong with that?
Doesn’t Litvish, Satmar, Breslov, etc. have their way of doing things, AND expect their people to conform? So. why are you pickling on Chabad for being different?
In a perfect world, yes, maybe one Yeshiva should suffice for all. But just as, for example, there was a time (I don’t know if the feud has ended) Satmar had issues with Belz, would you expect someone going to Satmar to readily interact with someone from Belz, even if they are across the street form each other. Even now, you have brothers (e.g. Satmar, Bobov, Vishnitz, etc.) fighting over who should be the Rebbe. How comfortable would a follower of one brother be with a follower of the other. Unfortunate indeed, but that’s the grim reality of today’s Yiddishe world.
Yes, Chabad has a different approach, especially how we do “Kiruv” (the Lubavitcher Rebbe didn’t like that term). However, are we different in a good way or otherwise?
ridiculous
Many Chassidim have their own schools
Litvish have their own schools
This guy is poshut making it sound like Chabad is the only one with their own school
and even if we were the only ones
what does it bother him
I'm Not Wild Abour Harry
Harry Maryles is a jealous little nobody who, like the failed nobody, uses the Internet to make people think he is a somebody. He has Lubavitch relatives, albeit distant ones, and they are far more successful than he is in every possible way.
Both of the nobodies just have about two dozen hangers-on who take them seriously.
We are best off ignoring them and ignoring the Non-Jewish Mess as well.
Maryles
As much as I dislike Maryles and his blatant hate articles (this one aint so bad but he often writes ten times worse about Lubavitch), to his credit, he learns daf hayomi in the Lubavitch shul every day for decades. So he isn’t just a nobody, he is a nobody who actually knows a little bit of how to be dedicated to limud Hatorah. A Yutz he is, but a lamdan as well.
I'm Not Wild about Harry
A yutz a lamdan is much more dangerous than stam a yutz!
Harry indeed boasts of his Chabad connections, just like the anti-Semites who start off by saying: “You know, my best friend is Jewish!”
Yossel
I agree with everyone who says that non-Lubavitchers don’t accept us. Wherever Jews accept each other, there are no machlokes. It’s only when they BASH Chabad that there are problems…