Prejudices against Chabad (Lubavitch)

The "Zemach Zedek" Chabad Synagogue in Jerusalem's Old City

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B”H 

Especially German Jews look at Chabad (Lubavitch) with very mixed feelings. The chassidic group is mainly seen as “Every Chabadnik is a Meshichist”. This is the usual propaganda of Orthodox communities in Germany and I have to add that those Orthodox Rabbis aver very afraid that Chabad may take over the show and snatch away their sheep. 

Many people, and not only in Germany, don’t bother with research on Chabad in order to achieve a few deeper insights. Let alone what Chabad Chassides really means and stands for. How Chabad sees Zaddik (righteous person) and any further chassidic aspect. What various people do think about Chabad is that the group is very open. Not to say “modern”. “Hey, any Chabadnik invited me in for a Shabbat meal and the atmosphere was open – minded. No pressure and telling me what to do like in other chassidic groups. Chabad just accepts any Jews no matter what his background is. Some Israeli Chabadnikim even join the army, so the group must be open – minded and tolerant and not as strict as other group"s. 

I have already mentioned a couple of times that Chabad is extremely anti – Zionist. A fact, not too many people are aware of. The Israeli members don’t celebrate the countries annual Independence Day but rather the “Day of the Bones”.  How come that despite all this anti – Zionism various Israeli Chabadniks can joing the army ? 

A Chabad Rabbi from Zfat told me that the groups does keep the laws of the countries the members live in and this is why some Chabadnikim can be found in the Israeli army. And, of course, the aspect of maybe influencing some Jews to the world of Mitzvot, is also playing a role. The group doesn’t publically make too many statements regarding its extreme anti – Zionist views and thus, many Jews don’t know about it at all. However, Chabad can be as anti – Zionist as Satmar. In certain aspects, at least. 

Today, one has to differentiate between the original “old” Chabadnikim who have been members for generations and those called “newcomers joining the Chassidut”. Nevertheless, I assume that also the Ba’alei Teshuva Shlichim within Chabad follow the group’s strict ideology. Chabad likes to help all Jews. JEWS and not Reform converts or Gentiles although the group is very active in the Bnei Noach (Noachide) world. 

Another ideology Chabad doesn’t like to mention publically is their viewpoint regarding the Holocaust. Already the Satmarer Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum as well as the later founder of Chassidut Toldot Aharon, Rabbi Aharon Roth, claimed that the Zionist idea played a part in the Holocaust, as G – d was "punishing" the Jews. 

There have been many misconceptions about Chabad and, unfortunately, people mainly concentrate on the Meshiach concept when criticising the Lubavitcher. In order to understand Chabad, you have to fight your way through a vast amount of literature on the group. Its history as well as its chassidic content. What I also learned is that writing about Chabad is extremely complicated, as the group’s history is anything but easy to understand. It takes years to find out what is going on and why it is happening this way. 

Links:

"The Rebbe is alive" - Psychological Aspects of Chabad Messianism

The anti - Zionism of Chabad