Chabad

When I noticed on the syllabus we would be speaking about Chabad during the class, I was excited. In the past few years, I have heard much about the growth in the Chabad movement, and it's nitch within the Jewish world. I grew up in a conservative Jewish community, yet I would say I am more aware of beliefs according to the Lubavitch than Conservative Judaism.

Therefore, I wasn't surprised to hear the current state of Chabad in Sue Fishkoff's "From Brooklyn to your Living Room", "The Jews who attend their prayer services, who show up for Channukah parties and Torah classes, and who end up giving them money, are not Lubavitchers. Most are not even Orthodox. For the most part, they are non-observant or even unaffiliated Jews[...]who are responding to something in the Chabad message" (11). I have personally seen this change in Chabad. In the past two years, my mother(a non-observing Jew for 48 years) has become extremely involved in our local Chabad house in Pittsburgh, PA. Three years ago, she went through difficult brain surgery to remove a benign tumor. The recovery was rather difficult on a physical, but also on a mental level. As the removal of a tumor is a rather serious life obstacle, she began to look into spirituality. She spoke with our Rabbi at our Conservative Synagogue, and while he is a great leader in the community, she did not feel a strong connection. At this point she discovered Chabad. She completely re-connected with Judaism as she saw it with a new light. Through the help of a Chabad Rabbi, she discovered the beauty in Judaism, and how much of an impact it can have on us. She began taking weekly JLI(Jewish Learning Institute) classes, and has since taken on a leadership role within Chabad to increase the JLI program and learning within the community.

Upon looking at www.chabad.org, i realized that the site's purpose is for someone more 'on the outside' of Chabad, having no prior knowledge. The site isn't intended for Chabad Rabbis or those living in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. Rather it is for someone like me know if trying to learn more about Chabad, or someone with no prior knowledge. In this sense I find it extremely informative, unlike other Jewish websites, as it actually provides information to what the Chabad movement believes in. The first five tabs on the left include all subjects that Chabad has opinions on, from daily life, divorce, holidays, Kashrut and Israel.