This is a fascinating back-and-forth, but Tzemach, you are missing something fundamental but obvious.
Chabad feels the need to serve *all* Jews, wherever they live and whatever level of tradition they maintain. To think Chabad will die out is ridiculous - there’s a reason it’s only grown larger and more vibrant in the last few decades. A large chunk of that reason how mission-oriented Lubavitchers are.
Bringing this back to Russia:
Do you want Russian Jewry to thrive? If yes, then thank Chabad for what it’s done. Whatever personal vendetta you have against Lazar - it’s hard to argue with the numbers. Russian Jewry would’ve *never* woken from it’s slumber if not for the Shluchim.
That being said, do you want an *alternative* to Chabad? I.e, someone like R Goldschmidt who would do the same work as Lazar, just from a diff org? Fine. But he left.
You could say that it’s acceptable that he jumped ship, as a) Russian Jewry isn’t traditional (i.e. not worth serving?) and b) the traditional segments should be encouraged to leave. Sure. In the meantime, Chabad’s there, making sure the Yidden know they’re Yidden.
They don’t have their heads in the clouds. The Shluchim understand that if you want to save Judaism, you help everyone, and you help them now. And that’s been *working*, at least better than any solution - better, complaint - that you’ve put forth.
The point is - Moshiach should come now!
P.S.
Perhaps I misunderstood your take on Chabad in Russia. Sometimes you are mikatzer in your analyses, so I possibly am missing something fundamental. If so, please respond.
P.P.S.
However I may have sounded in this rant, I absolutely love this blog, both for it’s wealth of research & information, but also for your perspectives & ideas. Truly.
I *especially* enjoy your article on the Repker Rov & co. - as a descendent of RSZS.
Hi Menachem, imagine you are an army general. With limited resources. You would first attack Jewish cities with large Jewish population, build schools. Instead, Chabad is ineffective in the larger Jewish cities. Take a city like Boston, where I live, as an example. On the other hand, there are many, many examples in Africa, Russian, etc. They send shluchim to infinite numbers of towns and villages with the only requirement that there is a parnosa for shilyach, not if there is a benefit to saving the Jewish people. Chahad benefits by draining the leftover Jewish money, they stake a claim in the real estate of the dying communities. Often there is no or little benefit for the communities.
How about the late Chief rabbi Saks resigning mumbling about a disaster to his community and moving on to a academic career at Harvard.Sounds good ? Well that his what Goldschmidt did and with that he sealed the end of a possible non Lubavitch community in Russia I think Chabad will end to but you forget there will always be Jews in Russia and after the dust clears out Hamas loving Reform rabbis will take over.
This is a general picture. Areas with no Jews are over-servised. Areas with many Jews under-serviced. True in Russia and elsewhere. In 95% of towns in Russia, like in 95% of towns in the USA there is no need for Chabad.
Frankly how well does someone who left Russia over 25years ago really know conditions there.
Even under Nazi control most rabbis did not take a plane to England like Rabbis Leo Back,Josef Carlebach who remained with their communities in NAZI GERMANY,Rav Shapiro of Kovno who returned to Kovno from Switzerland but Rabbi Goldschmidt in Putin's Russia must leave Your statements without evidence are just that your opinion.
I bet you know very little about history of Judaism and Rabbinate in Russia from 1918-1990 just a hunch.
Rabbi Schleiffer was in Paris in 1946 and again in early 1950s Rabbi Levin was in NYC in 1967 and many urged him not to return.
By the way some semi official rabbis did leave USSR prior to 1990 most famously Rabbi Twersky of Moscow Rabbi Shapiro of Derbent Rabbi Burnbaum of cernauti and others These men were not communal leaders but religious functionaries.
Why was it laudable for Rabbi G to leave his community you never explained that but like much of what you say it's a diktat from you no explaination needed,of course several years ago none other than you attacked rebbe's for leaving the Nazi hell after 1939 !
You are missing the key point. All these rabbis were serving the traditional communities. Hardly a halachic Jew left in many towns served by Chabad in Russia. If they are, they should be encouraged to go to Israel. So are the schools that they built. It's smoke and mirrors. You do not take this into account.
I can't tell you who should stay and who should go.
There are still some traditional Jews in Moscow.
Many of these are Georgian and Bulgarian Jews who moved to Moscow after USSR fell apart.
Clearly these people need rabbinic leadership. Most chose to affiliate with Choral Syn of which R.Goldschmidt say in the Mizrachi as Rav.
So one day he picks up and leaves not telling anyone.
He himself and his fashionable daughter in law did not go to Israel but to NEW YORK'S gold coast where they can feast on expensive kasha.
This is leadership??!!
I fail to understand why you can't criticize him except that your hatred of Lazar distorted your thinking.
A rabbi of a large community who traffic's in community affairs like Mr G has responsibilities but this guy felt aunconfortable so he exits and leaves his community in place.
All ??Did you count them Cmon get off your high horse and concede that Goldschmidt acted like the scared opportunist he apparently is. In this instance Lazars behavior was better.
Pray tell me why MrG could not stay in Russia and adopt an independent line.
I have yet to read of any Rabbi in Russia detained since 1990.
Of course in Russia community leaders are to be praised for deserting their communities unlike Poland,Lithuania,Rumania ,Hungary and pre Israel Palestine,Russia is sui generis rabbis should abandon their communities
I wonder if you know that men like Rabbis Schleiffer and Levin of Moscow in worse times than now DID NOT LEAVE USSR ,even though they could .
After 1990 the Modern no Orthodox world ie.YU OU,RCAtalked but failed to act very few rabbis from this community settled in Russia.
The yeshiva world was not much better
Only Stolin Karlin reacted.Hence Lazar Inc had a wide open arena.
Goldschmidt abandoned ship.He claimed he was a leader but what captain leaves a sinking ship while passengers are still on board.Probably one who had his eye on greater things like chief rabbis of Israel or Rabbi of Park East syn.
Rav Meir Simcha the Or Sameach refused to leave war torn Dvinsk during WWI as long as 10 Jews remained
Rabbi Rubinstein refused to leave Vilna at same time.
Goldschmidt should have stayed and shown courage against Putin but decided that it was nicer to live in West Europe
That's why I am restrained in critic against Chief rabbis Lazar.
This is a fascinating back-and-forth, but Tzemach, you are missing something fundamental but obvious.
Chabad feels the need to serve *all* Jews, wherever they live and whatever level of tradition they maintain. To think Chabad will die out is ridiculous - there’s a reason it’s only grown larger and more vibrant in the last few decades. A large chunk of that reason how mission-oriented Lubavitchers are.
Bringing this back to Russia:
Do you want Russian Jewry to thrive? If yes, then thank Chabad for what it’s done. Whatever personal vendetta you have against Lazar - it’s hard to argue with the numbers. Russian Jewry would’ve *never* woken from it’s slumber if not for the Shluchim.
That being said, do you want an *alternative* to Chabad? I.e, someone like R Goldschmidt who would do the same work as Lazar, just from a diff org? Fine. But he left.
You could say that it’s acceptable that he jumped ship, as a) Russian Jewry isn’t traditional (i.e. not worth serving?) and b) the traditional segments should be encouraged to leave. Sure. In the meantime, Chabad’s there, making sure the Yidden know they’re Yidden.
They don’t have their heads in the clouds. The Shluchim understand that if you want to save Judaism, you help everyone, and you help them now. And that’s been *working*, at least better than any solution - better, complaint - that you’ve put forth.
The point is - Moshiach should come now!
P.S.
Perhaps I misunderstood your take on Chabad in Russia. Sometimes you are mikatzer in your analyses, so I possibly am missing something fundamental. If so, please respond.
P.P.S.
However I may have sounded in this rant, I absolutely love this blog, both for it’s wealth of research & information, but also for your perspectives & ideas. Truly.
I *especially* enjoy your article on the Repker Rov & co. - as a descendent of RSZS.
Thank you
Hi Menachem, imagine you are an army general. With limited resources. You would first attack Jewish cities with large Jewish population, build schools. Instead, Chabad is ineffective in the larger Jewish cities. Take a city like Boston, where I live, as an example. On the other hand, there are many, many examples in Africa, Russian, etc. They send shluchim to infinite numbers of towns and villages with the only requirement that there is a parnosa for shilyach, not if there is a benefit to saving the Jewish people. Chahad benefits by draining the leftover Jewish money, they stake a claim in the real estate of the dying communities. Often there is no or little benefit for the communities.
All under slogans that you yourself mentioned.
*articles (plural)
Eventually Chabad 2.0 Russia will be History.
Situation is complex,don't blame Lazar completely. There are still lots of Jews there and I suspect rabbis are needed.
Right now our issues are War and Anti semitism stirred up by Muslims and liberal Jews in US.
Lazar like Putin destroyed all competition. And now he is about to find out how it tastes.
I had many edits to this post. It happened on Nov. 4th, not Nov 7th. Among many changes. I think it is correct now.
How about the late Chief rabbi Saks resigning mumbling about a disaster to his community and moving on to a academic career at Harvard.Sounds good ? Well that his what Goldschmidt did and with that he sealed the end of a possible non Lubavitch community in Russia I think Chabad will end to but you forget there will always be Jews in Russia and after the dust clears out Hamas loving Reform rabbis will take over.
This is a general picture. Areas with no Jews are over-servised. Areas with many Jews under-serviced. True in Russia and elsewhere. In 95% of towns in Russia, like in 95% of towns in the USA there is no need for Chabad.
Frankly how well does someone who left Russia over 25years ago really know conditions there.
Even under Nazi control most rabbis did not take a plane to England like Rabbis Leo Back,Josef Carlebach who remained with their communities in NAZI GERMANY,Rav Shapiro of Kovno who returned to Kovno from Switzerland but Rabbi Goldschmidt in Putin's Russia must leave Your statements without evidence are just that your opinion.
I bet you know very little about history of Judaism and Rabbinate in Russia from 1918-1990 just a hunch.
Rabbi Schleiffer was in Paris in 1946 and again in early 1950s Rabbi Levin was in NYC in 1967 and many urged him not to return.
By the way some semi official rabbis did leave USSR prior to 1990 most famously Rabbi Twersky of Moscow Rabbi Shapiro of Derbent Rabbi Burnbaum of cernauti and others These men were not communal leaders but religious functionaries.
Why was it laudable for Rabbi G to leave his community you never explained that but like much of what you say it's a diktat from you no explaination needed,of course several years ago none other than you attacked rebbe's for leaving the Nazi hell after 1939 !
You are missing the key point. All these rabbis were serving the traditional communities. Hardly a halachic Jew left in many towns served by Chabad in Russia. If they are, they should be encouraged to go to Israel. So are the schools that they built. It's smoke and mirrors. You do not take this into account.
I can't tell you who should stay and who should go.
There are still some traditional Jews in Moscow.
Many of these are Georgian and Bulgarian Jews who moved to Moscow after USSR fell apart.
Clearly these people need rabbinic leadership. Most chose to affiliate with Choral Syn of which R.Goldschmidt say in the Mizrachi as Rav.
So one day he picks up and leaves not telling anyone.
He himself and his fashionable daughter in law did not go to Israel but to NEW YORK'S gold coast where they can feast on expensive kasha.
This is leadership??!!
I fail to understand why you can't criticize him except that your hatred of Lazar distorted your thinking.
A rabbi of a large community who traffic's in community affairs like Mr G has responsibilities but this guy felt aunconfortable so he exits and leaves his community in place.
Bukharian Jews
They are all in Queens.
All ??Did you count them Cmon get off your high horse and concede that Goldschmidt acted like the scared opportunist he apparently is. In this instance Lazars behavior was better.
Pray tell me why MrG could not stay in Russia and adopt an independent line.
I have yet to read of any Rabbi in Russia detained since 1990.
Of course in Russia community leaders are to be praised for deserting their communities unlike Poland,Lithuania,Rumania ,Hungary and pre Israel Palestine,Russia is sui generis rabbis should abandon their communities
I wonder if you know that men like Rabbis Schleiffer and Levin of Moscow in worse times than now DID NOT LEAVE USSR ,even though they could .
Show how much you know about Russia, for Schleiffer and Levin this wasn't even a possibility.
Competition in fact never existed.
After 1990 the Modern no Orthodox world ie.YU OU,RCAtalked but failed to act very few rabbis from this community settled in Russia.
The yeshiva world was not much better
Only Stolin Karlin reacted.Hence Lazar Inc had a wide open arena.
Goldschmidt abandoned ship.He claimed he was a leader but what captain leaves a sinking ship while passengers are still on board.Probably one who had his eye on greater things like chief rabbis of Israel or Rabbi of Park East syn.
Rav Meir Simcha the Or Sameach refused to leave war torn Dvinsk during WWI as long as 10 Jews remained
Rabbi Rubinstein refused to leave Vilna at same time.
Goldschmidt should have stayed and shown courage against Putin but decided that it was nicer to live in West Europe
That's why I am restrained in critic against Chief rabbis Lazar.
You do not understand the situation in Russia, To invoke Vilno, Dvinsk, Romania, just underlines this point.