Thursday, July 12, 2007

Chabad Budapest Conference


Shturem

For some reason Lubavitch today is galvanized and polarized like no other group. I can probably figure it out. In other circles if the differences are so great that they cannot possibly be reconciled, then another group is formed, and each guy finds himself in one of those two, and never the two shall meet. In Lubavitch everybody just sits in the same shuls, and in the same schools, and very often can't stand half the people he has to be with, and no good comes from that. The same goes for anything accomplished or attempted in Lubavitch today. Half the people will the look at the Rov or Shliach or Askan involved in this program and immediately denounce him as having ulterior motives, or doing it for publicity etc. These losers, mostly unemployed and disgruntled, put even the biggest Snags to shame with their constant bashing, and are an embarrassment to the cause. This comes to mind when reading some of the comments posted to this story featured on COL:

There was an Asifas HoRabbonim in Budapest this week, organized by Rabbi Berel Lazar of Russia. Many of the Choshuvste Rabbonim in Chabad today, some of them Z'keynim, attended a conference that dealt with many of the problems prevalent in Lubavitch today, are there are many, just like there are in other circles. Chabad does have it's own, unique problems, since it is spread out over the world and interacts with all elements of society. There are consequences to living life like that, even if we think that it's all on the "Rebbe's Pleytzes." The conference was hold behind closed doors, with no access to any press or cameras. This is a major Chiddush in Chabad these days when every sneeze by a Shliach gets eternalized by the camera, and a conference such as this would've had non-stop coverage had it happened at any other time. The only picture they have so far is of the exterior of the hotel where it took place, which probably means that there was no preferential treatment shown to shvitzers and such, and that it was strictly Rabbonim present.


(an article in the Hebrew Mishpachah)

According to Shturem these are some of the issues discussed there:

1) Strengthening the achdus between members of Anash (Lubavitch) so that people who live together should actually like each other. Sounds like a good idea. I mean why be in the same group if you can't stand the sight of each other, right? and besides, this is supposedly the reason why so many calamities befall our communities, and who wouldn't want to try and stop them from happening in the first place!

2) Strengthening the connection between Rabbonim and members of their respective communities; that Rabbonim have more of a say in what goes in their communities, (which is sad if that's already not the case) and that they show more of an interest in both the spiritual and material needs of their constituents. That may sound like a power struggle for some of you paranoid freaks out there, but it sounds good to me. After all, if the Rov gets you to come learn, and if he helps you out in times of need, then you're just about covered.

3) Increasing Shiurei Torah in all communities and encouraging the Kehillah members to join in these shiurim. No complaints here, unless you just don't like it when learning's going on.

There are more, and you can see them for yourselves.

So where's the problem, you ask? it's this. Looking at some of the comments made at COL I sit and I wonder why anyone would comment like that, but it happens every time somebody tries to do something. Many laughingly point and say that it was a failure, and that not all Rabbonim showed up, or that many were not invited. Other, fools that they are, say that the Rebbe once denied the request for such an Asifah, so for all times from then on no meeting of Rabbonim may EVER take place. Yet others will say the real reason this Asifah was called was because RBL is afraid that Putin will lose the next election, and wants to consolidate power within Lubavitch, since he'll lose the title of Chief Rabbi once Putin gets voted out. There's also the Seforim, the Libraries still being held by the Russian authorities, and the Jacksonwhatever amendment/rule/proposition, and that Putin told Lazar to gather the Rabbonim so that they stop botheirng him about returning the Seforim!

The message from the Tzig is clear and unambiguous: You guys making those comments need to either get a life or leave Lubavitch, because next to Meshichism it's you that hinders any progress, and who destroy any good that's being done. You'll eventually bring us all down.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

HT,

Why is Chabad different (or why should they be different) from Breslove, which has one deceased Rebbe and a number of different groups, both normal and not so normal etc. We can have Misechist Lubavitcher, Avodah Zorah Lubavitcher (Elokostim), and normal Lubavitchers, all setting up their own shuls, schools etc.

Anonymous said...

Twisty, believe me, that is on the way to happening (the avoda zara/insane group isn't large enough to form a minyan yet, let alone a school).

Tzig, this conference is so unuseful that no one bothered protesting, no one inquired into what was decided, and no one will follow up on it. Who cares? It reads like fiction to me, and I reacted to it as such. There is no real difference whether this conference happened or not.

It is the equivalent of the Manhattan Project being convened to issue a list of suggestions on how to reorganize Nazi Germany, instead of building an atom bomb.