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Chabad Hasidic outreach is today the biggest organised phenomena in the Kiruv world. They actively bring Jews to adopt Orthodox Jewish observance all over the world, even in the most deserted places.
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, 6th leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch branch of Hasidic Judaism, and then his successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson were responsible for turning Chabad's strength and activities toward outreach. Each in turn sent out large numbers of rabbinic emissaries, known as "Shluchim", and their wives to settle in places across the world solely for the purpose of teaching those who did not receive a Jewish education or to inspire those who did. The vehicle chosen for this was termed a "Chabad house."
Chabad has been active in reaching out to Jews through its synagogues, and various forms of more direct outreach efforts. The organization has been recognized as one of the leaders in using free holiday services to reach out across denominations.[1]
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, had a core of dedicated Hasidim who maintained underground yeshivos and mikvaos, and provided shechitah and ritual circumcision services. They served as the rabbis who jump-started the teshuvah movement and had these services in place so that the new returnees had someone whom to turn to for their religious questions and needs.
Chabad, with its dozens of Chabad Houses throughout Israel, where yeshiva programs for Israelis, Russians, French, and Americans, reach out to thousands. Followers of Chabad can be seen attending to tefillin booths at the Western Wall and Ben Gurion International Airport as well as other public places, and distribute Shabbat candles on Fridays. There are also Chabad houses in almost every location that Jews might be located, whether as permanent residents, on business, or tourists, for instance: China, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Chabad rabbis and their families were sent to teach college students, to build day schools, and to create youth camps. Most of these were geared towards their secular or less religious brethren. Additionally, unmarried rabbinical students spend weeks during the summer in locations that do not yet have a permanent Chabad presence, making housecalls, putting up mezuzot, teaching Judaism, and simply reminding people that they are Jewish. This is known as Merkos Shlichus.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson also initiated a Jewish children's movement, called Tzivos Hashem (lit. "Army [of] God"), for under bar/bat mitzvah-age children, to inspire them to increase in study of Torah and observance of mitzvot.
Rabbi Schneerson also encouraged the use of modern technology in outreach efforts such as Mitzva tanks, which are mobile homes that travel a city or country. The Chabad website, chabad.org, a pioneer of Torah, Judaism outreach on the Internet, was started by Rabbi Yosef Y. Kazen and developed by Rabbi D. Zirkind.
In addition, nearly 7,000 people visit Chabad's Ascent of Safed per year, which is a combination recreation center, Jewish youth hostel, and religious retreat that gives courses for beginners in Judaism, particularly in the mystical aspect of it.
In June 1994 Rabbi Schneerson died with no successor. Since then over a thousand couples have taken up communal leadership roles in outreach, bringing the estimated total number of "Shluchim" to three thousand worldwide.
References
- ^ Fishkoff, Sue. "‘Praying without paying’ becoming a more popular option among shuls", Texas Jewish Post. Accessed September 22, 2007. "Many people credit Chabad-Lubavitch with spearheading the movement for free holiday services across the denominational spectrum."
| This article is part of the Jewish outreach series. |
Orthodox outreach
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| Conservative outreach |
| Reform outreach |
| Conversion |
| Baal teshuva movement |
| Aliyah |
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