Is
it a synagogue, a school, or an outreach organization? Does it service
the observant or the non-observant Jewish community? Who are the people
at Chabad?
These and similar questions are constantly asked
about Chabad. Many voice these questions verbally, while others ponder
about it and remain uncertain - is Chabad for my family and for me?
First
of all, some definitions: Chabad is synonymous with Lubavitch. Chabad
describes the philosophy of the movement, whereas Lubavitch is the name
of the town in Russia where the Chabad Rebbes lived and taught for 102
years. Chabad is an acronym for three Hebrew words - Chochmah, Binah,
and Daas - wisdom, understanding and knowledge.
This acronym
signifies the philosophy of the movement, which states that in addition
to serving G-d through joy, simple faith, trust, and sincerity, one must
try, in accordance with ones abilities, to know G-d through
intellectual comprehension, thus generating feelings of love and fear of
G-d. Chabad philosophy expounds rationally the profound mystical
concepts of G-d, Torah, and Israel.
Chabad-Lubavitch Chasidism
is guided by the renowned leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the
Lubavitcher Rebbe. He is the teacher and mentor of countless Jews
throughout the world. It is with his direction that so much has been
accomplished in reaching out to Jews. It would take volumes to describe
the scope of his activities and what Chabad-Lubavitch under his
leadership and inspiration has accomplished over the past 50 years.
Suffice to say that he is the one person, more so than any other
individual, that has stirred the consciousness of millions of Jews.
The
Rebbe sends Shluchim (emissaries) to all parts of the world to provide
the Jewish community with its spiritual needs. Commonly known as Chabad
Houses, or Chabad Centers, these spiritual outposts are beacons of light
to their community and serve as a focal point for activities dedicated
to the spiritual welfare of its community.
Chabad maintains
local offices and representatives in almost every country and major city
around the globe. There is hardly a Jewish community the world over
which has not been affected directly or indirectly by Chabad. Placing
stress on education and Jewish welfare it has, as part of its mandate,
organized a network of schools and social centers throughout the world.
These include: day schools, vocational schools, Mommy & me and Hebrew
schools hundreds of Chabad Houses and Chabad Centers, Peace-Corps
programs, programs for orphans, widows, prisons, and drug addicts,
settlements and education for Soviet Jewry, Mitzvah Campaigns,
Synagogues, Mikvahs and much more.
Many young talented couples
have made it their life to help other Jews. In this path, Rabbi Shloime
& Chanie Ezagui established the Chabad Center in Northern Central
Palm Beach County in 1987.
In light of the above, we can say
that Chabad is a movement, a philosophy, an ideal, and an organization.
Each Chabad Center is part of the same movement and shares the same
philosophy. They differ only depending on the need of the respective
communities.
There are no prerequisites for getting involved
with Chabad. Whether one is affiliated with a synagogue or not, whether
one has much Jewish background or none, one is always welcome to try one
or all of our programs. You do not have to be a member at Chabad, you
do not even have to agree with everything Chabad says or does - you just
have to be Jewish - and you automatically belong.
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LUBAVITCH
Lubavitch,
although only the name of a town, signifies the philosophy of Chabad as
well. Lubavitch means City of Love, and aptly describes the most
renowned feature of the Chabad movement - its love and concern for the
material and spiritual welfare of every Jew. It is the primary
motivation for the phenomena of Chabad activities, which carries its
followers to the far corners of the earth in search of helping another
Jew.
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A JEW IS A JEW
Chabad
does not recognize the labels of Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform. A
Jew is a Jew is a Jew - period. We have gotten too carried away with the
adjectives - the noun is universal - Jew. We have one Torah, we are one
People, and we have one G-d. Chabad endeavors to bring unity among the
Jewish community through our common bond of Jewish faith and observance.
Chabad Lubavitch is by far the largest Outreach Humanitarian Jewish
Organization in the world.