43 Facts About Chabad

1.

Chabad, known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch, is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty.

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2.

Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities.

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3.

Unlike most Haredi groups, which are self-segregating, Chabad operates mainly in the wider world and caters to secularized Jews.

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4.

Chabad transformed the movement into one of the most widespread Jewish movements in the world today.

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5.

Under his leadership, Chabad established a large network of institutions that seek to satisfy religious, social and humanitarian needs across the world.

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6.

Chabad institutions provide outreach to unaffiliated Jews and humanitarian aid, as well as religious, cultural and educational activities.

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7.

Messianic ideology in Chabad sparked controversy in various Jewish communities and is still an unresolved matter.

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8.

The total number of Chabad households is estimated to be between 16,000 and 17,000.

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9.

The number of those who sporadically or regularly attend Chabad events is far larger; in 2005 the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs reported that up to one million Jews attend Chabad services at least once a year.

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10.

Chabad movement was established after the First Partition of Poland in the town of Liozno, Pskov Governorate, Russian Empire, in 1775, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, a student of Rabbi Dovber ben Avraham, the "Maggid of Mezritch", the successor to Hasidism's founder, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov.

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11.

Chabad movement has been led by a succession of Hasidic rebbes.

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12.

The Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berel Lazar, a Chabad emissary, maintains warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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13.

Chabad philosophy is rooted in the teachings of Rabbis Yisroel ben Eliezer, and Dovber ben Avraham, the "Maggid of Mezritch".

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14.

Chabad often contrasted itself with what is termed the Chagat schools of Hasidism.

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15.

Shneur Zalman, on the other hand, taught that the emotions must be led by the mind, and thus the focus of Chabad thought was to be Torah study and prayer rather than esotericism and song.

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16.

Chabad adherents were often reported to number some 200,000 persons.

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17.

Some Chabad communities are now a mix of Ashkenazi and Sephardi Chabad Hasidim.

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18.

Chabad adherents follow Chabad traditions and prayer services based on Lurianic Kabbalah.

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19.

General Chabad customs, called, distinguish the movement from other Hasidic groups.

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20.

Some main Chabad customs are minor practices performed on traditional Jewish holidays:.

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21.

Major holidays include the liberation dates of the leaders of the movement, the rebbes of Chabad, others corresponded to the leaders' birthdays, anniversaries of death, and other life events.

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22.

The educational, outreach and social services arms, Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch and Machneh Israel are headed by Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, as well as the Chabad-Lubavitch publishing house, Kehot Publication Society.

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23.

The number of Chabad centers vary per country; the majority are in the United States and Israel.

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24.

In total, according to its directory, Chabad maintains a presence in 950 cities around the world: 178 in Europe, 14 in Africa, 200 in Israel, 400 in North America, 38 in South America, and about 70 in Asia.

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25.

Chabad house is a form of Jewish community center, primarily serving both educational and observance purposes.

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26.

The term "Chabad House" originated with the creation of the first such outreach center on the campus of UCLA by Rabbi Shlomo Cunin.

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27.

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 distributing Shabbat candles on Fridays.

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28.

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 and teaching about Judaism.

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29.

Chabad movement has been involved in numerous activities in contemporary Jewish life.

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30.

Chabad outreach includes activities promoting the practice of Jewish commandments, as well as other forms of Jewish outreach.

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31.

Chabad has been active in reaching out to Jews through its synagogues, and various forms of more direct outreach efforts.

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32.

Rebbes of Chabad have issued the call to all Jews to attract non-observant Jews to adopt Orthodox Jewish observance, teaching that this activity is part of the process of bringing the Messiah.

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33.

Chabad wrote on the responsibility to reach out to teach every fellow Jew with love, and implored that all Jews believe in the imminent coming of the as explained by Maimonides.

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34.

Chabad argued that redemption was predicated on Jews doing good deeds, and that gentiles should be educated about the Noahide Laws.

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35.

Chabad movement, motivated by Schneerson, has trained and ordained thousands of rabbis, educators, ritual slaughterers, and ritual circumcisers, who are then accompanied by their spouses to many locations around the world.

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36.

Mitzvah tank is a vehicle used by Chabad members involved in outreach as a portable "educational and outreach center" and "mini-synagogue".

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37.

In recent years, Chabad has greatly expanded its outreach on university and college campuses.

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38.

Under Kehot Publication Society, Chabad's main publishing house, Jewish literature has been translated into 12 different languages.

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39.

Chabad movement publishes a wealth of Jewish material on the internet.

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40.

Chabad has set up an extensive network of camps around the world, most using the name Gan Israel, a name chosen by Schneerson although the first overnight camp was the girls division called Camp Emunah.

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41.

Chabad maintained that as a matter of Jewish law, any territorial concession on Israel's part would endanger the lives of all Jews in the Land of Israel, and is therefore forbidden.

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42.

Chabad insisted that even discussing the possibility of such concessions showed weakness, would encourage Arab attacks, and therefore endanger Jewish lives.

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43.

Chabad called for the introduction of a moment of silence at the beginning of the school day, and for students to be encouraged to use this time for such improving thoughts or prayers as their parents might suggest.

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