The Mayonei Yisroel network, which began as a program for Chassidus study, has morphed into a growing community. Last week, they achieved a new milestone when they installed rabbonim in their centers across Eretz Yisroel.
By Anash.org writer
The last two decades have seen the ball of Chabad Chassidus spiral out of Lubavitch’s court. Yidden from all walks of Jewish life are seriously studying Chassidus without any connection to Chabad as a community or a culture. The positive side of this development needs no elaboration, nor does the disadvantage of forfeiting a connection to the Rebbe and not experiencing Chassidus as a lifestyle. What should be of particular interest is why this phenomenon is occurring.
Undoubtedly, one contributing factor is people’s natural reluctance to create upheaval and make major changes to their lives. Chabad has a mentality, culture, and minhagim which is different from other forms of Jewish life, be it Litvish, Modern Orthodox, or Chassidish.
However, the explosive growth in the number of those outside Chabad who study Chassidus has led to a grassroots movement of such individuals who seek comradery and guidance without having to relinquish what they are used to. The umbrella organization spearheading the institutionalization of this hodgepodge of idealistic iconoclasts is named Mayonei Yisroel.
This is no longer an organization that arranges shiurim or chavrusas in Chassidus. It is a network of shuls and kollelim in ten chareidi cities in Eretz Yisrael, with sporadic national events for men and women. R’ Zalman Gopin and R’ Chaim Sholom Deitsch serve as head mashpi’im, but a homegrown cadre of their own products deliver shiurim and farbrengens on a regular basis.
Last week another milestone solidifying Mayonei Yisroel into a full-blown community was a celebration installing rabbonim in several of the shtiblach around Eretz Yisroel. The Rabbonim recently completed a shimush course organized by Mayonei Yisroel under the guidance of the rov of Mayonei Yisroel in Yerusholayim and renowned posek Harav Yekusiel Farkash. Understanding that communities need leadership and rabbonim, the national leadership of Mayonei Yisroel recruited appropriate candidates from among the roshei kollelim and sponsored their shimush.
With all due respect, I do not believe they are forfeiting a connection with the Rebbe, in fact I think they developed a relationship that we should wish to have! Just because they haven’t become complete lubavitchers?! How much have they changed from they way they were brought up and how much have we, to the way the Rebbe expects of us? I believe we should only look at them in admiration!
On a aside, if it’s about the levush, I believe the Rebbe specifically wanted poilisher chassidim to keep the levush, I think to inspire others of their group,that chassidus should be נחלת הכלל not just for lubavitchers, isn’t that what יפוצו מעיינותיך חוצה is all about?!
It depends who you’re talking about not forfeiting a connection to the Rebbe. Regarding the members of Mayonie Yisroel I would agree. They learn the Rebbe’s Torah and arrange trips to the Ohel etc.
But what about groups like R’ Menachem Ehrlangers chaburah. They are seemingly anti dor hashvi’yi. Is it wonderful that they learn the maamorim of the Rabe’im? Yes, definitely. But are they forfeiting? Also yes.
How about R’ Sheinberger’s group? Or R’ Kluger? This is by no means a monolithic movement.
if its right what your saying then why do they need a own network, they should each stay where they are and let it become a נחלת הכלל by staying where they are and not becoming they’re own so called “chassidus”??
One of the reasons Mayonei developed is because yungerleit were pushed out of their kehillos. Remember when the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Beit Shemesh expelled all the Mayonei children from his cheder. Social pressure is much stronger in some polisher kehillos. If you don’t toe the line you’re ostracized. In such cases, Mayonei serves as an alternative.
But in friendlier groups like Boyan, Machnovk, Dushinsky you are correct. Yungerleit can remain where they are and learn Chassidus. They even have kollelim for Chassidus under their own rubric.
could be the reason vizhintz and others expelled the kids is due to the fact the they are part of a diffrend so called “Chassidus”? maybe if the whole place wouldn’t become what it is now and would stay on the course of its original founders they would never throw out any kids cause its not a chassidus with shuls rather only shiurim…
Or it could be that there are kanoim who are anti Chabad, which is the more likely scenario. A few years ago there was an asifa against Mayonie where the Mishkanos Haroim Rebbe spoke (or was his brother the Porisover) and others about the dangers of Chabad and the risks of a slippery slope etc.
Certain parts of the Chassidishe and Litvish crowd who would oppose a person learning Chabad Chassidus on his own in private, for ideological reasons or for the understandable fear of the person taking it further. What is to be gained in denying that fact?