From the Anash.org inbox: If someone wants to open a Chabad House in a space you’re not using, physically or spiritually, why say no? Why not guide, support, and celebrate? Why not make room for more people to serve Hashem?
By a Lubavitcher chossid
I’m writing this not as a complaint, but as a cry. A cry for clarity, for honesty, and for a return to the essence of what shlichus is truly meant to be.
Recently, I attempted to explore the possibility of starting a small Chabad presence in a quiet, underserved area. It wasn’t some grand campaign, and it certainly wasn’t about stepping on anyone’s toes. It was simply a desire to bring light to a pocket of Yidden who aren’t being reached regularly, who may not even know there’s a Yid next door. But what I ran into wasn’t discussion, wasn’t cooperation, and certainly wasn’t ahavas Yisroel. What I encountered was a wall, thick with politics, fear, and turf protection.
It seems that in some communities, “territory” has become a goal in itself.
There are shluchim who will block any attempt to start something within miles of their area, not because they’re servicing that space, but because “two of their people” live near there. Forget the fact that a new shliach might build something beautiful in an area that otherwise would remain untouched. Forget the fact that there are thousands of unaffiliated Jews sitting in condos or neighborhoods who aren’t being reached consistently, if at all. If one shliach has two Yidden who drive 20 minutes to his Chabad House, then apparently no one else is allowed to come near.
This mindset is backwards.
Shlichus is not a business. It’s not real estate. It’s not brand control. Shlichus is about neshamos. Every soul matters. And if a new couple is ready to dedicate their life to inspiring Jews, why are we slamming doors shut over lines on a map?
Yes, parnassa should be protected. No one is suggesting that an existing shliach’s financial security should be compromised. That’s why there are guidelines, coordination, and hashgacha. But when the main concern becomes “those two donors might like the new guy more,” we’ve drifted far from the Rebbe’s vision.
The Rebbe sent shluchim to bring Yiddishkeit to every Jew. Not to build walls. Not to turn neighborhoods into zones of control.
If someone wants to open a Chabad House in a space you’re not using, physically or spiritually, why say no? Why not guide, support, and celebrate? Why not make room for more people to serve Hashem?
We’re not in this to win. We’re in this to give.
It’s time we start remembering that.
Unfortunately this issue is not new. BH the Rebbe wasn’t interested in a Chabad “monopoly”, but rather the promulgation of Judaism. Therefore, there is a tried and tested remedy for individuals in positions of power who forget something rather simple: it’s not about you! It’s about the furtherance of the mission!
And that is to open up a “Jewish center”, not a “Chabad house”.
This has been done before. This works. Please feel free to open a Jewish center inspired by the Rebbe wherever you’d like.
L’chaim! Cheers!
Hi. It is nice to see your dedication to finding a shl i c h u s. You do not write whether you tried, at the outset, to coordinate with the shliach whose territory this is in. This is actually a complex issue and yes there are a small minority of shluchim that overly protect their turf. And yet there is no choice but to work with the people who are responsible for these areas. This is the Rebbe’s system.
The overwhelming majority of Shluchim do the right thing in this area and only occasionally will you run into what you write about.
How do I know that this is the case and that the problem is not more widespread?
Simple, statistics do not lie! We went from approximately 1,200 shluchim running 1,300 mosdos in 1994, to approximately 5,000 shluchim running over 4,000 mosdos today!
It’s not a minority, at least not in the US. Don’t blame the Rebbe for the system. It’s the egos of people that’s the problem. The Rebbe would be happy for the shluchim to say yes to a new chabad house.
Even with the tremendous growth there is still room for way more, both in existing institutions as well as new ones.
The people in charge are very hard to deal with, it’s very disheartening for anyone trying to start something without connections.
It is really sad that many yugeleit are not going on shlichus because of this problem. It is also very unfair to them. While many shluchim surely do the right thing it seems that many don’t. Just look at the fact that when a shliach marries of his daughter he usually manages to carve out a area for his son-in-law.
It is hard to know for sure what the rebbe would say to do in the present situation since there are different sevoros and different stories of the rebbe that have different messages. However I think it is safe to say that the rebbe was a shulchan aruch yid so if you have a good rov to guide you in this matter you are following what the rebbe wants you to do.
There is a מאמר of the Frierdike Rebbe אם רוח המושל that is worthy of every person in position of authority to learn and take in. This is an issue which the Rebbe found painful, I think on anash.org is a place to bring it up, it’s for anash in hope that change will happen and bring the Rebbe real nachas!
As to your proof from statistics, for 31 years of couples going out, 4k extra is not a lot at all, there is a whole globe to fill of roughly 17 million Jews. I’ve heard too many stories of sad politics, that even discouraged other yungelait of even trying to go out. I don’t think we’re doing any good or even trying to be noble and protect the kavod of lubavitch by covering the facts, the issues. When power is abused there should be a place to call it out, so thank you writer for writing and anash for posting, and obviously the goal is ישראל עושין תשובה ומיד הן נגאלין! וד”ל. I am certain that this can tip the scale, there was a beautiful movement towards this direction during Covid, and perhaps now’s the time for more to join!
The author fails to understand the nature of humans. We don’t live in Atzilus.
In my experience as a bug on the wall in conversations in places with a variety of outreach organizations, newcomers focus on finding and discussing differences, usually superficial, or less than superficial. It is even more intense where these discussions pick up fragments of internal debates. A perception of unity and consistency 🤝 solves this problem before it arises. On a personal note, shluchim have asked me not to continue shiurim I started, because my presentation sounded too different, and I complied willingly.
Yeah but:
A. It sounds like he did try to work with powers that be and was unsuccessful.
B. No one is denying that many new shluchim have opened many new moisdes over the years. The question is what percentage of those are family members of already existing shluchim? What are the chances of someone not connected to shluchim to go on shlichus today?
I don’t know the answers but it is definitely an issue.
C. Yes, this is the system the Rebbe set up (an incredible system from a management perspective btw), but that says nothing about the judgement of individual Shluchim. To quote the Rebbe: שלעפ מיר ניט אריין אין דיין נה”ב.
There is a solution. You would need to marry the daughter of the shliach……
LoL…
In reality the Rebbe set things up with a seder. The responsibility to spread yiddishkeit in a certain location is on the shliach themselves. This does not prevent you from doing “mivtzoim”.
I’m sure the writer has good intentions, but people are people, and when there are many shluchim too close together they start stepping on each other’s toes, and it leads to more machlokes.
There might be many Jews, but people go for the low hanging fruit, and that often includes members from other chabad houses (even unwillingly).
In order to invest his life properly in an area, a shliach needs to have some sense of confidence that a new person won’t show up to town and undercut everything he invested his life in.
This is not a corporate job where you make a good salary and you could just pick up and move elsewhere. This community is the Shliach’s only asset in life. That should be respected.
Then you can work with the shliach either in the same mosad or on specific endeavors . There are also plenty of rules that you can institute in regards to fundraising or whatever it is that the shliach is concerned about. The problem is that the shliach gets nasty and egotistical and doesn’t care for the benefit of the people in his area and doesn’t care for the junior Shliach.
what you said about competition between shluchim has value but you cant close down the world because of that. There are letters in igros about competition where the rebbe says that from the halachah yagdil torah vyadir it is mashma that not only is it allowed but their is a chiuv to do so.
The same way that businesses have rules as to where they can open when they are serving the same need, so do moisdos.
While these issues may be complex, they should never overshadow the core mission: spreading Yiddishkeit and bringing Jews closer to Torah and mitzvos.
Yes, it’s true — the Rebbe wanted shluchim to be under Merkaz. That was the ideal structure, for order and achdus. But let’s be honest: if individuals are stepping up with sincerity, not acting like “mushrooms” — meaning, not popping up disrespectfully or recklessly — and yet the head shluchim refuse to take them, that blame doesn’t fall on those individuals. It falls squarely on the system that’s rejecting them.
Let’s also be real: too often, the decision of whether someone is “stepping on toes” or “overstepping boundaries” is not coming from a pure, objective place. It’s not an honest, transparent decision from Merkaz or the Vaad Rabonei Lubavitch. It’s tangled with money, politics, and personal interests.
If we’re serious about protecting the kavod of shlichus while making space for sincere new shluchim, there needs to be an independent vaad — a neutral board — that can assess these situations fairly. Not based on pressure, not based on fears, and not based on protecting someone’s territory or donor base. Only based on what’s right, what serves the klal, and what fulfills the Rebbe’s vision.
Think for a moment about what the Rebbe’s vision really was. The Rebbe’s call for shlichus wasn’t just about structures and organizations. It was about Dira Betachtonim — transforming the world, every corner, into a dwelling place for Hashem. To suggest that the Rebbe only wanted this accomplished within the framework of Merkaz completely misses the point.
We need to encourage people to go out — respectfully, responsibly, without stepping on toes. And if head shluchim aren’t willing to embrace them, that’s their issue to answer for. The Rebbe’s sichos, letters, and farbrengens left no room for doubt: The mission is clear, the time is now, and it belongs to every single one of us.
BH.
The message that we shluchim of the Rebbe bring to the jews and non jews that we meet is, before anything else – the message of hashgocho protis that God Almighty is everything and He is the only decider of the direction of the wind on every single blade of grass and of every single nickel and dime in our pocket.
Let’s also not forget what we mention in davaning, that also our prestige and social stance is all decided by Him. (והעושר והכבוד מלפניך.)
I highly recommend any shliach debating whether or not to bring down new Shluchim to read the Rebbe’s yiddish letter number תקל”ה printed in igros kodesh חלק ג’ עמוד קצ”ז. Where the Rebbe explains what iskafya and ishapcha mean practically with a practical meditation for someone to not only not fight against a competitor in his district but to help him out with a loan and advice, because if you believe in Hashem, you know it could never damage you!!
It wouldn’t hurt to go through the sichos about family planning starting from summer 5740. And of course if only us shluchim would actually fulfill the Rebbe’s request to study the shared habitichon three or four times.
Moshiach now
On the bright side. This issue has pushed many highly talented yungerleit into much-needed Chinuch positions, for our own children. Our mosdos and children are in desperate need of good dedicated Mechanchim, Perhaps this is a message that there is a new TZav Hashaah. Shlichus is not a franchise to open a Chabad house and do a geographically themed purim party. it is about addressing what the Jewish community needs most at that moment.
It’s easy to blame Shluchim, but the reality is more complex.
The Rebbe didn’t send everyone on Shlichus and it was never a walk in the park.
We look at the results of a Shliach and want it too, but what we don’t see are the years of Yegiya and Mesiras Nefesh that went into it.
While there are Shluchim who have work to do on their own, (and it’s possible this is what the author is writing about) most are just Human.
Ironically, many of the Shluchim who raise concerns were Yungeleit not too long ago, speaking just like you. And I wouldn’t be surprised if after moving out, you would have similar concerns as well.
Most of these issues would be avoided if Yungeleit would have some Bitul and respect to Shluchim of the Rebbe who have been there for many years, hear their concerns, and work with them.
Wishing you lots of Hatzlacha
Much has changed since Gimmel Tammuz.
On the positive side: Lubavitch has developed significantly and grown.
On the negative side: Lubavitch opened the Chassidic door and allowed unworthy individuals into positions of leadership in the shlichus movement. Outwardly, they may have long beards, but inwardly they cast off the yoke.
This is evident not only in territorial power struggles, but also in leadership behavior: 5 hotel vacations for the whole family (hey, you deserve a break, but where is the common sense? You don’t have to stay in the most expensive hotel in Jerusalem!), issues of modesty, חסידישע attire, and more.
There are shluchim who don’t own a Shulchan Aruch חלק חמישי
The Shluchim Office has a lot of work to do with the shluchim — mainly internal workshops are needed. They need to be reminded that they are emissaries of a person like themselves (shlucho shel adam kemoso) — not representatives of Coca-Cola.
in parshas chayai sorah 5752 (the sicha which the rebbe etlls over the whole job and purpose of shluchim) the defines the difference between a shlaich and a shadchan: a shadchan is someone who is doing a job for someone else, but a shliach is an extention of the sender, if you change one iota from your misson you are not a shliach (a shliach the rebbe adds must also know and be looking to fulfill the ratzon of the meshaiach [and the rebbes ratzon is to bring yidden to yidishkeit an be mekabel penai moshiach tzikanu, not to have a bigger chabad house etc.] no one said you have to be a shliach, but if you are it means giving yourself to the rebbe 100 percent, if not your not the rebbe’s shliach.
The aurguments back and forth are impossible to refute or answer on the fly. Yes new shluchim shouldn’t open next door and usurp all your donors kicking your family to the street. And yes shluchim shouldn’t hold entire states for their 3 year old grand neices first cousin to have a makom hashlichus when she grows up.
Why isn’t their clear mathatical regulations when it comes to this? Why isn’t their hard and fast rules when it comes to this? We’ve had some version of this problem at least 30 years we really don’t have any idea what to do about this?
You can’t just hold 10 square miles or 100,000 jews per shliach (for example)?
We cant have a clearly understood employment contract that mercaz makes new shluchim sign?
Why isn’t their a Beis din that specifically deals with this?
We don’t need “bittul”.
We need to be practical.
Open a jewish center or similar. The Rebbe wanst makpid on it being called chabad.
Hatzlacha
The Chamah Organization in NY was told not to use the Lubavitch name. Rabbi Kashani is very successful in LA. They also gain in flexibility in decision making and hiring.