ח׳ מרחשון ה׳תשפ״ז | October 18, 2026
The Problem May Go Beyond the Magazine’s Cover
“Crown Heights is abuzz after reports emerged that Crown Heights stores had united in a decision not to carry a certain frum magazine, following controversy over its front-cover feature. I’m not here to critique any specific magazines or publications. But perhaps it’s time we paid just as much attention to what is printed on all the other pages.”
By Chananya Light
Crown Heights is abuzz after reports emerged that Crown Heights stores had united in a decision not to carry a certain frum magazine, following controversy over its front-cover feature.
To tell the truth, I received the news with a measure of relief. Even so many years after Gimmel Tammuz, it is heartening to see that chassidim and business owners from Anash remain passionate about upholding the Rebbe’s honor, and are keenly aware of what is appropriate to bring into our homes and community, and what simply has no place there.
However, if I may, I would like to turn your attention to another issue that, unfortunately, has not received nearly as much widespread attention, one that I have become familiar with through my own experiences.
I’m not here to critique any specific magazines or publications. Perhaps, though, this incident can serve as a reminder that, alongside looking at the cover, we should sometimes pause to take a look at the ‘book’ itself.
Many Lubavitch families bring these magazines into their homes without thinking twice. They are, after all, frum magazines. What they don’t realize is how much the content can veer from the Rebbe’s teachings and basic Lubavitch values.
I know this because I myself began reading these publications regularly over the last few years. But over time, I began noticing a change. It took me a while to put my finger on it, but I realized that the magazines were influencing me and my family in ways I hadn’t expected.
Take, for example, the way they speak about money and business. Chassidus teaches that “Birkas Hashem hi taashir,” the bracha comes from Hashem, and the work is simply a keili. More work won’t bring a person more parnassa.
But in these magazines, great significance is given to different tricks of the trade and ways to become wealthy. We dedicate time to learning Chassidus and building our bitachon, but then we compromise it by reading content that gives us a very different perspective on how parnassa works.
The same is true for politics. A chossid knows that whatever happens in politics is orchestrated by Hashem. It’s not Trump or Putin who call the shots; they are simply maneuvered by the One Above. But that’s not the feeling you get from reading these magazines.
News stories naturally focus on political calculations, military strategies, elections, and the people who supposedly control the world’s affairs. That’s how the news is written, even by frum, believing Yidden. But when you read it regularly, you begin to absorb that way of thinking.
In Chassidus, we learn that Elokus b’pshitus and olamos b’hischadshus. Hashem is the simple, obvious reality, and the world is a novelty created by Him. But reading so much about world affairs can slowly turn that around. The world becomes the obvious reality, and Hashem becomes something we have to consciously remind ourselves about.
It’s not that we stop believing in hashgacha pratis ch”v. But the feeling changes. Things that should be the most real and important to us, like Torah and mitzvos, our connection to Hashem, and Moshiach’s coming, can begin to feel less central.
Another facet is the idolization of food and music. I’m a regular person and I enjoy good food and kosher music, but I know that it’s a pleasure and not a purpose. The magazines, however, celebrate the “mouthwatering tastes” of food and admire “Jewish music stars.”
You may be thinking, “Okay, big deal, there are a lot worse things out there.” But the fact is that when you and your family read these magazines week in and week out, it leaves an impression and changes the culture in your home.
The problem is that the influence is so subtle. When a magazine has something clearly objectionable on its cover, everyone notices. But when it presents an entire outlook on money, politics, entertainment, or life in general that isn’t in line with Chassidus, it can pass completely unnoticed.
We can spend hours learning Chassidus and trying to internalize its teachings, only to then spend hours reading material that trains us to look at the world in a very different way.
The kids’ supplements are another issue. They are often empty and vain, and they encourage pustkeit and stupidity. Many feature action-packed comics that are only “Jewish” because the hero wears a yarmulka. They are certainly not in line with “chinuch al taharas hakodesh” (which extends far beyond learning “English”).
And yet, many yungeleit who are very particular about their children’s chinuch bring these magazines into their homes without a second thought. After all, they’re frum children’s magazines!
I’m not saying that these magazines are bad. For many Jews, they are a step up, and they inspire them to become better. The people producing them are not chassidim, and they never claimed to be. But for a chossid who strives to live by Chassidus, they can be a huge step down.
Chassidim are extra particular about what they eat, hear, and see, understanding that even things that aren’t outright forbidden can have an influence on us and our families. Why should we be any less particular about what we read?
I know many people will say that it’s the best that there is. Even if that’s true, it’s no excuse. We need to find something better. And if it doesn’t exist, we need to create one.
It’s about time that there should be a true Lubavitch magazine, for adults and children alike, that covers all the above areas while staying focused on the ikar. A magazine that doesn’t just avoid inappropriate content, but covers life through the lens of the Rebbe’s teachings and Chassidus.
Until then, I’m better off without these magazines in my home. I’m not telling anyone else what to do, but seeing the effect they had on my family, I don’t want to continue exposing myself to it.
The controversial cover in Crown Heights was easy to recognize, and Boruch Hashem, people took a stand. But perhaps it’s time we paid just as much attention to what is printed on all the other pages.
COMMENTS
The only magazine we have in our house is the Derher!
Derher is amazing! derher וכיוצא בזה is exactly what we need in our houses!
Time for Anash. Org to make a magazine, especially for kids!!!
Totally agree!
And the main website (and magazine) has a way of presenting things in a way of “look He did better, he succeeded,…” everyone should feel pressured to want to copy them, their parnassa, their story, their work, focus is given on money, and gashmiut, no focus whatsoever on the efforts, the giving, the humility, the help, watching our middos opens our eyes, some people lack awareness of this!
Thank you for speaking up! Appreciate your sharing this important perspective.
This article was very well written, and I agree, especially with the kid’s magazines. There are many stories recently about child heroes, which has blatent violence within.
Have your children read the weekly Chayol magazine from cover to cover? Chassidishe Derher includes a children’s issue and other organizations put out toichendik material for kids.
B”H.
yes this is a very important article .
The derher is very good, but it comes out once a month (and it is the type of magazine which takes a certain type of work, which cannot come come out more then once a month, but that means there needs to be something else, which does indeed come out more then once a month) and is also not suitable for children. Derher children is a bit too small, to cover kids for more then a half hour of reading.
Hachayal is nice, but is far from a subsitute.
it would be very worthwhile if there would be real alternatives, not just of the real problomatic meterials, but even for the so called called benign magazines that many children read, like the circle magazine etc, which are at best not always our hashkafah, and at worst stam nothing to do with yiddishkait.
As it is, it’s hard to stick to just Jewish media. What are we meant to do? If I want to read a magazine, I’m not reading the derher. I’m sorry. I need something to read. If someone wants to start a quality Chabad magazine that would be great! We’ve made great progress in frum literature and children’s media but there’s still so much missing! Not everyone can learn a whole day.
I totally get that you want quality content to be able to read, and it is fantastic that you are striving for Chasidishe content specifically. What exactly would yoy be looking for in a Chabad magazine exactly? In other words, what is the Derher not giving you that another publication would?
I usually only get Derher (a subscription). Derher is a super high quality professional magazine.
But I agree that it would be very helpful to have more magazines, because Derher can be read in a few days. So if someone decides to make more high quality magazines in a style that I appreciate, it would be nice.
Thank you Derher for the high quality magazine!!
L’chaim
We can use a weekly Chabad magazine that is written well. Adults and children both appreciate fiction and non fiction. We need better written articles.
THANK YOU FOR FINALLY SPEAKING UP!!
Yes, yes, yes to a subtle undertone in all of these that’s just not our outlook.
And the kids magazines are filled with such narishkeit and even world events and politics and emptiness…
We really love the Derher and the weekly Bais Moshiach. The kids can’t wait to read the latest installments and the content is superb
Is it true that the Rebbe said that the kfar chabad magazine should be mostly Torah?
Reading about business strategies doesn’t mean you don’t trust Hashem. It means you’re trying to make a Keli.
I dont like these magazines either. they are kind of like junk food with occasional good stories and lessons mixed in. it makes you not hungry, but you end up lacking nutrition. I like Nshei Chabad Newsletter, Derher and Bais Moshiach. Illuminations weekly publication. My Story weekly story.
Surprised no one mentioned nshei chabad newsletter. It’s hands down the highest quality read that is both meaningful & educational and compelling.
NCN is good, but they include articles that aren’t suitable for children/teens, and I can’t leave it around my house.
Nshei comes out only a few times a year
Yes yes yes.
I agree with this. I have had the same experience. I am looking for more reading content, and I realized how we’ve been effected by the frum world’s writing. This writer gives great examples.
I believe so. I heard that the Rebbe wasn’t fond of chassidim wasting time from learning Torah to read magazines, and said that being there is lower standard these days that people are spending more time reading magazines – so therefore the kfar chabad magazines should thereby be full of Torah and chassidishe content!
Controversial makes it readable;
Let’s face the facts for a quick second, what really draws a person to read such magazines if not their “earth shattering” topics.
If chabad Lubavitch were to publish a readable magazine, it would have to have some serious uncomfortable truths/ topics.
Yeshiva discussions
For a example;
What makes a head shliach a head shliach?
True definition of shliach isn’t defined by the shliach rather the mishaleach.
Does 770 belong to the bachurim?
Azav HaShem es haaretz?
Olam hatorah.
The roles of chabad lubavitchs leading organizations in today’s world.
Does ch really want a third Rov?
Should everyone go on shlichus?
And more that not necessarily, actually should NOT be put into an “official” “public” forum. It’s bad enough it’s the object of discussion by many of our Bnei Torah (yeshiva bachurim and the like). MOSHIACH now!
In my experience, magazine reading is not a good habit. The main attraction is the skilful writing that makes the reader feel good about themselves while they are passively resting. This gets them in the mood to accept the advertising. Unless, of course, they buy the magazine for the advertising itself, to keep up with the trendy people.
Wow. I am sure you all only visit Chabad websites as per your comments surfing elsewhere is worse than bringing andere magazines in your home.
If a person for whatever reason takes a peak at a secular website to check world news, you don’t define yourself by it. But when you bring a frum magazine into your home, you identify with it more and it begins to define you.
All the more so when discussing the impact on the family.
But also notice that the Reader’s Digest in particular, and other magazines too, are not commonly found in people’s homes nowadays.
When I was a teenager 25 years ago, they were….
These frum magazines are better, in a way, because of the tznius issues in non Jewish magazines. But they are more insidiously damaging for all the reasons the author correctly articulated.
You make a valid point, but we should always strive for better
GREAT ARTICLE!
And what about other “Lubavitch” news sites? They are a bigger disgrace to us than the said magazines.
The Rebbe praised chess as a Jewish game.
Unfortunately, with internet, many of us are reading news or even goyishe articles. If only I could get my head into Torah and kesusha only.
A pnimiyusdiker take – spot on!
I was going to bypass the article, thinking it was going to “encourage” us to be more accepting, let bygones be bygones, yada yada…
I was pleasantly surprised to read the point – YES!
These “frum content” magazines are mostly ads to sell us things we don’t need, can’t afford. And true, the articles are a bad influence on our attitude, to say the least.
We only have Derher, Nshei newsletter, Embrace, Beis moshiach. We get Kfar Chabad for those that can handle the Hebrew
We need to discriminate what goes into our heads as much (or more?) as into our mouths