“Excuse me, are you Jewish?” With these words, the relentlessly cheerful, ideologically driven emissaries of Chabad-Lubavitch approach ...
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Jul 30, 2010
Michelle
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I think just about every Jew has an opinion on and a fascination with Chabad, on some level. My opinion is of course skewed by the fact that Chabad rejects both my flavor of Judaism (Conservative) and my very status as a Jew (only Orthodox conversions count in their eyes). Even so I recognize that Chabad does very good work in many arenas and this book highlighted that good work even more.
This was a really good book. Well written, well researched and it neither endlessly praised nor More...
This was a really good book. Well written, well researched and it neither endlessly praised nor More...
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Nov 15, 2010
Laurel
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Well written and deeply interesting to me. I thought a lot, reading this, about community and faith and my own life. But it felt-- I don't know-- a little too generous. Seemed to skim over a lot of the ways in which a contemporary non-orthodox reader might be critical. Seemed to avoid engaging with questions. I kept finding myself wanting to join Chabad, and then pulling back and going, "Ummm, now, wait. We haven't talked about how one might be, say, GAY in that world. Or what if I wa
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Jul 22, 2007
Daniel
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If you are Jewish, you know Chabad (and even if you are not, you may still know Chabad). This group of Hasidim from Brooklyn has overtaken the world with their black hats, bushy beards and long coats, putting Judaism on the map in places where it was happily underground, seeking to spread the words of Torah following the vision of the late Rebbe Schneerson.
Chabad has a special image that makes it incredibly fascinating and frightening at the same time. Their brand of Judaism is so i More...
Chabad has a special image that makes it incredibly fascinating and frightening at the same time. Their brand of Judaism is so i More...
Jan 03, 2010
BookGirl
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I was familiar with Chabad only on a superficial level -- there is a large Lubavitcher community in the city where I live -- and was interested to learn more. What I really liked about this book was that it was nonfiction that read like good fiction -- the people were fascinating and the stories were interesting and well told.
Jul 07, 2011
Elana
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Sue Fishkoff is such a great journalist - I wish that she would write a follow-up to this book that follows Chabad during the past 10 years (this book wraps up in the early 2000s). Fascinating, detailed account of the history and contemporary life of Chabad Lubavich.
Dec 17, 2009
Reb
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amazing catalogue of the outreach work that Chabad folks have been able to do, based pretty much on not doing anything else. very frustrating to see that this is, for many in America, the face of organized Jewry; very inspiring to see how many people respond to a radical message of love and generosity and care.
go read the book, but in some ways I think it boils down to this, for me: if we are to transform the world into a place of true service and compassion, we really must be willin More...
go read the book, but in some ways I think it boils down to this, for me: if we are to transform the world into a place of true service and compassion, we really must be willin More...
Jan 28, 2008
Karin
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A fascinating, comprehensive, and unbiased examination of Chabad-Lubavich. Fishkoff travels the world meeting shlichim (Chabad emmissaries) who literally bring Judaism to the Jews, wherever they might be. She deftly tackles Chabad's political influence, their duel shtetl-wordly existence, funding sources, admirers, detractors, and of course the Rebbe as Moshiach issue. Perhaps more importantly, our intrepid author illuminates just who these people are and why they are spending their Friday afte
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Jul 29, 2011
I loved this book... It's a great story and very important for Jews in other movements to gain insight into Chabad's success.
Oct 03, 2011
Glittervomit
rated it:
Very interesting overview of the Chabad movement. Although it does get a bit long in describing the lives of the shlichim, it certainly draws a beautiful picture of the work they do. My own favorite chapter was the last, where the true lost Jews were sought out of drug problems. The mental image of a Jew banging on the door to demand another Jew call his mother was one of the more moving stories, and it only gets better.
Dec 16, 2009
Chavah
rated it:
a feel-good book about some of the background behind the Chabad-Lubavitcher "movement" of recent decades...
is not a critical piece, and just generally supplies the reader with what Chabadniks think and believe of themselves, their outreach work and of the Rebbe (shlita).
is not a critical piece, and just generally supplies the reader with what Chabadniks think and believe of themselves, their outreach work and of the Rebbe (shlita).
Dec 16, 2009
Tracy
rated it:
This is a fascinating book about the Lubavitchers - I have a Lubavitch community in my neighborhood and it has been really interesting to learn about. Now I can truly understand the "Good Card" I get everytime I go to the grocery store
Sep 19, 2008
Sue
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Interesting read about the shliachs that work around the world to bring jews back into the fold.
Mar 15, 2007
Alisha
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I enjoyed this book, but I definitely felt like it didn't really give the complete picture.
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