Neo-Chasidus & Chabad - Closeness & Distance

 The Neo-Chasidus movement has garnered much attention in recent years. For some people it was a great surprise, seeming to have arisen suddenly, from the proverbial nowhere. They don't know what it really is, what its roots are, how to react to it. It is desirable, therefore, to spend some time examining its roots, to better understand where it came from, and what it represents.

A cute and clever moniker attached to it gives us an idea of what some of its main components are - חבקוק -ראשי תיבות חב"ד, ברסלב, (הרב אברהם יצחק) קוק, וי"א ג"כ (שלמה) קרליבך. In English, Chabakuk, standing for Chabad, Breslov, (Rav Avraham Yitzchak) Kook, (Shlomo) Carlebach).

The Chabad component, which comes first in this sobriquet, is indeed a great foundation of Neo-Chasidus. If not first and foremost, definitely one of the great parts of it.

Let us look at the deep connection between Chabad-Lubavitch and Neo-Chasidus, starting with some background on some of the leading personalities of the movement.

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger of Woodmere, NY, is perhaps the leader of the movement in the English speaking world. Though he is of Hungarian Jewish background, he has a deep connection to Chabad-Lubavitch. Starting in his teens, when he was introduced to it by a local businessman who took him other local teens to Farbrengens in Crown Heights, in the early 1970's למספרם (Bashevkin interview, 14:50-). He was drawn to it "like a magnet", in his words, and spent much time at their headquarters, hanging out at 770 Eastern Parkway for years, attending farbrengens, and learning a lot of Chabad Chasidus. He has related that at one time he "was probably very, very close to becoming a Lubavitcher Chasid" himself. Later, he spent much time at a Chabad-Lubavitch outreach center, Heichal Menachem, in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, where he heard many shiurim from the late Chabad-Lubavitch mashpia, R. Yoel Kahn. He davens from a Nusach Ari (Chabad-Lubavitch) siddur. He regularly lights a public Chabad-Lubavitch menorah during Chanukah in the Five Towns area of NY. All those years of deep Lubavitch connection and engagement left a profound impression on him and his thinking, even if he doesn't call himself a Lubavitcher now.

Rebbe Judah Mischel, a disciple of Rebbe Weinberger, is a well-known disseminator of Neo-Chasidus via his positions at Camp HASC, NCSY, writings, and speeches. He is also the son of a Chabad-Lubavitch mekurav (and here). In recent years he has visited Crown Heights, meeting and conferring with Lubavitch leaders, and later tweeting about it (as reported here previously, though the tweet referenced was later deleted).

R. Yussie Zakutinsky, leader of a Neo-Chasidic congregation in Lawrence, student at Rabbi Weinberger's Emek Hamelech kollel, also has a family background closely connected to Chabad-Lubavitch.

All of the above are heavily influenced by Chabad-Lubavitch.

The Chabad-Lubavitch influence on Neo-Chasidus is not just theological however.

Another aspect is seen in stories and music used by it. Here is one good example, that covers both the music and theology departments, Neo-Chasidim dancing enthusiastically to a signature Chabad-Lubavitch song. Many Lubavitch songs are sung in Neo-Chasidic circles.

Interestingly, though, despite the deep ties and influence, there is a significant element of distance and tension in the relationship between Neo-Chasidus and Chabad-Lubavitch nevertheless, that is worth noting. And that is, due to the fact that despite pleasure on the Chabad-Lubavitch side to see some Modern Orthodox and others turning in a Chasidic direction via Neo-Chasidus, they are still disappointed that they have not become Lubavitchers. In the Chabad-Lubavitch view, they are the highest form of Chasidus, and their Rebbe is the נשיא הדור, leader of the generation. While Neo-Chasidus draws deeply upon Chabad-Lubavitch, they do not feel bound to and by it, and imbibe from other Hasidic streams as well.

The component of Chabad-Lubavitch in Neo-Chasidus is not something small that could perhaps be (figuratively) בטל בששים, nullified when heavily outweighed. It is an עיקר, a large, main component, and also נותן טעם, imparting much flavor. So in a way, it (Neo-Chasidus) could be considered a branch or offshoot of Chabad-Lubavitch (perhaps similar to the מלאכים Chasidic group of Williamsburg in NY). People should keep that in mind when considering the movement.

May הקב"ה help us see things clearly, as they actually are, to reach the correct conclusions about them, and approach things with the proper מהלך.

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