Hey, they said it themselves now, don't blame me.
If we would write this on our own, some people would object vociferously, and make a ruckus. So don't take it from us, take it straight from Chabad-Lubavitch themselves.
Chabad-Lubavitch has had a big stress on PR for decades, if not longer. R. Yehuda Krinsky was hired by them way back in the 1950's, davka to have a native English speaker on staff for PR purposes. Over the years, the operation has grown greatly, and now they churn out oodles of material all the time. Not just print, like when R. Yudel started, but audio, video, digital too.
This fools too many naive people. They see all the mentions of Chabad-Lubavitch and their emissaries in the media, but much less mention of others, who don't have such giant PR operations publicizing their every move, so they are duped and deluded, and come to believe that Chabad-Lubavitch are basically the only ones out there, doing various mitzvos around the world, doing outreach, etc., etc. While so many other Yidden are doing various mitzvos, kiruv, chesed, etc., etc., modestly, far and wide, without fanfare, following the path of Chazal, who instructed us that אין לך יפה מן הצניעות, those without big PR machines are invisible to too many, even to some clever and affluent people who should know better.
Chabad-Lubavitch has various tactics to get themselves in the news. For example, when there is a natural disaster, say a hurricane or earthquake in some distant land, they have it is publicized that their shliach in the area lifted a hand to help some people. They prefer such free advertising, as the price is right, and it makes a "Kiddush Lubavitch" (a term they use for good PR, their version of a Kiddush Hashem, lehavdil).
Anyway, the brief video in the post linked to above (there is a much longer JEM video on the topic as well, but it requires payment to view) shows that it is very much a planned and deliberate strategy, and that it came all the way from the top, from the last Rebbe himself. Interestingly, at other times the Rebbe instructed that things be done מיט א שטורעם, loudly, which seems to be a similar or identical idea, albeit utilizing a different expression.
May הקב"ה help us grasp the the true nature of things, and not fall victim to deception.
Almost twenty years ago there was an article in the JP about the history of Kiruv in America. The author focused on organizations like NCSY and Aish Hatorah and made little mention of Chabad. The following week a Lubavitcher wrote an angry letter to the paper protesting Chabad's snub. At the time I was just discovering the truth about Chabad, so I innocently asked the shul's Rabbi (he's a total Chabad wacko) why that fellow had to make his point in the paper. I said to him,"What difference does it make who gets the credit? All that's important is that we're doing Hashem's work." This Rabbi went Meshuga. No, the whole world must know that the Rebbi invented Kiruv. I said to myself,"Silly me. All this time I thought that Avraham Avinu invented Kiruv." As I mentioned in a recent post, Rabbi Miller said that the letters of Rosho when transposed spell Rash. Roshoim going back to Eisav want publicity, they want to brag about whatever little good they do, while the Tzaddikim follow the model of Avraham who said little but did so much. Rabbi Sacks said that the Rebbe studied..., I'm sure he gained some lessons about advertising from that ...(edited).
ReplyDeleteFYI check out Moshe Weinberger making fun of Litvaks on You tube. He posted it on November 3 2021. Is this the joke that the group discussed a while back?
ReplyDeleteWithout seeing it, without more details, I'm not certain as to what you are referring to. I did see something recently, so I assume that might be it. But I don't know the full context of it.
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ReplyDeleteHalf a century ago a great distinguished man was challenged how come see chbd are so successful with propaganda
his response: (translated) they were the last ones left in Russia with the Bolsheviks
Years ago I told a friend who was
ReplyDeletea Russian Jew that Chabad uses Soviet style propaganda. He corrected me,"The Soviets use Chabad style propaganda, Chabad has been around much longer than the Communists." The problems with Chabad didn't begin with the Rebbe.
Interesting claim, but more is needed to render judgement on it. Even if there is truth to it, I would think that the last Rebbe stepped things way up. Not all Rebbes, and not all Chabad Rebbes are equal. Some were much more influential than others. Even in terms of length of reign, there is great disparity. Anyway, they were in a difficult neighborhood. B"H, we are in better circumstances.
DeleteI'm not an expert on this subject but I have picked up some points over the years. There's the Chabad belief that Moshiach can only be a Lubavicher. That predated the Rebbe. There's the belief that the Baal Hatanya was a Neshama Chadasha, the first one in thousands of years. This is the basis of their belief that he ushered in a new form of Judaism. What the Rebbe did was to make the movement global. One point. In no way am I implicating the Baal Hatanya. But I think the problems began with his Chasidim.Again I don't profess to have all the answers and I'd like to think that the previous Rebbe's were great men, the evidence indicates that the issues with Chabad are generational.
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