Chabad-Lubavitch "Conservative Judaism"

It has been said that Chabad-Lubavitch is the new "Conservative Judaism". As is known, "Conservative Judaism"(which actually turned out to be, de facto, a more moderate version of Reform "Judaism"), a prominent Jewish "denomination" in the USA, which was considered the largest for decades in the post-WWII period, has been in steep decline more recently. Not coincidentally, in that same time period, Chabad-Lubavitch has expanded noticeably, by appealing to the constituency of the "Conservatives", namely Jewishly (relatively) ignorant Jews, who nevertheless wanted some manner of connection to Judaism, but were wary of too much. It was said that in the Conservative movement, the laity was not observant of the standards set out for them by their religious leaders. Chabad-Lubavitch, over time, took market share from the Conservatives by underselling them. While Conservative Temples charged hefty membership fees, and had strict  requirements for bar mitzvah candidates (such as a certain amount of months of bar mitzvah lessons and Jewish education), Chabad-Lubavitch offered religious services without those restrictions. They also posed as being more authentic, Orthodox, even Hasidic. However, as is known, Chabad-Lubavitch and its representatives have also taken liberties with their ignorant constituents who they picked up from the non-Orthodox and unaffiliated sectors.

A main marker differentiating Orthodox and non-Orthodox Judaism, which led to many disputes and conflicts in the past, was the mechitzah, separating the genders at religious services. While this is observed by Orthodox in general, among Chasidim it is expanded to a greater extent of separation, e.g. higher barriers, opaque, even outside religious services, etc.

Among the Chabad-Lubavitch however, one sees a deterioration in this basic, this fundamental of Orthodox Judaism, and certainly Hasidism. 

For example, recently, on the great holiday of Purim, a number of very prominent Chabad-Lubavitch megillah readings were mixed-gender, as the trademark practice of the non-Orthodox.

For example,

1) At Columbia University

2) In Washington, DC, under prominent Chabad operative Levi Shemtov, one of the most prominent Lubavitchers in the USA.

Corrupting Chanukah wasn't enough for them, now they defile Purim too?

We see here a great danger of modern-day Chabad-Lubavitch. Without a living Rebbe, and with a system which gives their operatives (especially prominent and well-connected ones) major leeway in setting up programming, PR, and fundraising, they can cut corners and worse, and stoop to various inappropriate and unorthodox gimmickry and arrangements, and even get away with such shenanigans.

Their own late leader, as I recall, taught that people should be brought up to Judaism, rather than Yiddishkeit brought down to them (chas veshalom). But in today's Chabad-Lubavitch, with their great focus on PR and appearing "with it", venerable and fundamental Torah principles can fall by the wayside. 

May הקב"ה protect us from the faux "Yiddishkeit" of Chabad-Lubavitch, its army of propagandizers ("influencers"), fellow travelers, and its ignorant constituents.

In the zechus of our rejection of עבודה זרה, as our ancestors did in this time period in ancient Egypt, may we be zoche to גאולה בקרוב.

א גוטען חודש