Chabad’s Secret Sauce Revealed
Many factors, exacerbated by a global pandemic, have led to declining religious participation. Catholic and Protestant churches have lost congregants. Judaism seems to constantly be one existential crisis away from total extinction. Synagogues closed during COVID, and have yet to reopen.
Straddled between Reform and Orthodox, Conservative Judaism was squeezed from both sides. Many Conservative synagogues closed. American Jewish University, once a leading producer of Conservative rabbis, all but collapsed. They are desperately seeking a buyer for their idle Bel Air campus in a troublesome commercial real estate market.
Reform Judaism is suffering but surviving. Top Reform synagogues maintain an abundance of wealthy donors. Additionally, Reform Jews comprise a majority of overall Jews. Helping matters is an influx of congregants from Conservative synagogues uncomfortable with the strictness of Orthodox shuls. These congregants are a one-time solution salve, not an elixir.
While various religious denominations and sects shrink, Orthodox Judaism has bucked the trend. Chabad in particular is experiencing rapid growth expansion. As other synagogues close up shop, contract or merge to survive, Chabad houses are springing up globally. This is not a value judgment of which sect is best, just a cold numbers-based analysis.
Ironically, Chabad’s secret sauce is not secret at all. Unlike Coca-Cola’s formula, Chabad’s mixture of ingredients is readily available for copying. Chabad gets two very big things right.
First, Chabad creates a welcoming environment for every Jew. The Lubavitcher Rebbe wanted Chabad houses to welcome all Jews regardless of age, religiosity level, or personal politics. Cancel culture is non-existent.
Many Reform synagogues have become Democrat Party headquarters with bagels. Sermons that alienate Republicans are commonplace. Political liberalism is practically mandatory.
Orthodox Jews embrace traditional values and generally vote as Christian evangelicals do. My private conversations with Chabad rabbis from all 50 states had over 90% of them conceding that they vote Republican. Yet most Chabad rabbis refuse to allow politics into their shuls. They are truly inclusive. Politically liberal Jews are welcome. Campus Chabad rabbis in particular keep their political conservatism quiet to avoid antagonizing the many liberal students attending their services.
Chabad’s second key element is a brilliant balancing act. While open to all Jews, Chabad rejects liberalization of standards, rituals or traditions. There is zero compromise on doctrine. Chabad refuses to water down traditions to augment membership. Quite the opposite, the Torah is the standard. Chabad will not judge people’s conduct in their own homes. They will promote proper conduct in the Rebbe’s houses.
This combination of a loving outstretched hand with a traditional, absolutist religious
philosophy works. People know that a Chabad house provides an authentic traditional Jewish experience in a relaxed loving environment. Chabad will not perform gay marriages or interfaith marriages but will absolutely welcome gay Jews and interfaith couples to attend Chabad functions. Doctrine is absolute, but everyone is loved without judgment.
This approach proved decisive during COVID. Pajama-clad non-Orthodox congregants were able to observe services from their own bedrooms. Returning to physical temples became inconvenient. Conversely, Chabad houses reopened early in the pandemic and refused to close again. They understood that the survival of entities we call communities were at stake. With Zoom Shabbat services prohibited, Orthodoxy required in-person attendance. The mourner’s kaddish for a deceased parent requires 10 men. Friday night Shabbos dinners require at least three men to do post-meal benching rituals. A possible quick COVID death was not an excuse to allow a slow, painful death from individual isolation and community breakdown. Chabad’s outstretched hand offered Jews a place to meet, eat, pray and socialize together. Clearly delineated rules applied to attendees equally.
Raise standards and people will meet them. Treat everyone with a loving welcome and they will keep returning. Attendees may initially come for delicious food and abundant alcohol. They often stay long-term for the beautiful environment. They then may try replicating this in their own homes.
To survive and thrive, non-Orthodox denominations would benefit from copying Chabad’s successful two-pronged approach. Strengthening all Jewish sects benefits Jews of all stripes.