Rabbi Carl M. Perkins of Needham, Massachusetts, wrote:
“According to Jonathan S. Tobin, “the results of the past two decades suggest that the outreach model is a failure.”
“One wonders whether Chabad leaders would agree with that assertion. Be that as it may, Mr. Tobin may be right that efforts to engage those at the periphery of Jewish life do not appear to have increased the number of committed Jewish families—but is that any reason to abandon them?
“Yes, the Jewish community must strengthen its core, but it should also reach out.
“There is much we can and should do (in the words of the liturgy) “to draw near our dispersed ones”—not just to assure the community’s continuity but because it is the right thing to do.”
Jonathan S. Tobin answers:
“… Rabbi Carl M. Perkins is right to assert that the activities of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement are an outstanding example of successful outreach.
“Chabad’s programs have introduced Jewish practice to a large population of Jews in far-flung locations as well as on college campuses.
“But Chabad’s welcoming atmosphere for all comers is very different from the sort of activity that interfaith-outreach proponents generally support.
“The latter is often based on the notion that the Jewish community must revise or alter its existing notions of the boundaries between Jewish and non-Jewish identity.
“Inevitably that creates a dynamic in which Judaism can come to be defined principally by its desire for inclusion.
“Chabad’s commitment to an open-door policy has not altered its intrinsic approach to Judaism or its belief in the halakhic prohibition against intermarriage.”
J. Tobin has some good friends in Lubavitch. He is saying that the Conservative approach to outreach – i.e. bring the goyim in — has not worked. he is saying to reach out to the core of Jews — i.e. Jews – and you will be successful. like Chabad.
Tobin is against intermarriage and in his original article in March he writs the federations should stop supporting out reach to intermarried couples and concentrate on who we have
if Conservative is jealous and envious and try to put-down the chabad,
this is exactly evidence of our sucess,
if chabad was not snacking on them, they wouldent be sooo threatened and envious
this is further proof of chabads, greater influence across the spectrum of all affiliations!
Do you read English? Read it again, perhaps the words were too big for you the first time. It’s a massive kiddush shem Lubavitch – not the opposite.
I think you missed the word “not”, that really changes the meaning.
Chabad’s … has not altered its intrinsic approach to Judaism or its belief in the halakhic prohibition
Jonothan Tobin is actually trying to say that Chabad’s problem is the fact that it doesn’t change halachically and will never allow interfaith etc. (See last paragraph)
If the conservative movement thinks that Chabad has relaxed its halachik standings!