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• Monday, June 22, 2009

  ChicagoChabad

  
  These issues are spot on. Thank you for highlighting them so eloquently.

  Furthermore, they are issues that have been prevalent from as far back as the early 90’s (I grew up through that era’s phases and it may have been here earlier, but I can not discuss Chabad’s problems based on another person’s experiences from an earlier time).

  There is one extremely important issue that you hinted at, but I feel can be expressed as an entire point on it’s own. The secular education angle. Besides the importance of actually learning skills at the elementary, middle, and high school level to progress through life on an even playing field. It is a shame when those skills are actually referred to as secular education. The Chabad community categorically lists anything that is not Tanach or it’s related constituents as secular. This is harming to the very future of Chabad’s existence—both financially and fundamentally. I have expressed this repeatedly, as of now with no results. I have not seen anyone in the Chabad education system come to the realization that the US Department of Education does not care about micromanaging your lessons as long as the key points are covered in the appropriate grade, tested for, and verified to be on par with the rest of the country. What this allows you to do is actually instill skills within our students without sacrificing the current Jewish-only lessons plans (and sometimes lack of even those lesson plans). There should be not problem with creating a lesson plan that discusses mathematical concepts such as perimeter in the context of Chumash’s discussion of the Chatzir of the Beis Hamikdash or the discussion of shabbos eruv laws (public and private spaces). Or the biological concepts of how animals, unicellular, bacterial, and fungi are differentiated and their growth cycles during the discussions of Noach or during Berashis or even during the discussion of the Karbonos levels. Or the Chemistry charts during the discussion of the various metals used in the Mishkan or Egal Hazahav. The key is to integrate at minimum the USDOE requirements, and stuff the educational system with knowledge instead of only focusing on producing one type of student. Chabad used to have some schools that were far superior and many coveted the idea of placing their children within that educational system. Not so anymore. Our Chinuch has become a joke. The idea is not exclusive to obtaining USDOE funding—but that is a very nice perk, but more so about teaching the same life skills that are necessary to live and grow developmentally. If someone wants to become a physician, or a research scientist, or a CPA they will have the basic skills to do so. At this time they are not only shunned, but must overcome some tremendous hurdles to learn past skills on their own. Those that do so are then bombarded with requests to uphold their community financially. This is certainly a double standard. (Shun them/don’t help them/until they have money!?) There were different tribes with different skills—some learned and other supported. Why do we not learn from the same history we love so much. There are many instances in the Torah that discuss the importance and high regard of medicine, saving lives, and helping others. When a student displays a desire to learn more about the complex life around them or shows an affinity for science why must our school system shun this. It should just be taught in the context of Torah. There are hundreds of examples where mathematical concepts can be taught, and all other basic education skills. Lastly, when Torah concepts are tough via the myriad of daily life skills and then when those life skills are actually used in the context of daily life that individual is brought much closer to Hashem and Avodah on a very personal level, will be seen as non-hypocritical, and will further the cause of Chabad and living the life of gathering the disparate sparks among the nations.     

  As a side note; there are many iterations of the issues you presented, and they do go by numerous names both within the community and among outsiders. I have heard some outsiders discuss these problems as global and endemic. It would be nice if you added the different faces of each issue to your article. For example, there are others who see Chabad students not being able to think for themselves (the lack of oratory skills and personalizing their speeches with real world and real personal examples.) The simple idea that we learn through stories is well established in G’Morah, Agadah, and almost every single instance I can think of in religious life. It is so effective that any salesperson who attempts to sell without personalizing and establishing rapport via stories with their potential customers will fail 100% of the time.

  Thank you for everything that you do R. Shmuley and please keep up the hard work.

• Monday, June 22, 2009

  ChicagoChabad

  Totally sorry for the Spelling/grammatical errors. I clicked submit while making corrections.
  

• Monday, June 29, 2009

  JS

  TAKING POSITIVE ACTION:

  Perhaps ChicagoChabad, who seems to know a lot of what goes on, should write up the curriculum he suggests. There are several institutions within Chabad and in other circles who would purchase it if it were well done.

  Perhaps ChicagoChabad can tell on this forum some of the great work done in the Chabad community of Chicago regarding the shiddush crisis. Their efforts have now been replicated in many cities.

  Rabbi Shmuley,
  Perhaps in defense of item 5 and some other points you could write an article on l’chatchila ariber, which, on the one hand brings with it concerns like item 5, yet, with it Chabad has expanded, nay—exploded its positive influence.

  Also, to set the record straight, almost every single point in your article is currently being seriously addressed. Remedies do not happen overnight, but your next research and article on the subject could be to laud all the positive steps currently being taken in this regard.

• Tuesday, June 30, 2009

  ChicagoChabad

  Thank you.
  As a whole the religious schools outside of Chabad are not interested. I hope that Chabad as a whole realizes that there is a very special opportunity here. To give an example of just this problem among outside religious school: There is a non-Chabad, but Charaidi, school in Chicago that obtains some funding from the government for general administration. They must therefor maintain some minimal “secular” education. They hire college students for $10-$12 an hour, and tell the parents that their children must sit in the class, but can tell the teacher for the few hours that the college student is there each week that they do not want to learn anything goyish. Mind you these are 9-bar mitzvah age children who speak these words at the college students for being in college. The administration has fired student after student multiple times a year for requesting derech eretz from the students and allow him to teach the boys that are interested. The Administration proofs the subjects ad-nauseum to ensure that biology concepts are not too deep to give the children an interest in the sciences (aside from the usual reproduction/darwinism/and other historical theories that do not conform to extreme religion—however these are not what I am discussing at the moment). 
  I have begun basic discussions with individuals who are either within or will begin soon the program called JELI. http://www.jeli.org/ and at Loyola University Chicago http://www.luc.edu/education/jeli.shtml So far no one has chosen to be a ground-breaker. It may just have to be done myself with some financial backer paying a year’s salary in order that I can distribute the curriculum freely. There must be no financial hurdle for any Chabad institutions (or isolated Chabad Shliach) to not use at least some form of it if done correctly.

  ————————

  As far as the Shidduch situation:
  I must compliment the tireless few families who have given so much to the progression of this area within Chabad. I wish I could name some names in this public forum ;-( They so deserve it.

  The forward movement began when one person with a large family needed a place to turn to. Why would they need somewhere to look? Well, the Chicago family is Baal Teshuvah, and not living in Crown Heights (CH), or LA. The issue of proximity, meaning not seeing people in 770 or some Shul every week, and the secondary issue of Yichus—meaning that the family’s name was not on the lips of every CH matchmaker. The resumes got sent, and the process began. The process failed.
  The core reason was that the system was not a system, but a handful of yentas. This was not helpful to a family who was not in the loop, and had many more children to come. After the first 3 children were married off there was a need to rip apart the system and understand where the problems lay. As a side note this same individual did this the ADD/ADHD issues when it was discovered that the schools catered to only one type of child, and was not aware of how to handle children with ADD/ADHD. She created concise reports and taught the teachers what it was and what to do about a student with it.

  What was discovered:
  —The Shiduch agents did not talk to each other, and still don’t.
  —The terminology used to describe personalities were lacking.
  —The terminology to describe the manner of the family and torah raising of the potential families was lacking.
  —There was no central database, even if only used by the Shadchunim. With todays online collaboration tools it is a waste of resources.
  —There was no protection for those children/families who did not fit the mold, or did not fit the general image of a CH Chabad family.
  —Those children who do not go to CH for the year of active looking are not being helped.
  —The ratios of girls to guys were disproportionate.
  —The girls were taking up more “modern” activities faster than the boys. 
  —Not everyone led the formula of Shiur A, Shiur B, Shliachs helper, Smicha, Kollel, Shliach.
  —The resumes are no more than a name and phone number, school info, and highly doctored details. For example, there are some who deliberately leave out details to ensure that they are actually talked about by a Shadchin. Thus, not actually helping themselves. I was shocked when seeing the template. It was so sparse and knowing some of the individuals personally saw absolutely no details about the child represented. I was told that the system does not use them—other than to use as name passing papers. 
  —The majority of the calls, after obtaining a potentials name, was to the Yeshivas Rabbis, and not the families/friends/community or other potentials parents. (Remember the formula problem from above.) 

  There are only 2 areas that are actively being challenged and winning.
  1.After the approach to the Shadchunim to change their ways did not work. The families themselves are taking things into their own hands, and with the tools of Chicago the families now have a process to use on their own. Each city also meets in groups, and exchanges names that they have received (and may not have worked for their child) at the same time they discuss any issues they may have and get help on how to best do the next steps.
  2.People are openly discussing the “other” children.

• Sunday, July 05, 2009

  hankmontclair

  Challenges #2 #3 and #6 are right on target, any thinking independent individual understands this to be a huge problem.

  While the other challenges are more subjective i do not think we should emphasize them as being fundamental issues.

  We can criticize any organization for being not as good as it should be and so i do not see this as being a fundamental problem, some kids behave better then others, some have an easier time getting engaged, and many communities have the same issues with children leaving the community.

  I agree these issues may be a little more problematic by us but i still do not see this as a fundamental issue since these are universal challenges.

  
  Save for #5 which is a true problem but still not as fundamentally flawed as #2 #3 and #6.
  And in regards to these 3 challenges the most bothersome is that a bachur is taught in yeshiva (i do not want to write pressured cause i hope it isnt so) to go on shlichus knowing full well that all that he has been taught in yeshiva and all his hard work intellect and energy will be futile if he does not have “connections”.

  But all this is talk and if nothing is done correctly by the respected figures all this energy is also futile.

  Or maybe there are bigger issues to worry about then this because there are not many more places to go for shlichus anyhow and so this issue has not been on the surface for a while or only on and off and if so then why do we tell our kids to go on shlichus if there is no more room? which then maybe makes the other challenges fundamental challenges indeed!

  
  Hank

• Wednesday, July 08, 2009

  navah

  In regards to those boys who have not found a place in the community, I want to draw attention to the school “Meorot Chabad” in Israel. The formation of this school was for exactly this purpose. Unfortunately it is not yet widely known, and is therefore struggeling to fill its quota of students. This school is made for boys coming from Chabad House communities, who have choices to either go to a non- Chabad Yeshiva, or straight to University, though they HAVE had much success with boys for Chabad homes who don’t find their place in the regular yeshiva.
  I think the reason for their success is that this school is not afraid to listen to the real story of each of their students - and they are there to really listen and care.
  It is such a challanging age,  with so much time behind them spent doing nothing, and nobody caring, or even noticing.
  The system there is much more open and free, allowing the boys to be who they really are, and they are encouraged to succeed, yet the success is in their own hands.
  Their schedule is full and they are there to achieve. They have to maintain an 80% attendance including Chassidus and davening, and they can do both smicha and work towards a degree.
  And to note, the Chassidus taught there is not the boring tape recorder version. The Rabbi is extremely talented at making Chassidus alive, relevant and real, that students who have learned Chassidus their whole life never knew that it actually meant something relevant to their life.
  I don’t know why the word hasn’t spread like wildfire for the way things are these days!?!

• Sunday, July 12, 2009

  Matt

  I would like to humbly suggest two other ways for Chabad to improve:
  1) I notice that when they give divrei Torah, they never quote anyone outside Chabad after the Alter Rebbe. I think that just as the rest of the Orthodox world recognizes valuable and beautiful Torah from other communities (including Lubavitch), Chabad should do so also. Chabad is too isolated from the rest of the Orthodox world.

  2) There needs to be some curbing in of the Moshiach business (and the Yechi Adoneinu…. Everyone wants Moshiach. You don’t have to spook people out by showing a picture of the Rebbe.

  Matt

• Monday, May 16, 2011

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