Chabad affiliated organizations and institutions number in the thousands.
Chabad
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
is a
Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
movement, a branch of
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
. The organizations and institutions associated with the movement provide social, educational and religious services to Jews around the globe.
Chabad organizations
Chabad organizations include individual organizations, central and umbrella organizations, and independent organizations.
Chabad's central organization representing the movement at large,
Agudas Chasidei Chabad
Agudas Chassidei Chabad is the umbrella organization for the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The chairman of the executive committee is Rabbi Abraham Shemtov.
History
Agudas Chasidei Chabad was established by the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rab ...
, is headed by Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky. The educational and outreach arm,
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch ( he, מרכז לענייני חינוך, lit. Central Organization for Education) is the central educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It was founded in 1943 by the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersoh ...
, is also headed by Krinsky. Other central organizations include
Lubavitch Youth Organization
Lubavitch Youth Organization (LYO) is an organization run by Chabad, a Jewish, Hasidic movement. The organization offers a range of services for Jews of all affiliations. LYO was established by Chabad rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson in 195 ...
Agudas Chassidei Chabad (Union of Chabad Chasidim or Association of Chabad Chassidim also known by its initials "Aguch") is the umbrella organization for the worldwide
Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
movement. Aguch oversees the other Chabad central organizations such as Machneh Israel and
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch ( he, מרכז לענייני חינוך, lit. Central Organization for Education) is the central educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It was founded in 1943 by the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersoh ...
. The chairman of the Executive Committee is Rabbi
Abraham Shemtov
Abraham Shemtov (born February 16, 1937) is a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi and a shaliach ("emissary") of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
He is chairman of the board of Agudas Chasidei Chabad, the movement's umbrella organization, ...
.
The organization's divisions include:
*'' Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad'' – Chabad's main library housing its book and manuscript collection and historical archives.
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch ( he, מרכז לענייני חינוך, lit. Central Organization for Education) is the central educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It was founded in 1943 by the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersoh ...
– Founded in 1942, Merkos, as it is commonly known, is Chabad's educational arm, with several divisions:Lubavitch.com. "Divisions". ''Lubavitch.com''. http://lubavitch.com/departments.html
*''
Kehot Publication Society
Kehot Publication Society is the publishing division of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
History
Kehot was established in 1941 by the sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. In 1942, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak appointed his so ...
'' – Chabad's main publishing house.
*'' Central Chabad Lubavitch Library'' – The movement's main library, which houses its manuscript collection and other Jewish works.
*''
Chabad.org
Chabad.org is the flagship website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. It was one of the first Jewish internet sites and the first and largest virtual congregation.
History
In 1988, Yosef Yitzchak Kazen, a Chabad rabbi, began creating ...
The Shluchim Exchange
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' – An online social network for Shluchim, Chabad's emissaries.
Chaya Mushka Schneerson
Chaya Mushka (Moussia) Schneerson (March 16, 1901 – February 10, 1988), referred to by Lubavitchers as ''The Rebbetzin'', was the wife of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh and last Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad-Lubavitch bra ...
Other organizations affiliated with the movement include:
*''
Tomchei Temimim
Tomchei Tmimim ( he, תומכי תמימים, "supporters of the complete-wholesome ones") is the central Yeshiva (Talmudical academy) of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Do ...
'' – The central organization administering Chabad
yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...
s. Founded in 1897, Tomchei Temimim is older than Agudas Chasidei Chabad, but nevertheless is overseen by it as are all central chabad institutions.
*'' Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim Haolami'' – The central student organization serving the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch Yeshiva network. Founded in 2001, the Vaad is under the auspices of the Yeshiva faculty.
*''
Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR; russian: Федерация Еврейских Общин России, ) is a Russian religious organization that unifies communities of Orthodox Judaism, mostly of Chabad Hassidic movement. I ...
'' and ''
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS (FJC) is a Jewish organisation dedicated to restoring Jewish life, culture and religion in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the former Soviet Union. The FJC was founded on August 1, 1997 ...
'' – The central organizations representing Russian Jewry. These organizations are run by Chabad emissaries and their supporters, however, the organizations are not overseen by Agudas Chasidei Chabad.
*'' Menachem Education Foundation (MEF)''
*'' Friendship Circle'' - charity for children and young people with special needs
* Chabad Teen Network or CTeen is a global family of Jewish teens, dedicated to changing the world through acts of goodness and kindness. Through a fusion of fun, friendship building events, humanitarian outreach, mitzvah observance, and engaging Torah study, teens are empowered to actualize their inner infinite potential, while cultivating a strong sense of Jewish identity, pride, mission, and love of G‑d.
Chabad institutions
As of 2007 there are 3,300 Chabad institutions around the world.Gelbwasser, Michael, ''Sun Chronicle'', March 31, 2007Religion today by Emily Fredrix, December 6, 2007
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
About Chabad-Lubavitch on the official Chabad website,
Chabad.org
Chabad.org is the flagship website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. It was one of the first Jewish internet sites and the first and largest virtual congregation.
History
In 1988, Yosef Yitzchak Kazen, a Chabad rabbi, began creating ...
. As of 2006 there were Chabad centers in 75 countries.
Listed on the Chabad movement's online directory are around 1,350 Chabad institutions. This number includes schools and other Chabad-affiliated establishments. The number of Chabad centers vary per country; the majority are in the United States and Israel (see table). There are over 40 countries which have a small Chabad presence (not listed in the table). In total, according to its directory, Chabad maintains a presence in 950 cities around the world: 178 in Europe, 14 in Africa, 200 in Israel, 400 in North America, 38 in South America, and about 70 in Asia (excluding Israel, including Russia).
Chabad institutions by geographic region
Chabad institutions are spread throughout the globe, with the largest concentration being in the United States.
Chabad institutions in Europe
There are 465 Chabad institutions in Europe. The majority are in France, Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
Chabad institutions in Asia
There are 616 Chabad institutions in Asia. The majority are in Israel.Lubavitch centers in Asia /ref> /ref>
Chabad institutions in Oceania
There are 67 Chabad institutions in Oceania. The majority are in Australia.
Chabad institutions in Africa
There are 27 Chabad institutions in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. The majority are in South Africa.Lubavitch centers in Africa /ref>
Chabad institutions in North America
There are 1,174 Chabad institutions in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. The majority are in Canada and the United States.
Chabad institutions in South America
There are 81 Chabad institutions in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
. The majority are in Brazil and Argentina.
Chabad Houses
A Chabad House is a form of
Jewish community center
A Jewish Community Center or a Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is a general recreational, social clubs, social, and Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities. JCCs promote Jewish ...
, primarily serving both educational and observance purposes. Often, until the community can support its own center, the
Chabad House
A Chabad house is a centre for disseminating traditional Judaism by the Chabad movement. Chabad houses are run by a Chabad Shaliach (emissary), and Shalucha (fem. for emissary) and their family. They are located in cities and on or near college ...
is located in the ''shaliach's'' home, with the living room being used as the "
synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
". Effort is made to provide an atmosphere in which the nonobservant will not feel intimidated by any perceived contrast between their lack of knowledge of Jewish practice and the advanced knowledge of some of the people they meet there. The term "Chabad House" originated with the creation of the first such outreach center on the campus of
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
by Rabbi
Shlomo Cunin
Rabbi Baruch Shlomo Eliyahu Cunin (Hebrew ברוך שלמה אליהו קונין) (Shlomo Cunin) is a Hasidic Rabbi, associated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Cunin is the director of Chabad-Lubavitch of California, and Chabad activities on t ...
.
In the
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11, pronounced "twenty six eleven") were a series of Terrorism, terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from P ...
, the local Chabad House was targeted. The local Chabad emissaries, Rabbi
Gavriel Holtzberg
Gavriel Noach Holtzberg ( he, גבריאל נח הולצברג; June 9, 1979 – November 26, 2008 (1st of Kislev, 5769) was an Israeli American Orthodox rabbi and the Chabad emissary to Mumbai, India, where he and his wife Rivka ran the Mumbai C ...
and his wife Rivka, and four other Jews were brutally murdered. Chabad received condolences from around the world.
Fundraising
Funds for activities of a Chabad center rely entirely on the local community. Chabad centers do not receive funding from Lubavitch headquarters. For the day-to-day operations, local emissaries do all the fundraising by themselves.
Chabad emissaries often solicit the support of local Jews.M. Avrum Ehrlich. ''The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present''. p. 134. Funds are used toward purchasing or renovating Chabad centers, synagogues and Mikvahs.Fishkoff, Sue, ‘’The Rebbe’s Army’’, Schoken books 2003 () pages 160–161.