Chabad Rabbi Named Most Influential In America

The Daily Beast and Newsweek have released their annual list of the 50 most influential rabbis in the United States.

 

The Daily Beast and Newsweek have released their annual list of the 50 most influential rabbis in the United States.

Just like last year, the number one spot is held by Chabad's Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky:

Holding the No. 1 spot for a second year, Krinsky represents the fastest-growing denomination in Judaism, The Chabad-Lubavitch movement – a branch of Hasidism that reaches out assertively to Jews of all stripes and often cultivates the financial support and loyalty of Jewish men enticed by the suggestion of private Torah study. Krinsky doesn’t try to replicate the Messianic presence of his late predecessor and mentor, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, but he has brought a professionalism and managerial rigor to Chabad, which has been watched (and even quietly envied and emulated) by other denominations that would like to capture some of its magic outreach. (2010 ranking: #1)

Comments

[Critical minyan]

Obviously the writer had never committed a felony otherwise leib glanz would be number 1 on the list.

[Maskil]

לא יסור שבט מיודל

[Scott's mom]

And all Scott got was an honerable mention by ....his own website

[Jochanan]

Chabad's influence is overrated and by "growing denomination" what exactly do they mean? Do they mean that by percentage? Do they mean how many people attend a Chabad thing? I don't think there are droves of people becoming Chasidim. There are an awful lot of people with cheeseburgers on their breath driving to services at Chabad facilities. Does that count as "growth?"

[Fleishike Kishke]

Since its inception, Chabad has found success through intermittently reinventing itself as to seem compatible with current trends. When the Enlightenment burst the bubble of biblical Judaism and its pagan inspired mythology, the founder of Chabad, the Baal HaTanya, developed a new system rooted in the Cabala and “philosophy” which were the hot trends back then. Rebbe Rashab recast Chabad Judaism to be compatible with the emerging “psychology.” Y.Y. Schneerson re-imagined his Chabad revolution and struggle against authority. In the United States M.M. Schneerson remolded Chabad in the Born-Again, Televangelist, End of Days, manner. The leader of the 8th Generation, the influential Yudel Krinsky, has once again successfully recreated Chabad to seem compatible with non-intellectual capitalism and the corporate image. And there you have it. If you study Chabad Hasidus you see that it is a post biblical movement, its understanding of the Universe has nothing to do with the story put forward by the book of Genesis. Since the “torah” does not box the movement in, the organism is free to evolve.

[ruthie]

1. first cheder chabad calls....i want you to win $100,000...please buy a raffle ticket.
motherfucker...never call to say hello only for money.
2. emails...wishing me a happy pesach....oh! and please send money.

i can't help but love the rebbe. he was very very good to me.
but jesus christ...i could give a shit about being jewish anymore.
i like it as a status symbol...some of my friends wish they were jewish. but as far as being religious...monsey sucked that out of me BIG time. yes, there are wonderful people still around..they're wonderful not because they're frum because they're wonderful.
the ones that are just frum....can all go and fuck themselves.
on a good note...for all the good ones...religious or not...a sweet pesach.

[A Yid]

1. first cheder chabad calls....i want you to win $100,000...please buy a raffle ticket.
motherfucker...never call to say hello only for money.
2. emails...wishing me a happy pesach....oh! and please send money.

I don't know why do people get upset at this.
The institutions that serve the religious Jewish community in America depends on our generosity unlike a place like Germany for example where a set % of your tax money goes to fund your religious community in the USA we have the opportunity to decide ourselves which religious institutions in our communities deserve our support.
Given a choice between grateful schnorers and demanding tax collectors wouldn't most of us would prefer the former?:-)
Chag kosher vesameach!

[ruthie]

a yid....
you have a point. i'm listening.
1. cheder chabad...i understand asking for money....i don't understand the overwhelming feeling of caring so much for ME to win $100,000 ...that was his opening line....I WANT YOU TO WIN...
how about hello and how are you? i did point that out to him and he said it wasn't tzinus...then don't call a fucking woman!!!!
and me the idiot...sent money. he asks me again...i will ask him to send his cleaning lady to my house to clean and then i'll send him money. i would rather give to someone who sometimes says hello too. motherfuckers all of them. except the nice ones.
2. would be nice to get an email that wishes one well...just once...without asking for money. i like to give; i also like a kind word. esp. if the organizations are in one's own backyard!!!

[Western Jew]

I don't know if the ChaBaD movement really has momentum or if its just a paradigm of high birthrate and high profile. That said, I think that there are many inconsistencies with their message. The esteemed Rabbi Schneerson, of blessed memory, is a smart fellow, but he is not the uber rabbi that the movement says that he really is. I think that his message and teachings were alot of sugar without any spice at all. And we really need spice too.

[Aussie]

1. first cheder chabad calls....i want you to win $100,000...please buy a raffle ticket.
motherfucker...never call to say hello only for monChabad.org to still their emails ey.
2. emails...wishing me a happy pesach....oh! and please send money.

Yep I hear ya....I told chabad.org to stick their emails where the sun don't shine....
All the schnorrers ever do these days is ask for gelt....

[akiva hall]

i dont see any other jewish organization taking the initiatiative chabad takes