Steven I. Weiss has a post on Rabbi Dr. David Berger explaining his current position on Chabad. Rabbi Berger also notes that he was not invited to present at NYU's academic conference on the Rebbe to be held next week. The conference – organized by Chabad apologist Lawrence Schiffman and Chabad rabbi Dr. Naftali Lowenthal, and funded by Chabad supporter and apologis George Rohr – appears to have only two potential critics of Chabad out of perhaps a dozen or so presenters. The only biographer of the Rebbe, Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch, has also been left out of the mix. This may be because, unlike Rabbi Berger, Deutsch is not an academic. Still, he has the only biography in existence, and has broken new ground with his work. Both Berger and Deutsch are pariahs within Chabad; this may be the real reason neither is presenting.
The lone critic of Chabad on the agenda is Alan Nadler, an academic expert on the Vilna Gaon and mitnagdim.
SIW is covering this event for the Forward. If his recent comments and his history of reporting on this issue are any indication, Chabad will get off easy – but not too easy. But Chabad doesn't have to worry. Their mole at the Forward will eventually take care of matters by deleting Weiss reports from the Forward's website.