If you haven't taken the "Religious Background Poll for Skeptics" please do so now!
A couple days ago Chasid Kofer sent me an email in which he asked: Do Lubavitch sheluchim (missionaries) and their families always maintain their yidishkeit?
I thought it was an interesting question. I had not previously thought about the fact that a shaliach, or any other kiruv worker, might lose faith.
Here is the response I sent him:
I can say for certain that the families of Lubavitch sheluchim do not always maintain yidishkeit. I speak from personal experience. At the moment I can think of at least one friend who left the derech and who's parents run a Chabad House. As far as the shcluchim themselves I do not know. I have never heard of such a case but I would find it hard to believe that it has never happened. More likely would be a situation where the Chabad House couldn't get anyone involved/couldn't pay the bills (this happens from time to time) and it shut down, and the reality behind this situation was that the sheluchim themselves lost faith.Does anyone know of a story where a shaliach, or other kiruv worker, went off the derech?
Have an easy fast.
7 comments:
Gershon Winkler went off, but you cant really count him as a skeptic because he believes in all sorts of loony stuff and does all sorts of spiritual vildkeit.
PS -
Could you do an 'insider' post about Lubavitch meshichism? You cant get a straight answer from the average chabasker who generally will play down meshichism to opponents and promote it to those open to it. Can we get the truth about its prevalence etc... from you?
Thanks
The streetscape of Crown Heights sure does't look like my Zeidy's schuna of the 50'& 60's.
Winkler was not a shaliach. The only shaliach who ever went off was a whacko in Yerushalayim, an American freak who was nuts to begin with and then ran off with a shiksa.
Shmully Boteach
We have a chabad shliach/ rav over here whose wife is now his ex and is not frum. Interesting story.
But for the most part, the shluchim themselves stay frum- it is hard to lose faith in something that you are constantly selling door to door to everyone you meet. The children, on the other hand, that is a different story. Many go off the derech>
Shmulie Boteach, does not come from a lubab family he became one along the way later on.
He was confused and had a lot of family issues, way before he became a lubab.
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