I Am Chabad. And I Am Not Open-Minded.

People often explain to me about why they love Chabad.

“You guys are so open-minded.”
“You are so welcoming.”
“You don’t judge me.”

They say it with admiration and sincerity.

I get what they mean: Chabad Rabbis and Rebbetzins welcome everyone. Anyone can walk in, religious or not, believer or skeptic, and still be greeted with a warm smile, a seat at the table, and a bowl of chicken soup. We don’t criticize people’s life choices. And we genuinely love every single Jew. It’s the reason why a Jew who hasn’t set foot into a Synagogue in decades is now showing up for a Talmud class with a bearded Chassidic Rabbi.

All of that is true.

But here’s the part that annoys me.

I am not open-minded. At all.

Let me explain.

When most people use the phrase “open-minded,” they usually mean someone who is open to all ideas and accepts all the choices people make. Because isn’t everyone entitled to their opinion and lifestyle?

That’s not Chabad.

Chabad rabbis are not neutral about life’s big questions. Not about morality. Not about purpose. Not about marriage, holiness, the soul, or what it means to live a meaningful life.

On these questions, the Torah has directions.

Strong ones.

For more than three thousand years Jewish law, philosophy, kaballah, and more recently, Chassidic thought have explored what it means to live as a human, and a Jew, being created in the image of G-d. The Torah talks about how we eat, how we speak, how we build families, how we conduct business, how we treat strangers, how we celebrate joy, and how we endure suffering. Even how we tie our shoes.

It explains the nature of the soul, the purpose of creation, and the daily choices that bring a person closer to living a G-d-centered life.

We have strong views on free will, abortion, Zionism, immigration, this president, the previous president, tattoos, driving on Shabbat, transgenderism, and how to educate your children.

In other words, Judaism does not shrug its shoulders about ANYTHING.

It teaches.

And we take those teachings seriously. Very seriously. It defines who we are and we aspire every day to live with those values as our guiding light.

Yes, I am curious about people, their experiences and how they came to live the way they do. People’s personalities and lifestyles are so diverse that I find it fascinating to learn about their decisions and what makes them tick.

There are 8.3 Billion different human experiences going on at the moment including some 15+ Million Jewish experiences. Each one adds something to this world and I have something unique to learn from every one of them.

But no, on Jewish topics, I am not open-minded. I don’t believe every idea is equally valid, and every choice is ‘kosher’.

And at the same exact moment, while we are not open-minded, we are radically open-hearted.

Because those two things are not the same. And understanding the difference is crucial.

The core of Judaism is not intellectual agreement. It is Ahavat Yisrael, the unconditional love of another Jew. That is not a slogan or a marketing strategy. It is the foundational teaching of Jewish life, emphasized again and again in Chabad philosophy.

Not because every Jew is perfect. Or that we agree on ANYTHING.

But because every Jew is family. Full stop. And even more than that. Every Jew is an infinite piece of G-d. And when living life from that perspective, we are all genuinely equal.

That is why a Chabad house anywhere in the world looks the way it does. A table where strangers become friends. It is truly the most diverse community that you will find anywhere (…without ever talking about the word “Diversity”). It is the ultimate Big-Tent Judaism.

Because Love comes first.

Modern culture often assumes that welcoming, listening to, respecting, accepting, or befriending someone requires diluting your beliefs. That compassion means softening your convictions.

Judaism rejects that false conclusion.

The Rebbe taught us that as Jews, we’re expected to do something maybe even Superhuman: to hold strong convictions while simultaneously loving deeply.

To believe something is true without reducing the person in front of you to their opinions. Or even their actions.

So my acceptance is not of your thoughts, decisions, feelings, opinions or lifestyle. It is way deeper than that. It is an acceptance of your essence.

And when you internalize this idea enough, you care about another Jew’s soul as much as your own. Because we are really one.

This is not theoretical. This is real life.

As we have tragically seen in recent years, from Mumbai to Bondi, you even give your life for another Jew.

Open minded, you say? No.

But radically and proudly Open-Hearted.