The Easy Target
I must confess that, while I am not an Orthodox Jew and am rather skeptical of any orthodoxy, I have a particular admiration for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Under the leadership of the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994), this movement, originally from Poland-Russia, underwent a radical transformation in the 20th century. Known simply as the Rebbe, the charismatic rabbi based in Brooklyn turned this Hasidic group into an immense network of emissaries stationed in every corner of the world where there is a Jew.
Chabad offers spiritual companionship and facilitates the commemoration of both festive and less joyful occasions on the Hebrew calendar. The Rebbe decided that, after the catastrophe experienced by the Jewish people during the Holocaust, it was necessary to revitalize Jewish life throughout the entire world. And that is exactly what they have done, with enthusiasm and dedication.
Chabad emissaries are on the front lines wherever they are needed, including in such unlikely places as Thailand, the foothills of the Himalayas, or remote tourist villages in Central America. Always with a smile and a great sense of hospitality, the rabbis of this movement and their families welcome everyone with open arms. They are living examples of the commandment “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Chabad emissaries and their families have also been targets of terrorists whose goal is to murder Jews. We have just seen this in the attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia. One of the fatal victims was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Chabad emissary there. Sadly, he is not the first victim of terrorism from this group. Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife Rivka were murdered by terrorists at the Chabad House in Mumbai, India, in 2008. Rabbi Zvi Kogan was killed in Dubai in 2024 by Islamists from Uzbekistan. And in 2014, another Chabad emissary, Rabbi Joseph Raskin, was shot on the streets of North Miami Beach as he walked to synagogue on a Saturday. Although his murder was not classified as a “hate crime,” it is clear that the visible signs of his Judaism were obvious to the criminals who killed him.
In these times of overflowing antisemitism, Chabad emissaries represent the most visible expression of a Jew. Their black hats and suits, white shirts, and beards identify them unmistakably as Jewish. A Jew like me blends in easily with people of any religion or background. I do not cover my head (with a kippah), nor do wear the thin white fringes (tzitzit) worn by Orthodox Jews. There is nothing about me that makes me an easy target. But that is not the case for Chabad rabbis scattered around the world. In the murderous gaze of a terrorist, they are the first easy target to identify.
That has not stopped them from continuing their work with joy. Yes, with joy—which is characteristic of the Hasidic spirit and of its founder in 18th-century Poland, the Baal Shem Tov (literally “Master of the Good Name”). In their songs, dances, and celebrations, with a touch of spirited drinks, Chabad Hasidism personifies divine service performed with full joy. And so it will remain, despite the hatred and violence.
