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Habad, Messianism, and the Phantom Charisma of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson

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The Anthropology of Religious Charisma

Part of the book series: Contemporary Anthropology of Religion ((CAR))

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Abstract

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–94), the seventh and last leader of the Habad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, was one of the most influential and well-known Jewish figures in the second half of the twentieth century. During his 43-year tenure the Brooklyn-based Rabbi managed to transform Habad from a dwindling community into a dynamic transnational movement. The major mechanism underlying this transformation was the global deployment of hundreds of emissaries (shluchim), personally attached and committed to the Rabbi, in order to provide Jewish communities and individuals all over the globe with religious and educational facilities. This revolutionary project elevated the Rabbi to a leading position in the Jewish world and endowed Habad with a public profile as the keeper of Jewish heritage. The centrality of the ethos of outreach activities in the service of all Jews has bolstered Habadniks’ self-perception as Judaism’s spearhead and provided them with a sense of self-assurance, esprit de corps, and common vision (Heilman and Friedman 2010; Kraus 2007).

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Authors
  1. Yoram Bilu
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Charles Lindholm

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© 2013 Charles Lindholm

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Bilu, Y. (2013). Habad, Messianism, and the Phantom Charisma of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. In: Lindholm, C. (eds) The Anthropology of Religious Charisma. Contemporary Anthropology of Religion. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137377630_10

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