Chabad’s Extremist Turn

12 snips

May 15, 2025

Shaul Magid is a Harvard Divinity School scholar focusing on modern Jewish thought, while Hadas Binyamini is a doctoral candidate at NYU studying Jewish politics. Together, they dive into Chabad's unexpected alignment with Israeli extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, questioning its anti-Zionist past and newfound quasi-Zionism. The guests discuss internal community tensions in Crown Heights, evolving identities among younger Chabad members, and the movement's struggle between outreach and exclusionary practices amid rising radical ideologies.

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INSIGHT

Chabad's Complex Zionism Stance

Chabad historically opposed Zionism theologically but supports a strong bond with Israel as a refuge.
Their anger post-October 7 is more tribal and vengeful than strictly Zionist.

INSIGHT

Chabad Theology Links to Tribalism

Chabad's theological belief in Jewish uniqueness when applied politically mirrors Kahanism's tribalism.
October 7th trauma intensified open expressions of hatred within some Chabad circles.

INSIGHT

Chabad's Anti-Left Legacy

Chabad's historic fear of the left, rooted in Soviet persecutions, fuels its current anti-left stance.
Anti-Zionism is equated with anti-Semitism, leading to excommunications driven by survival fears.

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In April, Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the United States in his first-ever trip to the country as a government official. Many Jewish groups refused to meet with Ben-Gvir, a follower of Meir Kahane whose extremism stands out even in an Israeli political scene awash in anti-Palestinian racism. But Ben-Gvir was welcomed by Chabad rabbis at Yale in New Haven, in South Florida, as well as at 770 Eastern Parkway, the Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The latter appearance sparked protests outside 770, which were met with violence by Chabadniks. In particular, a mob chanting “Death to Arabs” chased a female passerby for several blocks, kicking, spitting, and throwing objects at her. Other videos showed Chabadniks lighting a keffiyeh on fire, shoving and kicking members of the Hasidic anti-Zionist group Neturei Karta, and bloodying a female protester (herself a Jewish Israeli).

To discuss Chabad’s alignment with Ben-Gvir, its long-standing antipathy to leftist movements, and its uneasy relations within Crown Heights, Jewish Currents editor-in-chief Arielle Angel spoke with Jewish studies scholars Shaul Magid and Hadas Binyamini. They discuss Chabad’s historic anti-Zionism, the quasi-Zionist cultural shifts that have solidified after October 7th, and the tensions the movement is currently navigating between its outreach orientation and its increasingly exclusionary politics.

Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”

Texts Mentioned and Further Resources:

The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference, David Berger

“Israel’s Class War Conservatives,” Joshua Leifer, Jewish Currents

“The three-decade saga that led to the Crown Heights tunnels,” Chananya Groner, The Guardian

“The Happy-Go-Lucky Jewish Group That Connects Trump and Putin,” Ben Schreckinger, Politico

Letter to Hitler from the German Free Association for the Interests of Orthodox Jewry, 1933

“Lubavitcher Hassidim Oppose Public Demonstrations on Behalf of Soviet Jews,” JTA

“The New Heimish Populism,” Joshua Leifer, Jewish Currents

Race and Religion Among the Chosen Peoples of Crown Heights, Henry Goldschmidt

“The Passion of 964 Park Place,” Ari Brostoff, Jewish Currents