Inside the Secret World of Chabad: Faith, Power, and Controversy
- GhostByte null
- Sep 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 26
Faith Meets "Ambition"
What happens when strict religious devotion collides with worldwide influence? Chabad, aka Lubavitch, is the answer. From Brooklyn to Buenos Aires, emissaries are everywhere—welcoming—but beneath the surface, messianic tension, legal drama, and internal conflict bubble quietly.
Founded in 1775 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, Chabad’s backbone is Chochmah-Binah-Da’at—Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge. Its global nerve center? 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, where Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson turned a local movement into a worldwide powerhouse.
Chabad’s Recipe for Power: intellect over emotion, outreach over isolation, infrastructure that magnifies even the smallest acts. But influence comes with drama.
💥 Controversy Watch: Brooklyn Edition
Messiah on the Mind – Ongoing
Some followers insist Rabbi Schneerson is—or will be—the Messiah. The debate sparks tension inside and outside the movement.
Tunnel Trouble – January 2024
Students dug a 60-foot secret tunnel under 770 Eastern Parkway. Nine arrests; four trials pending. What started as devotion ended as headline-grabbing scandal.
$850K in Question – California, 2014
Federal funds allegedly misused. Court ruled funds were treated as gifts. Oversight? Minimal. Drama? Maximum.
Watch the full story
🧠 The Chabad Formula
1. Mind Over Heart
The Tanya preaches intellect guiding emotion—a spiritual GPS navigating the tug-of-war between good and evil.
2. Global Outreach
Shluchim (emissaries) plant synagogues, schools, and community centers—sometimes in the tiniest Jewish communities. Small acts of observance, big spiritual ripples.
3. Worldwide Infrastructure
Thousands of Chabad Houses and online platforms turn local efforts into global influence. Even a single mitzvah can echo across continents.
🕳️ Brooklyn’s Unauthorized Tunnel: The Full Story
What Happened: A 60-foot tunnel dug beneath 770 Eastern Parkway, January 2024. No permits. Inspired by Schneerson’s vision—or so it seems.
Legal Fallout: Nine arrests, 13 arraignments, six plea deals, four trials pending (April 2025). A judge called it a “blemish on the Chabad movement.”
Community Tensions: Messianic factions vs. mainstream leadership. Fuel for conspiracy theories. Chaos in the name of devotion.
⚡ Fast Facts
Founded: 1775, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
Global Hub: 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
Core Membership: ~90,000–95,000 (2018)
Global Reach: Thousands of centers, schools, camps, publications
Foundational Text: Tanya
🚨 Why Chabad Commands Attention
Chabad is a rare breed: ultra-Orthodox devotion with audacious global reach. From messianic debates to secret tunnels and grant scandals, its story is one of faith, influence, and internal power struggles. Every Chabad House, campaign, or controversy whispers the same truth: this movement refuses to stay in the shadows.
What happens when ultra-Orthodox tradition collides with global ambition? Chabad, also called Lubavitch, combines strict religious observance with a massive outreach network. From Brooklyn to Buenos Aires, emissaries are everywhere—yet beneath the welcoming exterior, messianic fervor, legal drama, and internal conflict simmer.
Founded in 1775 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, Chabad is grounded in Chochmah-Binah-Da’at—Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge—a mystical-intellectual framework. Its global hub: 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, where Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson expanded the movement worldwide.
Chabad’s formula is simple yet powerful: intellect over emotion, outreach over isolation, and infrastructure that magnifies even small acts. But with influence comes controversy.
Controversy Watch
The Tunnel That Shook Brooklyn
January 8, 2024
Messianic Debate Ongoing
Some followers claim Rabbi Schneerson is/will be the Messiah. Creates tension internally and externally.
Brooklyn Tunnel Incident 2024 Students dug a secret 60-foot tunnel under 770 Eastern Parkway. Nine arrested; four await trial. Exposed rifts between factions.
California Grant Misuse 2014 $850K in federal
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