home of the Messiah after he reveals him-
self. But Lubavitch followers reject such
speculation as foolish, noting that all tra-
ditional Jews are supposed to pray
fervently for the coming of the Messiah.
As for recreating 770 Eastern Parkway in
Israel, they say Rabbi Schneerson's idea
was to unify Lubavitch Chasidim in Isra-
el and America.
Still, Lubavitch has come under harsh
criticism for its messianism. Last year,
Ismar Schorsch, the chancellor of the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America,

Rabbi Yitschak Kagan

the educational center of Conservative
Judaism, issued an appeal to Conserva-
tive Jews to withhold financial support
from Lubavitch organizations. He lam-
basted them for "dangerous messianism"
and fostering disunity among Jews.
A year later, however, Dr. Schorsch ac-
knowledges that his appeal had little im-
pact and that the money flow from cer-
tain Conservative Jews to Lubavitch has
continued.
More recently, an article in Reform Ju-
daism, entitled "Before You Give To

Chabad," cautioned that while many Re-
form Jews contribute to Lubavitch, they
may be unaware of the group's active
support of the Who Is A Jew campaign
and of the Rebbe's description of Conser-
vative and Reform Judaism as heretical.

Financial Status

Lubavitch field workers in different
cities, known as shlichim,reported that
there was "a small dip" in contributions

0

The Lubavitch Center in Farmington Hills

In Michigan, Lubavitch Continues To Grow

I

he key word in describing Luba-
vitch is outreach, according to
Rabbi Yitschak Kagan, associate
director of the Lubavitch Foundation in
Michigan. Outreach is evident in every-
thing from Lubavitch's longstanding
programs, such as educational seminars,
to its latest and most ambitious project,
the "Campus of Living Judaism," he
says.
"The greatest misconception about
Lubavitch is that we function like a
self-contained community," Rabbi
Kagan says. "Some people speak about
the campus like it's a Lubavitch shtetl.
Nothing could be further from the
truth."
Instead, the campus, which is to be
located on 40 acres off of West Maple
Road, will offer opportunities to Jews of
all backgrounds and beliefs, he says. It
will include conference and activities
centers, a museum, a day-care center, a
park with Japanese gardens, a center

for the elderly, a camp, a library filled
with everything from Jewish classics to
children's books to audio cassettes, a
computer center and a rabbinical col-
lege.
"We intend to siphon off the best
students" for the college, Rabbi Kagan
says. "And I'm sure we won't have any
problem attracting them."
The West Bloomfield Township board
late last month approved the campus,
which is expected to cost about $15
million.
The campus illustrates Lubavitch's
growth in Detroit in recent years,
Rabbi Kagan says. Other examples in-
clude new Lubavitch programs in
Flint, Toledo, Grand Rapids, Ann Ar-
bor, West Bloomfield and Farmington
Hills. Rabbi Kagan estimates the
Lubavitch population here has tripled
since the early 1970s.
Rabbi Kagan says some 10,000 Jews
in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas

support Lubavitch locally. Most of
these are small contributors, he says.
Many of those individuals attended
the Lubavitch Foundation dinner, held
last week. More than 1,000 Chabad
supporters and friends were present at-
the event, which featured author and
Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel.
The 1990 Lubavitch Foundation
dinner will focus on founders of the
new Campus of Living Judaism, Rabbi
Kagan says.
Local Lubavitch outreach programs
include a hospital visitation program,
Camp Gan Israel, the Tzivot Hashem
(Army of God) youth group and edu-
cation forums, including a lecture
series for lawyers and judges. Chabad's
Jewish Entrepreneurs of Michigan
programs, where guests hear a busi-
ness speaker during a kosher lunch,
regularly attract between 50 and 75
participants, Rabbi Kagan says. CI
Elizabeth Applebaum

What
distinguishes
Lubavitch
most from
other Chasidic
groups is its
outreach.

THEDETROJI 4EWISH,IPIS 31

