Am I a Follower of the Lubavitcher Rebbe?
About this episode
Tonia Chazanow explores her relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the implications of being a follower of a leader never personally met.
I recently opened a box of my middle school journals, and found the question that has followed me for nearly twenty years: could I honestly call myself a chossid of a Rebbe I had never met? In honor of Gimmel Tammuz, the anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's passing, I explore some of the questions that have gnawed at me for as long as I can remember: Should my relationship to the Rebbe be defined by longing? Am I fundamentally missing out on a nostalgic, golden age of Chabad if I never met him? What distinct message did the Rebbe have for a generation with a strong emphasis on the self? Is our determination to feel deeply "aligned" with our life choices a flaw, or a gift? Was the Rebbe passing on the baton, and if yes, to who? Drawing on a community survey and a close reading of V'atah Tetzaveh, this episode explores the generational shift the Rebbe himself outlined, what a relationship shaped by ignition, not loss, might look like, and how the Rebbe encouraged each person to step into their mission, to embrace the specificity of their identities and be the unique, unrepeatable messengers of Hashem the world is waiting for. * * * * * * * To inquire about sponsorship…
More episodes of Human & Holy
- The Moment That Stuck | Jackie Glaser: When Turning to G-d Becomes a Way to Hide From Yourself
- The Questions Women Don't Ask Out Loud | Dena Block
- Why I Stopped Waiting for a Miracle | Chavie Bruk
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Human & Holy podcast page.