468: The Sixth Chabad Rebbe’s Radical Bet on Jewish Continuity with Rabbi David Eliezrie

468: The Sixth Chabad Rebbe’s Radical Bet on Jewish Continuity with Rabbi David Eliezrie

From Jewish Money Matters by Yael Trusch

May 25, 2026 · 1h 21m

About this episode

Rabbi David Eliezrie discusses the impact of the sixth Chabad Rebbe on Jewish continuity and education, sharing personal stories of financial challenges and successes.

B”H My guest today is Rabbi David Eliezrie, author of the newly released and highly acclaimed book Undaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, and Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance . This is a fascinating conversation that will give you a much deeper appreciation for the sixth Chabad Rebbe’s impact on Judaism as we know it today — from Jewish education, to communal leadership, to the very survival and rebuilding of Jewish life in America and beyond. And as you’ll hear throughout this interview, many of the battles he fought were also financial. You’ll hear many episodes, some of them obscure and unknown. For example, how sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, went out on a financial limb to save what some might have considered “the competition” — one of the most important Torah institutions in America at the time, Yeshivas Torah Vodaath. Rabbi Eliezrie is also the author of the highly popular book The Secret of Chabad , which was recognized by the National Jewish Book Awards. He serves on the board of the Jewish Agency for Israel, has been active in global Jewish affairs for decades, and has served as a Chabad…

People in this episode

Host: Yael Trusch

Guest: Rabbi David Eliezrie

Topics covered

  • Jewish education
  • communal leadership
  • financial struggles
  • Jewish continuity
  • Chabad Rebbe
  • fundraising
  • global Jewish affairs

Keywords

  • Chabad
  • Jewish continuity
  • financial struggles
  • Rabbi Eliezrie
  • Yeshivas Torah Vodaath
  • Jewish education
  • fundraising
  • communal leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yeshivas Torah Vodaath

Books & works: Undaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, and Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance, The Secret of Chabad

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