I have had my share of issues with the Chabad.. Funny enough I was criticized for my frustrations with Chabad earlier.. I will admit I was in a bad state of mind and being condescending, but I cannot overlook some of the problems I have had with Chabad. However, I do respect the Chabad, despite my disagreements with some of their ideology and Messianic nature.
On that note, I actually am on better terms with the Chabad I was attending and talked about my problems with the Rabbi. I'm now attending the Chabad regularly , as they are the only "authentic" Jewish congregation in the rural area of the Northwest where I live.
However, I cannot overlook the truth about the Chabad at their core. THey are, indeed, a more "Jewish" Messianic Jewish movement. A good majority of Chabadniks accept the Lubavitcher Rebbe as Moshiach. Unless you are truly ignorant to their ideologies and just attend their services for the free food and/or the no-charge holiday and Shabbat services, you will start to see the Messianic nature in the forefront of the Chabad. For example, my previous Rabbi (who I do have much respect for) and his wife go on "pilgrimages", as they call it, every year to Crown Heights for the birthday of the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin. They go and visit the grave and do special sorts of davening. I don't know the details, but to make yearly pilgrimages and to turn the life and death of a human into some sacred and religious holiday I always found very disturbing.
Also, I have met many Lubavitchers who refuse to teach their children Hebrew until they are older. Some of the more traditional ones will only teach their children to speak Yiddish and reserve any Hebrew for prayers. The Hebrew is used only as a prayer language and not spoken in day to day life.
I am just wondering why, LKZ, you don't seek out other religious sects of JEws.. I respect the Chabad and their outreach and think they do a lot of good spreading Judaism to the public. That is why I regret my outburst about how I was disappointed to see so many mitzvot being broken in the synagogue. FOr example, at the Chabad kehillot I was attending, the girls were dressed very revealing. Me and another guy, who was quite shomer, were sitting and talking and this girl was showing off her legs and massaging some type of lotion. She was wearing very short shorts and it was like she was showing off her legs for everyone to see . I could see both me and the other guy were distracted at the sight of these sexy legs that she had propped on a couch.. Normally, I would not care about some girl showing off her beautiful legs, but in a House of G-d, I would expect women to be decent and cover themselves and not be playing with their legs. I guess it just felt very icky and wrong for being a place that is suppose to be Orthodox-like.
Anyhow, the outreach of Chabad is a whole different world than being immersed in the Ultra-Orthodox side of Chabad in Crown Heights. I like meeting some of the younger and/or open-minded rabbis who are not so affixed to Chabad theology. For example, my Rabbi wanted me to get him copies of all the Zion Golan Mizrachi songs I had. I was shocked and honored to do so, as I know to most Chabad rabbis it would be hearsay to indulge in Mizrachi type of music. I've never had a Chabad Rabbi who would acknowledge any of my Mizrachi music or minhag, but this younger and more open-minded Chabad rabbi seems to be breaking some of the old traiditions, allowing himself to listen to non-Chassidic music.
Anyway, I hope you can find an Orthodox sect of Jews you find more appealing. I , myself, would love to learn in a Yemenite Jewish Yeshiva, like Beit El Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, if I ever get the time and money.
