Yeah that was one thing that [censored] me off to no end in Crown Heights. The bachurim at the yeshiva were saying "770 is the beis hamikdash" and acted like the Israelis that came all for a year were making aliyah, and that America will be Israel after moshiach (it won't, halacha says only land connected to Israel will), and every shabbos their shuls will fly to israel and connect to beis hamikdash so it's like they live in Israel. And "oh what will happen to the poor goyim if we leave". "The Rebbe gave us a mission we can't abandon or post" is common too. Half of them did their best to speak lashon hara against Israel and exaggerate how hard it is there (but heaven in CH obviously) as an excuse to not go. There was even one Satmar dude who met the Rebbe and would show up that said Israel should abandon their sovereignty and become a vassal of America or England, because they'll surely protect us, and Jews aren't allowed to move to Israel, and that you're rebelling against Hashem by making aliyah, ironically the opposite on both levels of reality. The non Moshiacist Rabbis there like R. Osdaba were the opposite on the issue, but it appeared they kept their voices down to avoid heat from the many yechiers. Like I saw moshiachcist bachurim go to handicapped kids they were supposed to take care of and show a pic of 770 and the rebbe and say "this is beis hamikdash and this is moshiach", and they just wanted to know which letter was aleph.
I still love Chabad and identify with them, but pretending crown heights is Jerusalem is a crime on some of their parts. As for the schluchim that go out to tiny communities and make baalei teshuva, Rav Kahane said the only reason a Rabbi can have to stay out of Israel is to not leave Jews without a community, but instead of telling them not to make aliyah, if they told them they have to we'd bring Moshiach now.
Topic: JTF This Week: President Mike Bloomberg? G-d forbid! Jewish politicians (Read 4398 times)