What is "chabad"

Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch, is an Orthodox Jewish, Hasidic movement. Chabad is today one of the world's best known Hasidic movements and is well known for its outreach. It is the largest Hasidic group and Jewish religious organization in the world.

Founded in 1775 by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the name "Chabad" ( Hebrew: חב״ד) is a Hebrew acronym for Chochmah, Binah, Da'at : "Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge", which represent the intellectual underpinnings of the movement. The name "Lubavitch" is the Yiddish name for the originally Belorussian village Lyubavichi where the movement's leaders lived for over 100 years.

In 1951, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson became the seventh Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, and he transformed it from a small chasidic movement into the largest and most widespread Jewish movement in the world today. He established a network of more than 3,600 institutions that provide religious, social and humanitarian needs in over 1,000 cities, spanning 80 countries and 49 of the 50 American states. Chabad institutions provide outreach to unaffiliated Jews and humanitarian aid, as well as religious, cultural and educational activities at Chabad-run community centers, synagogues, schools, camps, and soup kitchens.

Studies conducted between 1993-1996 stated the movement is thought to number between 40,000 and 200,000 adherents. In 2005 the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs reported that up to one million Jews attend Chabad services at least once a year. In 2013, Chabad forecasted that their Chanukah activities would reach up to 8,000,000 Jews in 80 countries worldwide.

Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.

Chabad may also refer to:

• Chabad offshoot groups
  • Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism
  • Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism
  • Chabad-Liadi or Liadi, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism
  • Chabad-Avrutch or Avrutch, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism
  • Chabad-Niezhin or Niezhin, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism