IOverview
Chabad, or Chabad-Lubavitch, is a Hasidic group within Haredi Orthodoxy. Its name is an acronym of three Hebrew words, chochmah, binah and da'at, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Lubavitch is the town, in today's Russia, where the movement was based for over a century.
Chabad is best known for its Chabad Houses. A young rabbinic couple, called shluchim or emissaries, settles long term in a city, even one with very few Jews, and opens a place for prayer, study and kosher meals. The work is aimed at Jews of every level of observance, not at converting others.
IIHistory
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi was a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov. He wrote the Tanya, printed in 1797, which sets out the Hasidic path through systematic reflection, and a legal code known as the Shulchan Aruch HaRav. The movement passed through seven rebbes. His son moved the centre to Lubavitch in 1813, where it stayed until 1915.
The sixth rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, was arrested in the Soviet Union in 1927, later released, and reached New York in 1940. The seventh, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, led from 1951 until his death in 1994. Under him Chabad built its global emissary network and launched campaigns such as inviting Jews to put on tefillin, light Shabbat candles and join public Hanukkah menorah lightings.
- 1797The TanyaChabad's foundational work, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman.
- 1813Move to LubavitchThe movement is centred in the town until 1915.
- 1940Arrival in New YorkThe sixth rebbe sets up headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights.
- 1951The seventh rebbeRabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson takes leadership and expands the emissary network.
- 1994Death of the RebbeNo successor rebbe is appointed.
IIIBeliefs and Distinctives
- Mind guiding heart: deep intellectual understanding of God gives rise to genuine love and awe.
- Two souls: the Tanya teaches that each person has a divine soul and an animal soul, and religious life lets the divine soul lead.
- Every mitzvah counts: a single good deed or one act of putting on tefillin brings the world closer to redemption.
- A dwelling for God below: the purpose of creation is to make the physical world a place where God dwells.
In the seventh rebbe's last years and after his death, some followers came to believe he is the Messiah. Many others in Chabad do not say this, and many Orthodox rabbis outside Chabad oppose the belief. The library records this disagreement descriptively, without taking sides.
In law Chabad keeps halakha like the rest of the Haredi world, with its own customs such as its manner of laying tefillin, the Nusach Ari prayer rite and the habit of studying a chapter of Tanya daily.
IVWorship, Rites and Daily Life
A Chabad House is usually the emissary family's home, doubling as synagogue, classroom and kosher kitchen. On Friday night there is a Shabbat dinner open to all Jews in the area and to travellers. The High Holy Days and Pesach bring services and communal meals. At Hanukkah Chabad often lights a large menorah in a public place.
Chabad menorahs have straight diagonal branches rather than curved ones, following the seventh rebbe's view based on a drawing by Maimonides. It is an easy marker to recognise, not an official logo.
VOrganisation and Distribution
The spiritual headquarters is 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Central bodies include Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm, and Machne Israel. Each Chabad House raises its own funds, mostly through local donations. Every year the emissaries gather for an international conference in New York.
According to Chabad.org, 4,900 emissary families run 3,500 institutions in 100 countries and territories, plus over 1,000 schools. The page gives no year for these figures. The library has found no sourced count of Chabad adherents, since many who attend Chabad Houses do not identify as Chabad.
VIIn Vietnam
According to Chabad Vietnam, the first centre opened in Ho Chi Minh City in 2006, led by Rabbi Menachem Hartman and his wife, offering prayer and kosher meals, with a mikveh added in 2012. Chabad of Hanoi opened in 2014. The Chabad of Hanoi site lists four Chabad Houses in Vietnam: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An and Sa Pa.
| Centre | Opened | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chabad of Ho Chi Minh City | 2006 | Prayer, kosher meals, mikveh opened in 2012 |
| Chabad of Hanoi | 2014 | Shabbat and festival meals, kosher food |
| Chabad of Hoi An | 2018 | The Jewish Link in July 2021 reported it closed during the pandemic, the Hanoi site still lists it |
| Chabad of Sa Pa | Unknown | Found only on the Chabad of Hanoi site |
On legal status, according to figures cited by VietNamNet in 2025, Vietnam recognises sixteen religions and Judaism is not among them. The library has not found any document granting legal personality to a Jewish organisation in Vietnam. On numbers, The Jewish Link reported in July 2021 about 350 Jews living in Vietnam, from many countries. That is a count of Jews, not of Chabad adherents.
VIISymbol of the Branch
Menorah with straight diagonal branches
VIIIOther Branches of Judaism
Reform Judaismיהדות רפורמית Yahadut ReformitTook shape in early 19th-century Germany (Hamburg Temple, 1818) and grew in North America.Uses the common symbol of the pathHaredi Orthodox Judaism, including Hasidismחרדים Haredim, חסידות HasidutStrictly traditional Orthodoxy centred on Talmud study, with distinctive dress.Uses the common symbol of the pathModern Orthodox Judaismאורתודוקסיה מודרנית, דתי לאומי Dati LeumiTook shape in mid-19th-century Germany with Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.Uses the common symbol of the pathConservative Judaism (Masorti)יהדות מסורתית MasortiTook shape with Zacharias Frankel in mid-19th-century Germany and in North America from 1886.Uses the common symbol of the pathReconstructionist JudaismReconstructionist JudaismGrew from the thought of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan in early 20th-century North America.Uses the common symbol of the pathChabad-Lubavitchחב״ד ChabadA Hasidic group founded by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745 to 1812).Karaite Judaismיהדות קראית Yahadut Qara'itAccepts only the written Tanakh as supreme authority, rejecting the rabbinic Oral Torah and Talmud.Uses the common symbol of the pathIXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
What does Chabad mean?
It is an acronym of the Hebrew words chochmah, binah and da'at, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. The name expresses the movement's path: knowing God through the mind to nourish love and awe.
Do Chabad Houses welcome non-Jews?
Chabad Houses serve Jews and do not seek converts. Many welcome curious visitors, but religious activities are meant for Jews.
Is there a synagogue in Vietnam?
There are Chabad Houses serving as places of prayer in Ho Chi Minh City since 2006 and Hanoi since 2014, according to Chabad. The Hanoi site also lists Hoi An and Sa Pa.
Does Chabad have a rebbe today?
No. The seventh rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, died in 1994 and no successor was chosen. Some followers believe he is the Messiah, while many others do not.