Reviews

While not the first, Rubin’s book is among the very few that aim to address the history of the Chabad movement as a whole, placing its major figures in dialogue with one another. Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity does so not in a devotional or ahistorical manner, but by exploring the rebbes’ writings as conscious and strategic efforts to forge a distinct Lubavitch tradition, construct the legitimacy of their leadership, and respond to the complex challenges of modern times.

May 23, 2025