Menachem Mendel Schneerson: Becoming the Messiah

by Ezra Glinter

The life and thought of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, one of the most influential—and controversial—rabbis in modern Judaism
 
“Accessible, informed, and balanced. . . . The author manages to tread on fragile ground with aplomb. . . . An exceptional tool for understanding.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
The Chabad-Lubavitch movement, one of the world’s best-known Hasidic groups, is driven by the belief that we are on the verge of the messianic age. The man most recognized for the movement’s success is the seventh and last Lubavitcher rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994), believed by many of his followers to be the Messiah.
 
While hope of redemption has sustained the Jewish people through exile and persecution, it has also upended Jewish society with its apocalyptic and anarchic tendencies. So it is not surprising that Schneerson’s messianic fervor made him one of the most controversial rabbinic leaders of the twentieth century. How did he go from being an ordinary rabbi’s son in the Russian Empire to achieving status as a mystical sage? How did he revitalize a centuries-old Hasidic movement, construct an outreach empire of unprecedented scope, and earn the admiration and condemnation of political, communal, and religious leaders in America and abroad?
 
Ezra Glinter’s deeply researched account is the first biography of Schneerson to combine a nonpartisan view of his life, work, and impact with an insider’s understanding of the ideology that drove him and that continues to inspire the Chabad-Lubavitch movement today.

Genres: Biography, Judaism, Audiobook, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published October 29, 2024

Reviews

[Umar Lee]

Great read on one of the most interesting religious figures of the 20th Century.

[Jay]

Honestly one of the best academic biographies I've ever read. Gave an excellent overview of a complex topic and person. Would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about him

[Jordan]

It is hard to find good biographies of the great Rebbe, for whom hagiographies abound and whose true persona has been veiled by the aura of religious stardom. Glinter does great work with the available source material, trying to getting to the bottom of Schneerson's life and motivations to present a balanced account. I was particularly interested in his theory that the Rebbe's wife Chaya Muskha was the sole neutral confidant who kept Schneerson grounded, and it was after her passing that the Rebbe started to lose his objectivity and succumb to the cult-like messianic fervour that had been building around him.

[Foxglove]

I felt Glinter often ascribed the worst motives in order to appear non-biased, and definitely felt uncomfortable with the topic. I understand how a secular person dealing with the mystic is difficult, but I definitely felt he bent over backwards to be critical. Like when he mentioned that Rabbi Schneerson refused a visit to Ronald Reagan, he seems to ascribe it to creating a cult image and not connecting the heart attack that happened 2 years earlier.

[Sara Goldenberg]

Unbiased biography. Interesting and well-researched.