As the 3rd of Tammuz approaches, marking the yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson z”l, I have been thinking not only about the Rebbe’s teachings, but about one of the defining features of the movement he built: Chabad-Lubavitch understood the power of technology long before most religious institutions did.

Long before “digital strategy” became a nonprofit buzzword, Chabad recognized that technology could be used to spread Torah, amplify Jewish pride and identity, and make Judaism feel accessible across geography and circumstance. The Rebbe did not instinctively fear emerging technologies. He saw them as tools that could be elevated toward holy purposes. Chabad became remarkably adept at using every available medium to expand its reach: satellite broadcasts, telephone networks, fax machines, professionally produced publications, websites, livestreams, podcasts, WhatsApp groups, and social media. Today, Chabad institutions are increasingly experimenting with artificial intelligence as well.

AI-powered Torah search tools now help users navigate the Rebbe’s teachings and vast libraries of Jewish texts. Automated systems answer common Jewish questions online around the clock. AI transcription and translation tools allow classes and “farbrengens” to become searchable, multilingual, and instantly shareable. AI-generated clips, graphics, captions, and educational materials now populate social media feeds with extraordinary speed and efficiency. Some rabbis and educators even use tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT to brainstorm sermons, source sheets, and educational content.

And yet, what makes Chabad extraordinary has never actually been the technology itself. The real genius of Chabad is that........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)