Across the United States and much of the Western world, affiliation with synagogues and churches has been declining for decades, especially since the late twentieth century. Gallup found that membership in houses of worship fell from 70 percent of Americans in 1999 to below 50 percent by 2020. More recent Pew data suggests the decline may be slowing or temporarily stabilizing, but at levels far below those of previous generations. Pew’s 2025 Religious Landscape Study found that only a dismal 37 percent of Americans now say they belong to a congregation.

Then there is Chabad-Lubavitch, one of the fastest-growing Jewish movements in the world. A major U.S. synagogue survey found that the number of Chabad congregations grew by 199 percent between 2001 and 2020, even as the total number of American synagogues declined by 29 percent.

So, what explains Chabad’s success? There is no hidden formula. It is visible in plain sight: the black hats,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)